Dodge Durango 1998–2003
1st generation (DN)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20268,201 complaints, 4,865 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 4,865
- Median of reported failures
- 65,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Suspension (45.6%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 44,000 and 94,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Dodge Durango 1998–2003 · 4,865 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 312 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 67 complaints (1.4%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 29,000
- 25%
- 44,000
- Median
- 65,000
- 75%
- 94,000
- 90%
- 135,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 119 | 2.4% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 56 | 1.2% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 63 | 1.3% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 70 | 1.4% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 97 | 2.0% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 97 | 2.0% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 226 | 4.6% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 236 | 4.9% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 289 | 5.9% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 267 | 5.5% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 305 | 6.3% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 284 | 5.8% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 312 | 6.4% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 244 | 5.0% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 294 | 6.0% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 196 | 4.0% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 191 | 3.9% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 192 | 3.9% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 126 | 2.6% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 127 | 2.6% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 130 | 2.7% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 68 | 1.4% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 83 | 1.7% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 68 | 1.4% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 102 | 2.1% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 68 | 1.4% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 67 | 1.4% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 48 | 1.0% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 52 | 1.1% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 53 | 1.1% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 52 | 1.1% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 28 | 0.6% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 37 | 0.8% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 35 | 0.7% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 25 | 0.5% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 10 | 0.2% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 24 | 0.5% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 25 | 0.5% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 16 | 0.3% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 16 | 0.3% |
| 200,000+ | 67 | 1.4% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 8,201 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998–2003 Dodge Durango, and 4,865 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 44,000 and 94,000 miles. The median is 65,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the suspension (45.6% of complaints, typically around 60,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (7.9% of complaints, typically around 69,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (7.9% of complaints, typically around 72,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1998–2003 Dodge Durango last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1998–2003 Dodge Durango were filed by 65,000 miles and 90% by 135,000 miles — figures drawn from 4,865 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
67 reports (1.4%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Durango reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1998–2003 Durango: the 3-minute check
Generated from 4,865 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check suspension on 2000–2003 cars. Upper ball joint wear and separation causing loss of steering control; subject to recall on the Durango/Dakota chassis.
- Check engine on 2000–2003 cars. 4.7L PowerTech V8 head gasket and cylinder head cracking following overheating; the engine has little margin once coolant is lost.
- Check transmission. 46RE overdrive clutch and governor pressure solenoid failures.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 44,000 and 94,000 miles, with a median of 65,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the suspension and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The suspension in particular shows a median failure mileage of 60,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Dodge Durango 1998–2003
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit479 reports51,00027,000–80,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 479 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 27,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Suspension3,738 reports60,00043,000–78,000Suspension: 3,738 reports, median 60,000 miles, middle half 43,000 to 78,000 miles.
- Steering469 reports65,00045,000–89,000Steering: 469 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 89,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline651 reports69,00048,000–104,000Transmission and driveline: 651 reports, median 69,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 104,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system650 reports72,00049,000–104,000Engine and its cooling system: 650 reports, median 72,000 miles, middle half 49,000 to 104,000 miles.
- Airbag system214 reports73,00045,000–115,000Airbag system: 214 reports, median 73,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Electrical system483 reports105,00064,000–143,000Electrical system: 483 reports, median 105,000 miles, middle half 64,000 to 143,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 3,738 | 45.6% | 60,000 | 43,000–78,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 651 | 7.9% | 69,000 | 48,000–104,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 650 | 7.9% | 72,000 | 49,000–104,000 |
| Electrical system | 483 | 5.9% | 105,000 | 64,000–143,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 479 | 5.8% | 51,000 | 27,000–80,000 |
| Steering | 469 | 5.7% | 65,000 | 45,000–89,000 |
| Airbag system | 214 | 2.6% | 73,000 | 45,000–115,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 196 | 2.4% | 52,000 | 36,000–86,000 |
| Seats | 152 | 1.9% | 87,000 | 55,000–125,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 122 | 1.5% | 86,000 | 51,000–110,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Dodge Durango 1998–2003 · 4,865 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 43% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 73% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 85% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 1.4% of reports (67) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
43% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Suspension — middle half 43,000–78,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 48,000–104,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 49,000–104,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 27,000–80,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 45,000–89,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 45,000–115,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Electrical system — middle half 64,000–143,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
73% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Suspension — median 60,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 51,000 mi
- Steering — median 65,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 48,000–104,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 49,000–104,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 64,000–143,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 45,000–115,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
85% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Suspension — median 60,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 69,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 72,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 51,000 mi
- Steering — median 65,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 73,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 64,000–143,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 65,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The suspension accounts for 45.6% of complaints (3,738 reports, 2,367 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 43,000 and 78,000 miles.
A single system taking 45.6% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.9% of complaints (651 reports, 353 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 69,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 104,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.9% of complaints (650 reports, 387 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 72,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 49,000 and 104,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 5.9% of complaints (483 reports, 339 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 105,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 64,000 and 143,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 5.8% of complaints (479 reports, 239 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 51,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 27,000 and 80,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 5.7% of complaints (469 reports, 298 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 89,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1999 model year drew the most — 3,172 complaints — while 2003 drew the fewest at 485. The median year sits at 1,217.
That makes 1999 an outlier: roughly 2.6 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 8,201 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 528 (6.4%)
- Fires
- 156
- Injury reports
- 277
- Fatality reports
- 11
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Suspension 2000–2003
Upper ball joint wear and separation causing loss of steering control; subject to recall on the Durango/Dakota chassis.
Engine 2000–2003
4.7L PowerTech V8 head gasket and cylinder head cracking following overheating; the engine has little margin once coolant is lost.
Transmission
46RE overdrive clutch and governor pressure solenoid failures.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1,553 | 758 |
| 1999 | 3,172 | 1,935 |
| 2000 | 1,471 | 844 |
| 2001 | 964 | 593 |
| 2002 | 556 | 393 |
| 2003 | 485 | 342 |
What owners reported
Consumer took vehicle into the shop, because the vehicle pulled to the left. Took it to Dodge, and Dodge aligned the vehicle. Later, the problem resurfaced. *Ak the ball joints had to be replaced. The consumers mechanic(s) informed him this problem was not normal. The vehicle had constant problems with the front end.…
1998 · 10 miles · Suspension
I owned a 98' Dodge Durango that had a tie rod break while i was driving on the n.Y., Thruway with my children which also resulted in a brake line behind severed luckily i was able to get my car stopped with out a serious accident. I had to pay to have this fixed out of pocket even thought i sent Chrysler an e- mail…
1998 · 65 miles · Steering
Since i purchased my Durango in 1998 from the dealer i have had it in for numerous repairs and complained at least three times about a noise i heard near the rf wheel. They have told me it was a steering adjustment etc. I have paid for numerous repairs and still the noise is there. It is the ball joint,i have 80,000…
1998 · 256 miles · Suspension
Dt: owner complained about several vehicle problems. . On all four windows the regulator has had to be replaced more than once. Driver's side having to be replaced the most. Also, lower ball joints / left upper ball joint, and steering column has been replaced twice in less than one year time. Currently the upper…
1998 · 6,000 miles · Visibility equipment
Built from 4,865 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page