A Far Too Brief History of The Dodge Dakota From D50 to The End

[@DrKreiger]

Man I loved the late 90's through 03 model. That was such a great truck. Especially with the 5.9

[@seed_drill7135]

The R/T was a good looking, great handling toy, but not much use for truck stuff. The lowered suspension gave it the same towing capacity as the 4 cylinder.

[@JCVACCARO]

In 96 I ordered a reg cab short bed 2wd Dakota with the 5.2, 3:90 sure grip and a 5spd manual. At 14,700$ it was a cheap, reliable and pretty quick little truck..Had lots of people scratching their heads with that truck. Fun times.

[@coreysmith2774]

I bought a brand new Dakota quad cab with the 4.7 in 2005. When I sold it in 2015, it had 198,000+ miles on it. The only thing I replaced was the front swaybar end link bushings and the factory battery 3 weeks before I sold it. Everything else was absolutely stock and solid. Best truck I ever owned.

[@luisvelasco316]

I bought a 1998 Dakota Sport in Dark Amethyst (Purple). Had the V-8, 5-speed, and optional high axle ratio, optioned up with 4-wheel ABS, cruise, Infinity speakers, slider rear window. Surprisingly quick for the time. Drove it for 12 years until (my fault) accident. Miss it. Thanks for this video.

[@hueyfreemaniii6214]

That sounds like an awesome truck to have

[@muznick]

I miss my Dakotas. Had a black '97 V-8 and a red '99 R/T. Bought both brand new. The perfect size truck IMO.

[@phantom0456]

My dad bought a Club Cab Dakota brand new in 1990, when he traded it 19 years later during cash for clunkers it has nearly 400,000 miles on it with nothing more than regular maintenance (excepting the two auto trans rebuilds 😂). It was a great truck and the 3.9 (and the 5.2 it was derived from) are bulletproof engines. It looked exactly like the one in the commercial at the start of the video, color and all, except it was extended cab.

[@elcheapo5302]

My first vehicle was a 1993 Dakota Club Cab 4x4 LE 5.2L. It had every single option, including two tone paint and snow plow prep package. This was 1996, I was 17. it was fun, fast (for the time, especially for a truck), capable off road with 31" tires, towed trailers well, rode nice, was reliable, and was even easy to park. I traded it in in 1998 on a new Ram pickup, which is still my daily driver to this day. As much as I LOVE my Ram, I still wish I had never sold that Dakota. What a great truck. MPGs weren't good, but at $0.89/gal ($1.78/gal today) nobody cared.

[@NickTarterOKC]

I currently daily drive a 98 Dodge Durango with a 318. It's 26 years old now but still a fantastic vehicle. I can attest to the fantastic engineering and build quality in this generation.

[@weegeemike]

Thats my dream truck! Even as a little kid I knew I wanted a Dakota someday. I've still never owned one, but if I could find a clean ext cab with a V8, 1st or 2nd gen, preferably with the 318 (5.2) or 360 (5.9), I'd buy it on the spot.

[@elcheapo5302]

The mid-late 90s before the Daimler bandits "made their mark" were peak Chrysler.

[@weegeemike]

Dodge was 30 years ahead of time with the Dakota. They invented the mid size truck segment and it is a very popular segment today, as it has completely replaced the compact segment. If they brought out a competitive midsize truck today, it would be a great seller. I've always been a Dakota fan. One of my dream vehicles is either a late 1st gen or early 2nd gen V8 extended cab Dakota. I've always loved the looks of both the original square design as well as the rounded 2nd gen since I was a kid. Great video Jon!

[@timothy7112]

Owner of a 01 Dakota 4x4 king cab and previously owned a 97 Green metallic 4x4 that I wrecked in 2010. The 4x4 will go through anything. Towed out a brand new Ford 150 4x4 stuck in the snow during a storm. My tires were almost bald.

[@mrgurulittle7000]

Like all pickup trucks, the Dakota also grew larger as it got newer. And I liked the Raider although some said it looked ugly. I also didn’t know Mitsubishi partnered with FCA for the previous gen Triton. Love it when Mitsubishi and Chrysler work together. Interesting video Jon.

