2001 Dodge Durango Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report front suspension problems, especially worn upper and lower ball joints that produce clunking or popping noises and uneven tire wear, and many of these complaints fall under 60,000 miles. Transmission shifting complaints, shifter/park interlock concerns, and various electrical faults also come up, usually at higher mileage. Many complaints reference work done at a dealer, and some describe difficulty getting recall parts.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Worn front ball joints (clunking, popping, uneven tire wear)

   • 227 complaints (34%)
   • median 48,000 mi at 3.4 yrs old (154 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $842 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2019

   Owners describe a clunking, knocking or popping noise from the front end, often over bumps or during turns, and some report the front end shaking or pulling while braking. Dealers and independent shops frequently diagnosed worn upper and sometimes lower ball joints, and in several cases owners were told an alignment could not be done until the joints were replaced. Some complaints mention worn front tires from the condition. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 65,000 miles, with a few reports past 100,000 miles.

   Recall 04V5960001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the upper ball joints were replaced under the recall and whether the lower joints have been inspected. Have a mechanic check for play in the joints and look at front tire wear patterns.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2001 Dodge Durango. On sunday april 4,2004 I hit a small pothole on the road and almost lost control of my vehicle and hit another car. It felt like the front end was going to fall off. I took the car to a Dodge dealer here in provo utah. The upper and lower ball joints had to be replaced. The service department told me they were worn and were in bad shape.I have 48000 miles on my vehicle. This could have caused a serious crash. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10065716, filed 2004-04, 48,880 miles

   “My 2001 Dodge Durango has had a popping noise on the front end for some time. I recently had time to disassemble the front end and found that my upper ball joints were excessively worn. I researched the internet to see if Dodge had a recall. I also e-mailed Dodge and they responded that it is under investigation. Upper ball joints, if engineered correctly, should last over 100,000 miles. The popping noise has been active since ~ 50,000 miles and I currently have 89,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10093414, filed 2004-10, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Gear shifter moves out of Park without the brake

   • 61 complaints (9%)
   • median 71,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (33 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2026

   Complaints describe the shifter being moved out of Park without the brake pedal applied, sometimes by a child, and in one case a vehicle continued moving in reverse after being shifted to Drive. Some owners report the condition returning after the shifter interlock repair, and one described a transmission that would not go into reverse at all. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 130,000 miles, in a range of conditions.

   Recall 07V555000Recall 01V0770003 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the engine running, try shifting out of Park without pressing the brake and confirm the key can only be removed in Park. Ask whether the shifter interlock recall was performed and when.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had a recall completed on 2/20/09. Prior to recall I was not experiencing any issues w/ my vehicle. Since the recall I have noticed that my vehicle is doing the exact thing they were supposed to have corrected in the recall. The recall was for the shift interlock lever to keep the vehicle from being able to be taken out of park w/out the vehicle running. At this point the vehicle is easy to steal & presents a risk to anyone who might be in the area if it does come out of park when I am not in the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10261438, filed 2009-03, 129,000 miles

   “Transmission will not shift into reverse. Was told that the rear planitary gear is broken and need a new trans. Car is only 3 years old with 55,000 miles. Chrysler is looking into it to see if they will cover all or part of the repairs as the warranty expired at 36,000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10067897, filed 2004-04, 55,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: lights, horn, blower and stalling

   • 70 complaints (11%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 8.4 yrs old (45 state mileage)
   • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2021

   Owners describe headlights and interior lights cutting out, the horn honking on its own, and door locks or gauges behaving intermittently, with some reporting the engine stalling with no warning. Several complaints involve the blower motor or blower resistor failing repeatedly, leaving the heater and defroster working only on high or not at all. Some owners say a dealer could not find a cause, while others were told an ignition switch or control module needed replacement. Reported mostly between about 17,000 and 130,000 miles, at varying ages of the vehicle.

