Dodge Durango

lauraps972 · September 2003

Hi. I have just purchased a 2002 Durango SLT+. My question is - how do I tell if it came with some of the options such as side curtain airbags, engine heater, Sentry Key, 3.55 or 3.92 axle, etc.? Some of the options are obvious, others are not. Anyway to find out exactly what I have on my Durango?

Thanks!

jglackin · September 2003

any Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep dealership can do that for you on their computer but running what is called a VIP Summary Report. All you need is the last 8 of the vin and the current mileage. I would let your local dealer do it for you if I were you (assuming you will use them for some warantee work, etc.) becuase it does divulge your name, address, and phone. Good Luck.

missedbass · September 2003

The noise is most likely the fan. When you first start the truck up sometimes the fan is loud for the first minute or so and then it goes back to normal. Why it does that, I don't know but it is normal.

durangobuilder · September 2003

to see if you have side curtain airbags. look on the B post piller where the seat belt is. on that peice (at the top) there will be either a dodge ram head symbol or it will say srs airbag.

ps check out our new dodge durango in dealers this fall. bigger, badder, better gas mileage and the famous hemi engine!

uaw 1183

jc58 · October 2003

I have a 2003 SLT 4x4. I was wondering how good these are in the snow, I have talked to people in the past with 4x4's that were not all that good in snow.

I have had this for roughly 2 months and 1,700 miles....so far no problems.

ywilson · October 2003

Mine has been great. I have never been stuck. I live in MD and when the big snow's came last year I put her to the test. NEVER got stuck anywhere. I drove all over the place going shopping and just 4x4'ing to see what she could do and I was totally impressed. Others with D's also said the same, since I saw a few more out there while I was out so get some good tires on her (NO GOODYEARS) and go for it. The OEM tires that come on it are junk!!!

valli2 · October 2003

OK, got my 2003 Durango SLT 4.7. Main reason was so that I could tow my two horses anywhere with little problem and so far so good. I really love it. And the snows are coming. BUt that is another story. What I want to post about here is the problem with the AIR VENTS! From day one they have not worked to full capacity. The two side vents( passenger side and driver side- extreme right and left) have never blown to full force. Even when on the highest strength, you can not feel the air as you should. After taking it back to the dealership and leaving it there twice they now tell me that it is what it is and that each car is going to be a little different and they can do nothing to improve on it! Can you believe that they think I would buy the stupid logic. OK, if we were talking about bagels, I could understand! But I put my new Dodge next to a new Dodge of the same year, make and model and turned on the air, set exactly the same, and sure enough the other car blew us out of the state! OK, maybe not the state, but you get the idea. They still said, "Oh, well. That's just the way they are sometimes!!!!!" Now what? They even had the District Service Manager there to be sure. I think what I should do is go to another certified dealership in the area and without telling them where I've been, ask them to check out "this little problem I've been having, big boy." What do you say? Anyone else had problems like this?

valli2 · October 2003

Ok. Question #2. For my Durango 4.7. I have the towing hitch and wiring all set. I have the trailer. All set. Got two horse. All set. Now, is it important to tow with the 'Overdrive' in the off position when towing? And if the tongue weight is not enough are there weights I can buy to place on the trailers "tongue" to add the needed weight? Hope I explained myself good enough. Thanks

jglackin · October 2003

i am not job rating for you, but i just looked up the max trailer weight for you Durango (since you mention "two horse"). You don't give all necessary info, so I will give you too much. With a 3.55 rear and a 4x4, the MTWR is 4300 lbs. The 3.92 rear brings it up to 5600 lbs. Add 250 lbs. to each number if you have a 4x2. Make sure you bring all of the necessary weights back to the dealership where you bought it so your salesperson can Job Rate your specific truck...Dodge provides us with lots of technical info and train us well.

jc58 · November 2003

I was wondering, what is the difference between the exhaust system on my 2003 SLT and the R/T? They mention it is sport tuned, is it a true dual exhaust or just a different muffler? I enjoy the current low rumble my D has, but plan on eventually changing the exhaust system. Any suggestions? I like a good low rumble, but not one that is obnoxious in the truck itself. Should I go with a cat back dual system or just get a better muffler? Any suggestions as far as the muffler to go with? What would just a muffler cost versus a dual cat back system?