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

"Hopefully Stellantis is listening." Lol, they haven't listened to anyone yet...

[@AllCarswithJon]

LOL

[@elcheapo5302]

Stellantis doesn't "get it" and they never will. They'll be standing there with sad faces wondering why no one is buying their vehicles and blaming it on consumers because it certainly couldn't be their fault!

[@HowardJones-j7c]

@@elcheapo5302 Perhaps Stellantis needs to not only learn to understand the way that Americans interpret their products, but that especially in America, the customer is always right. Plus, no matter which automobile manufacturer wins the sales battle, the real and true winner is the consumer.

[@mrvanimal]

My first vehicle was a 1988 Dakota Sport 2WD. Got it from my uncle in 1998. It was used in the family until 2008 when it blew a rod on the highway at about 230k miles. Good memories of that truck. Used it at as truck should be and hauled stuff all the time in the bed.

[@barryspaar3538]

I owned a 2002 Quad Cab, 2wd and 4.7 and never had a serious issue with it in 236,000 miles. I loved that truck! If it wasn't for cracking the door frame at the top hinge , I might still be driving it.

[@SevenFortyOne]

My first "car" in 1992 was a 1987 Dodge Dakota Express - a rare conversion made to look like the Lil Red Express. I wish I still had it...

[@shootsandladderbars3055]

Absolutely love my Dakotas. I have a 1991 with the 5.2, a 2000 with the 2.5 and a 2003 with the 4.7. All over 250,000 miles and still doing daily driver duties.

[@CrowCreekOutdoors]

Had an ‘89 D50 long bed with a 2.6 liter engine & 5 speed transmission when I was 16. My dad bought it new for $7,500, and used it as his work truck for 4 years before he gave it to me with 70,000 miles on it. Loved it, and I’d like to have it today.

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

I used to write collision repair estimates on early trucks of this era. Crawled all over them. Not made well but they were fairly priced and powerful enough for the majority of truck owners today, and all the grocery getters.

[@johnnymason2460]

Hopefully, the Dakota will come back soon. It started the midsize pickup idea in the first place. It deserves to be around to compete with the Tacoma, Colorado, Ranger, and Frontier(the current versions).

[@325xitgrocgetter]

My Dad bought one of the first 1987 Dodge Dakotas...standard cab with an 8 foot box and 4x4. He kept the truck for 18 years and gave it to me. He was shopping for a replacement and was looking at a 2005 Dakota. The price differential between a Dakota and a Ram wasn't much and the dealer was running specials on the larger Ram, so Dad purchased a Ram SLT quad cab with the hemi V8. Larger truck and more reserve power for towing at a similar price justified moving up market.

[@davidwill1320]

I had a red nicely optioned 2000 quad cab V8, with the towing package, and loved it.

[@mtaylor6296]

I bought a 1990 Dakota in 1991 - it was a two-seater with an 8 foot bed - kept it eight years. Of course it had a transmission problem (in 1996), but Chrysler fixed it for free. Wish I still had that truck. Currently have an 87 Dakota with 106K (hand-me-down from my MIL). Wipers are kaput (an electrical issue somewhere), the blower motor is shot (I have a replacement, but not the motivation to change it out), and the carburetor needs a rebuild. However, it still starts and drives when needed.

[@raymond_sycamore]

My first truck was my late grandfathers 2002 Dakota SXT! Loved that truck, except when the entire heating system went out in the middle of February when I was in college and had no money.

[@seed_drill7135]

Those heater cores did tend to fail, didn’t they? Mine would flood the passenger side floorboard.

[@SuperRobbie1976]

i had two dakota's a 97 P.O.S and a 2001 v8 reg cab beast i loved it.

[@talis84]

A buddy of mine had a late 80s or early 90s Ram50. Nice little truck, and tons of fun.

[@michaelmartin2276]

I have a 2011 RAM Dakota. 3.7 V6. 323,000 miles, no major issues whatsoever. Long bed that is actually useful when I go to Lowe's or Home Depot !

