Used 1998 Dodge Dakota Consumer Reviews
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2 Dr SLT Extended Cab Standard bed
notnamedjess, 10/24/2004
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Extended Cab SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I just sold my Dakota after 6 years. Over all I really liked my truck and was proud of it. It was fun to drive and anyone that drove it liked it. It was comfortable with plenty of room in the front seat for passengers but the back seat was not comfortable for adults. The bed was a good size for anything I needed. I got an average of 18mpg, up to 23 and as low as 9mpg when pulling my boat.
This Truck HAULS!
Bill C, 09/03/2005
1998 Dodge Dakota R/T Sport 2dr Extended Cab SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I feel fortunate that this has been a pretty reliable (American) hauler. Fuel pump (in tank) failed under warranty and the differential gears were unnecessarily replaced in an attempt to fix a "clunk" noise when braking hard and turning into a drive (apron). Other than that, routine maintenance. I'm 6'2" tall and the seats fit great. Pulls a car hauler and sometimes heavy loads of gravel, dirt, etc. No problem. The 5.9L engine is a old school, but very dependable one. Lots of grunt. I love my "Art-eee" truck.
1998 Dodge Dakota for sale near you
Showing 3 of 11 listings
- SLT Extended CabMSRP: $6,784355 mi away
- SLT Regular CabMSRP: $2,999767 mi away
- SLT Extended CabMSRP: $7,9501,011 mi away
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There's no replacement for displacement
pete, 10/07/2005
1998 Dodge Dakota R/T Sport 2dr Regular Cab SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
First of all, let me say, this is my second Dodge Dakota. And I have enjoyed this one just as much as my first. Second, to anyone who wants a truck that will always outperform not only the competition but your own expectations, this one is for you! My Dakota has exceptional ride and handling, especially for a truck with a short wheel base. The interior is comfortable with more leg and head room than other compact trucks, and me being 6' 2" that means alot. Also, I can certainly vouch for the reliability having put 142,000 combined miles on both my trucks. The only repair I've had was replacing a blower for the a/c once. However, the best feature of all... horsepower lots and lots of it!!
Lots of Power...Lots of Gas
JakeD, 11/11/2006
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Regular Cab 4WD SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my '98 Dakota 4x4 about a year and a half ago and it has been a great truck. The 5.2L 318 has plenty of power, and the limited slip rear end makes for great burnouts. The 4 wheel drive is unbelivable. I've had it burried in mud to the point where the ground was even with the bottom of my window and I put it in reverse and it crawled right out to my suprise, and to the dissapointment of the angry hunters chasing after me. The only things that have been replaced in 63,000 miles are the water pump, ball joints, exhaust ( wasn't loud enough) and tires. The water pump and ball joints were a lot cheaper and easier to install than I thought they would be. The tires not so much.
Looks and Feels Great But Quality Sucks
Schmutte, 03/05/2002
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This truck starts falling apart at the seems after 50K miles. It drives great and is very comfortable, but poor quality. THANKS UAW!!!! The UAW has turned me off from ever buying another American car.
Almost A Truck!
Mazda Fan, 03/29/2003
1998 Dodge Dakota R/T Sport 2dr Extended Cab SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bucket seat cushions seem to be too long for my 5'6" frame and the backs are to flat and non supporting. Visability is horrible with the huge A pillars. Ours also has the fuel pick up problem that has left us stranded twice! It ate left front brakes and rotors untill I upgraded the front pads. Resale value is poor,along with the gas mileage. 13/17, worse than a full size suv! Engine rattles on anything less than premium fuel, sometimes on that too!Rear seats too small, even for children. No locking glove box. Noisy fan motor. No overhead console on this year. Rear bumper design to weak for towing any weight. This COULD be a good truck.
Peppy Mid-Size Machine (V8)
Joe, 08/16/2007
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Extended Cab SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Now that I have the Dakota I am very happy that I bought it. My friends always talk about their fast little cars, and to be in my 5.2 and beating all these sporty little cars makes me laugh so hard. They are relatively easy to work on and I love punching it when I am going slower than 40 mph because getting it to chirp is sweet. The Dakota to me is a fine truck I would buy them for a long time but only from 1997-1999 because of the 5.2 and body style because the new body style to me isn't that good looking.
