My experience with the Dodge Durango has been terrible. The first year with the vehicle was excellent. I had minor problems with the radio system, tuning in and out in the first year, but I brushed it off thinking it was nothing. I guess that was my first warning sign for trouble. My vehicle is two years old with 76450 highway miles on it. I know the mileage seem pretty high, but its highway miles. This vehicle is a death trap. I was driving down the street and in the middle of a turn, the steering wheel locked on me. As I tried to apply pressure on the brakes, the pedal would not go down, everything on the vehicle locked up. I had no warning sign; my engine light was not present at the time of the lock up. I sat in the vehicle, ignition still running in the middle of the median. Lucky me the median was there to stop me. Just imagine, if I was on an off ramp getting ready to merge into traffic, what could have happen? I probably would not be able to sit here and type this letter. After 15 long minutes, I was able to put the gear in park and turn the ignition off. After I restarted my Durango, what do I see? The engine light comes on. A little to late for a warning, I said to myself. I managed to get the vehicle to the dealership for repair. They stated the drive-line belt slipped and that caused the steering to lock. Also, my transmission relay and fan relay was not operational. After test-driving the vehicle they found, I now need the trans solenoid replaced. Keep in mind the vehicle is only two years old. How can so much be going wrong at such a short period of time. After I was quoted a price I found that I could not afford the repair for the transmission. I managed to drive my truck home at 30 miles per hours for over 40 miles. I did not tell you, my truck won't shift out of first gear after receiving it back from the dealership. My vehicle sat, in my driveway, for a week before I took it to another dealership. What a surprise, this dealership told me the other dealership was totally wrong with there diagnostics.
They worked on my vehicle all day trying to figure out what was wrong, after no conclusion they finally got on the phone with Chrysler, and went over every aspect, step by step. After the testing was complete, I received a call from Dodge stating my Power Control Module failed. This will now cost me $1013.00, for parts and labor. I'm sorry, this could not be happening, my vehicle is only two years old. Where in my manual does it state anything about a Power Control Module? Nowhere. Every couple thousand miles there is some type of service needed. Why is this not listed?
My Geo Prism had more miles and I never had a thing wrong with it. I am outside my warranty because of high mileage. I fill this is a manufactures problem and I should be reimburse for parts and labor. Chrysler does not think they should reimburse me for the Power Control Module.
Below, you will find a list of problems I have experience with my Dodge Durango 2000:
I replaced front brakes at 50000 miles.
I went through 4 sets of tires.
My rear passenger window will not go up or down at 45000 miles.
Steering wheel locked up at 76400 miles.
My speakers fade in and out at 33000 miles.
The steering column shakes at 60 miles per hour at 30000 miles.
Too much play in steering, when you drive over a bump.
Drive-line belt replaced at 76405 miles.
Transmission Fan and Relay replaced at 76405 miles.
Power Control Module replaced at 76450 miles.
Revolutions Per Minute idles over one and a half at 20000 miles.
The first thing I am going to do is dump this vehicle. I have learned a very big lesson. I recommend that you do your research before purchasing a vehicle. I still cannot understand, how so many things can go wrong within a two-year period of time.
Do your research before purchasing anything.
76000 miles in two years. This is a lot on a vehicle especially if you are not going above and beyond the normal maintenance cycle. Many of this person problems are related to her care of the vehicle. The 2 sets of tires are probably just from excessive use. The other 2 sets are from the alignment at around 30000 miles. When you put a vehicle under the type of stress she did for 2 years it is not surprising that she had these types of failures. I am surprised that she made it to 50000 miles before having to replace the brakes. I have owned my Durango for almost 3 years. I am by no means a mechanic, but I have gone out of my way to perform a lot of the minor upkeep issues myself. This vehicle is very easy to work on. Automobiles require constant maintenance, some more than others, but to subject a vehicle to this type of use I am surprised that it lasted as long as it did.
The steering wheel shaking at 30,000 miles clearly indicates a wheel alignment problem. Normally caused by a decent hit on a curb or some other thing that forces the vehicle to re-adjust itself.
A new PCM costs a lot, but a used one at a salvage yard can be had for about 1/2 to 1/4 the cost of new depending on how many other Durango's are eating PCMs.
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