[@bradleyphillips204]

My dad had the power ram 50 4x4. With the 2.6 5 speed it was pretty durable but was slow. It was an 87 model that was carbureted. I test drove a Mitsubishi mighty max with the 151 hp 3.0 V6. It had way more pep for that truck. The other bad thing about the ram 50 was it didn't have much suspension travel off road but still it was a decent truck.

[@czechmate6916]

I love my 1987 Dakota LE long bed fully loaded. Bought it new and still looks like the day I bought it.

[@colinschmitz8297]

Looking back I have often thought that Dodge should have just stuck with the third generation Dakota AKA the 97 through '04 model and just updated the powertrains. The styling age like a fine wine, everyone I knew that had them loved them and had a long service life with few problems. Keeping an older more out of date platform being sold with paid off tooling could have helped to provide a cheaper truck. The other problem was the final generation Dakota gained a lot of weight and the power trains were tuned for high RPMs which didn't help. The cheapen interior from Mercedes in the frumpy styling also didn't help. In my view, as soon as Chrysler decided to drop the 3.9 V6 The best options I can come up with for a replacement would have been either the AMC Straight 6 given its lower torque tuning and slightly higher torque and horsepower ratings, a stroked version of the Chrysler 3.8 minivan engine, a V6 based off of the hemi, or a 4 l stroked version of the Chrysler 3.5 similar to what was used in the nitro. The 3.7 was an okay engine from a reliability standpoint ( though not as bulletproof as some of the other V6s) but it was an absolute dog in the Dakota and it wasn't particularly fuel efficient or smooth. It's power characteristics were almost identical to the minivan 3.8 only it wasn't as smooth or as powerful. I never saw the point of this engine or for that matter the 4.7 from which it was spawned.

[@Kingswood7189]

I had to sell my '10 dakota (3.7l v6, 4-spd auto) for the move (OR to AZ) to our home of almost 3 years. I miss being able to drive that truck, but my family needed a place we could call home. She was a fun "little" truck and had adequate power, imho, from the v6. I really liked the flared fenders and just the feel and handling, as well as parkabaility compared to a full-size. Its shenanigans the minimal cost differences between vehicles sizes. Just my $0.02. :)

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Another great story. I remember when the Dodge Dakota. I was too young to drive a car by the time it was intro'd to the public back in 1985, but I thought it was an awesome truck. I remember thinking to myself *"What took Dodge so damn long to offer a smaller truck than the large Dodge (Ram) D/W truck?"*

[@ectolle54]

My brother ordered a 97 Dakota club cab 4x4 with a 5.2. It now had nearly 400k and he still has it. Believe it or not it still has the original engine and transmission in it. I had a 93 2wd club cab with a 5.2. I drove it for years and loved it. For a truck it hauled ass and did amazing burnouts

[@MidnightPolaris800]

Makes me miss my 98 single cab R/T...what a sweet truck that was

[@danielsweeney6742]

Jon Back in 1996 when looking for a pickup I priced the Jeep Comanche, the Dakota and the Ram. I ended up buying a Ram. It was a better truck and was a little cheaper. Still own it today.

[@Hobotraveler82]

My grandfather owned a 94 Dakota with a V6. 😊

[@jeffking4176]

The JEEP COMANCHE, 1986 . Which was still owned by AMC, until the next year.📻🙂

[@TheHillrat4wd]

Bought a new 89, loved it

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

We have a 93 and 95 1st gen. I've had the 93 for 25 years now and my daughter stole it when I bought a Magnum. Then when I moved out to a rural area I needed a truck again and bought a 95 with 4WD that I daily drive for my business with my daughters as backup when mine needs serious maintenance. They are very tough trucks that can take as much abuse as a full size truck.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I had a 93 Dakota Sport that saved my life in a head on collision..........

