Looks,Power,perfect size,

TRANSMISSIONS!!!, Gas, Power windows,Tires are ok but need to be 1 size larger

I love this SUV that I hate. It is everything that I love and need, it just keeps breaking! bought in 99, had to have the bumpers repainted do to rust spots coming through @ 25000 miles, @ 30000 mile the rear differential went out....this is a big deal for those that dont know. , At 37000 the TRANSMISSION went out, replaced the valve body...another huge deal, @ 40,000 the alternator went bad....iritating but not a big deal, also right front window getting real slow going up.now @ 60,000 Transmission acting up again.Havent had it looked at yet....oh yeah, serviced every 2500, and still breaks!!!Now get ready to scream...
I still love this SUV, It is the perfect size, and has the perfect power..
I dont know how common problems are...but I used to say that I would buy another one. Think I might try a new Chevy Trailblazer next...sorry Dodge, I was A very loyal fan till this...oh and Dodge give very POOR SERVICE

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1st SUV

Engine,Acceleration, roominess,Stereo, Looks, Price

Gas Mileage, Tires, Cant play burned cds in the cd player

I have had this car for 2 and a half years it is by far the fastest SUV out of the four that I have (Tahoe Suburban BLazer). It is very roomy and fits seven pretty easily. The tires arent very good and make the ride a little bumpy but they look great. The upgraded stereo makes great sound but some burned cd's dont work in it. Overall i like it a lot and would recommend it.

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1997 Blazer- Blazer has better ride but Durango beats it in everything else

Power(5.9L w/ 3.92 axle ratio), roominess, styling, and comfort. The combination of all makes for a very sporty, solid, functional ride. You can't beat 88.5 cu.ft. of cargo space, and the little people absolutely love the third seat. Stereo controls on steering wheel are nice.

The breaks could be better, i.e., bigger rotors/pads, ABS all around. If you can keep your foot out of the loud pedal, the mileage isn't really that shabby for a 2 1/2 ton vehicle. The OE tires are a bit harsh riding. Maybe Michelins ... how 'bout Pirelli's, fellas?

I've been a MOPAR fan since my Detroit days of the late '60s and '70s, and have been patiently awaiting their version of an SUV. Well, the Durango definitely fits the bill. Very impressed with its rugged looks and power. It's functionality surpasses anything in it's class. The size is perfect for me. I have added a few fundamental aftermarket items to improve performance and efficiency, like a cold air-intake system, a highflow muffler cut into the stock exhaust, and high performance shock absorbers to tighten the turning and smooth the ride a bit. Better spark plugs and wires help, too. Have seen a definite improvement in overall performance, making my Durango that much more enjoyable to drive. Refinements will and have come with each new model year. It will never ride like a Navigator or a Toyota LC, but who cares. I have no use for a vehicle that large. I've driven an Expedition, and thought I would tip over at any minute. It WOULD be nice of D/C to put one of those new Hemi's in future Durango's, though. Yes ... more power would be great. Definitely look for the new Hybrid Durango's. Same power as the 5.9L(maybe even quicker), but better mileage, too.

Overall ... a great ride!! Have been fortunate with no problems in 24K miles. Bearing in mind ... time will tell as things do tend to wear out. I have made a few very basic modifications to my Durango making it even more fun to drive. A few more are on my list. I WOULD recommend the "D" to anyone who wants comfortable interior space for humanoid packages or hauling inanimate cargo, and likes a sporty, powerful V8 with tons 'o' torque. Would highly recommend aftermarket items for whatever vehicle you drive. They are logical add-ons that will help with your vehicle's efficiency and performance. No manufacturer makes their SUV's performance as efficient out of the blocks as they could.

If you're in the market for a mid-size SUV ... a Dodge Durango will not disappoint you. At least take one for a test drive. Better yet ... rent one for the weekend!

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Still own a '91 Chevy Blazer with 157K miles on it, and it's still hanging in there. Was very happy for GM when the Blazer was Motor Trend's Truck of the Year in '95. Almost got one.