So far 1,800 miles in 2+ months, no problems.

tytrevdad · November 2003

Has anyone test driven or looked at one yet? I'm in the market and was wondering about the fit/finish and quality of the interior materials used in the redesigned '04 Durrango(specifically the limited version). I've been generally disappointed with other manufacturer's internal material's quality, and don't know how Dodge stacks up. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

hitman31 · November 2003

I recently had my power steering pump go out on my 2001 Dodge Durango. It's an SLT+, 5.9L with 41K miles. I had it checked by three different service stations to compare the cost of replacing it and all three places told me that it was very rare to have the power steering pump go out but they had all recently had either Durango's or Caravan's in for the same problem. None of them have heard of a recall and I've been looking too without seeing anything either. Is this just a coincidence or are other people having/hearing about this as well?

oedipus1608 · November 2003

Read this months MotorTrend. They have their SUV of the year award; unfortunately the Durango did not win.

carguy1234 · November 2003

The Durango didn't win MT's SUV of the year, but I thought their overall impression was very positive. They did seem to like the Armada even more though.

Also check Car and Driver, they have a review this month on the new Durango too.

jglackin · November 2003

up here in the Phila metro area, we are expecting our first deliveries sometime within the next 5-7 business days (as DCX is hosting a training event early next week). The brochures just hit our dealership a fer days ago.

oedipus1608 · November 2003

What did they not like about the Durango?

fedderson · November 2003

This was my first Dodge purchase and will be my last. I had the same revving problem that would not go away. Dealership said I needed to have a computer update which of course costs money. Problem should go away with a few weeks after the update. Problem persisted and they could not duplicate or figure out what I was talking about. It sure is nice to see that other people are having the same problems and that I am not made to feel like I am crazy. I am so upset with how I was treated that I have sold my Durango and will never buy a Dodge product again. I cannot believe how fast my dodge depreciated and here I thought nothing could be worse than the gas mileage.

carguy1234 · November 2003

Are these common on Durangos or Dodge in general? I have a neighbor who has had their computer replaced 2x (maybe 3x, not sure)in their 2000 Durango. Their symptom was that the truck would die intermittently. Just shut off. Dealer could never find the problem, so they replaced the computer, but it kept happening. Then they got rid of it, so not sure if the problem was ever fixed.

ryster · November 2003

My dad put 56,000 miles on his '00 Dodge Stratus and experienced no computer problems (and nothing other than routine maintenance for that matter) before he traded the car for something new. The only reason he traded was that he puts 2,000+ long-distance travel miles per month on his vehicle and the Stratus was reaching the point where it was going to start nickel-diming him to death (tires, brakes, struts, new wheel covers, plus other out-of-warranty costs that may arise). If he drove "normal" local mileage he probably would have kept it until the 100K mark.

My neighbor has a first year Durango with 100,000+ miles on it and has had some problems but none computer related (all of his problems have been mechanical in nature).

I have other friends with DaimlerChrysler products and all are happy with their vehicles (and some have pretty high mileage). I am enjoying my '03 Durango SXT very much.

tytrevdad · November 2003

I checked one out at at lunch yesterday. They had a limited with a $40K sticker. The bigger size is appealling, as it finds a niche between explorers and tahoe/yukons. Exterior design has to grow on you I think. The front end doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the vehicle, but that is just a first impression. The interior leather seemed cheap and some of the controls were very 80's looking (boxy, plain). There were some nice material upgrades in the carpets and door handles. Note that these are just cosmetic/design comments -- I didn't get a chance to test drive the now famous "Hemi" engine, which I'm sure is very impressive. With such great deals on the '03 leftovers, it will be interesting to see how well the '04s sell initially. If anyone else sees one up close, please post your first impression.

stever · November 2003

lol Bob, I was just trying to link to your review.

btw, my minivan hauls 48" wide material between the wheel wells :-)

Steve, Host

rsholland · November 2003

Yeah, you beat me to it, so I deleted my link.

Most full-size minivans (hmmm... isn't that an oxymoron?) can handle 4x8s between the wheelwells. However, until now, no mid-size SUV or pickup could, so this is a first, as far as I know. There are those who would argue that the T100 was mid-size truck, but it is "officially" listed as a full-size truck.

