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Dodge Durango

Transmission Problems

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Dodge Durango • Engine Failure • Transmission Failure • Steering Problems • Brake Problems • Other Problems • All of the Above • What can you do? --- News • NHTSA Probes Durango Fires • NHTSA Investigating Dodge Dakota and Durango • Durango Recall to Fix Fuel Leak • Durango, Dakota Recall to Fix Suspension Problems • Feds Want Recall of Dodge Durango, Dakota • Durango Probe Drags On • Feds Probe Durango Steering Problems

Erin of Southlake TX (3/17/03):
My 2000 Dodge Durango is nothing but trouble. The worst is, the other day I parked at the foot of our driveway to get out and get the mail. While the car was IN PARK it rolled down the hill of our driveway and crashed head on into a 6-foot tall solid brick pillar. (funnily enough, the car is just past the 3/36 warranty) It is now not driveable and we cannot get Dodge to fix it because they say I had to have left it in drive. This is the first time it has happened in park, but it is not the first time the car has switched gears without my doing it. The gear shift sometimes moves and sometimes does not.

Interestingly, federal safety regulators have opened a probe of a possible transmission interlock problem in Chrysler Corp. sedans. Sounds like the Durango may have the same problem.

Jane of Las Vegas NV (3/16/04):
In November of 2003 I had approximatly 52,000 miles on my Dodge Durango and I had to replace the transmission at hte cost of $2000.00. Now at 53,320 miles the engine sounds like a diesel truck. I have a feeling the engine is going to have to be replaced. I have 11 months left on a lease and I'll let the bank take it back before I replace the engine on a truck I don't own.

I called Dodge's 800 number and they instructed me to take it to a Dodge dealership at my expense. I will never own another Dodge vehicle. I have owned and leased several cars and I have never had to put a dime into them.

Angela of Spokane WA (3/15/04):
I have a 2000 Dodge Durango R/T. I only have 31,000 miles on my Durango and the transmission is pouring fluid out. Apparently there is a standard defect in all Durangos regarding seals for the transmission. All the rings have to be replaced which requires pulling out the whole transmission. I rarely drive my vehicle, maybe a few times a week. Seems to me that since Dodge is aware of this problem with the transmission then they should be doing something to help fix them. This should not be happening after 31,000 miles.

My 6 person family lives on one small income. We purchased this vehicle for safety and reliability. I take very good care of it and drive it very little. We can not afford this expense. I do not have any idea how we can come up with the money to fix this. And the fact that Dodge knows about this makes it even worse! We still owe money on this vehicle. I need it to take my children to medical appointments etc. I am completely at a loss.

Valerie of Baltimore MD (3/10/04):
My 2000 Dodge Durango just hit 50,000 miles and the rear-end burned out, $5K to fix. Dodge was nice and covered all but $1,500. I paid that. Then 3 weeks later my transmission needs to be replaced, just like it was programmed to do so as soon as my warranty expired! I also had to replace my rotors and bushings too.

This car sucks so bad, I loved my Durango until it hit 50,000 miles, after that, I hate it. I need your help getting a new one or getting Dodge's attention to replace it with another one OR maybe with a Japanese car!

Wendy of Tacoma WA (10/29/03):
I purchased a used Dodge Durango April of 2002 with the statement, "this is a great reliable truck for a family, you will get a lot of use out of it." To my surprise, as soon as I had it home for one month, the front rotors went bad and I had to fight with the dealership to replace them. At that time, I also had the steering wheel adjusted, since it was REALLY turned to the left, instead of being centered. I also complained of the engine cooling fan coming on ALL the time, but they stated that was normal and didn't even look at it. Than, about six months later, I had to get the front rotors replaced again, although they stated they had put lifetime brake pads on the vehicle. I replaced these myself, putting the best brake pads on that I could find.

Well, I purchased the vehicle with 63,000 miles, and at 75,000 miles, I am now having the transmission rebuilt....what a piece of crap...not to mention an UNRELIABLE vehicle for a family. I am deeply saddened, since when I called the Dodge dealership I was told that this was uncommon (the transmission stuff), yet when I took it to an independent repairman, he stated that he sees a lot of Durangos or Dakotos coming in, "you are lucky you even got 75,000, usually they go out around 50 or 60,000." Lucky me...

Carol of Castro Valley CA (2/12/03):
Dodge Durango 68,000 miles, needs new transmission. Dodge claims mine is the only one with this problem. However I owned a 1990 and had same problem at 67,000. My sister owns 1997, same problem 68,000. Are we seeing a pattern yet?

Paul of Longmont CO (1/7/03):
We have just gone over 70000 miles on our Dodge Durango. Of course we had the 7/70 warranty and what happens. Our transmission is beginning to fail. Apparently there is a standard defect in all Durangos regarding seals for the transmission. All the rings have to be replaced which requires pulling out the whole transmission. Apparently Dodge knows about this and has done nothing to help the consumers. It really shouldn't be shrugged off as Murphy's Law that our transmission is going out right after the warranty goes out. This is the sign of a badly made car.

