Is a 2000 Dodge Dakota with 59995 miles an okay truck to buy??

Answer 1

The average person puts 25000 miles a year on their vehicle so if this is the proper millage for the truck then the only thing i would do is check the fluids ..remove the oil cap and check to see if it's go any white foamy sludge if it does then walk away if it's clean then you have a good motor..check the tranny oil to see if it's dark in color if not that means the tranny has not been over heated and also one more check mark for the good..then check the anti-freeze to see if it's cloudy ..if it's a nice green or nice red/orange "environment stuff" then that's one more for the good..then ask the owner for any maintenance records he may have..like oil changes and tune-ups he may have done..then crawl under the truck and check the break and gas lines for rust and while your down there check the frame and body for serious rust also ...if all checks out then get that truck ..sounds like a good deal to me..not many mile for the age for sure.

Answer 2

59,995 k miles for a 2000 Dodge Dakota is not bad at all. The first thing you need to check though before purchasing a used vehicle is to see what kind of condition it is in. You should get a local mechanic that you know and trust to look over the vehicle before you purchase it to see if there is any minor or major problems with it. Don't use the mechanic on the lot where you are purchasing from, they will tell you anything, lies, just to get you to buy it. Also, if you have the VIN number, you can go to http://www.kbb.com and check for records on this vehicle, such as if the vehicle has ever been wrecked. Also on the Kelly Blue Book site, you will be able to see what the value of the vehicle is compared to what they are asking for it. Do your research of this particular vehicle before you purchase it, or make sure you get an extended warranty so that you will have repairs covered if anything should happen.

Answer 3

againsome of you peopel dont know what your talking about. the white foamy stuff under the oil cap is just condensation from the cold air hitting the uninsulated oil filler neck. its not sludge and I REPEAT NOT SLUDGE. as sludge is not white. all dakotas with the 4.7 has this. mine does it and its an 03 and no problems what so ever.

2 major things to look for is 2000 to 2003 has ball joint issues and 4x4 models has a direct replacement if they are bad or not. 2wd versions has a 100,000 mmile warranty on the lowers if they go bad. so get that checked out. the second thing is the heater cores are known to go out alot and can be an expensive fix as the dash has to be taken completly out.


I read the compaints that one perosn posted and to answer that one persons complaint about the brakes. the parking brake and ABS lights are on. this means that the rear speed sensor is bad.

the 2000 has the new tranny and the same thats in my 03 and never had a problem. the R/T version still has the weak tranny of old as its a 360 motor so they use the older version tranny. these usually wears out about 50K miles.

any vehicle has its problems and no vechicle is perfect and with out flaws. some times you get a lemon out of the bunch but thats with any vehicle make and model.

a lil more info would be good as is it reg cab, quad cab or ext cab. size motor and auto or manual tranny 4x4 or 2wd. if its a V-6 dont get it as the V-8 gets the same gas mileage as the 3.9 V-6 but dont have the same amount of power as the V-8.

Answer 4

It is a pretty safe buy if it is around the price of $5,000. I would not go much above that and remember that tax and hidden "dealer fees" are often like 10% of the cost that they say they will sell it for. The transmissions have not been a major problem in the v-6 models because the main problem with dodge truck transmissions is the torque. they just werent built tough enough to handle the torque of v-8's. I would definetly wash it frequently in the winter and have it undercoated if you live in an area where there is salt because the american steel dodge was buying in 1999 wasnt galvanized like it later was. also not a real good vehicle economy-wise especially fuel consumption, however insurance companies love them for the smaller engine unlike the "vortec" in the s-10's

Answer 5

Uh no, gas GUZZLER! Especially the red ones lol just kidding,

This link should help you make your decision. Remember, everyone likes to complain about problems, so keep the positives in mind too.

I wouldn't go near a Dodge for the transmission problems in general, but definitely I would not buy a Dakota.

Answer 6

oh yeah id buy if the body looks in good shape/interior. bear in mind all makes and models have their problems,anyone who doesnt aknowledge that is kiddin themself,also a prob someone had with theirs doesnt mean itll happen with yours. i have 143900 miles on my 95 dakota ( generation 2 ) and its never had the engine/transmission/transfer case away from each other.all i had to do with mine is drop in a new radiator. it really boils down to how well was it taken care of. regardless of make,if ya abuse the vehicle its going to have problems.if ya take care of it,ypu wont,course this is barring manufacturer defects,and every manufacturer has had them. in my experience the dakota is a stout truck that stands above the ranger/s-10/colorado-canyons, because it is a class above them,dakota is mid size,the others compact. bring along a tape measure an see what i mean.

Answer 7

as a technician at a chry dodge dealer I would recommend you take it to your local dealer for a vehicle checkup inspection if the seller will let you at 60k it is due for some maintenance they can look it over and tell you if it needs anything and ask for a copy of the inspection sheet this will help you bargain with the price for a complete vehicle insp our dealer charges $39.00 well worth it

Answer 8

I would say it is. They say on average you should put about 12,000 miles on a year. That truck is well under that.

Answer 9

who care about the miles per year crapp. It matters what price

Answer 10

it might be okay have the tranny checked first