2005 Dodge Durango Limited from North America - Comments

No failures yet.

The new Durango I've found to be a very pleasant riding vehicle (for an SUV), and it handles quite well in lieu its size.

Considering that it's design and construction is all new from the ground up since 2004, was one of the primary reasons I bought it. In a Road & Track review of the top SUV's (including the Armada and Pathfinder), Road & Track named the Durango number 1.

The performance is rather impressive for a vehicle weighing in at 6000 pounds. I opted for the Hemi, and the motor has a great sound to it - not overly loud, but enough to let you know you have some beef under the hood.

The fit and finish are pretty good and the layout of the controls, seating, and general space of the interior is also very good. It has a well thought out appearance, and yet seems very practical as well.

I test drove other SUV's like the Tahoe and Expedition, and there's really no comparison I guess, since Tahoe and Expedition are really 4 and 5 year old model designs. For the moment I would agree with the Road & Track assessment... the Durango is currently at the top of the heap.

My one caveat, is that I'm tall (6'5) and although there is ample headroom, the front A-pillars and the rear pillars are thick, with a small rear window, so it can sometimes be tricky seeing out, since I seem to be looking down and then out. My wife who's shorter doesn't seem to have this problem.

As for the price... Here's what I found interesting... If you look up the Five-Star Chrysler (preferably just Dodge) dealerships, and you go in at the end of the month (say the 23 rd or later) these guys are usually willing to deal -just to make the numbers for their month end. Because they're such big volume dealers, they'll often come down below invoice if they've already met their quota. The smaller dealerships were out by over $2000.00 when I compared prices, and invariably the 5-Star dealerships always managed to beat the price of the smaller dealerships (some of the 5 Star dealerships more so than others). I phoned over 10 dealerships from Atlanta to South Florida, to Mobile, Alabama. I settled on a 5 Star Dodge dealership in Mobile. Asking price MRSP $41,763.00, I bought the Limited (with every option except 4 x 4) out the door for $34,467.00. It pays to shop around... even if it's by looking on the Internet and then having the salesmen phone you! (better than going to visit each dealership). Also, when doing financing through Chrysler, ask the finance guy about extra rebates for small business owners, recent college graduates, and a host of other things.

It does like the gas... but if you didn't know that going in, you shouldn't be buying this vehicle. The Hemi gets the same mileage as 100 horsepower less 4.7 litre V8, so it's a better deal for the minimal increase in price.

I can't speak to reliability yet (only 1000 miles so far) but according to Consumer Reports, it has an "average" reliability - which translates into "very good" for an American made vehicle.

All in all I think this vehicle is the best boy on the block... at least for now!

I agree, it is a awesome truck. But what do you get for mileage. I only get 9 miles to the gallon. Seems like everybody else gets 12 miles to the gallon. Is there anything in the new gadgets that will give it more gas mileage?

Russ.

The only was to improve gas mileage is drive more passive.

The transmission like to downshift quickly

The Hemi requires Premium Gas the small v-8 takes regular.

In the Boston area Premium Gas is.35 more a gallon.

Where did you hear/see/were told, etc. that the Hemi requires premium fuel? I do not think you are correct on that, but please send along some proof. I have a Dakota with the 4.7 liter V8, and am contemplating a Durango with the 5.7 Hemi. From what I have seen on window stickers, the Hemi is actually rated at 1mpg better than the 4.7, with 100 more horsepower under the hood. Seems like a no brainer to go for the Hemi.

The specified fuel for the Hemi is Premium.

It is in the sales brochure.

While I am impressed with the performance of the vehicle I have had some issues with the manufacturer and its warranties. Purchased vehicle 4 months after warranty expired, needed to have unit safety certified prior to registration. Firstly, upper ball joints wore out after 60,000 klms, was told by dealer and parts supply company that it was very common repair for this model??? I know the history of the vehicle and since knew it was used strictly in city driving conditions, no off road.

Then I tried to have remote starter install by a dealer recommended shop (advised by the service people in the dealership not to use Dodge remotes due to service issues). When I took the vehicle in for the installation, the company then had to refer me back to dealer to have new skim module installed. Apparently, the factory module only allows two key programming and the remote starter is programmed like a key to get around the vehicle security system, thus potentially leaving the owner with only one active key. Dodge recognized their error in later model 2004's and changed the factory skim modules. Early units like mine however were left up to the consumer to bring to the attention of the manufacturer, which they would warranty as long as the unit was still under their standard warranty of 5 yrs/60000 klms. Bottom line if you want to install a remote starter or need more than two keys programmed be prepared to shell out $1,000+. I contacted Dodge regarding this issue and while they were sympathetic to my problem, no support was offered. As I am writing this review, I am preparing to take the vehicle in once again since the engine light just came on today. Honestly, the truck has spent more time in various repair shops than it has on the road, and at this point I can confidently say that there will be another Dodge for sale in the area. Would not recommend this vehicle or its manufacturer to anyone.

Just returned from the dealership, another $500.00 (tune up) and engine light is still on. Apparently need new EGR valve which is not under warranty any longer (surprise, surprise) and it will only cost another $250.00. Off to my Ford dealer I go!!!

I have a 2004 Durango 5.7 liter with over 38500 miles on it and have yet to have any problems. So far I avg about 16 miles per gallon city, However, I must say I stay off the gas and do not race from light to light. I am not sure which owner's book the other reviewer is reading, but mine clearly states that 87 or 89 octane gas is what you should put in the Durango. In fact, the owner's book states that 93 octane "does not help performance, but also may cause damage." For the record, I am a first time Dodge buyer and two time Suburban owner. I had great service out of my Suburbans and have nothing, but good things to say about them. I was looking to buy a Tahoe, but wanted to be sure. After a great amount of research (on 6 different SUV's with 3rd row seats) and test drives, just to be complete in my research, I gave the Durango a look. I found more favorable reviews than not so favorable. I test drove 3 different ones and liked what I saw. Another big surprise was I found I could save 6 to 7 thousand dollars by buying an equally equipped Durango (compared to the others). I also found the ride to be smoother. So I bought the Durango. Hey, look, I am not here to try to "win" anyone over to Dodge. I am here to tell what I have experienced with my Durango and to let folks know who are in the market, I did my research and I feel I made a good choice. If you are in the SUV market, check out Durango along with the other SUV's and then buy the one that is right for you and go forward. Good Luck!

I purchased a 2004 Durango Ltd 5.7 HEMI on Labor Day 2004. Two weeks later, the sound system failed. Three trips to the dealer before it was diagnosed as a blown amp. At 14k miles the water pump was replaced due to leaking. at 27k miles the driver side window was replaced because it developed a blemish. (lamination defect). At the same time I had the face plate for the climate control replaced because it blanked out. Other than these problems, the vehicle has been good to us. 34k miles as of 03-01-08. Dealer service not much to talk about. So-so fit and finish for a vehicle with a 36k sticker. Vehicle was made in Nov. 2003 making it one of the early runs off the line for the new model. They were released in Oct. 2003.