Comments: 1-15, 16-17
While performing front brake pad replacement, I noticed the left front wheel (2WD car) was loose. While on jacks, the front wheel could be wobbled up and down. Further investigation revealed the nut that secures the wheel to the spindle had backed off. Because of the looseness, both inner and outer wheel bearings were wiped out. This condition is directly attributable to poor design. The wheel hub is held on the spindle by a fiber lock nut with conventional right hand threads. Right- hand threads on a spindle on the left side of the car will tend to loosen with the rotation in forward travel. Someone in engineering definitely had their head up and locked to allow this to make its way into a production vehicle. This spindle should have either left-hand threads and nut, or the more customary castellated nut with a cotter pin safety.
Anyway, the extended warranty ended up covering the $700.00 + bill for 2 new hubs with bearings. I guess the dealer wasn't happy with the right one, either.
However, had the nut come off completely, loss of the wheel would have resulted with the ensuing possibly tragic results. I'm very disappointed in Chrysler's engineering here, and just wonder what other little gremlins are in there.
Along with this repair, the rear hatch automatic lock was repaired, as it would no longer lock with the rest of the locks and had to be locked manually with the key.
The time before that, about April of 2002, the freeze plugs behind the motor mounts began leaking. The dealer handled under factory warranty.
I think the Durango is the best SUV of its size going. I wanted a very powerful and capable vehicle that rides nice and has the creature comforts. With the big motor, this thing gets the job done, but if you don't keep your foot out of it, will cost you running around town.
One other worthwhile note. The reports that the air conditioning is marginal in hot weather are true.
Being such a computerized machine, don't get caught without the extended warranty. It promises to be a very expensive car to maintain in its later years. When my extended warranty is up, I plan on trading it for something else---and I'm one of those guys who can fix anything and generally keep my cars 'til the doors fall off. I don't think I'll be able to do that with this one.
The Durango is a very nice and comfortable ride it was just a little underpowered for my taste. And yep it was the 5.9 360 magnum.
I own a 2000 Durango R/T. I bought the car new with the expectations that it would be as tough as a 4X4, as fast as a sports car, and as roomy as a minivan; and it is all that!
On the downside, I would agree that the A/C definitely could be improved. I specifically added the rear A/C package in hopes that the Sacramento summers would be bearable, however when its 108 degrees outside and roughly 140 degrees inside the vehicle it takes approximately 20 minutes to cool the inner temperature down to a moderate 70 degrees. Compare this to my sister-in-laws Suburban, which cools down in about 5 minutes in the same condition.
Additionally, I was a little disappointed that the wood-grain interior of the SLT was not available on the R/T version. The suede seat backs are great, but they would look much nicer and the vehicle would have an overall classier look with the wood-grain interior as well.
All in all, I love the Durango. It is the perfect size for an SUV and just doing the normal maintenance has been enough for the first 3 years. No other problems (knock on wood-grain).
I've got the 2000 Durango 4wd with the 4.7L. As heavy as the vehicle is this thing gets up and goes! I don't see how the 360 didn't please you. Is your the full-time 4wd...maybe that draws to muchpower from the motor... but you don't have to reach down and engage it like I do fortunately. Try putting in a 180 degree thermostat and a bigger throttle body. It's no hot rod, but that's not what you bought it for. The A/C works fantastic down in Houston.
I love my 2000 Durango also, and it worked flawlessly for the first three years, during which I put 27000 miles on it. Since then, I've spent around $700. I've replaced the left upper ball joint, the driver's side door lock, and the drivers side rear window mechanism, which the dealer claimed was 'worn out', in spite of the fact that I haven't raised or lowered it more than four times since I've had the car. I'll be shopping for a Toyota this summer.
I am also a proud owner of a 1999 Dodge Durango 4x4 SLT with the California Concepts package. I would definitely agree that the AC is a bit lacking. I too, have the overhead additional AC unit, and with that on full blast and the front on Max AC, it still takes what seems like days to cool this beast off, and my interior/exterior is light gray! Would hate to have a Black or darker color one.