   Recall 06V3390003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test all lights, the horn, door locks and the blower at every speed setting. Look for scorched or melted connectors near the blower relay under the dash and ask about any prior electrical repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car just stops and doesn't give you any warning, loose steering and brakes makeing it hard to get tothe side of the road. Having to take off battery cables and remove relays and replace hoping that it will start for you. I'm afaird to take any where thinking I will get stranded.”

   NHTSA complaint #10462849, filed 2012-06, 151,598 miles

   “This vehicle and just about every other Durango and similar make Dodge from 2001 to 2005 has a blower relay and harness under the dash that overheats. It melts the plastic causes smoke in the vehicle and can cause a fire. Chrysler has a fix for it for about $100.00 just for the part not including labor which is about 2 hours. When it happened to me the relay had fallen out of its place in the blower and landed on my wife's burning her foot. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10678188, filed 2015-01, 58,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Engine oil pressure drop and oil sludge

   • 24 complaints (4%)
   • median 69,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2023

   Complaints describe the oil pressure gauge dropping near zero at stops, a ticking or clanking sound on start-up, and in some cases engine failure that owners attribute to oil sludge. One owner reported the manufacturer declined to cover engine replacement citing maintenance history, and another described an internal coolant leak that damaged wiring and control modules. Reported from about 26,000 miles up to roughly 220,000 miles, more often on higher-mileage vehicles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition and look for sludge under the oil filler cap. Watch the oil pressure gauge at idle when warm and listen for ticking at start-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2001 Dodge Durango has engine failure. Daimler chrysler will not cover the costs to have a new engine put in my vehicle. Oil sludge problem and they are saying it's due to lack of maintenance. The vehicle has 26,000 miles and I have emails and complaints from hundreds of other individuals with the same complaints.”

   NHTSA complaint #10007676, filed 2003-02, 26,000 miles

   “Whe I drive the Durango it starts out fine. When I am driving at a highway speed the oil pressure is fine, but when I slow down or come to a complete stop the oil pressue is at the line right above the 0. I have read many complaints about the sludge that the engine makes. I have 4 kids and I don't need anything to happen to this vehicle to break down. I also hear a ticking sound when I first start the engine and then it goes away. I don't have the money to pour into this vehicle! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10459077, filed 2012-05, 223,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on and airbags not deploying

   • 42 complaints (6%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 27 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2020

   Owners report the airbag warning light staying on, in one case traced to a clockspring in the steering column, and several complaints describe collisions where one or both front airbags did not deploy. Complaints also mention seat belts in the rear rows that would not latch or retract properly. Reported from about 45,000 to 230,000 miles, in crashes at various speeds.

   Recall 00V366000

   What to check: Confirm the airbag warning light comes on and goes out at start-up, check that all seat belts latch, retract and release smoothly, and ask for any history of airbag or clockspring repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The other driver was at a stop and I was driving between 50 and 55 MPH on the highway. The other driver pulled out infront of me from my left to right. As we impacted my air bag did not deploy but the passenger's air bag did deploy. I was the only person in my car. I struck him with such force that the vehicle I was driving was forced off the road and then was stopped by a tree. After 2 hits the driver's side air bag still did not deploy. The vehicle was deemed a total loss.”

   NHTSA complaint #10654748, filed 2014-11, 215,905 miles

   “I own a 2001 Dodge Durango that is in e.xcellent condition with approximately 50k miles. The clockspring that sits in the steering column has gone bad causing the airbag light to remain on rendering the airbag useless. It first started a couple of months ago only when turning the steering wheel to the right but has progessively gotten worse, to the point that it is on all of the time.”

   NHTSA complaint #10033098, filed 2003-08, 45,000 miles

Buying note. Have a mechanic inspect the front suspension ball joints and tire wear before buying, and confirm which safety recalls have actually been completed on the vehicle rather than just scheduled. Also test the electrical accessories and watch the oil pressure at idle, since those areas come up repeatedly in owner complaints for this model year.

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.