[@calebbearup4282]

I'll never understand a pickup with a bed too short to sleep in.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

same here I judge a pu bed by that. need at least a 6' box , than one can. put on a camper topper ,so no need for a roof top tent

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Just curl up a bit, it will likely be cold anyway... =)

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

@@UncleJoeLITE not easy for someone over 6'

[@frankleespeaking9519]

That was the moment pick ups went from utility/tool to commuter/family car

[@Modine.]

Why are you sleeping in the bed of your truck?

[@brandonbirr9471]

I still have my Dakota i bought back when i was 19. 31now. 99 slt 4x4 5.2. 5.5 tuff country suspension. 3in pa body lift. 15x10 weld rims on 35s. 3:73 gears, nitros in rear with locker.

[@brandonbirr9471]

Next is 5 speed swap and possibly a carb swap from efi. Then financially accepting a solid axle swap. That is if our economy ever let's us get ahead again.

[@brandonbirr9471]

Only replying to my own comment thinking maby someone else might be interested. Or maby have questions .

[@augustinep6193]

Bring back the Dakota! Good. Thanks.

[@nb7466]

I had a 92 dodge dakota. Red in red 4x4 ext cab. 5.2l v8. It was quick for a truck.

[@AirGunnerrr]

Great video... I still own my 1995 Dakota... And what a Great Truck it is...!

[@AllCarswithJon]

Right on!

[@randomstuff159]

I picked up my 01 club cab with the 4.7l v8 & 4x4 a few years ago at 162k miles about to cross 204k soon. it has great gas milage I usually get in the 16 to 17 mpg range even with having some bfgoodrich A/T tires on it, it rides decent (I its been running a bit more jumpy recently so will need shocks) it rides like a typical truck to me atleast. the only maaajor issue I've had was the break lines that rotted away (I live in wisconsin what can I do about it anyways its only a 23 year old truck LOL) and it burns about a quart of oil every 400 to 450 miles, it dosnt bother me I just check it atleast once I week to make sure its good. other then those 2 issues its been an amazing truck for the 42k miles I put onto it, hell even the truck made me like the 4.7l engines when I bought it from my neighbor for 2k he just told me it was a v8 (just assumed it was the 5.2l didnt even know the 4.7l existed), brought it home did sparkplugs because it ran a tiny bit rough and all I saw the amount of people dissing on the engine (major one was the headgasket issue from overheating) and thought oh sh what did I get myself into. just to end up never having any issues with the engine (just rust I knew the 2nd gens rusted but didnt exepect it to rust out that fast). rn I'm currently saving up to go down south to pickup a durango with the 4.7l because the body on my truck went to hell so fast because of salt during the winter and me deciding not to clean it more often then I should have. I've always loved the dakota's sense I was a kid, my dad had a 92 with the 3.9l and I remember me my mom and my slightly older brother always doing stuff in that truck wile my dad stole the fancy 05 caravan to go to work (back in 2008) we drove that thing everywhere until it blew the brake lines in 2010. it sat for a good 2 years before my oldest brother got his drivers licence and my dad gave it to him for his first vehicle, I remember him and my dad working on it for a good cupple days then they got it back on the road. he drove it until 2015 he hydroplaned and hit a giant rock that was in the ditch and bent the frame and busted the fuel line. he fixed the fuel line to drive it to work until he could get a new vehicle (he got a 95 neon sedan his 2nd baby). he sold the truck a month later after to a guy who was just going to use it as a plow truck, he still regrets getting rid of it or not replacing it with another dakota even though he loved his neon.

[@CaseLight1976xbox]

Loved my 95 Dakota Sport. Wish I still had it.

[@frankleespeaking9519]

I loved my 2003 ext. cab 4.7l

[@christophercarollo4977]

I've owned a 95 regular cab sport with the 3.9 and a 2002 extended cab sport with the 3.9. Loved the trucks but hated the 3.9 motors. I am not sure why, but they just didn't pull like the 5.2 motors. I am currently trying to find an early 90's regular cab with the 5.2.

[@armandobaia6804]

The bloopers are pretty fun, you should keep that with more of your videos 😂

[@AllCarswithJon]

Glad you like them! I'll probably add them in a bit more in the future. :)

[@12yearssober]

My V8 95 Dakota is a beast!!!

