Dodge Durango

jourdysmom

CPST Instructor
Going to be looking at Durangos (used used) real cheap in the spring/summer for DH :rolleyes: He hates having a car and wants 4WD again.... The car is paid off and worth about $2500 and we will sell it private party to fund the Durango...

I want it to be a 6cyl, he wants an 8.. but going from a 4cyl to 8 would kill our gas budget...

What years to avoid/look at more specifically?

Must have a 3rd row, with at least 4 rear l/s belts and headrests. Go! :D
 
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EmmaCPST

CPST Instructor
Is your budget $2500? I would NOT buy a high mileage/10+ year old Durango. The automatics all had transmission problems, rear differential problems, the water pumps always leak, the heater cores leak, they go through fuel pumps, not a chance.

I have a 98 Dakota which is pretty much the same and the ONLY reason we bought it is because it's a manual transmission, and DH is a automotive technician so we resigned to the fact that it's what we could afford and he was just going to have to work on it a lot. And he has. We've had it for 2 years about, and we've replaced the power steering gear box, rebuilt the differential, replaced the heater core, replaced the radiator, replaced the shocks, and on and on and on. If we had to pay retail for all the work we've done on it though, it would be extremely cost prohibitive, we would probably be putting $2000/year into it.

I'd probably look more at a Chevy Tahoe, or an older model Pilot or 4 Runner/Highlander... I'm not sure when they started doing 3rd row seating in those or what your budget is going to be... but from working in a shop and being married to a tech - you couldn't GIVE me a Durango lol.
 

luckyclov

New member
Is he *stuck* on a Durango?

I don't have a lot of personal experience with them other then we have friends who went through 2 (2003...aaaaand 2005, maybe?) and they were riddled with problems; warranty period and beyond. Funny the PP mentioned a Tahoe because that's what our friends got the 3rd time around and they're still driving it...5 years later.;)

I'm fairly certain I remember the 2005-ish Durangos having 3 l/s belts and 3 headrests in the 2nd row. I think the 2nd row was just a 2 seater, both with headrest and l/s belt...?

He's an "American" guy, right? Try to get him to consider a Tahoe. Crappy MPG, yeah, but I hear many more positives and long-term happy endings with Tahoes vs. Durangos. I'm drawing a blank on what the l/s belt and headrest situation is in older gens, though...but at least 4 in the rear.
 

kdkm

Member
My sister has a 2003 durango. It has 4 l/s belts in the back. The third row seats are very shallow and uncomfortable for adults/older riders imo. I have ridden back there a few times and its miserable. The leg room is a joke. Its hard to get back there too. Its fine for every once in a while use but I wouldn't want to deal with it on a daily basis. The second row middle seat is a lap belt only and pretty useless. Its very slim and most seats won't fit between the belt stalks (at least the seats that I have tried)

I really wouldn't recommend it for 4 kids. I would get something with a real third row.
 

gagenivy

New member
Had a 2004 and oh my goodness the gas killed me! We traded it for a Yukon XL an the gas mileage in it (also a 2004) gets better mileage. Traded because if I had the stroller in te back, I had no room for groceries or anything. Also, the buckles on the seat belts were all broken:/
 

gagenivy

New member
kdkm said:
My sister has a 2003 durango. It has 4 l/s belts in the back. The third row seats are very shallow and uncomfortable for adults/older riders imo. I have ridden back there a few times and its miserable. The leg room is a joke. Its hard to get back there too. Its fine for every once in a while use but I wouldn't want to deal with it on a daily basis. The second row middle seat is a lap belt only and pretty useless. Its very slim and most seats won't fit between the belt stalks (at least the seats that I have tried)

I really wouldn't recommend it for 4 kids. I would get something with a real third row.

Our '04 had 3 l/s and headrests in 2nd row and 2 l/s and headrests in 3rd row
 

mkmama

Active member
My sister-in-law has a 05 Durango...and it is a PAIN to install car seats in, if you have more than 2 kids. Every time we have to move car seats she wishes they never would have bought it. She did love it when she had only 2 kids though.

The third row is so short on front to back room that you cannot install a Cosco Scenera at a 45* angle in it (found that out during car seat emergency the other night!). There are only two seatbelts in third row (and its VERY uncomfortable for anyone not in a car seat, if they even fit back there), but they are so wide from side to side between where it anchors on side of seat and the buckle that its very hard to get an acceptably tight install, because everything likes to move side to side. And there is NO LATCH and NO top tethers in the third row, so if you have a seat back there, it'll be a seatbelt install. I've used a locking clip more in her vehicle than any other one I've installed in.

Also the locking latchplates are VERY easy to break...we've almost broken them a few times trying to get seats tight, especially in the third row. We did break one in her center row.

Its very hard to get kids in/out of the third row or get yourself in a position to help kids back there buckle/unbuckle...its JUST far enough forward of the 'cargo' area that you have to climb into cargo area to do it over the back of the backseat instead of being able to stand outside, yet the cargo area is small enough and the truck is high enough that its difficult to climb into the cargo area, especially if you are trying to do so in nice work clothes. Even with part of the second row folded down, its pretty awkward to reach kids in the third row. And if you have two car seats at all in the second row, you won't be able to fold the other portion of the third row for 3rd row access (unless you fold it down then install car seats and don't plan on putting it back up unless you uninstall car seats) because the center seat of the 2nd row is so narrow.

Gas mileage is terrible...

The one plus...its pretty wide in the second row, so 3 across situations aren't extremely hard. Oh and it does allow LATCH borrowing for center 2nd row if you only have one child in that row.

In short...I wouldnt even let him look at one if you have more than 2 kids or regularly transport more than 4-5 people at a time.
 

EmmaCPST

CPST Instructor
My sister-in-law has a 05 Durango...and it is a PAIN to install car seats in, if you have more than 2 kids. Every time we have to move car seats she wishes they never would have bought it. She did love it when she had only 2 kids though.

Oh man I had an 05 a couple months ago, it was the grandparent's vehicle and they were trying to get a RF and FF seat next to one another in the 2nd row and still be able to use the folding seat to access the 3rd row - it was SUCH A PAIN. So much sweat and frustrating trying to figure that one out lol.
 

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