- Engine power. Great pickup.
- The seats flip, fold, and collapse pretty easily.
- Seats 7 -- sortof.
- The remote works from miles away!

- Inconsistent body cladding gaps make it look cheap.
- Ugly, cheap, ergonomically incorrect interior.
- Seats are not supportive.
- Driving position is uncomfortable. My wide feet get wedged into the accellerator. I feel like I'm sitting too close to the steering wheel.
- Safety performance. It only got a 2-star/"Marginal" rating. Side airbags/inflatable head curtains not available, no seatbelt pretensioners, headrests are too low and too far back to prevent whiplash, knee bolsters are brittle, bumpers crumple easily and are costly to replace. It has a Poor rollover safety rating as well.
- Handling. Too powered, too much body roll.
- The suspension ancient technology. You'll feel it through your backbone.
- Transfer case. Manual, difficult to use (I can't even get it into 4Lo), and even in 4WD the wheels spin sometimes in the snow. It doesn't even seem like it works.
- Fuel mileage is abysmal!!!
- Headlights are weak (the low beams are brighter than the high beams for some reason)
- Noisy cabin.
- Stereo is awful. You can't even listen to talk radio without getting a headache.

We are mostly dissapointed with the Durango. The Caravan actually had more cargo room, better seats, and handled a lot better. We're considering what to do with the Durango since we're not too fond of it.

The Durango feels unsure and not very stable on the road. It has great pickup, but the engine is noisy and the wind noise is high. It's not a bad-looking vehicle, but get up close and it has that American-car cheapness. There is way too much of a gap between body panels. The interior is cheap and ugly, and the controls are in inconvenient places.

Our A4 Avant has All-Wheel-Drive (aka Quattro) and it performs worlds ahead of the Durango in the snow. It never gets stuck and the wheels never spin... unlike the Durango, even if you manage to persuade the transfer case to switch into 4-Wheel-Drive. The Durango is as cumersome to park as it is to drive.

Driving the Durango is difficult. The engine is nice and powerful and has good (but noisy!) pickup, however. The pedals are small and crunched into an oddly-shaped footwell which jams my wide feet between the accellerator and brake. You sit in an uncomfortable seat at a strange angle, practically pressed up against the plastic steering wheel to reach the pedals comfortably (I'm 5'9", no shorty). The car rolls too much when you turn, and the turning radius isn't great. The exterior mirrors let you see the entire world, but the rearview mirror is too small and doesn't let you see through the entire rear window.

Dissapointing, and almost frighteningly so, are the very poor safety ratings. It got two-stars from the government for the driver (out of five) with a 60% or more chance of serious head injury. The insurance institute rated it marginal, noting how the dummy's head bottomed out the airbag and hit the window and door pillar, and how a steel bone in its leg was twisted a full 45 degrees, indicating a leg fracture. In a rear-end collission, the small, low, and rearward headrests would most likely let your neck snap violently. Even worse are the bumpers which crumpled and needed to be replaced in a low-speed (5 mph) crash test.

The stereo is awful. It gives me a headache. Ditto for the weak headlights, which barely let you see 5 feet ahead of you in the dark, even with the driving lights on. The suspension is too soft yet for some reason bumps in the road are exaggerated and crunch your tailbone. You get a break from the unpleasant ride only when you stop to fill up the gas tank every 15 miles.

I wouldn't reccomend this vehicle to anyone. It's difficult, cheap, unpleasant, and unsafe. Being high off the ground does not mean by any standards that you are safer. I feel guilty after driving it for all the pollutants I've put in the air. Explore alternatives.

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We traded our 1998 Dodge Caravan for the 2000 Dodge Durango and regret it every time we drive it. We also own an Audi A4 Avant, which we drive whenever possible.

- Engine power. Great pickup.
- The seats flip, fold, and collapse pretty easily.
- Seats 7 -- sortof.
- The remote works from miles away!

