Used 2003 Dodge Dakota Consumer Reviews

2nd Dakota

This is my second Dakota and I love it just as much as my first one which was an 04. This on is the quad cab 4x4 slt with the 4.7 automatic. Runs great with 122k. It does everything I need it to do, whether it be hauling wood, going on a long trip, or pulling Jeeps out of the mud. Speaking of mud, it's difficult to get this truck stuck in the mud or snow. It was out in Nemo, the huge snow storm on LI in early 2013. I got through the terrible road/weather conditions with no problem whatsoever. It's a comfortable ride, and is very roomy on the inside which is great on those long trips. If you need a smaller truck that can do a full size truck's job, buy a Dakota.

Wishing we could keep it!

This vehicle has been such a joy. With the available 5.9L we had it matches even with the 1500 series with torque and BHP and it cost on average $8,000 less. I'm 6'4" and I feel comfortable in the rear seats. The back doors have a full 90 degree opening which make getting in and out a breeze. The ride and comfort is so car like it's unreal. The only down fall that you must live with is the fuel economy or there lack of. But with all that engine it something I can live with.

03 Dakota SLT 4x4

I have an 03 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab (full 4 doors) with the 4.7 and 5 speed auto. Man what an awesome truck, for the money there is nothing close to it. Car will giddy up and go whenever called upon. Tows my boat with no issues and will beat anything else on the road. The only vehicle out there with a REAL v8 in a midsized truck, if it's got a 4 cylinder its not a truck! Toyota can't touch it and the ranger is too small, and in my opinion the sport trac is ugly, if you're looking for a good reliable truck get the Dakota. I average 17 mpg in mine with me stomping on it quite a bit, not bad.

2003 awd 4x4 slt, 4.7 V8 quad cab

This is my Second Dakota. It is a good all around truck. I have over 200,000 miles on mine. I noticed my gas mileage has gone down since i have had the ball joints replaced. I get 14 mpg in the city and about 19 mpg on the hwy. Outside of normal wear of parts this truck has served me well. For an AWD truck it handles good in snow, rain and mud. I have only had to put into 4 wheel drive when I get stuck in mud. The size of the truck works well for our family, we are all 5'8" or less and the truck seems roomy to us.

I Love My Dodge

I love driving my Dodge Dakota! If I had to buy another truck it would be a Dodge 6 cylinder! My only complaints are thay could have a little more seat padding, bigger glove compartment, more under backseat storage and better gas mileage! Also being better able to see lighted up dash area and radio information when the headlights are turned on and more room underneath the light between the sun visors.

Favorite Vehicle of all Time

I have the 5.9L engine and do not have 4WD so I get top of the range MPG 17 Not good but over all this is a great truck. Functional and striking good looks. I have kept the scheduled maintenance and have done nothing more to it...100% reliable. Have had two instances when I wish I had 4WD while moving around new construction site on wet ground...poor traction on RWD

Best Truck I Ever Had

Sharp Looking ( RED ) Very Comfortable, No Problems just Standard Maintenance, Decent Mileage with 4.7 V8, 16 around Town 22 on trips

Only Dakotas

I have been driving Dodge Dakotas since 1993, I have had 6, 4 new 2 used. Over 400k total. these trucks are bullet proof, very reliable stylish, very roomy in the quad cab back seat. the v6 & v8 both tow my large pop up camper with no problem. the Dakota is the perfect size it is not to small & not to large. my wife drives it more than her car. well I hope this little blurb helps you out. I look forward to my next one.

Great Truck!

I have the Quad Cab 4x4 4.7 v8. It is the best truck I have ever had, I have had no problems, and I can tow anything anywhere, and fit my whole family in it comfortably! It is a wonderful truck, and I would recommend everyone to own one.

Fast Truck

Put on many good miles on this truck with next to zero problems. The worst problem I have had was a radiator leak. Engine and trans are solid. This truck is fast and handles great. It can take a corner at 55mph. I moved from San Diego to NJ towing 3k lbs, averaged 80 mph and the truck felt like there was nothing there. It took on mountains like flat terrain. Great truck!

2003 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab SLT+ 2WD 3.9L

The Dodge Dakota has been a great truck for me. I originally had a '90 Dakota that was still running great at 230,000 miles. Then I joined the Marine Corps and bought the '03 Quad Cab. The only problem I've had with it was a crack in a rubber hose for the fuel EVAP emissions system - a simple inexpensive repair. After sitting in a parking lot for 7 months while I was in Iraq (twice), it ran perfectly for me when I returned (as well as after 2 one month trips to AZ.) It gets me 18 MPG (mixed) and has reached 20MPG (hwy) several times. Bottom line - I love it! I see myself driving this 1 for years to come and probably nothing but Dakotas for the rest of my life.

good to buy American

My truck is actually a 1998. Since I have the truck for a while I thought my review can give those interested a long term view of this vehicle. It is very reliable, very quiet, has good power total average mpg is 17.0. The 4x4 is great for camping and fishing trips. Wish it had a 3rd door in 1998 besides that I love this truck. Almost bought a toyota but I am glad I bought Dodge, would do it again in a heart beat.

