The Durango and it's HEMI motor are by far the most awesome car/truck I've ever owned
A flat tire, caused by a nail.
This is an awesome truck.
It is faster than my 99 Durango, by a LOT.
The ride is smoother, and the appointments are much nicer. It's bigger and is more functional than my 99.
The best ride I've owned.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th October, 2005
Death trap
Heads up to potential Dodge Durango buyers! I rented a low miles All Wheel Drive well equipped model while on a ski trip in Colorado last February (2005). While driving up the mountain pass in pretty poor snow conditions the car suddenly veered hard to the left. I've driven without an accident in all kinds of weather conditions for over 30 years and in my opinion the car was not controllable.
I think the wheel might have fallen off. We went off the road front first down a boulder strewn path (big boulders - like several feet diameter) and ended up about 20 to 30 feet below the horizontal plane of the road way. By the grace of God the boulders formed a stair step pattern that safely carried us down. Pure luck. One of the front wheels was detached and pinned under the car where it came to rest. Fortunately, no one was hurt. I'll give the car credit for taking the 'bumps' fairly well! But it ended up being totaled. Sure that most at the accident scene thought it likely that the wheel came off on the way down... but from the way it initially handled... I really believe it fell off earlier before we left the roadway and is what caused the accident. No way to prove it though.
I would never consider buying one of these vehicles. I consider myself lucky to be alive.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 26th August, 2005
The ball bearing joints are a real issue, and would not be surprised to learn that this will be an issue with the 2005. Great review. Keep up the good work. I wrote a similar review on the same year/model and a couple of car salesmen chewed me out!
My friends rented an 05 Durango this past weekend while driving to Orlando from Miami. The vehicle began to make some noise just before the driver lost control of the vehicle. Both front wheels fell off and the vehicle flipped 3-4 times. Two out of the eight occupants were killed. I've searched the net for similar incidents involving the Durangos and I have found they have a history of problems with the front wheels. I'm sorry for those who defend the vehicle, but this was serious and considering it's history it was just a matter of time before this happened. I must admit that being a rental, it may not have received the proper maintenance either.
Sounds like maybe the wheel came off due to improper installation of the wheel.
Overall a nice truck, but not built to last
Nothing has gone wrong with this car.
I purchased this car new, and it only has 800 miles on it.
This truck is indeed a truck. We are not very pleased with the overall feel of the vehicle on the road. We are not truck people and we probably won't keep this truck for very long.
The sound system is excellent. We have an infinity surround system on this car, and CD's, radio, etc. sound just simply beyond the norm.
We also have a DVD player installed. This was probably great for our two kids for about the first hour. After that, they were back to "being bored." I would not recommend purchasing this extra, as it really isn't useful. Again, the system itself was excellent, and the sound outstanding. The DVD came with a remote, and one could also control the DVD player by the controls on the steering wheel.
The one thing we absolutely despise about this truck is the interior. It's entirely plastic, save for the leather seats. You would assume that if you purchase leather seats and all the bells and whistles, you would obtain a better interior. But alas, no. The leather seats are nice, but when you're constantly faced (literally) with plastic for an interior (e.g., doors, door handles, dash), it takes away from any comfort one would derive from the seats.
As with any Dodge, cup holders abound, and storage is plentiful. The third row seats fold down quickly for even more storage.
Again, I'll harp on the plastic... this time the exterior. Whenever you close the hatchback on the rear of the truck, you naturally check to make sure this hatchback is secure. Several times I've wondered how long the plastic "chrome" looking handles will hold. A few times, this handle has even creaked as I've "tugged" to make sure I've secured the back. For a truck, you would think that this would be a sturdier feature.
As I drive down the highway, I've noticed that we are higher than the older Durangos. This is a very high riding vehicle. Again, it's a truck, so this is to be expected. I would also expect to find some wind resistance in harsh weather, but have yet to really encounter any.
I would recommend keeping this truck for about 40-50K and then trading it in.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 20th June, 2005
If nothing has gone wrong, why do you hate it so much? (aside from the 'plastic.') And since you do hate it so much, why did you buy it?
I have a 2001 Dodge Durango and though I feel the dealer ripped me off because my vehicle was slightly used, later to find out it was in fact a previous rental, I must admit I love my Durango. It's so reliable and has great power. I love driving it, I only wish the new ones looked as tough as this vehicle because I already have 95,000 miles on mine and I can't help, but wonder how long it should last me.
The best vehicle I have ever owned.
Just some issues with the car sitting on the lot, i.e., minor scratches. Nothing to worry about, the dealer is taking care of it as I write this.
This, by far, is the nicest vehicle I have ever owned. I traded in a fully loaded 2002 Durango SLT for the new Limited. I've owned BMW's, Acuras and Mercedes in the past, but, I can't get over how the Dodge engineers put so much attention to ride, performance and appearance. It is a joy to drive and actually gets better gas mileage than my 2002 Durango.
Especially nice features are the U-Connect Hands Free phone feature, factory installed DVD entertainment system, power sunroof and automatic climate controls. And the Hemi? Forget about it... :-)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th May, 2005
This Durango is great
No Problems.
Shopped several diffrent makes and found this SUV to be the nicest equipped for the money.
Very nice ride for a truck and quiet inside. comfortable seating and power adjustable seats work great. memory feature is great, adjust to driver with keyless entry/alarm activation. will be having the seats programmed for entry and exit adjust next time at dealer.
Integrated telephone feature is very nice. works very well and is easy to use.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 20th March, 2005
My Durango sucks!!! I have replaced the engine twice. Thanks a lot Chrysler!!!
P.S. I forgot now the ac does not work. Great American muscle!!!
What year is your Durango?
Wow, Mine has been great! I love stomping sports cars with it! Especially the rice. I have been hunting nissan titan and other Asian SUV's and trucks. The nav is great and its nearly as nice as my old BMW (740iL) for ride.
27th Aug 2005, 17:52
Well you had some great, good luck with your accident there. But why the reveiw? You know nothing of the vehicle over the years and only rented it. So what right do you have to post a review on a vehicle that you rented?
And the wheel problem. Well I don't know what really happened, but it sounds like poor maitanance and serious abuse was done to that car before you drove it. Typical rental.