Used 2005 Dodge Dakota Consumer Reviews
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Satisfaction
Mike Hoffman, 05/20/2005
2005 Dodge Dakota 4dr Quad Cab SLT Rwd SB (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Impressed with the ride and handling. Researched several other new trucks and this seemed to be the best quality for the buck. Almost got the Ram 1500 but didn't need the size. Have no regrets about buying this truck. Will keep for a long time.
Neat Truck
Dakdude, 12/29/2005
2005 Dodge Dakota 4dr Quad Cab SLT 4WD SB (3.7L 6cyl 4A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I find the Dakota a fun truck to drive. It feels very solid and handles well. I like the interior and exterior design, vey well thought out. One exception would be the location of the transmission selector. It needs to be more centrally located. Sound system is really good. Some things that could stand improvement are the fuel economy. Although it stckered at 17 city and 20 HWY (I think), I have yet to break 17 on the HWY! Also, 4WD gets a little stubborn at low speeds in snow, kind of like surging or something. All in all, however, I really like the Dakota and would recommend it to anyone looking for a tough midsize truck to have fun with.
2005 Dodge Dakota for sale near you
Showing 3 of 8 listings
- SLT Club CabMSRP: $3,9001,611 mi away
- SLT Club CabMSRP: $7,7241,611 mi away
- SLT Club CabMSRP: $6,9951,745 mi away
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05 Dodge Dakota 4.3 v8 4x4
Jason Landen, 07/28/2015
2005 Dodge Dakota 4dr Quad Cab SLT Rwd SB (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
17 of 21 people found this review helpful
Pos transmission has gone out 3 times in 4 years. I will not pay to have it "fixed" again.
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Not Bad - Could be better
Jason, 02/05/2008
2005 Dodge Dakota 4dr Quad Cab SLT 4WD SB (3.7L 6cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Truck is great for storage, hauling (pulls my 20' boat with no problem), and has decent get up and go. Suspension is questionable. I just replace the tierod ends for the 2nd time since purchasing. Rear stabilizer bars need work also. Ground clearance is also a concern for a pickup. Fuel economy is worse than a lot of full-size trucks. I get roughly 13.5 in city and 16.5 on the highway if I am lucky.
2005 Dodge Dakota Club Cab 3.7 automatic 4X4
gary williams, 02/04/2018
2005 Dodge Dakota 4dr Club Cab ST 4WD SB (3.7L 6cyl 4A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
purchased used for a very good price, 142,000 miles, then set about straightening it out. truck still ran well, previous owner had done periodic oil changes, necessary repairs, maintenance, replaced transmission, rebuilt front end- twice. I found these problems: rear quarter panels rotted out just above back wheels on both sides, required patch panels on each side, and repainting the rear quarter panels. both back doors had rust on bottom, had the driver's side repaired and painted. transmission cooling lines were rotted out, leaking 7 quarts of trans fluid onto the ground. had to replace those with rubber oil cooler lines and clamps. 3 short brake lines were corroded just below the master cylinder, had those replaced with copper alloy lines and brakes bled. spark plugs were burned open to gap beyond .080", gapped those back down to .045" cleaned and reinstalled. downstream oxygen sensor driver's side bank, was lazy reading too high voltage, will be replaced, it doesn't affect engine performance but does put on the check engine light, and throws a computer code. front radiator support and crossmember just ahead of radiator is rotted and will need some attention, but is holding for now. checking front end, upper and lower ball joints on driver's side need to be replaced, even though they've been replaced before within the past 5 years or so. driver's side low beam headlight burned out, changed it. battery was dead and wouldn't hold charge, after cleaning terminals and grounds, and driving daily, it's holding a charge and starting. changed oil from regular mineral oil to synthetic, and picked up some power. the rear tailgate hinges are rotted and need to be replaced, only the top latches on each side are holding the gate on when closed. spare tire winch is seized, can't lower the spare, needs to be freed up in future. windshield wipers were worn out, replaced them. now it's a reliable vehicle with excellent traction in the snow/ice, and the heater is the best I've had in any car, period. the ride is solid, steering is precise, priority is replacing the ball joints which have noticeable play when checked with a pry bar. fuel mileage is pretty good considering it weighs mover 4500 lbs. and has 3.92 axle gear ratio. 4x4 4WD on the fly knob works great. no need to get out and lock hubs- but I wouldn't mind having locking hubs on it, would save some gas mileage. factory bed liner has preserved bed very well. all in all a presentable, reliable vehicle- provided you read up on its quirks and address the design defect areas, such as the front end. these trucks are known to wear out ball joints prematurely, I'm convinced it's due to the flooding of the domestic USA market with low quality offshore Chinese-Asian-India made suspension parts. if it runs to 200,000 will have been worth taking on. we'll see. so far it has been a good purchase and have about $2,000 into it total, including the title work, insurance, parts, repairs.
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