17th Oct 2005, 20:20

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 joints 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 that if they do have a problem with their 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.

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.

10th Feb 2006, 14:53

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."