Bob

rsholland · November 2003

One more time...

rsholland "Town Hall Test Drive Team" Nov 7, 2003 2:35pm

Bob

fsv · November 2003

Just testdrove Durango XLT with the Hemi engine. It is definitely an improvement over the previous Durango. Overall impression is very positive. Fit and finish are good enough, I liked it. Styling - beauty is in the ey of beholder, but - why didn't they use Powerbox styling or why they didn't relay on the styling of the current RAM? The front part (if you look from the side, is very Mitsubishi-ish) It definitely drives better than the 99 Pathfinder I have to drive occasionally, it's more comfortable, ride is so much better + there is a lot of space. Since I owned a Dodge before, all the controls were very soon in place, to me - everything was OK. As a surprise came the fact, that engine is not audible (5.7!), unless you really step on it. The car has excellent soundprofing. Also, fit and finish in this Dodge is so much better than there was a couple of years ago. Engine: smooth and silky, but I am under impression that those horsies are running somewhere else and not in this corral... I'd even say that 4.7 in Sequoya is more spirited (and it makes a 4Runner fly). But nevertheless, it's powerfull enough, and I need to drive 4.7 and 5.7 back to back to see the difference. Though it looks like the mileage for a gallon on both of them will be the same. I liked this Durango. The one I drove, has the price of 37G+; i'd say, 31 - and wrap one for me, please... As the matter of fact, you can have a pretty loaded Sequoya now for this money - SR5 for 31/32G's.

dougf912 · November 2003

For jc58 I own a 2000 Durango SLT loaded w/360 motor (5.9). The R/T model has a different exhaust than the other models. That exhaust is made by Flowmaster for Dodge. You can buy several different Flowmaster cat back 2 piece systems for the durango. I installed the American Thunder cat back exhaust (from Flowmaster) for a very reasonable price, and it has a nice throaty sound, I highly recommend it.

scottymac55 · November 2003

I am in the market for an SUV. I have been looking at Durangos, Pathfinders, Blazers and X-Terra's. I recently test drove a 2002 Durango R/T and loved it! It is fully loaded-- rear DVD system, heated leather seats, 17" wide chrome tires etc, etc... Prob more extra's than I need but I was impressed. It has 20K miles. Frills aside, I drove it and was very impressed. Nice gitty-up. Handled awesome. Comfortable inside. Looks sharpe inside and out.

Here's my concern: I read everywhere about earlier model Durango's having issues. Does anyone have any insight, opinions or knowledge of the 2002 RT's- or ANY year's RT for that matter? I know they're hard to come by, so I'm feeling like I have something special here and want to buy it if it's wise to.

My personal restrictions/needs on a vehicle are: me fitting in it (I'm 6'5"), good speed, good in all weather (I live in New England) and towing ability (I tow a 17' boat). I know that gas mileage will suck, but I work at home. Also, for what it's worth I can get it for $22K. Any feedback would be appreciated.

jc58 · November 2003

I noticed on the back hatch there are 3 slots inside by the bottom. I thought these may be drainage slots. I just noticed that these are covered with a clear tape. Should these be covered or did they forget to remove the tape while prepping for delivery. I removed one, and then thought that maybe they are suppose to be covered?

jc58 · November 2003

Dougf912 - When you say reasonable, how much was the whole system, installed? Is the noise intrusive when in the truck?

I have the 4.7 which feels fairly peppy, but everyone can always use a few more ponies....

captain13 · November 2003

I have a 00 D with the 4.7l. Since last spring I have been noticing a "dead fish" like smell coming through the vents. It smells exactly like the air let out of a tire. At the same time there is the smell of hot anti-freeze coming from under the hood. This only occurs when the engine is warmed up in warmer weather. I've taken it to the dealer 5 times. The first 3 they said that they couldn't find anything wrong and sprayed deodorizer into the air intakes below the windshield. That worked until the deodorizer ran out. The last 2 times they said that they could smell the odor but had no idea what was causing it, have a nice day. The coolant system has been pressure tested twice and there are no leaks.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so what was the remedy??? Help I'm getting sick.

trtl · November 2003

Soon after my 60k service I started noticing on left turns, when my Durango shift from 1st gear to 2nd it seems to fall into neutral, the engine revs a bit (since my foot is still on the gas), and then it gets into 2nd gear jolting me & passengers (since the engine is running at a higher rpm at this point). It seems to be getting worse and it happened twice to me going straight. Never happens on right turns. I saw on the NHTSA website that a couple other Durango owner have had this problem. Any insights on what the issues is? My mechanic hasn't figured it out.