Great Truck

This was my first dodge. I bought it off a guy who put 130,000 miles on it. He drove on the highway to get to work every day, and he dropped the fluids religiously. The only issue I've had with this beast is that I had to replace the water pump (expected for mileage). Since I've got it, I've abused and pushed it past its limit, and it doesn't stutter. You tell it to do something, it'll go. Handles like a car.

2003 Dakota Club Cab Sport + (4.7 auto)

2003 Dakota Club Cab Sport Plus with 287cid V8 (4.7), 545FRE automatic, LSD, 6010 GVW & handing package, PW, PL, AC, front/rear sway bars, P245 70R16 on/off road tires. Exceptionally smooth and powerful engine/transmission combination. Plenty of power when pulling a load on hills. At 3500 miles, worst gas mileage was 15.04 (city w/load), 21.87 highway (65MPH). Current average is 17.38 mpg. Very comfortable seating, good ergonomics. Very quiet, except tire noise. Build quality & fit & finish near 100%. No performance, reliability, or quality issues yet.

QUAD CAB PLEASURE

MY DAKOTA SLT QUAD CAB IS LOADED WITH ALL ANYONE WOULD WANT IN A SUV, LET ALONE A TRUCK. IT RIDES LIKE A CAR WITH THE GREAT VIEW AND COMFORT OF THE DRIVER'S 6 WAY POWER SEAT. I HAVE THE 5.9 LITER ENGINE AND I AM GETTING MUCH BETTER MILEAGE THAN THE REPORTS SAY, 16 CITY AND 20 HIGHWAY. I FIND NO FAULT AT ALL WITH THOSE NUMBERS FOR THE ABILITY TO TOW LIKE I CAN. IT IS ROOMY AND THE LEATHER BUCKET SEATS MAKE IT EVEN MORE A PLEASURE TO RIDE IN DURING A LONG TRIP. DODGE HAS A GEM IN THE DAKOTA AND IT SHOWS. I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH MY DODGE QUAD CAB AND IT IS ALL I EXPECTED AND MORE.

the truck that still looks like a truck

nothing but fun to drive.

Keep on Truckin'

This truck has been a steady performer. It is functional enough for light construction duty and family recreation. Our family of 3 + 1 large dog has found there is plenty of int. room and adequate cargo capacity for our road trips and camping outings. The ride is truck like, but without much road noise. There have been no major problems, but the broken emergency brake release lever and the poor seal around the gas intake pipe are annoying. The V6 provides pep and the transmission shifts smoothly. The gear shift on the steering column is a little tempermental and requires perfect placement before finding the right gear. Traction on wet pavement and snow is weak when the bed is empty.

8Cyl Auto, Great Truck

I love my Dakota slt 8cyl, auto quad cab. Interior has lots of room, have hauled 4 adults and a car seat. Fuel milage was a concern especially with a Magnum V8, but is better than I expected and as I put miles on it (2800 now) it's getting better. Average 19MPG. I came close to buying a Tacoma but am glad I got the dakota instead. I have pulled a trailer a couple of times with about 1500# cargo. Didn't even notice the difference in driving with the extra weight.

my red dodge

i own a 2003 dodge dakota quad cab sport with a magnum v8 engine, i found it necessary to purchase this vehicle because it offers the convience of a car and the capability of a truck. I currently owned a vw jetta, a great car but when you have a small child which in turn requires a stroller once you put that thing in the trunk there is no room for anything else. the only thing that is hard for me to get used to is spending more money on gas, i'm used to $20 per week not $60 therefore its gonna require me to update my budget. other than the low gas mileage the only thing i have to say is I LOVE MY TRUCK!!!!!!!!!

nice truck

This is a nice truck, inside and out. On rough rodes the front end tends to bounce in one direction. I have the V-6 in my truck and it seems to be under powered. The ride is nice.

Love the 8 in this baby....

This truck is a super. It is in a kinda stealth mode. With the eight cylinder 4.7 she can do almost anything the big boys can do and still park in a compact stall. If you are looking for a extended cab truck with some yank look no further this Dakota will knock your socks off. I have owned a Chevy 1500 Z71 sportside and a Ford Explorer XLT. I wish I had looked at the Dodge line sooner. The other trucks are okay but I'm impressed with the overall quality and precision of this vehicle. Highly recomended.

