Hi everyone, I've been driving an 01 Durango 4.7 since 2005, currently has 160,000 miles. Recently lost 3rd gear, and decided to start looking around for something else to drive. There is an 01 Durango 5.9 near me for sale, has 100,000 miles and is in really good shape. Guy wants 1500 for it. Only problem is I'm not too familiar with the 5.9s, and he says he occasionally has a hard time starting it. Last week he couldn't get it started a couple days, but this week it's always started right up. So it's not an all the time problem. No service engine or warning lights come on, and once it starts, it runs excellent. What should I be looking for with the 5.9s? Anything major I need to know about? I've read in other posts it's likely the coil acting up, but thought others might like to chime in. Any thoughts or advice b4 I decide to buy it, would be more than welcome! I love my Durango I have now, so it would be cool to get another one....

 

The 5.2 and 5.9 are pretty bulletproof and will keep going another couple hundred thousand miles. The plenum gasket leaking is really the only common issue.

As for the hard starting, my money would be on the check valve in the fuel pump.

 

what he said as far as reliability goes ^

but the hard start, i would check coil and crank position sensor. the intermittent issue makes me think electrical/sensor related more than anything else. and those the electrical sensors responsible for firing the plugs

 

I have the 5.9 with 140k
Its nevered failed to start on the first start up of the day even with blown head gaskets
it seems to start right up after it's been running
most of the time
some times it will not start after it's been running
all new sensors
but if I wait ruffle 3 minutes it starts again
this is a problem that seems to be in the inhibitor
as of my previous cars that had an inhibitor if you unlocked the car with the key in the door and not the fob the car would not start and also if the car was running and you turned it off you had to remove the key from the ignition to start again

the one one you are looking at may be different as the onboard computers can be programmed many different ways

check crank position sensor