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RollingMammal
Dodge Dakota
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11/21/2002
00:49:35

Subject: How many miles is too many?
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What is the average life span of a Dakota? Of course conditions mean a lot but when do problems start occurring? I have been looking for a truck recently and many of them have real low miles for 4 and 5 year old trucks . . . like 40-60k. I finally found a V8 5spd that is perfect in every way except it has 93k miles. Is this going to be a problem or do I have quite a bit more worry free driving before then? I won't be putting too many miles on it and it appears to have had a very conscientious owner. Thanks for any help.

-Dave-




Muzzy
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11/21/2002
02:49:00

RE: How many miles is too many?
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A lot is going to depend on how well the previous driver maintained it. I have a 91' that I have owned since new and it has 170k miles on it. The starter went at 150K along with the water pump. I still have the original alternator and power steering pump on it. The manual tranny is a plus since I don't think too highly of Mopar autos since they stopped making the 727.

I had to replace all the axle seals around 100k miles, but I had done a lot of off-roading prior to then. The seals don't last as long being exposed to sand and mud all the time.


-Muzzy


"You have enemies? Good. That means you've
stood up for something, sometime in your life."
-Winston Churchill

SHarper
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11/21/2002
09:55:14

RE: How many miles is too many?
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My 1998 SLT 5.2 5 sp has 95,000+ on it now, I have replaced brakes front & rear & just had a rear speed sensor go out ($180 dealer repair). No major repairs, just routine maintenance,(belts, hoses, spark plugs, etc...)its been very reliable. I travel to Florida from Virginia regularly (1800 miles round trip) & don't even think twice about it, just jump in & go. As Muzzy said, the lifetime depends on how it is maintained (and babied) :)

Steve

'98 CC SLT 5.2 5 spd- his
'01 SLT QC 3.9 5 spd - hers

midnightdak
Dodge Dakota
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11/21/2002
12:02:09

RE: How many miles is too many?
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i have a 01 dakota cc with 69*** on it and all i did so far is change the plugs thats all so far,no belts have gave me any probs so far but i may change thim anyways.Oh ya the power window switchs went out to about (20 bucks)all i have to say is the 4.7 (well prolly all motors)are good motors i think everyone will agree with that.If the truck is in good shape DAVE i would go for it IF the price is rite because motors can be rebuilt,more easily than dents,a new paint job,all new interior and things like that if the person before you didnt take care of it.



91DakotaFreak
Dodge Dakota
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11/21/2002
16:26:41

RE: How many miles is too many?
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my 91 just rolled over to 980100miles today. I replaced the water pump, hoses radiator, distance sensor, belt, timing chain, abs wire,and brake lines. It sat for about three years before i bought it thats why all this had to be done but man this truck has some guts compared to the chevy 1500 that i have driven i hope to have it last another 125,000 but i plan to pro street it before then.



sandman
Dodge Dakota
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11/21/2002
17:02:00

RE: How many miles is too many?
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Most parts failures will occur in the 3-5 year period. Most major parts will start failing around 60,000 to 80,000 miles.
Rotors:12,000-36,000
Fuel Pump Modules 50,000-70,000
Ignition Modules 40,000-65,000
Coils 70,000-100,000
Water Pump 60,000-80,000
Transmission 75,000-120,000
Alternator 65,000 to 80,000
Diff's 85,000-95,000
Wheel Bearing Sealed Design 60,000-80,000

These are averages based on my professional experince. It is a combination of car's and trucks and represents almost 3 years of tracking out of warranty claim for OEM part purchases. These are average joe so it combines a diverse population of people. Some take excellent car of their car's and truck's and some drive them till they drop! I take about 100 cals a day 5 days a week solveing tech. problems at the dealer level.




Randy Hope
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2002
18:21:47

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I'm at 306,000 and I'm replacing the first thing ever!! The water pump just went out! Everything else is factory!! 92' 4x4
randy



SDakotaDude
Dodge Dakota
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11/25/2002
10:48:26

RE: How many miles is too many?
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My 93 has been through quite a bit compared to Randy's 92. Transmission, both axles, alternator, water pump, thermostat, and in the last week the transfer case went to hell. Rollin about 126k right now.



sandman
Dodge Dakota
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11/25/2002
18:03:01

RE: How many miles is too many?
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Randy Hope, are you the origanal owner???



FredDQC
Dodge Dakota
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11/26/2002
11:29:04

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I know this is not related but I bought an 89 Mazda pickup with 120,000 mile on it and I put 168,000 miles before the head gasket blew on me; total of 288,000 miles. I never replaced any parts just maintainance routines. never smoked and is still repairable because I just took the head to the machine shop and they told me is not cracked, neither the block. I just put it aside because I got my dakota but eventually I will fix it. This is just to support sandman's point that if you take care of your vehicles, they will last.



Chris
Dodge Dakota
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11/26/2002
12:30:07

RE: How many miles is too many?
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My old truck had 139k on it when i did the engine (cracked head) it was given to me at 65k miles and I beat on it but kept up on the regular maintence... treated me well, never had anything really "fail".... never stranded me but the second time i blew the tranny, it left me with only reverse... a story for another time...

So yes if you keep up on maintence mileage and even driving style does not matter that much...

