2000 Dodge Durango Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 Dodge Durango most often describe front suspension problems, especially worn upper and lower ball joints and control arms that produce clunking or popping over bumps and can lead to a wheel coming loose. Engine-related complaints are the next largest group: stalling or sudden shutdown, engine knock with loss of oil pressure, and oil sludge. Many of these reports come in at moderate mileage, while some suspension and stalling accounts appear well past 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front ball joint and control arm wear (clunking, wheel

   • 496 complaints (46%)
   • median 49,780 mi at 4.2 yrs old (309 state mileage)
   • 24 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 37 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2022

   Owners describe clunking, popping or knocking from the front end, especially over bumps or while turning, and sometimes a loose or wandering steering feel. Complaints say dealers replaced upper and lower ball joints and control arms, occasionally more than once, and some said the parts were back-ordered for weeks. Several owners report a wheel separating or the front end collapsing; in some cases dealers told owners their vehicle was excluded from a recall or that the extended warranty had expired. Widely reported from roughly 20,000 to 130,000 miles, with many accounts under 60,000 miles.

   Recall 04V5960001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the upper ball joint recall (04V596000) and the related extended warranty were applied, and have a mechanic lift the front end and check ball joints and control arms for play before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Have had several problems with ball joints and control arm on 2000 Dodge Durango, they have replaced them twice under warranty and now they are bad again and need changing and Dodge will not cover since I am over the 100,000 miles warranty. This should be a major recall since I have had numerous problems with this since right after I purchased the car new.”

   NHTSA complaint #10163791, filed 2006-07, 125,000 miles

   “I have been hearing a popping noise, especially when I am turning. I recently received an upper ball joint extended warranty notice so I took my vehicle to a Dodge dealer to have it checked out. I was told that my ball joint and a control arm needed to be replaced badly, but the extended warranty letter that I had just received didn't apply to my vehicle since it's past the 100,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10106558, filed 2005-01, 117,315 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Engine knock, low oil pressure and oil sludge

   • 85 complaints (8%)
   • median 63,700 mi at 4.5 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 21 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2016

   Complaints describe a ticking or rattling noise that grows into a loud knock, the oil pressure gauge dropping toward zero, and the engine stopping. Owners say dealers attributed the damage to sludge in the oil even when they reported regular oil changes, and repairs ranged from cleaning the oil passages to replacing heads or the whole engine. Some report repeat oil pump replacements without restoring oil pressure. Reported from roughly 35,000 to 165,000 miles, with several accounts between 58,000 and 79,000 miles.

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition, listen for ticking or knocking at idle, and ask for oil change records; a mechanical oil pressure gauge check confirms whether pressure is actually low.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Problems with engine and engine components oil gauge not working, ticking in moter oil leaking. Was told I need new moter. Also strange noises from steering colomn. Truck only has 79,000 miles I am requesting chrysler recall this truck and stand behind their company and fix what is wrong with these engines, ect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10187973, filed 2007-04, 79,000 miles

   “I have owned my 2000 Durango since it was new, I have changed the oil regularly for the whole time, I have always done it myself. I recently brought the vehicle in for the ticking noise that I've been told since the vehicle was new, there is no concern when I changed the oil, it was always clean, no problems. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10406007, filed 2011-06, 141,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls or shuts off while driving

   • 129 complaints (12%)
   • median 115,000 mi at 9.8 yrs old (85 state mileage)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2023

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning at various speeds, while idling, or in a parking lot, sometimes with the odometer showing a bus or no-bus reading and gauges dropping out. Some say it restarts after a short wait while others report repeated failed restarts; complaints mention shops replacing batteries, fuel pumps and sensors without finding the cause. Several reports say no fault codes were stored and the problem could not be reproduced by mechanics. Most often reported between about 90,000 and 225,000 miles, at both cold and hot ambient temperatures.

   What to check: Ask whether the stalling has been diagnosed and whether any crank or cam sensor, throttle body or wiring repairs were done; a test drive at varying speeds and a scan for stored codes is worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was in the freeway running 65 miles/hour and suddenly my Durango just stalled and engine just shut off without warning.there was no code showing up. I brought to mechanic and unable to find the problem. There are times that it will shut off the engine and I have to wait for 15-20 minutes and it will start again. Then afterwards, it will die again. Help!!!!!”

   NHTSA complaint #11351652, filed 2020-08, 224,000 miles

   “Engine intermittently shuts off. Sometimes not everyday and sometimes 10 times. Shuts off at various speeds, idling and in drive at a stop light, or going 40 miles per hour. It sometimes restarts right away, and sometimes it cranks and cranks, and about the 15th try it may restart. It cut out 6 times in the parking lot of a mall. The only thing I can think of is that I was parked in the sun on a hot day at the mall, and the engine quit after running for only 30 seconds.”

   NHTSA complaint #10345912, filed 2010-07, 111,000 miles

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.