1999 Dodge Durango SLT from North America - Comments

I have replaced each of the shocks several times since I have had the car, I have replaced the front tie-rod, and the car still squeaks loudly on even the smallest bump in the road. In addition, I feel like a Mexican jumping bean when I am on any road that has even the slightest bumps. The ride is atrocious.

My biggest complaint, though, is the transmission. I replaced it for the first time when the car was 2 years old and had just over 40,000 miles--too many miles to be covered by warranty of course. At the time, I tried to get warranty service since I didn't believe that a transmission should suffer complete failure with such low mileage, but I was denied such coverage. I had the transmission repaired by an independent transmission specialist who spent several months trying to get some help from Dodge as well as other transmission specialists across the country in assessing the problem. Dodge would not even discuss the problem with him. He was finally able to repair the transmission, but he was certain that the source of the problem was an inherent defect in the onboard computer system which was new in the 2000 Durango. Dodge would not acknowledge any such problem, however. His suspicions have now been confirmed, though, because, less than a year later, I am now faced with a second transmission failure.

I am so disappointed with this car that I wish I could leave it somewhere with the keys in the ignition and have it stolen. I do not feel safe driving it, and I will never drive a Dodge again because the dealer support has been outrageous. We have written Daimler-Chrysler on numerous occasions, and they have been no help. I don't think they care whether they have dissatisfied customers or not because most of their dealers can't keep the cars on the lot, so why bother to worry about the dissatisfied ones, or about fixing the inherent defects--the cars continue to sell out regardless.

Don't waste your money on a Durango. The car is not well made and it handles very poorly under even the best conditions.

I wrote this review and it is mistakenly filed under 1999 Dodge Durango. I purchased the car in 1999, but it was a 2000 model year Durango. This model year featured a new engine which was controlled by computer. According to both my mechanic and the independent transmission specialist who repaired my transmission when it first failed, the problem with the car is not necessarily in the transmission--it is in the computer. And furthermore, Dodge is aware of the problem. Whatever the problem is, it leads to transmission failure--witness my second transmission failure in 3 years (and this one only 9 months after the first was rebuilt).

Did you try to reprogram the computer? My tranny acted funny after I had the battery disconnected for a while (computer did not "learn" the point where the torque converter was supposed to lock up... and acted like it was slipping) A $60 reprogramming at the dealer made it shift like new!