As far as everything else, I have absolutely no complaints what so ever about my Durango. It's very light on it's feet for a mid-large sized SUV, and takes corners like a dream because of it's low center of gravity and wide wheel base. Not to mention a fantastic turning radious for such a large vehicle. The engine is incredibly powerful (I have the 5.9L Magnum), and I was able to easily accelerate up very steep inclines while towing a broken down mini van on a skid without a problem. I mean, the acceleration was almost as good as if the mini-van wasn't even there, I love it!
The only major mechanical issues I have had is my battery died after just 2 years of use, no biggie, but right now I'm faced with rusting freeze plugs. I've searched around the net and haven't found that this is a common problem, but I'm very upset with the dealer because they will not fix it, nor will my extended warranty cover it because by the time they figured out it was my freeze plugs just BARELY over 15,000 miles had lapsed before my last fluid change. : (They claim it was due to 'Too much water in the radiator', but if that's the case, then they put it there! I've never taken it anywhere else then the dealership in which it was purchased for service and maintenance.
Anyway, that's a gripe I have about this vehicle, and it's mostly due to the dealership. Other than that, I still absolutely LOVE my Durango! It was definitely money well spent!
Run don't walk! We bought a 2000 Durango used in 2002 after checking VIN online and making sure to purchase an extended warranty. Warranty company declined to cover the vehicle. 3000 miles later the oil pump went out and the engine threw a rod. Luckily under contract we had a warranty and the dealer covered the bill. about 6 months after that ALL my hoses blew. Both these times I had all 3 of my children with me. Luckily we were tooling around town instead of on the highway. Not quite a year later the engine light started coming on again. Called the dealership and they again agreed to fix it, but I told them to give me a new car. I will never buy another Dodge.. beware! There are only 60K miles on this car.
I have a 2001 Durango SLT 4.7l and must say it has been an excellent vehicle over the past 54,000 miles.
The engine runs like a dream, and the truck is rather nimble. I run it off road regularly and love mud!
I have had a few problems, most of which I attribute to my driving style. First my front brake caliper leaked (under warranty) after I slid into a stump. Dealer fixed it no questions asked. Second, I broke the drivers side seat while jumping dunes in Florida, dealer fixed that too. Just had to replace the power steering and brake fluids due to contamination, no doubt due to my hard driving.
This truck has been great, and appears to be able to handle the abuse I give it and still run very reliably.
Get out while you can... We purchased a 2000 SLT Durango fully loaded new from the dealer... this was my first and last purchase of a Dodge vehicle! I have owned Chevy products my entire life and have NEVER had the problems I have had with the Durango.
In addition to the Durango being a true gas hog... the SUV is just not built well. For example, I recently was told by a dealership repair shop that all of my freeze plugs needed to be replaced because they were rusted out. I thought this was odd since I have only had to replace rusty freeze plugs once on any of my cars (Camaro at a 166,000 miles). However, I thought OK this won't be so bad the plugs cost about $1 each... unfortunately the well crafted Durango requires you to remove the entire engine and transmission to replace these little gems. This process only sets you back about $1,500-2,000.
I have had too many $300-500 repairs to count after the first 2 years (and yes these were repairs not basic up keep measures). All of this on a vehicle that only has 55,000 miles on it. Best wishes if you decide to straddle yourself with one of these fine machines!
I also have a 2000 Dodge Durango SLT 4.7L. I had the same window problem as most people have. The problem was resolved on the second visit to the dealer. I also have the rear hatch problem, however like the rest of my issues with the vehicle, the problem only arises when I use it. It seems when I take it to the dealer the problem never occurs. Right now I have about 60 thousand on it, and the engine revs up and down between 800 and 1400 RPM when I put it in park. The dealer has had it for a total of 9 days at different times in the last month and still is unable to correct the problem. They are working on it. But after this, I'm going back to Chevy. My feeling is when you pay 30k plus for a vehicle you deserve to get at least 100,000 miles out of it before it starts falling apart.
