OK. I gotta say it... there is 500 pages of sh%t that goes wrong with 1st generation Durangos. These things have issues. As much as I like the acceleration capability and the tight steering, and the ease of repair operations, I gotta call out these Durangos as being unreliable.

I got an old 79 Dodge Aspen with a slant 6 that never breaks down. It puts my Durango to shame.

As it stands now, I can't hardly GIVE away my 2002 4.7

Explain to me again why I wanna keep on fu#$%ng around with this thing.

Just seems like they break down alot.

 

I don't have many issues with mine, especially considering I have over 155,000 miles on mine. And for your information not all 500 pages are about problems.

The common factor with issues here is poor maintenance, which isn't the vehicle's fault. If things are taken care of properly they'll work properly.

 

Everyone has their opinion.....
118,000 miles and I bought it new in "98". Never left me stranded. Warranty issues that I had fixed were a leaking thermostat housing, they replaced the housing and thermostat, no problems since.
Rear main seal started seeping at 68,000 [color me shocked] they put a new one in and still no problems. at the same time they pulled the transfer case and changed that seal also that was starting to leak. Again, no problems since.
Had an issue with power windows and they replaced three motors and the master switch.
I change the oil every 5,000 miles. Flush the brake fluid every 50,000. Did the diffs, tyranny and transfer case at 50 and 100,000 miles. Since I have been towing a 5,000 trailer the last few years and putting about 3,000 miles a year on it, I am doing the tyranny and posi in the back every other year.
Other than that, I have put new tires, battery, front brakes and exhaust on it. That's it. Original rear shoes and no issues with AC, electrical or anything else mechanical.
The only complaint I could ever have is the mileage, but I knew what it was when I bought it and I didn't buy it for the mileage.
Sorry you have had bad luck, but for me, I would call it a pretty reliable rig.

 

these trucks are like anything else, they treat you the way that you treat them, (honestly, better than you treat them) if you neglect them you will have problems, but if you do the basics of maintance there wont be many problems, if you are not the origional owner of the vehicle the problems you are having are most likely caused by someone else inability or ignorance towards scheduled maintance

 

I flog the crap out of mine. Yet I maintain it with high quality gear. There is a Durango at the shop 360 with a rod through the block and a dipstick wrapped around the crank. I have drained the oil out of my crx redlined it to the junkyard and still couldn't get it to blow. Transmission, me with 35" tire a a selfdistruct foot in the desert. Window regulaters...only when raining here In LV. Clogged heater core. Few cars going under. Not bad for the way it looks. Hell if I gave up the insurance would have it. Was diesel shopping yesterday and the Dodge boys want it for display.

 

Mine has been maintained well since new but had the **** beat out of it towing and wheeling:
1. Tps sensor went out at 60k, trans had torque converter rebuilt cause the shop misdiagnosed this one.
2. Water pump, cause some mechanic decided it needed a thermostat when it didn't, stripped a bolt on the thermostat housing causing a leak that he poured in a bunch of stop leak for that didn't work and it was run almost out of water (good thing it was like -5 to 10 degrees out). I got the truck from my uncle as this was happening. I did the water pump.
3. #2 lead to this, heater core needs to be flushed for the third time. I hate stop leak.
4. Needed to have the plenum gasket replaced. Typical.
5. ABS module over heated out 4wheelin (it was 95 degrees that day).
6. other than the 5 repairs listed above the rest has been normal fluid changes and tune ups that is it (well it has had 2 sets of shocks but these are normal maintenance anyways).

Currently the truck has 174k on it. Tell me how that is that unreliable? I don't like it when blanket statements are made on one situation. Every vehicle will have problems, some more severe than others.

 

#5... Stop riding the brakes and use 4lo... like an old Laddy... from Passadina!

 

What happened that day is I went mudding but the way back was steep and rocky so I was crawling. Got off the trail and it was less than a quarter mile home. Went to spray the mud off. Had the truck shut off for like 10 min and when I started it up to move it that when the ABS went on the fritz, pump wouldn't shut off, until the battery was disconnected or the fuze pulled. Oh well, lesson learned drive it for a bit an let it cool off. Also I found a piece of cardboard in between the rad and a/c heat exchanger . No wonder why it got so hot.

 

I call your bluff.