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2009 Dodge Dakota Safety Review

February 22, 2009

SAFETY | 5 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Acceptable," frontal offset impact; "marginal," side impact
IIHS

Five stars, front impact; five stars, side impact
NHTSA

What buyers won't find are modern conveniences like four-wheel disc brakes, front-side airbags, or standard four-wheel ABS
MyRide.com

It's rare for TheCarConnection.com to discover serious discrepancies in a vehicle's crash-test ratings, but such is the case with the 2009 Dodge Dakota, which lags in a few other safety departments as well.

In NHTSA tests, the 2009 Dodge Dakota performs about as well as any truck could, earning perfect five-star ratings in both the front and side impact categories. However, the Dodge Dakota also garners some very disappointing marks from the IIHS. The IIHS employs a more stringent safety test, and while their scores usually match up with NHTSA ratings, occasionally a vehicle comes along that aces one test and fails the other. In IIHS testing, the 2009 Dodge Dakota earns an "acceptable" rating for frontal offset impacts, but a "marginal" side impact rating, the second-worst score possible. Perhaps the IIHS was punishing the Dodge Dakota for the fact that it's missing some crucial 21st-century safety gear.

Cars.com reports that the Dodge Dakota "is behind the curve in offering advanced [safety] features," noting that "side curtain airbags are available but not standard," and "four-wheel antilock brakes are optional, not standard." Edmunds does point out that "rear-wheel antilock brakes are standard on the Dodge Dakota," but Cars.com says that "electronic stability control is not available."

Lastly, J.D. Power notes that since the Dodge Dakota 2009 has "the driver sitting high" in the front seat, there is "good outward visibility."

Conclusion

The combination of optional ABS, a lack of electronic stability control, and some low crash-test scores raises some safety concerns for the 2009 Dodge Dakota.

SAFETY | 5 out of 10Expert Quotes:Acceptable," frontal offset impact; "marginal," side impactIIHSFive stars, front impact; five stars, side impactNHTSAWhat buyers won't find are modern conveniences like four-wheel disc brakes, front-side airbags, or standard four-wheel ABSMyRide.com It's rare for TheCarConnection.com to discover serious discrepancies in a vehicle's crash-test ratings, but such is the case with the 2009 Dodge Dakota, which lags in a few other safety departments as well. In NHTSA tests, the 2009 Dodge Dakota performs about as well as any truck could, earning perfect five-star ratings in both the front and side impact categories. However, the Dodge Dakota also garners some very disappointing marks from the IIHS. The IIHS employs a more stringent safety test, and while their scores usually match up with NHTSA ratings, occasionally a vehicle comes along that aces one test and fails the other. In IIHS testing, the 2009 Dodge Dakota earns an "acceptable" rating for frontal offset impacts, but a "marginal" side impact rating, the second-worst score possible. Perhaps the IIHS was punishing the Dodge Dakota for the fact that it's missing some crucial 21st-century safety gear. Cars.com reports that the Dodge Dakota "is behind the curve in offering advanced [safety] features," noting that "side curtain airbags are available but not standard," and "four-wheel antilock brakes are optional, not standard." Edmunds does point out that "rear-wheel antilock brakes are standard on the Dodge Dakota," but Cars.com says that "electronic stability control is not available." Lastly, J.D. Power notes that since the Dodge Dakota 2009 has "the driver sitting high" in the front seat, there is "good outward visibility." ConclusionThe combination of optional ABS, a lack of electronic stability control, and some low crash-test scores raises some safety concerns for the 2009 Dodge Dakota. 2009 DODGE DAKOTA STYLING | [7 out of 10] ConsumerGuide: "Controls are logically placed and readily accessible" Car and Driver: "One of the tougher entries—in both power and looks—in the compact pickup truck segment" Edmunds: "Limited body style configurations" The bold, aggressive ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The H3T stands out in this category for its styling and the HUMMER brand’s cachet with a certain crowd, but plenty of people are likely to be scared away from that brand’s eco-unfriendly image; the H3T is considerably more expensive, too. The two vehicles in this class with the freshest look are the H3T and the Ridgeline, which received a modest refresh for 2009. The Colorado is on paper a competitor, but in the real world its powertrains are uncivilized and it feels in a class below the others. The V-8 in the 2008 Dodge Dakota gives it a distinct advantage in power over the five-cylinder Chevy and GMC mid-size twins, as well as the six-cylinder Tacoma, Frontier, and Ridgeline. However, the imports offer quality and dynamic performance advantages over the Dodge.

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See the Dodge Dakota in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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