[@michaelmartin2276]

I would love to find a Dakota Li'l Red wagon ! How cool does this truck look !

[@SecretlySeven]

The good old days.

[@platinumuschannel]

The Dakota was at least PARTIALLY responsible for the end of the Jeep Comanche too. Chrysler didn't want an internal competitor, but also, the Comanche was never a hot seller.

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

A Damn Shame! I Loved that Comanche!!❤❤😢

[@pattschetter]

I'm reminded of a within-AMC/Chrysler joke related IIRC by Bob Sheaves (engineer of the '94-'01 Ram suspension, among other things): "Good news, we sold xxxx Comanches last month. Bad news: we sold xxxx Comanches last month".

[@Metal7771]

Me: "Dodge/Ram should really bring back the Dakota, it would sell really well now." Mother inlaw: "What do you mean? They still sell Dakotas." Me: "Oh really? Then they really should show them on their official website and show the brand new ones on the dealership websites, cuz I dont see new ones being sold." MIL: "Huh?" Me: 🤦‍♂️

[@mikewoo4663]

I had a1987 short bed reg cab drove it for 9 years the best size of pu to do everything I need ed v6 2wd easy to work on could of used more power

[@seanmcelroy4764]

I have a gen 2 sport 2wd 3.9 V6 solid truck

[@TechTimeWithEric]

One of the problems is, they will jack the prices up on trucks like this making them less of a value, so you buy the bigger one anyway. Then they go; see nobody wants a smaller truck. Personally I think the Maverick is proving them wrong, they're selling great

[@JimmyShields-z2h]

I had 82? Mitsubishi L200, with long bed, it was ok little work ute, i always V8 which my next ute was 93 Holden VR with 5.0lt V8. But now wanted bigger ute for farm especially towing i got 2011 Nissan D40 king cab. But now i want economic ute as 2 car, still do some farm work but be comfortable then my dads 2wd Toyota Hilux especially on long road trips. I wish Proton was round as Jumpbuck ute was prefect fit.

[@jeffking4176]

Technically, INTERNATIONAL had a midsize pickup in 1978. They did this by lengthening the Scout ll platform. Jeep Comanche pickup came out in 1986. 📻🙂

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Ah...we barely ever got sent Chryslers by then. This niche was filled by 'Falcodore' utes & smaller Japanese trucks like Hilux, Nissan hardbody, Mitsubishis, Holden/Isuzu Rodeo & Mazda Bravo etc. Thanks Jon.

[@davinp]

Perphaps since GM has a truck brand called GMC, is why Chrysler decided to make a RAM brand for trucks. Since Stellantis took over Chrysler, they've killed several Dodge car models including the Caravan

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

think FCA killed the mini vans add the rear wheel drive 300 , charger , Challenger, V8 engines

[@davinp]

@@youtubecarspottersguide1 they still make the Chrysler Pacifica minivan. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the minivan which Lee Iacocca introduced for the 1984 model year

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

@@davinp a good idea , still is ,stow and go seats , good camping travel car , 7' cargo space , no need for a roof top rent besides im not lifting her dogs up there

[@ChadMacbeth]

Dodge did kinda have compact rampage plymouth scamp ute compact truck

[@nicki8731]

6.8k for a brand new truck!? That's like a tenth of a new truck today!

[@anthony_rivera4735]

How many days until dodge brings back the Dakota for the 202? model year?

[@kc0lif]

i remember convertible dakota.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

_PS: I note the Dakota started the video as a "new midsize segment" but, despite getting bigger & bigger, ended the video referred to as a "compact truck". This is pretty telling of the bigger problem imo, as is the 'price/kg' concept customers use. Just my outside observations._

[@HowardJones-j7c]

Now wouldn't it be something if Stellantis (FCA-US) brought back the Dakota, or something numerically lower but with the Ram make?