Hello- I was in search of a quality 4x4 vehicle that would get me through tough Northern Michigan winters. My 1998 Durango certainly did just that, but what I did not expect was all of the problems I started having after the first year. While changing my brake pads I noticed that all 4 ball joints were rusted and about to go. There was at least a half an inch of play in the joints. I remember seeing a program done on this problem by CBS a while back where people's tires actually fell off as a result of faulty ball joints, so I called Chrysler to see if they would do anything about this widespread problem. I was told to keep my receipt and "IF" there was a recall then I would be contacted for a refund. I am having the work done today to the tune of $800. Since the ball joints were shot the front tires consequently wore out prematurely to the inside and will need to be replaced, yet another $300. Not done yet. While in the garage the mechanic, who is a friend of mine, tells me that my slow antifreeze leak I mentioned to him was a result of a leaky freeze plug. An easy fix it is not. The $5 part can only be installed after about 9hours of labor. The plug is located between the Tranny and the engine. You have to remove one or the other to even get to the plug. Yep, another $700. So, after what I thought was a simple brake pad change turned out to be a $1800 job, I mean nightmare. - very disappointed.
Hello, I have a 2000 SLT Plus with the 4.7l and love it! Before buying, I read several articles on the problems with the motor. I have 100,000 miles on mine and it still looks and runs like a dream! With 5 more hp. than the 5.2 and only 10 less than the 5.9, the 4.7 rocks! I highly recommend cold air intake and 3 in. exhaust... BIG difference. Finally, most problems people have can be eliminated with routine upkeep... on schedule! It's worth it in the long run!
Jeff.
Well on the topic of power with Durango's, I was riding in my friends 1999 5.9 liter Magnum Durango with 70-something thousand miles, and we convinced the person driving to see how fast it would go from 0-60, pedal to the metal. It was a flat, open road, and to 60MPH, it took 12 seconds! I couldn't believe it! It seemed powerful at low RPM's, but when you floor it, it doesn't seem to put out much power. I noticed that when floored, it shifted at about 4600 RPM, the red line, but other V8 SUV's have closer to a 6k red line, so maybe it's peak hp is closer to 5k. Either that, or it needs a serious tune-up.
I bought a 1999 Durango 5.2 engine. 130,000 miles on the engine. I just replaced the evap core and the heater core for around 1300 dollars. Now I went to replace the front upper ball-joint and notice the guide pins for the brake caliper are stripped out, so I have to replace the entire unit. But what I can say is all parts that have been replaced were factory parts, so they made it 130,000 miles. I do love my Durango!!!
Hello,
My husband and I bought a 2000 Dodge Durango SLT 4.7 back in January of 06' an we love it. We have only had a few minor problems with it since we have owned it. It has about 119,000 miles on it an it is still going strong. The only problems that we have had with it are having to change a few sensors an thankfully I have a few mechanics in the family that a enough knowledge to do minor repairs so I did not have to pay for labor either time an the sensors only cost me about $30 a piece. Other than that I just bought 4 new tires for it an that cost me about $550. The tires were put on towards the end of November of 07' an the place that put them on did a check of everything else an said that everything looked good an that nothing needed to be replaced. I feel that the reason that I have had such good luck with my Durango is because I do not drive it hard an because I do the needed maintenance when it is needed. In February I am going to need to get another oil change an while I am there I am going to have them do an alignment. An sometime before the year is out I will have new shox an the tranny flushed an add new fluid. I love my Durango an I would buy another one, but I just wish that the gas mileage was a little better.
I bought a 2000 Durango SLT 4x4 4.7L last summer from a buddy of mine who won it in a raffle in 2000. It has almost 144,000 miles on it and it runs like a top. I use it as my second vehicle mainly because of my commute and the fact that I bought it from him for $3000.
I put about $900 in it so far in repairs and maintenance and detailed the whole thing myself. My biggest problem is a leaky front Evaporator Core under the dash which seems to be a common problem. As stated in a previous post; this is a $1300 repair if you replace the heater core at the same time which is recommended. Dodge covered the bad ball joints on recall a few months ago and I had to replace the tie rod ends to get through Pennsylvania Inspection. I replace the front shocks and the plugs so far and added a hitch receiver. I had a water leak on the drivers side which I think I fixed by sticking the rubber seal up further in the track.
The vehicle is fast and a bit rough, but that can be attributed to the truck chassis it sits on. If you only read forums; you would not hold onto any vehicle made since people go onto a lot of forums to research and comment on problems. I use it for special functions; I do not think it was ever designed for a daily commute; it is better suited for cruising the mountains of Oregon for the forest service.