I'm going to look at a 2003 SLT 4X4 tonight. It has about 90k miles. I have never owned a Durango. Is there anything in particular I should look for other than normal wear and tear? I looked at an 02 last night and one thing I noticed was that the A/C didn't seem to blow vard hard even on high. It was cooling but I could see having to have the fan on high constantly in middle Georgia. I had a new 03 Explorer once and it was the same way and I got tired of listening to that fan on high. Also how are Durango's in the woods with the 4WD. I currently have a 96 Cherokee 4wd and it does great. I also have an 05 Grand Cherokee 2wd that I am think of trading for the Durango. This 03 is a V8 but I'm not sure if it is the 4.7 or Hemi.

Thanks

 

If its a 2003 it's got either a 4.7l or a 5.9l v8... the hemi(5.7l) was not put in these trucks till 2004.

2003 to many is the best year for the durango as it was the first year to have rear disc brakes. Overall these things are solid.. keep in mind that the 1st gens (98-03) with any vehicle are now getting some age with them and with that things go bad over time.

some things that i would look at are.. .

1) how was in maintained? as i said before these trucks are solid but the key to keeping them there is keeping up with service. Check the usual stuff (oil, trans fluid, ect) 90k on a 2003 is a great deal if it was taken care of.

2) look under the truck! whats the condition of underneath... is there alot of rust? also take a peek at the steering system (ball joints, tie rods, ect) look to see if they where replace ever.. the earlier durangos had issues with ball joints but im sure it was remedied by 2003

3) ask to take it for a test drive. anyone who wants to sell a vehicle that does not have anything to hide will be more than willing to let you take it for a spin... when you do, turn the radio off! pay attention to how it sounds and shifts.

4) look for jerry rigging... if the current owner is a self proclaimed "mechanic" make sure there work atleast looks like they might know what there talking about. i have seen many vehicles over the years (durangos included) that 90% of there issues where cause by the owner doing a half *** job to save a few bucks... sometimes it might be better to pass it up so you don't inherit there gremlins.

5) check the tailgate for rust... that is one of the common places for rust on the trucks..


that's all i can think of at the moment... i'm sure others will chime in with some other thoughts...

HTH

 

When looking at the ball joints, the easiest way to tell if they are original or not is by if they are rivetted or bolted on. If bolted on, they are not the originals.

 

that is correct, also it was the 2001-2003 model year trucks which were covered by the recall i believe, check the VIN at dodge.com/owners to see if allt he recalls have been done, if the upper ball joints are riveted on then you should still be able to get them replaced by dodge free of charge.

 

Also, with the A/C, make sure you take it somewhere that can hook it to a vacuum machine. It could be that there is just enough freon in the system to keep it running. Most reputable shops will only charge for the freon they add to the system. The shop my brother works for, when I have taken a car over, their machine evacuates the freon, tells you how much it evacuated, then replaces, and adds the remainder. Most I have ever paid for an ac charge was $35. Sucks he might be quitting that place soon..lol

 

Also, the 4.7 has numerous vacume leaks... most are very easy to fix, but none the less something to check for to give you an idea of how well its been maintained.

Other common casualties are the drivers side power window regulator, the power windows only working from the drivers side switch, leaking radiator/ hoses, A/C drain leaking onto passenger side floor, and for at least the 2wd versions the front wheel bearings.

A good indicator for the wheel bearings is to drive it roughly 30 to 40 mph and do some turns. Nothing real sharp, but enough to shift the vehicle's weight. If you hear a rumbling/ grinding noise in one direction and not the other, you got a wheel bearing going out. (If you turn left and the noise goes away, its your left wheel bearing. I.e. most of the weight is on the right side)

A/C systems will gradually get weaker over time, it requires maintenance like anything else.

Expect some things wrong... it is a 2003, and they wouldnt be looking to sell it if there was no reason to get rid of it. Its just a matter of are you willing to take on the responsibility of maintenance like it needs to continue running smooth?

 

I have also heard about Durango's having ABS module issues..now that may have been older durango's...I had a 98 that I turned around in the driveway, shut it off, and there was a buzzing sound that continued..unplugged the abs module, and it quit. I read about a bypass I could do...but it's been 5 years since I had it, and I read about that last week...

 

no, the 4.7 (nor any of these trucks really) does not have numerous vacuum leaks, or they are not common with one exception, that being the hoses going into the charcoal canister underneath the truck

power window regulators are not really common on these trucks, they do go out from time to time, but far from common, a/c drain getting clogged is much more common, 4wd wheel bearings are good, not sure about 2wd not too many 2wd Ds around (at least where i live) and power windows only working from the drivers door is usually a simple fix of replacing the master control switch, this switch panel goes bad when it gets too much water in it.


yup, yup, and yup, i would have a good A/C shop look at the A/C system if in doubt


OP a weak blower could be a bad (or going bad) blower motor resistor.

 

I'm not going to claim it as a rule, but when 3 durangos owned by 3 different people all within 6 months of each other have the same vacume le issue with the same hose, and window regulator go out as well on the same windows, hard for me to say it was coincidence. But none the less, it was only three and not working in a shop seeing them roll through.

 

as the trucks get older the rubber hoses will rot away im not saying it doesnt happen, in fact with enough time it should happen to all of them, however its not what i would consider a common problem bc its a simple maintenance issue like changing brakes or tires.