[@AllCarswithJon]

With the strong sales of the Maverick, I fully expect Ram to come out with something. Stellantis has a LOT on their plate right now though! :)

[@mattdirks7896]

the idea of an afforable, small "muscle truck" appeals to me. Especially if I could get a manual

[@captaindew3106]

hope the news is real cause the rumor spoke that the Dakota is making a full return out of it retirement.

[@JCT442]

The end of the Dakota or the end of Dodge... thank Stellantis.

[@davinp]

Just like compact cars, they don't want to make compact trucks in the USA because they don't make enough profits. GM, Ford & Stellantis-Chrsyler are only interested in making higher profits and small cars/trucks don't make enough profits. This is they only make big trucks and SUVs for America

[@thatguyoverthere9634]

Actually the reason they largely don't offer passenger cars any more is because they literally cannot turn a profit on them, not because they have slimmer margins. If there was any profit to be made by offering a family sedan, they would build one, but the Asian brands like Toyota and Nissan are able to offer them at a price point well below what Ford, GM, and Stellantis can while still turning a profit and being priced competitively. The real problem isn't even that they don't offer proper sedans, it's that people keep buying and wanting to buy into the crossover market instead of smaller cars.

[@GLHS592]

Part of the reason why the Dakota wasn’t selling well at the end is because the last generation was UGLY. I have one. It’s a great truck, if you don’t have to look at it.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I tried to keep my opinion of the styling out of the video, but I think every generation was uglier than the previous. :) Hey, your username... don't happen to have a GLH Omni do you?

[@GLHS592]

@@AllCarswithJon I have the Charger version. In 1987, Carrol Shelby modified the last 1000 Shelby Chargers like the 500 Omni GLHS the year before. I also have a regular 1985 Shelby Charger. BTW, I think the 2nd generation Dakotas were the best looking.

[@AllCarswithJon]

@@GLHS592 Thanks for the reply. It's super-secret but the next "History" video I'm working on is the Omni/Horizon. If you happen to have pics you'd like to share of your ride, email them to me and they might just be featured in the video. no pressure, just an option if you're interested. :)

[@pattschetter]

It was a love or hate proposition which I happened to love well enough in the 2005 form to buy it new versus a leftover then-new '04, and I thought the '08 facelift was the best it ever looked. I don't think it helped the Dakota at all that the GM twins, Tacoma, Frontier all upgraded to become 95-99% of a Dakota in 2004-06 and the Honda Ridgeline came along then too.

[@brianneston8575]

Now we just have the Jeep gladiator I think that is pretty much the replacement

[@roguedalek900]

#1. Chrysler never declared a 70s bankruptucy. #2 They got loan guarentees from the govt. Not loans.

[@jamesmcintire3800]

The first vehicle I bought myself after high school was a 1995 Dakota Sport in the fall of 97. I had the 4 cylinder 5-speed 2wd; standard cab short bed configuration. Unfortunately I did not have a good experience with mine as the overall reliability was very poor. It wound up getting totaled 4 years later and was replaced in my driveway by a used Ford Ranger that was a way better truck.

[@johnnymason2460]

I'm not sure if anyone has actually classified the Jeep Comanche as a midsize pickup. I believe it is one but no one has actually confirmed that.

[@bertone6996]

My 2002 dakota 4.7 4 doors 4x4 was a little wuork hors was a perfect mid size truck. Stellantis is killing the market 😢

[@RichardoBrit]

We can partially blame the recession but that 2005+ Dakota took away all the fun, sporty, youthful looks the prior generations had and moved it closer in size and price to Ram. It was not a good fit

[@bikingD]

AMC beat Chrysler to the mid size truck. The Jeep Comanche just saying. Great truck especially with a 4.0 I6 with a manual the Eliminator.

[@saw4498]

People keep saying they will bring back these small trucks. No they wont. This happened in 2008. The cylce just repeats. Just will be fewer choices.

[@johnstapler5956]

I bought a new 87 Dakota. Looked great. Perfect size. Horrible truck. The V6 engine was a dog with a dangerous loss of acceleration at inopportune times. The black paint scratched looking at it. I grew to hate it. I traded an 84 B200 for it and that was a huge mistake.