2004 Dodge Durango Limited 5.7L Hemi

Summary:

Buy one, especially with the 5.7L HEMI, best SUV out there, period!

Faults:

Very minor maintenance required!

3 recall items performed with no problem beforehand.

Driver power seat sometimes makes pop sound when reclined or brought forward, but works fine otherwise.

General Comments:

EXCELLENT vehicle, especially for an SUV!

Dodge should have continued to make the Durango.

Chrysler should have continued to make the Aspen.

Too bad US Government intrusion killed a great US SUV!

I wanted to buy the Hybrid version when new during the only year they made it (2009), but wasn't ready to upgrade then. I don't know whether I'll buy a used SUV.

Very good traction in wet weather - MUCH BETTER than my dangerous 1998 Toyota 4-Runner, which spun out 3 times.

Excellent interior dimensions given the exterior size. More room than other SUVs except for Suburban & Expedition, which are too long for my garage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th January, 2011

2004 Dodge Durango Hemi

Faults:

My CD player does not work, but my radio does.

Every time it rains, my check engine light comes on and my car shakes. The light turns off and it stops shaking after about a week. This last time it's been a week, and it still shakes and the engine light is still on.

For some reason, my front tires wear out really fast, and only on one side of the tire. I bought the tire in April, and now it's wire on one side.

My husband regrets buying it for me. He knows cars, but this one is too difficult.

Should I sell it and get rid of the problem? But I really love my car, there's just always something wrong with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th September, 2010

5th Sep 2011, 11:26

Our 2004 Durango does the same thing; every time it rains, it shakes. Does anyone know why?

10th Sep 2011, 18:13

My 2004 does the same thing in the rain. After much research, it seems that it is extremely common with the 2004 Durangos. Apparently Dodge is taking no responsibility...

2004 Dodge Durango XLT 5.7 Liter Hemi V8

Summary:

For a modern automobile, it was dreadfully pathetic

Faults:

Where do I begin? That truck was one of the WORST vehicles my family ever purchased. It was not right the day it came out of the factory because of the dog house over the engine could not repel the heat created by the massive engine, which literally melted the computer equipment for the car's "brain" and stereo equipment. It was so bad that Chrysler had to recall it and put in heat shields to protect the controls.

Then, the computer equipment itself was faulty to begin with. The novel idea of shutting down half of the cylinders while cruising to save fuel was the one thing the computer could not handle. It constantly revved irregularly on its own and eventually came to the point where it fried itself. Once again, the company did a recall around the same time and replaced the computer units.

Another problem was fuel consumption. It was a thirsty beast, around the same time that the country was going through the Iraqi gas crisis. It had an AWD system that could not be shut off.

The worst problem, though, was its faulty advertising. Chrysler advertised it as a true mountain goat S.U.V. like its Jeep cousins. We took it into the Gila National Forrest in New Mexico, where most of the ride, it was never on more than three wheels. On the way back home, there was a horrible sound of wind whipping through the cabin. It never went away because, as it turned out, the frame was bent! The entire truck was practically built off of a minivan chassis and could not stand up to any severe offroading. We had to get rid of it.

General Comments:

The only good part of the truck was that the engine was brilliant. It was zero to sixty in about ten seconds, which is incredibly good for a production S.U.V. You would be flying past traffic in a vehicle high enough to look into neighboring cars.

The cabin was pretty cheesy. With the plastic dashboard, plastic doors, and cheapo carpeting that lined the entire interior, it felt like you were back in the 1970's driving in your Chiffon Yellow AMC Pacer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th July, 2009

5th Oct 2009, 00:01

Absolutely not correct, never had a problem except for driver door adjusting. Perfect in the mountains, great on the highway and nice in the city. MDI wasn't available in 2004, check your facts!

16th Oct 2009, 09:02

This year, the expected residual value for a Durango after five years is just 18% of its original price. Truly pathetic!