1999 Dodge Durango SLT Plus review from North America
"The perfect sized SUV, but not for penny pinchers at the gas pump"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
At 50k miles the oil in my Durango started disappearing. I check my oil regularly and I noticed right away. Also, at about the same time, what I thought was the valves, would make a loud ticking noise when I accelerated. When I reached the 60k mark the oil burning was getting pretty bad, 1 quart every 300-500 miles. I never noticed any smoke, just that the oil was missing. Thanks to this site I discovered the problem with the intake manifold gasket on V8 engines. I even found a technical service bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on it. Dodge refused to cover the repairs ($550) because I was out of warranty. I found out from the parts guy that they have made new metal gaskets and a thicker plenum pan that bolts on the bottom of the intake to solve this problem.
Long story short: It cost me $100 in dealer parts and 10 hours on a Saturday, but the oil problem and spark knock are fixed.
General comments?
All that aside, I love driving my Durango and I hope that I won't have any issues with it for many miles to come.
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| Great - wish we had bought one sooner |
|
| The perfect compromise between a mini-van and small truck. I love it! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.9L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 61000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Ranger |
| Date of Entry | 12th June, 2003 |