2nd Mar 2004, 17:25

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.

8th May 2004, 17:03

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!

19th May 2004, 08:37

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.

7th Jun 2004, 09:27

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.

10th Jul 2004, 23:55

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!

20th Jul 2004, 18:53

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.

30th Nov 2004, 06:36

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.