Friday afternoon off the assembly line

Nice truck, but at 31k the tranny would lock in 2nd gear (they called it limp mode) any time it went through a large puddle. Replaced 2 sensors several times to no avail. Dealer stopped covering the replacements after the third event. They contacted Dodge in 2007 and told if the sensors lose sight of the ground, they do this to avoid an overspeed. Told them to bypass the sensors all together, seemed to work. However, in 6 years it went through 2 wiper motors, 2 blower relays, the tail gate failed twice, seat broke once and it leaked (they tried to fix that twice). Guess it was the Friday pm one. Anyway, traded it in the day I got the title. Have a Tacoma now.

Avoid 4.7 V8 engine!!!

I've had my truck for almost 6 years and have loved it until now. Over the past 6 months I've had to replace thermostat (not a huge deal) then the radiator and now I'm told the 4.7 V8 engine has a possible blown head gasket with only 88,000 miles. After finding this out I've read NUMEROUS accounts of the same problem with this engine.

Gas hog

I bought this Dakota 4x4 standard cab 2 years ago. Boy what a mistake. This thing sucks gas so fast you can watch the gauge move about 13 mpg in the city. I had a 1990 Dakota and it was a fine truck so had no problems buying this one until I got it home. I am 6,3" tall and have no room to move in it, it's pretty but not a good deal. So far the battery, water pump muffler and tires have all taken leave, also the center caps that come with the wheels will not stay on had to get the chrome ones that Dodge has replaced them with. I drive this truck back and forth to work (22 miles a day) thats all I can afford at $4.00 a gallon and go through $40-50 a week. Poor in snow.

4x4 3.9 Dodge Dakota, What a Joke

By far the worst pickup truck I've ever owned up to this date. From the second I drove it off the lot there was nothing but problems with my 2003 Dodge Dakota. The list is unfortunatly too long to list everything. Let's just say that now I'm having problems with my airbag! Like I said, everything wrong with it. This is a poor excuse for a 4x4. Absolutely no power to the tiny 3.9 lawnmower engine it has. Transmission makes the engine race and yet never pulls into gear. And let's not forget that when driving it constantly feels like you're dragging an anchor.

My 4.7 MAGNUM V-8 QUAD CAB 2000

Have had my quad cab for almost 3 years now, Have had no problems with my as of now. Only thing to mention is a slight ruff idle when cold weather sets in, lasts only about 3 seconds. now have 25,000 mi on it, The 4.7 V-8 has been a very good motor, the performance of this truck is awesome. Reminds me of driving my 69 Superbee back in High School. When I first test drove the 4.7 quad,from a dead stop it put down 15 feet of rubber. WOW I did not expect that, the smile on my face was enough to sell me. Only thing that bugs me is the poor gas milage, 13 mpg average city and highway. But this is more then likely due to my heavy foot. Can't help it. It's too fun.

!st big trip

1st off I have the 4.7 5/auto- Just finished a 2950 mile trip towing a 4000lb travel trailer.No problems what so ever with the Dakota.Gas milage @ 11mpg and didn't burn 1 drop of oil. What else can I say other that I'm pleased with it.Solo mix is 18mpg.

2003 Dakota Sport Plus

The Dakota has been a great truck with lots of power, a smooth drivetrain, rugged and reliable that remains quiet and comfortable. It is larger than models from Nissan and Toyota and that was the deciding factor in my purchase. It functions as a part time personal and work vehicle and does both more than adequately. My year-to-date fuel mileage is 16.82 and I can consistently get 20mpg carrying 900 lbs. of ATV and additional gear in the summertime. The 4.7 has excellent low end torque which I appreciate on hills and for towing. Mine has been reliable, with two recalls and one heater blower resistor failure. No rattles or squeaks after five years!

Scared Me

This truck had a road hop that I couldn't overcome.Living on back roads,going up hills it would start to wheel hop either right or left. At interstate speeds, the steering was strange, it would drift and a slight adjustment at times would over correct and scare the heck out of me. I had a 93 Dakota and never had these problems with that truck.

Should have bought a Tacoma

I was so close to getting a Tacoma and now I wish I had. Gas guzzling and noisy truck with bad fit.

Good all around truck

I bought the truck new and have had a blast with it. It has the Stampede package which caught my eye on the dealer parking lot. Bought it for fuel economy over my 79 Warlock and it has delivered promised fuel economy, 18 mpg for the daily 7 mile commute and 22 mpg on my annual trip to FL. The Stampede package really enhances the handling and styling. I tow two motorcycles regularly from state to state and the drive train is solid. Have 61,000 miles and have only had to do routine maintenance. Battery did quit suddenly at 5 years but that's about what you get from factory batteries. Wish I had gotten the extended cab but the styling didn't go with the Stampede package. Love this truck!!!

red truck

I've had a blast with this truck and without any mechanical problems so far. It's fun to drive and I can get my family of 6 in the quad cab without a problem. Adults might be a little tight in the back seat. The AWD handles great but is always thirsty for gas. The 4.7 L V-8 is a great sized engine for this truck.

