[pontibeast]

My sister has found a 2004 Dodge Durango SUV with the 5.7 Hemi engine and asked me to take a look at it. Went on a test drive with her and everything seems to be well taken care of. Trans shifts smoothly and engine has no bad noises, surging or missing. Does anyone have experience with this model good or bad? Thanks for your help.

[RAJ7395]

Things I'd check based on owning my 2001 Durango R/T:

If it's a 4WD version, make sure is shifts in and of 4WD high and low.
Brake lines to see if they are rusted/bent/damaged/replaced.
Exhaust rust at the cat and muffler and that there are no holes starting in the muffler.
Check the e-brake cables to see if they move freely and are not melted back by the exhaust.
Turn in a tight circle and listen to hear if the rear end makes grinding noise.
Turn in a tight circle and listen to the steering pump for whining
Do tight S-turns and feel for any spots where it's hard to turn the wheel.
If you put shocks on it use the good Bilsteins as they really improve the ride and handling.
Check all the steering wheel controls to make sure they work.
Make sure the defroster duct work changes and blow air out the correct vents.
Make sure the air and heater systems work and that they blow out the correct vents.
Check the front ball joints as they go bad pretty quickly.

I can give you the back story on these if needed.

Rob

[Old Man Taylor]

I had a 2000 Durango with the 5.7L engine. My only complaint was the gas mileage. Otherwise it was a great vehicle.

[77 TRASHCAN]

The heater/ AC blowing sufficiently out of the proper ducts is very important. If you have the fan on high and switch from defrost to dash air, and nothing changes, that is a major turd of a repair!!! The door part is about 6X18 inches with little pins on it that are like hinge pins for that piece to pivot on. The pins break off because the door piece and the pins are all made from one piece of plastic.
A Mickey Mouse design. The door is $62.00, the dealer labor is approximately $800.00.
I've passed twice on making such a repair in the last year or so. I've tried to explain to these folks why it is so difficult to repair, and that paying the dealer's asking price is a fair deal.....they are clueless.
No dodge crap for me!

[pontibeast]

Thanks for the help guys, I will definitely check on the heater/ac and the other issues mentioned. Some I had checked out but some I hadn't thought of.

[carcrazy]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

The heater/ AC blowing sufficiently out of the proper ducts is very important. If you have the fan on high and switch from defrost to dash air, and nothing changes, that is a major turd of a repair!!! The door part is about 6X18 inches with little pins on it that are like hinge pins for that piece to pivot on. The pins break off because the door piece and the pins are all made from one piece of plastic.
A Mickey Mouse design. The door is $62.00, the dealer labor is approximately $800.00.
I've passed twice on making such a repair in the last year or so. I've tried to explain to these folks why it is so difficult to repair, and that paying the dealer's asking price is a fair deal.....they are clueless.
No dodge crap for me!

Had the heater issue myself, fortunately it was under warranty.

[bob d]

if you live in an area where they use salt and brine check for rust. every dodge truck and Durango in my area upstate n.y. are rust buckets. thanks bob.

[fiedlerh]

We are in the rust belt, and the local savage yard has an entire row devoted to Durangos.

[lfdsteve]

Michigan guy here. Love the look of most Dodge trucks but they still perform like the 1870 in terms of corrosion. I have a 2002 Tahoe 299000 mile driveway kept. With the exception of bottom of door seams, rust free.
Dodge still has some catching up to do on corrosion fwiw.
Steve
Oh, and their ball joints fail ALOT!

[CraigGT37]

The early (03-04) Hemi's have issues with valve springs breaking and dropping valves and seats. The exhaust manifold bolts also break and cause exhaust leaks at head.

[Dick Boneske]

Maybe not an issue in VA, but here, any Durango or Dodge truck/minivan is rusted badly in four years.

[geeteeohguy]

As a mechanic, I would not buy a 13 year old Durango, or any other Chrysler product unless it was a Cummins powered pickup. Too many issues in too many areas to be reliable over time. YMMV..........

[locomotivebreath]

Every person I work with that has a Durango , Ram , minivan , seems to have one problem after the other . They never get around to fixing the rust I guess because of all the other trouble .

[mgarblik]

I work on allot of Chrysler products and own 3 of them myself. Chrysler products all suffer from what we affectionately call "Chrysleritis" It's this affliction that makes them worth less than almost any other brand of vehicle after 2-3 years and a GREAT used car value. Specifically on a 2004 Durango, here is a short list. They are terrible rusters, sheet metal and structural. So if it still looks decent, that's half the battle. 5.7 Hemi engine. The engines, transmissions and transfer cases are tough and durable. They used 3 different auto transmissions in that unit, based on options, build date, and where it was assembled. They are all OK. 2 4-speed autos and a 5 speed. The 5-speed is Mercedes sourced, reliable but expensive if something falls apart. The others are Chrysler parts. Lots of issues with steering and suspension parts just wearing out, especially ball joints. Have had to replace every steering joint and all the ball joints on lots of pick-ups and SUV's. Only constant engine complaint is the awful fuel mileage. In a Durango, expect 12-13 MPG city, 16-17 highway. If it has MDS, Multiple Displacement System, make sure the oil and the inside of the engine you can see is clean. Tiny deposits disable the system and mileage gets worse. Constant P0400 codes keep the Check engine light on pretty much all the time. P0440, P0441, P0442 are the most common. These will be large and small EVAP leaks and a failed purge or vent solenoid or leak detection pump. The entire EVAP system has low grade parts and needs constant attention to keep the check engine light off. Most owners just put a piece of tape over the light and go on. Doesn't effect how the vehicle runs. Instrument clusters have some issues, gauges going crazy, reading 20 MPH one second and then 100 MPH the next. Fuel and temp gauge issues. If you go into this deal just realizing that ALL Chrysler vehicles have "Chrysleritis", you will be fine. It becomes a lifestyle for us willing to put up with it. The payoff is buying vehicles for crazy good prices compared to other brands. My son-in law just bought a 2014 Charger. It has "Chrysleritis" and the guy just couldn't take it anymore. It's loaded, $43,000.00 new. He bought it 3 years old for $14,000.00!. You can put up with allot of annoying little items with that kind of deal. They rarely leave you stranded. Enjoy!