- Inconsistent body cladding gaps make it look cheap.
- Ugly, cheap, ergonomically incorrect interior.
- Seats are not supportive.
- Driving position is uncomfortable. My wide feet get wedged into the accellerator. I feel like I'm sitting too close to the steering wheel.
- Safety performance. It only got a 2-star/"Marginal" rating. Side airbags/inflatable head curtains not available, no seatbelt pretensioners, headrests are too low and too far back to prevent whiplash, knee bolsters are brittle, bumpers crumple easily and are costly to replace. It has a Poor rollover safety rating as well.
- Handling. Too powered, too much body roll.
- The suspension ancient technology. You'll feel it through your backbone.
- Transfer case. Manual, difficult to use (I can't even get it into 4Lo), and even in 4WD the wheels spin sometimes in the snow. It doesn't even seem like it works.
- Fuel mileage is abysmal!!!
- Headlights are weak (the low beams are brighter than the high beams for some reason)
- Noisy cabin.
- Stereo is awful. You can't even listen to talk radio without getting a headache.

We are mostly dissapointed with the Durango. The Caravan actually had more cargo room, better seats, and handled a lot better. We're considering what to do with the Durango since we're not too fond of it.

The Durango feels unsure and not very stable on the road. It has great pickup, but the engine is noisy and the wind noise is high. It's not a bad-looking vehicle, but get up close and it has that American-car cheapness. There is way too much of a gap between body panels. The interior is cheap and ugly, and the controls are in inconvenient places.

Our A4 Avant has All-Wheel-Drive (aka Quattro) and it performs worlds ahead of the Durango in the snow. It never gets stuck and the wheels never spin... unlike the Durango, even if you manage to persuade the transfer case to switch into 4-Wheel-Drive. The Durango is as cumersome to park as it is to drive.

Driving the Durango is difficult. The engine is nice and powerful and has good (but noisy!) pickup, however. The pedals are small and crunched into an oddly-shaped footwell which jams my wide feet between the accellerator and brake. You sit in an uncomfortable seat at a strange angle, practically pressed up against the plastic steering wheel to reach the pedals comfortably (I'm 5'9", no shorty). The car rolls too much when you turn, and the turning radius isn't great. The exterior mirrors let you see the entire world, but the rearview mirror is too small and doesn't let you see through the entire rear window.

Dissapointing, and almost frighteningly so, are the very poor safety ratings. It got two-stars from the government for the driver (out of five) with a 60% or more chance of serious head injury. The insurance institute rated it marginal, noting how the dummy's head bottomed out the airbag and hit the window and door pillar, and how a steel bone in its leg was twisted a full 45 degrees, indicating a leg fracture. In a rear-end collission, the small, low, and rearward headrests would most likely let your neck snap violently. Even worse are the bumpers which crumpled and needed to be replaced in a low-speed (5 mph) crash test.

The stereo is awful. It gives me a headache. Ditto for the weak headlights, which barely let you see 5 feet ahead of you in the dark, even with the driving lights on. The suspension is too soft yet for some reason bumps in the road are exaggerated and crunch your tailbone. You get a break from the unpleasant ride only when you stop to fill up the gas tank every 15 miles.

I wouldn't reccomend this vehicle to anyone. It's difficult, cheap, unpleasant, and unsafe. Being high off the ground does not mean by any standards that you are safer. I feel guilty after driving it for all the pollutants I've put in the air. Explore alternatives.

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We traded our 1998 Dodge Caravan for the 2000 Dodge Durango and regret it every time we drive it. We also own an Audi A4 Avant, which we drive whenever possible.

Looks, power, lots of room, great handling

GAS

My Durango has performed great. I've had it full of passengers and it runs as if I was in the vehicule alone. The sound systems is good and it isn't bulky like other suv's with the third seat option.

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Montero doesn't compare. The motor sounds like it is working too hard when the vehicule is full of passengers

Passenger carrying ability. Seven with no problem. I live in the Republic of Panama and wanted a four wheel drive vehicle that would take a few fender benders and keep my family safe. The way it rains here , I also wanted something high off the ground. (I have seen a Honda CRV on it's side floating down the middle of the highway during a downpour). With the rear A/C it has been adequate keeping occupants cool in this climate. My wife loves it and is the primary driver. She drives it just as aggessively as the Panamanian taxi drivers drive their Hundai's !