2003 Dakota QC 2WD 4.7L 5-45RFE

Excellent truck after 4,500 miles. Other than for minor paint imperfections in the a few areas, there has been no problems. This unit has an automatic transmission with 3.92 drive ratio; hence, harder on gas than with a 3.55 ratio. IMHO, wish the option of the Power Tech 4.7L HO engine was available. Price of added options are a little high.

my truck

it is the best truck i've owned.the power is unbeliveable,i drive the one with the 4.7 liter V-8.i tow my 7x14 trailer with no problem and also my two kids and wife aslo can enjoy the (TRUCK) as we call it do to it's comfort all i have left to say is i love my truck!

So far so good

At this point and with limited miles, I have only one complaint. The mileage has not imporved since the day I drove it off the lot. 12/13 mpg local and 14/15 highway. I do have the 5.9 V-8 in a 4X4 but I feel this is still quite low.

Nice lookin' truck

Bought after Toyota dealership got stupid dealing for a Tacoma. Love the rugged look of the quad. While the interior isn't 100% as nice as others, it's still a comfortable place to do business. Like the wide-open rear doors! CD player didn't work upon arrival, but was taken care of under warranty.

Dakota R/Ts are fun!

The Dakota R/T is an extremely nice truck. great handling, excellent design, well built, and enough power to get you into some serious trouble.

Dodge Dakota

First pickup I've owned and very satisfied, has great pickup for getting on interstates and gas mileage isn't bad, can compare to Chevy S-10 Blazer I had traded in. It has the 4.7 230 hp engine, has the short bed but really didn't need more than that for my needs. GREAT TRUCK !!

Fun Truck

I bought the truck from a private owner with 63,000 miles on it. Starts and rides like a new vehicle. Only problem I found was a warped front brake disk. Since grinding it no more clicks. Use it every day and sometimes overloaded, full or empty runs all the same. Fuel efficency is lousy (14 mpg) and A/C only cools to 48 F, which is within specs but in summery Florida we need all the cooling you can get. Overall highly satisfied

Awesome Silver R/T w. orange stripes

I can honestly say I think my truck is awesome. It majorly burns rubber. 360 V8 kicks major rump. Since there were a limited amount of these for the last official R/T i am proud to own one. Leather seats, another rarity are very comfortable. Infinity sound system awesome dude. the only bad point is that my truck only gets about 13 miles per gallon on average. in the city try 10mpg. Other than that i really like my Dakota.

no power and bad gas milage

not very happy with this truck wish i never bought it

never buy again

i bought the truck with the oem trailer group and severe service group. for what the truck is rated to tow it does not live up the its standards by any means. the fact that my fender flares are falling off as well does not help. the truck has only 8990 miles on it. second why is it that my trucks value is falling faster then i can pay it off? i bought every option on it but when it comes to trade it in none that seems to matter. = by the way it is a automatic

Can't wait to trade

Bought it as a 2001 in late 2000. 4 months later, 3 trips to dlr to correct bad suspension bushings. Gas economy horrible. Brake discs failed 2X in first 12K miles.Transfer case failed in woods at inopportune time,1000 to repair @49K miles. Rear end now clunks and noticable vibration at highway since repair, dealer says it's ok. Still has loud graunch over modest bumps, now has loud rattles in suspension over small bumps. Can't wait to get rid of it.

Great truck

Dodge Dakota's are Number One!

wouldn't bye anything elce

Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 with 4.7 V8

Has the perfect combination of size, style, and comfort. I actually have the 4.7L V8 with 5-speed automatic transmission which I highly recommend. Average fuel economy, pretty much as expected for a mid sized pickup.

bad choice

I Had the truck less then a week, 500 miles and I had to bring it back to the dealership due to lack of power and after being told there was nothing wrong they had to tear the engine apart and redo the valves along with change item's in the trani. now at 20,000 miles my a/c switch has broken and only works on high and the a/c is leaking in the truck!

Excellent

Excellent off-road and on! Would buy another in a heartbeat!

Full size truck, compact price

This truck can work, ive pulled trailers hundreds of miles, whit 4,00 to 5,000 lbs. no problem. Plenty of power fo a 6 cyl 5speed 4x4. Gas milage respectable.When playing, driving on the beach mud hikks anything it just flat out goes, and ride great also.

Love It

I Love My Dakota. Never Any Problems. No Snow Was Too Much For The Truck To Handle. Roomy And Comfortable. And Affordable