I'm 16 and I'm shopping for a first car, I recently came upon a 2000 dodge dakota with the 5.9 v8 and a little over 250k miles for $1499. I think it seems like a really good deal and I'm ready to work on it if it has any problems but my parents said I can't have a car with that many miles. What should I do and what kind of problems could I look for or expect.
@yobrojo
A Dakota with a 5.9? Is that an R/T, they made very few of those. I owned one and got 11 MPG. If your heart is set on it I would suggest having that tranny checked. It wasn’t adequate for the 5.9 IMO. If it was my money id rather have an S-10 with a manual or a 2wd Tacoma if it’s a truck you want.
That is a bad first car, get something which is reliable & fun like a Honda Civic.
That Dodge will not last much longer & it’ll cost too much to fix in the near future when it finally falls apart.
At 250K, a Dakota is likely at the end of its life, regardless of how well it was cared for. If you still want to buy it to get some experience, with the knowledge that it might leave you on the side of the road a few times, offer them $800 and see how much you can get them down. Check all the fluids to see if they are in good shape, and if it is an auto, make sure the fluid is not burned. Check all the instrumentation and make sure the electrical stuff is ok, and especially do a scan with an OBD tool to see if there are any codes pending.
No on the Dakota, if you're going to depend on it for a daily driver. Something to learn how to work on yourself and expect to buy a lot of parts...perhaps. If you are going to have a shop work on it...no.
It's had 6 owners, likely no maintenance records. It's an automatic, it may of been rebuilt by now. If not, it will need it...$$$.
Consider the fact that everything that hasn't been replaced on it in the last 2 or 3 years is going to be worn out. You could easily be putting several thousand into it in the first year. As long as the frame is good, they are tough trucks...a lot depends on your finances and willingness to learn and turn wrenches.
If it was a standard transmission it would be a better risk.
I'd keep looking...standard transmission, few previous owners, recent engine or transmission rebuild/remanufactured replacement...NO junk yard replacement !
Good luck !
I would not recommend a Dodge Dakota instead if you want to get a dodge truck look at the 2500 and 3500 diesels. the 5.9 Cummins diesel is a great engine and can last forever however if you want to get a car look at a v6 Dodge Charger with under 80k miles and that could be a fun car if you have a mechanic check it out before you buy it.
Buy something really cheap that you only would keep for 1 or 2 years - sorry but the odds are you will have a wreck the first year.
@the_tango
I agree, and parents, don't let him buy anything until he can pay for his own insurance !