Overview & Reviews

Finally realizing that a 120-horsepower engine has no business being in a 3,500-pound (or more) pickup, Dodge drops the 2.5-liter inline four from the Dakota's powertrain roster. An optional five-speed automatic transmission for the 4.7-liter V8 debuts, as does a Stampede package that provides the show but not the go of the R/T model. Speaking of the R/T, that model receives four-wheel disc brakes this year.

• Plentiful V8 power, alert transmission, spot-on suspension both on- and off-road, easily accessible and accommodating cabin.

• As thirsty as a frat brother, a bit big for serious off-roading, can get pricey if too many options are chosen.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 89.00

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  Fast Truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By OneCoolGi - September 14 - 2:00 am

  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!

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  Best Truck I Ever Had - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Ken S - April 23 - 11:50 am

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

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  nice truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By BILL - October 25 - 11:06 pm

  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.

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  Keep on Truckin - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Tim - August 26 - 5:53 pm

  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.

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  Awesome Silver R/T w. orange stripes - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By silverrt03 - June 2 - 3:21 pm

  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.

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  Avoid 4.7 V8 engine!!! - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Stein - June 2 - 11:03 am

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

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  red truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By John - July 24 - 8:44 pm

  Ive had a blast with this truck and without any mechanical problems so far. Its 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.

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  fuel economy - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By shaun l - April 9 - 2:02 am

  I noticed right away I wasnt getting the proper fuel economy I thought I should get which was 12 city 15 hwy. I made some timing adjustments and a basic tune up, in 4 years the best hwy mpg Ive gotten was 18 mpg. Dont expect any more than that. Another problem Ive encountered is severe wheel hop at hwy speeds, it almost jumps off the road when you hit a bump. Very very unsafe. FYI... dont forget the change your ball joints, if they havent already gone out, they will!

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  Big red truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By suzanne webb - February 18 - 6:57 pm

  Very dependable. Lots of fun to drive. Great load capacity. Did not think I would like a truck but this one is great.

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  Fun Truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By handyman - November 4 - 7:20 pm

  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