This repair (that appears to be common in Durangos) is going to cost several thousand dollars to fix. I know that when warranties expire the manufacturer's liability is limited but the car should not start falling apart as soon as you pass the 70000 mile mark. We also had to take it in for major warranty work on the engine right before 70000 miles. This should not be happening with the how expensive vehicles are to own and operate.

Stacie of Mesa AZ (11/30/00):
I have a 1999 Dodge Durango that has intermittent trouble with the trnasmission. Chrysler service techs cannot fix it after 5 attempts. The driver's window is on it's third motor and glass. There are other multiple problems. I want the vehicle to be taken back by Chrysler under the lemon law.

The vehicle is not controllable when transmission acts up.

Marie of Brooklyn NY (8/25/00):
I leased a Dodge Durango 3/98 when they first came out. I had nothing but problams with it. First it was my transmission, it was slipping so I brought it in and my AC was leaking so they had to take the whole dashboard apart. Which still leaks. They told me they put a new trans in but it went again, then they told my they rebuilt it the first time.

After waiting 2 weeks for my car to be fixed, I went to pick it up and I was waiting outside with the guy for them to drive my car to me. They pulled up and said here's your car and I just looked at it in SHOCK. They fixed the wrong car. They didn't know what to say so they told me that car had the same problam.

After fixing the trans two times it still wasn't right so I brought it in once again and they said it was the gasket so while it was in the shop they called me to tell me they damaged my car and needed to order a new door cause they couldn't fix it. I waited another 2 weeks and finally got it back and it still felt like the transmission was slipping so I brought it to another shop and he said it was my transmission and to bring it where I bought it.

Nicole of Hampden MA (4/26/00):
I bought a 1998 Durango last June 1999, 10 months ago, with 30,000 miles on it, at Hampden Dodge in Springfield MA. On Easter Sunday, April 23, 2000, I was driving home from visiting my brother in the hospital on interstate 91 and the car blew-up. It sounded like a muffler, but 3 times louder had exploded under my feetand there was smoke everywhere, while I was driving 60 miles per hour. I pulled the car over and then had to have it towed to the dealership the following Monday.

Michael Lavalley, from Hampden Dodge's service department reported that the car's transfer cylinder had blown up and went into the main tran and blew that up too. I asked why this would have happened, since I had just had the car serviced and do every 3,000 miles and the car is only 2 years old. He reported that he had no idea why and it would cost $2056 to repair it. He also told me to call Chrysler directly to see if they would help me, especially because it was a freak accident!

I then called Chrysler at 1-800-992-1997 and talked with a Brian. Brain reported that it was a very bizzare accident and we both agreed that the parts must have been made wrong, for them to explode and break apart. Brain reported that since I had 50,000 miles on the car, Chrysler would only make me pay $750 for the repair. Again I tried to explain that the car was clearly built with the defect, but Brain said that was all Chrysler was willing to do and I was lucky that they would even help me out.

My car cost me $28,000 dollars less then 10 months ago and I have not been able to work this week, without my car. I am an out-reach therapist, which means I drive to different people's homes to see them, every hour, during my work day. I also am now getting stuck with another bill of $750 for this car to work this month, along with the %532 dollar monthly payment. This car is clearly a lemon. The back brakes were also recalled because they can burn up. I do not feel that this car is safe for me to drive daily, all day for work. Most of the areas that I have to travel in are not very safe and I need to know that my car can drive.

Renee of Attleboro MA (9/3/00):
I purchased a new 1998 Dodge Durango in January of 1998. In the past few months I have had to replace all four ball-joints, two different seals in the transfer case and recently experienced "catastrophic" transmission failure (i.e. had to replace entire transmission.)

Although I have driven this vehicle just over 60k miles, most of this is highway miles and the car has never experienced "off-road" or towing conditions. I have maintained the vehicle within Dodge's specifications and never would have anticipated the number of issues that have occured over the past couple of months. It is my understanding that ball joints should last in a vehicle for 100K miles under normal operating conditions. I have another friend that experienced ball joint failure while driving his 1998 Dodge Durango as well.

In addition, the local mechanic informed me that Dodge is notorious for their transmission failures, having to replace his 4 times on his Dodge Dakota pick-up. Supposedly, this is due to the transmission overheating and a simple $80 fix (adding a separate cooling system for the transmission) could have prevented this problem. I had complained to Dodge before about the car hesitating on cold start while trying to accelerate, but they told me they couldn't identify the problem.

The total cost of damages are as follows: Ball Joints: $465 (Crysler did provide parts for free, but labor was my responsibility) Seals in Transfer case: $250 Transmission: approximately $2200 (work is in the process of being done) I will be trading this car in for another vehicle, but will be "upside down" the $2915 of extra work needed to maintain this truck.

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