We have 17K on the Durango now and have put two batteries in it. The first blew up when a jump start was attempted. There seems to be an excessive amount of heat blowing on the battery from the engine. Perhaps this is the cause? We had our back windows stop operating around 12K, and now we are having our transmission light come on occassionally, as well as high temp alarms with the cooling system. This is in normal driving in city traffic. Strange because it is not any hotter here than a normal summer day in the States.

All and all a pretty good vechile. The maintenance problems mentioned above are a little disconcerting. This is compounded by the fact that I am a little leary of the dealer in this country. I would recommend it but I would also ask Dodge to look into the battery problem.

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Tighter turning radius than a Montero. (the vehicle of choice in Panama) Bigger and can hold more than most SUVs. Not as maintenance free as the Toyota Previa I sold to buy it.

Passenger carrying ability. Seven with no problem. I live in the Republic of Panama and wanted a four wheel drive vehicle that would take a few fender benders and keep my family safe. The way it rains here , I also wanted something high off the ground. (I have seen a Honda CRV on it's side floating down the middle of the highway during a downpour). With the rear A/C it has been adequate keeping occupants cool in this climate. My wife loves it and is the primary driver. She drives it just as aggessively as the Panamanian taxi drivers drive their Hundai's !

We have 17K on the Durango now and have put two batteries in it. The first blew up when a jump start was attempted. There seems to be an excessive amount of heat blowing on the battery from the engine. Perhaps this is the cause? We had our back windows stop operating around 12K, and now we are having our transmission light come on occassionally, as well as high temp alarms with the cooling system. This is in normal driving in city traffic. Strange because it is not any hotter here than a normal summer day in the States.

All and all a pretty good vechile. The maintenance problems mentioned above are a little disconcerting. This is compounded by the fact that I am a little leary of the dealer in this country. I would recommend it but I would also ask Dodge to look into the battery problem.

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Tighter turning radius than a Montero. (the vehicle of choice in Panama) Bigger and can hold more than most SUVs. Not as maintenance free as the Toyota Previa I sold to buy it.

Love the color of my truck, great ride, had to have a Durango. Durango's are for Diva's like myself.

Having prolems with the transmission, transmission light and over drive light keeps dinging on since I bought it in Dec. 2000.

Since I have bought the vehicle not even having it for a good six months, my transmission and overdrive light kept coming on. Til one day I was on my way taking my neice and little sister home and stopped at the service station to get some gasforwards, I jumped out of my truck to find that transmission fluid was on the ground. I had Dodge to come and get it and tow it to their garage, they found that my transmission line had been snatched down. Even after and afterwards my truck wouldn't go backwards or
forwards, I jumped out of my truck to find that transmission fluid was on the ground. I had Dodge to come and get it and tow it to their garage, they found that my transmission line had been snatched down. Even after repairs my transmission light and over-drive light keeps coming on, it shouldn't be coming on at ALL! I'm still going through the change with Dodge World to find the problem, they've been good about it so far and I purchased a 3-year warranty. The transmission does not feel like its picking up speed quite properly, I'm a real-estate agent and cannot have this happening, this is my first SUV. As long as they continue to be nice and fix the problem, they won't have any problems out of me. I purchased it in Dec. 2000 and it's now Feb. 2001, I shouldn't be having any problems in my opinion. Yes, it drinks gas but, what SUV doesn't?

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My first SUV

Attractive looking vehicle that fits 6 or 7 people quite comfortably.

Persistent spark knock. Lots of people end up with this problem. Chrysler claims that software can be upgraded via a TSB to fix the issue but does not have a fix for it yet. The knock affects acceleration and has made this purchase a miserable one for us.

This vehicle looks great on the surface, however, severe spark knock detracts from the experience of riding in this vehicle. Buyer beware when purchasing one of these.

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Jeep Cherokee. Had we known all of the facts, we would have stuck with the Cherokee.