fsv · November 2003

I dunno what's going on at Dodge, but - see my post 948 - the car I testdrove was offered today to me for 28G's by the sales manager at Dodge - they say Dodge is offering 9G's off to put the truck on the road. The one I drove, SLT, has 5.7L engine, leather, moonroof and everything. Something is wrong... Don't trust your eyes, when in an elefant's cage you see a bull. The sign should be a wrong one.

fsv · November 2003

Dealer made mistake - the discount is for an '03 truck.

flatsangler · November 2003

My 2000 Durango is about to lose its 3 year bumber to bumber new car coverage. It has been a great vehicle; no problems at all except a power window went out. Question is, should I buy an extended warranty? If so, from where? Chrysler retailer offering a 3 year package for $1500 with $100 deductible. It covers 5000 components, whatever that means.

oedipus1608 · November 2003

I found this review at TruckWorld.com. They liked almost everything about the Durango. Their only complaints were: the steeply raked windshield; acceleration pedal travel (they said it might be a preproduction problem); fuel economy with the hemi; a tight third row seat (I believe that this quite odd since the Durango has 34 inches of leg room in the third row; 2 inches more than the Armada and MotorTrend said that Duango's third row seat was adult friendly). It seems that Dodge did their homework. By the way, does anyone know the braking distance of the 2003 Durango. I went to MotorWeek.org and they said that the 2003 Durango too 135ft. If that number is true, and braking has been reduced by 10%, then the braking distance of the 2004 Durango is a mere 122ft. I read another review on Edmunds.com that said that the previous Durango took 128ft from 60. If that number is true,then the Durango only takes 115ft from 60-0mph; incredible! BTW, the article mentioned nothing about the Durango being slow, or under powered, or feeling like it does not have 330hp, as MotorTrend led everyone to believe. Rather, they said that the Hemi was a power house and the 4.7L felt right at home for the Durango.

Here's the link
http://truckworld.com/Sport-Utility/04-durango/04-durango.html

rsholland · November 2003

I drove one with the Hemi, and it didn't feel nearly as powerful as the Nissan Pathfinder Armada which I also drove, which is a larger truck and with less reported power.

Bob

snapshot7 · November 2003

I had the chance to test drive both the Nissan Armada and the 2004 Durango last night.

The Durango is ALOT smaller than the Armada and is still right between a compact and a full size SUV. The Armada's engine felt more powerful that the 4.7 V8 in the Durango, mostly due to the way Nissan is gearing the engine for low end torque.

The Durango is very nicely put together. It has excellent fit & finish. The turning radius it great has were the brakes. The seats felt supportive and comfortable.

Overall it is a VAST improvement over the older Durangos. Dodge is still playing "catch up" in many of the smaller details when compared to the Asian or European models (no NAV, back-up camera, etc).

I think that if the Durango proves to be reliable it will do very well.

stever · November 2003

"The 2004 Dodge Durango sport-utility vehicle is a big, serious truck with a magnificent engine and an attractive price tag."

Dodge Durango sets standard for large SUVs (Detroit Free Press)

Steve, Host

porknbeans · November 2003

I'm hitting 97k on my 2000 DD and was told at my last oil change that my ball joints are going to be needing replacement....again. This will be the second set of ball joints for me on this truck. Along with the main electrical wiring harness being replaced, rebuilding the rear differential and a consistant 13mpg I'm getting rid of it. I've enjoyed the truck and I still like the looks of it, but enough is enough. I'll report back on what happens. Good luck to all current and new owners.

jc58 · November 2003

Just wondering, what are the symptoms of bad ball joints? Which ones are the ones that continually need replacing, the upper/lower or both? Finally, what does it cost to replce them?

Hopefully, I shouldn't have to worry about this for a while, I bought a 2003 SLT in August, currently 2,375 miles and no problems.....

porknbeans · November 2003

I had my first set of ball joints (uppers and lowers) replaced at 60k. I now have 97k on the truck and when I had the tires rotated at 96k I asked them to check the ball joints. The mechanic told me that they are just starting to get loose again and that I will need to replace them. I think costs will vary depending upon where you are, but here in Madison it's about $920 with an allignment. I notice the ball joints on my D loosening up because I seem to "chase" the truck across the road more than you would expect (some people might call it wandering). Tire wear is also a good indicator.

