The front ball joints are loose and need replacing.
The windshield wipers are very erratic. They stutter and stop on the intermittent settings.
The carpet is cheap grade and is coming out.
The vehicle has lots of power for it's class.
It have a nice throaty exhaust system.
The vehicle seems top heavy or either the suspension is too soft for the vehicle weight.
Must be careful with lane changes or any semi-sudden steering changes because it feels like you're going to loose control.
The seating for 6 (7 if kids) is great.
Very little cargo room with the rear seat up.
In general I agree with Steven's comments. Likewise I've had to replace upper ball joints at 77,000 km.
Other gripes include a power driver's seat that won't stop rocking.
In addition, the vehicle pings on all, but 91 octane gas even though the dealer has attempted to adjust the computer a couple of times so that it can run on regular. I should also point out that it gets poor gas mileage even with the good stuff.
While I like the size of the vehicle, I wouldn't recommend it as I believe there are plenty of better choices out there.
Wally.
I've noticed the "loose" steering too and when my husband mentioned it was like that in his Jeep, before we got rid of my GMC Jimmy we put my All Terrain tires on the Jeep. My husband said the grip to the road is better, braking is improved and it feels more stable. I know that is the reason for the "loose" steering, street tires! As soon as I get together $800, I will put all terrain on the Durango as well.
I own a 2000 Durango and am getting ready to buy my second a 2003 I love everything about them. But before I bought my first I checked all the auto review sites to see what people had to say about them, almost all the complaints I have read have something to do with the ball joints so with a quick Google search I found out that 2000-2003.5 ball joint have been recalled, I don’t know if people are paying little shops to fix their ball joint problem and paying for it or taking them to the dealer for the recall. I figured I would write this reply just so people know if they do have a problem with there ball joints or do not want to buy a Durango because of this problem, it is a manufacturer recall that will be fixed for free here is just one link I found that will explain it better than I can http://www.off-road.com/dodge/news/2005_01/recall.htmlb please don’t let this problem be the deciding factor in buying this vehicle, like any major purchase do your own research, but as far as I am concerned they are an awesome overall SUV the only gripe I have is the gas mileage, but they aren’t much different than any other 4x4 I have researched.
Your comment about top-heaviness surprises me. I suspect your ball joints are worn, or your shocks are shot. I had a 00 SLT 5.9L and had the ball joints done by the dealer under warranty. Now, I have an 03 SLT 4.7L purchased used with 48K miles and there is no top heaviness--very, very stable. I traded in an 00 Xterra because it was too top heavy.
I have a teenager about to start driving and was concerned an inexperienced driver might roll the Xterra. I must admit the horsepower in the Durango concerns me a bit for a young driver, but no where near as much as the tipsy rice burner did.
Next time you have your tires rotated you might want to have the tech measure the wear in your ball joints, validate your alignment and check the shocks. Something just ain't right with your "D."
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