Chris



sandman
Dodge Dakota
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11/28/2002
10:37:37

RE: How many miles is too many?
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The financeing terms pretty much tell the story. For a long time banks wanted you to pay the vechile off in 36 mounths and if you needed longer they penalized you by chargeing higher interest. They locked at durability studies and determined that alot of major durability issues started to show up shortly after 36 mounths in the domestic market. They also looked at their records and found that people with major durability issues on a vechile were less likely to pay for a vechile that would not run. So they structured their loan system to reflect the increased risk. You have to remember that Domestic vechiles are designed so 65% of them will last 120,000-150,000 miles while most imports are designed with an expectation that 90% of them will last 220,000 miles with out power train issues. It usualy comes down to a material selection choice more then anything else. An example would be piston material. If you use Mahl 125 piston alloy you can get about 120,000 miles out of the piston as a matter of routine if you use Mahl 146 you can get double or triple the life out of that same piston design. If you apply this same manner of thinking to all of the high load high wear parts you can double or triple the life of the power train for a 10% increase in cost. You still pass the cost on to your customer's but you reward the longterm owner and all those that buy your vechile used. If a young kid buys the vechile cheap with 200,000 on it and it is still going strong at 300,000 when he sells it to some young kid even cheaper you have just made a customer out of someone that would normaly not have been able to afford your vechile if it was new.



jessie
Dodge Dakota
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1/23/2015
02:07:43

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I am the fourth owner of my 96 Dakota. She
just rolled over to 300,000. I've had it
for two years and the only things I have
replaced are brakes, battery, and
thermostat. My cousin owned it before me
and all he replaced was a belt. The second
owners were an elderly couple who hardly
drove her. And the original owner bought
her off the show room floor for his lumber
buisness. She's my daily driver and I
drive an average of 20,000 miles a year.
Best and only truck I've ever owned!!



Robert Sylves
Dodge Dakota
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6/21/2017
20:17:39

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I should not say anything because I am MOPAR. It's
a long story but the gist of the tale is I got
converted when I got out of USN in 1966 and went in
the auto business. GM kept us busy except for
Buick. Small Fords products. MOPAR was almost none
existant for 7 years. Now I have a 92 Dakota with a
4.7 engine. It tows a 4500lb camper. Leaves a 35ft
track of rubber when rushed. Problems have very
few. I drive it more than I drive my 13 Charger.
There's more to the tale if asked.



Martin B
Dodge Dakota
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7/05/2017
14:37:13

RE: How many miles is too many?
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Message:
The miles put on a vehicle, in general, are a great indication of the
maintenance attention given by the owner. I'm now approaching 80
yrs age and need to sell my original DODGE DAKOTA for lack of
garage space to keep it. YES! It's been garage-kept for 95% of the
time. This is obvious by the good condition of the paint without any
loss of clear-coating. Here's the details on my 2000 Dakota SLT, V-8:

I bought it NEW off the showroom floor at Beaman's in Murfreesboro,
TN. It is white color Quad Cab with an immediate installation of the
fiberglas tonneau cover and padded-carpet bed liner. It has NOT
been used for rough work as I worked in the property insurance
industry until retirement.

The drive train is the 4.7 German designed V-8 with auto
transmission. At 98,000 miles, I had the oil changed to Mobile 1
Synthetic, which is still my only choice of oil. The engine does not
leak oil on my concrete driveway. (I won't allow that!) The
transmission is original with routine fluid and filter changes. The
engine has never had any problem except replacement of valve-cover
gaskets and manifold gaskets (more recently). Radiator and front
wheel bearings were recently replaced. New Michelin tires
(w/Nitrogen) in May, 2017. Newer floor carpets put in 5 yrs ago. On-
board computer shows 16.5 mpg over past 7,000+on odometer. The
total mileage to date is 238,785, and expected to last another
hundred+ if same care is taken.
Most recent NADA clean retail is $5,550. Asking $5,100. Clear title
and all pertinent maintenance records; and recent CareFax report
shows all emissions test PASSED!
Serial # 1B7GL2AN7YS744416. See for yourself. Two photos
attached if possible.(I don't post often.)



david coleman
Dodge Dakota
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9/07/2017
09:42:04

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I have a 92 dodge Dakota with all original parts. the original owner beat the hell out of it tried to do his own paint job. looks like crap. over 170k on it. so it depends on how parts where made too. they also ran it without oil for awhile. every thing seems fine. only problem right now is vibration over 55mph.



Martin B
Dodge Dakota
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9/07/2017
19:37:57

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I sold my 2000 Dodge Dakota just a week or so after my previous
post, to a local buyer who could see the quality condition of the
truck.

Now signing off from Dakota Foram. Enjoyed the ride!



Harold Smith
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2017
21:37:41

RE: How many miles is too many?
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2002 Dodge Dakota sxt single cab v6 3.9 engine 2wd
with almost 150,000 miles. Is that high mileage for
the year.



Matt
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2017
07:08:18

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I have a 2000 Dakota with a 4.7 Slt 4x4. I am the 2nd owner got it with 86,000 and had it for almost 12 years only left me once about 150,000 when the trans failed. Injectors, cam and crank shaft sensors at around 200,000, replaced the battery 6 yrs ago in November. Still fires and sounds good with the flow master 44 series cat back exhaust. With 240,189 has had a few fan clutches over the years, recently a water pump 239,000 or so. Otherwise I would agree regular maintenance keep the oil in the safe area and keep it cool, it should last you a long time.



milkin it
Dodge Dakota
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12/27/2017
14:27:18

RE: How many miles is too many?
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I googled "high mileage dakota" while sitting here
waiting for a new O2 sensor on my '03 single cab
with 3.9l and 5mt. I bought it new and am on mile
279,400 with no plans to ditch it before 300k. The
only serious repairs being 2 fuel pumps, a water
pump, and 1 clutch replacement (last week).



KORY h
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2018
21:20:47

RE: How many miles is too many?
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So I am looking at. 2006 dodge Dakota with the v6 with 110k
miles on it it’s for 4800 bucks from used auto dealer it seems
like a good price maby too good was wondering if anything I
can look at to help determan if I should buy it or not



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