Here is a good generic description of a ball joint and what it does:

http://www.carcarecouncil.org/Steering_Suspension/ball_joint.shtm- l

gpackerf · November 2003

Has anyone ever sat in the new Durango? I sat in them twice now, and it seems small to me. I am 6'3" and I need the front seat all the way back. There is legroom, but the door, or the door post is rubbing my shoulder. With the front seat all the way back, I doubt if there is more than 4 inches between the front seat and back seat. I have a '98 Durango, and I don't think there is any difference in passenger room.

horst1 · November 2003

Are you sure the odor is coming from the vents? If you are not, have them checked the catalytic converter for leaks. Sometimes they act up and creep into the vents. Good luck.
Horst

Kirstie_H · November 2003

If you own a 2004 Dodge Durango or are shopping for one now, a midwestern newspaper reporter wants to talk with you. Please send your daytime contact information to bclanton@detnews.com or jfallon@edmunds.com by Wednesday, December 3, 2003.

wholebean · November 2003

I can't seem to find any reliable info on future plans. A few years ago the general plan was to keep the Durango based on the Dakota frame and build a separate vehicle (possible called the RamCharger) based on the full size truck frame. Having the full size one now is great for some people, but I love my intermediate sized 2000 Durango SLT. When I buy a new SUV in a few years I want the exact same thing as my current one only newer. The biggest marketing point of the old style was the "Just Right" size. Does anyone know if DM plans to bring back the normal sized Dakota frame Durango? Any info or better source for info would be greatly appreciated.

oedipus1608 · November 2003

The Durango is one size fits all SUV. The new Durango will cover both the fullsize and midsize SUV markets. If you feel that the Durango is too big, a midsize Chrysler SUV that will share components, not platforms, will be introduced either in 2004 or 2005. The Jeep Grand Cherokee will also be introduced in 2004. By the way, Chrysler said that they will no longer use platform sharing so as to retain brand identity and to keep cost down. For example, the Durango sits on its own platform that share 69% of its components with other DCX products.

wholebean · November 2003

Thanks for the good info, but it doesn't really make me happy. I'll look forward to seeing what they come out with for a mid-sized SUV. Until they come up with something I really like I'll stick to my 2000 Durango until it falls apart.

diggydoc1 · November 2003

I checked out a few today on my way home from GRANDMA'S HOUSE. I think it looks way more TIGHT and NICE than some of these pictures suggest. The LIMITED with running boards is gonna be on my shopping list...to drive in the next month or so.

dustyk · November 2003

...at Marina Dodge in Webster, New York. I'm not taken with the new look. It doesn't smack at me like the Avalanche or Honda Element, so maybe it will grow more appealing to my eye. I can't say it looks bigger, but I guess it is. That may be a selling point.

The interior on the Limited is very nicely done and probably the best I have ever seen in a SUV! I even like it better that the Cadillac and Lincoln versions. High quality assembly throughout. I couldn't find one flaw. Exterior panel fit was perfect.

Like a poster above, I haven't found one current Durango owner that thinks the new one is better looking in any way. The new one appears to be better in most every respect...except looks.

I hope we get through this trendy appliance look in rapid fashion. It most certainly is encouraging me to keep a vehicle for 20 years or so.

Regards,
Dusty

ywilson · November 2003

I just turned 120,000 miles and I am happy to report no major flaws so far. I have had to do my ball joints (uppers) but I guess that was expected. I have the 4.7 liter and it has been a strong and reliable engine. My tranny however seems to be acting up a little. Lately it will trip the P-0700 code. That is the code for the overdrive troubles. Because it is the new tranny for the 4.7 and it is electronic when I turn off and restart the truck the problem disappears. The dealer has tried everything to fix it but cannot. I am going to drive it till it dies. This problem only happens occasionally. I really enjoy this truck and have owned it since new. It runs like new. I accredit this to my switching to all synthetic fluids around the 300 mile mark. I am keeping it until she dies.

dustyk · November 2003

I know a fellow who has 126K on his 2000 Durango and he's exceptionally happy with his. Yes, he has replaced the upper ball joints, too. I think he said that he had a Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) fail as well. His tranny is solid, no problems. He tows with his, too.

Strange thing, I think I remember the interior being slightly different than the same year Dakota for some reason. I'm pretty sure there was a difference in the door panels, but maybe I'm wrong. I know my 2003 Dakota's interior is very different.

I think the first generation Durango styling will be considered eye appealing for some time to come. Dodge did a excellent job on the Durango, and the new one appears to be very much improved in all the major areas, at least according to the one write-up I saw.

Continued good luck with your's.

Dusty

Dodge Durango

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