Stuck With It
Blessed Anyway, 05/18/2007
1998 Dodge Dakota R/T Sport 2dr Extended Cab SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I rarely buy vehicles and only once bought new which was this one. Ball joints and brakes were bad news for this model. Several manufacturer recalls: steering, two exhaust related ones. Brakes warped (Underengineered). Oil pressure has been issue this past year. Had oil pump replaced and only slightly improved pressure. Overall, performance was great compared to other small trucks, especially power/acceleration from 4-cyl, but the quality of parts and durability was quite poor. Several interior items failed, some more than once. Emergency brake handle, glove box handle mechanism, and cup holder assembly all failed. Overall, it took a beating from me, but I feel I didn't get full value.
Dakota mid size is perfect fit
Me in Midwest, 04/28/2003
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Extended Cab SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Looked at F150, looked at Ranger. Looked over the Ram 1500 (big), but found the Dakota to be the "right size." Comfortable interior, great utility, attractive to look at.
Nicest Dodge Ive Ever Driven
Ralph, 04/15/2008
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Extended Cab SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have never driven a 5 speed standard 318 before this truck. I have to say its got some jam. And the throttle response is great. The body has great flowing lines that are arrow dynamic, unlike the new Dakotas that seem square. If i ever decide to buy another truck, it is gonna be a Dakota.
Miss My Dodge
Brian355, 03/30/2002
1998 Dodge Dakota Sport 2dr Extended Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I recently traded mine in and miss it already. It was a good truck but the extra cab wasn't quite enough. The rear bench seat is OK but not as OK as I had hoped when I bought the truck. The ride and performance are first rate for a pick-up. For the 50+ thousand miles I owned it, I only had to perform normal maintenance and replaced the tires. (The stock Goodyears really sucked.) There was only one recall during this time. If it wasn't for a growing family, I would have kept it 'til the doors fell off.
1998 Dodge Dakota fleet vehicle 3.9, 5 speed
Mike, 09/12/2017
1998 Dodge Dakota 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great truck with some quirks. Once I redone the ground wires under the hood and did a full tune up it ran like new. Does not hurt to know some basic mechanics when buying one almost 20 years and over 200,000 miles but seems to be strong and dependable.
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20 year old truck still holds up!
Wyatt, 10/14/2018
1998 Dodge Dakota 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Just bought a 1998 dodge dakota off craigslist for $2000 with 81000 miles on it. Even for a 20 year old truck it felt great before I even went to an auto shop. I changed out the oil filters, air filters and all 4 tires which is standard everytime you buy a car. I live in California so I of course did an engine diagnostic because you have to SMOG every other year. The tags on this expire next year so it's still current. I gotta say, it's my proudest buy and quite a steal for my first truck. It's a 20 year old automatic so no cup holders and no automatic door locks. That's okay though. I am gonna do some more work on it and eventually put a new stereo, speakers and custom paint job on it. Maybe even a custom center console if possible. I am very happy with this buy. I highly recommend this vehicle if anyone ever comes across it.
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Ping, Ping, Ping, Boom, Smoke
Harvey Cedars, 05/09/2002
1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 2dr Extended Cab SB (3.9L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
5.2L, 5-speed. Was a superb ride till I hit 12K miles, then engine started pinging. Got worse and worse until it sounded like the engine was full of ball bearings. Tried high test gas, then brought to dealer which twice did all TSB checks. Finally submitted to Chrysler arbitration, who tried to reneg on their promise to buy the vehicle back until I mentioned the magic phrase "EPA". Delivered it back to Dodge on 12-23-00 with 36K on the clock and pinging, burning oil (1QT every 700mi.), and a terrible grinding sound in the front when cold. Chrysler service sucks!! I've had CC cars all my life - never again. Quality has gone to the dogs. Where is Lee Iacocca when they really need him?