2001 Dodge Durango Problems, Recalls & Reliability
964 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Dodge Durango, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 36/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 47,451 miles.
Below average
Where 2001 sits among all Durango years
What owners report
“Control arms/ball joints on both sides of the front of the vehicle wore out prematurely. This includes both sets of upper and lower control arms/ball joints.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Durango
“Starter motor shorted out after vehicle was started. Starter motor caught fire. I used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Vehicle was towed to nearest dodge facility. Starter replaced under warranty. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Durango
“The air condition will not blow out cool air. Please fill in additional information dealer is aware of the problem. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Durango
“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…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Durango
“The pin that holds the brake peddle arm to the master cylinder broke off causing me to slam into the driver in front of me. Causing $3,483.77 damages to my car and about $1,000 to the other vehicle. I was very lucky that no one was injured or killed in the accident had this happened on the highway…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Durango
“Lost control of 2001 dodge durango on broken arrow expressway between harvard and lewis , heading west there has been several times that this has happened, not all at the same location. I feel there is a problem with my dodge, and the road at this location is extremely bad. I called the highway…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Durango
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 584 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 55,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 90,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
SKF IS RECALLING 2,805 HUB UNITS, PART NO. BR930361, SOLD AS A SERVICE PART FOR 1997-2004 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES AND 1999-2003 DODGE DURANGO VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2-WHEEL DRIVE & REAR AXLE ABS. DUE TO A SPECIFICATION ERROR, THE ROTOR PILOT FOR THE HUB UNIT…
Fix: SKF WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE HUB UNITS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SKF VSM NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-644-8999.
ON CERTAIN VAN AND PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE IGNITION/PARK SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS CAN ALLOW THE SHIFTER TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION WITH THE IGNITION KEY REMOVED (OR IN THE "LOCK"…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GEARSHIFT BLOCKER AND BRACKET ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT BENCH SEATS ONLY, IF FLUID IS SPILLED FROM THE FLOOR MOUNTED CUP HOLDER, AN UNUSED CONSOLE POWER OUTLET CONNECTOR LOCATED UNDER THE SEAT MAY BECOME CONTAMINATED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CONSOLE WIRING CONNECTOR FOR CORROSION, CLEAN AS REQUIRED, AND INSTALL A CAP TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL FLUID FROM CONTAMINATING THE CONNECTOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON…
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT K&N FUEL PERFORMANCE KITS, P/NOS. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, AND 57-1530. ALSO, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE KITS WERE SOLD UNDER THE MOPAR PERFORMANCE PARTS BRAND NAME (P/NOS. P5007069 AND P5007070). ALL…
Fix: K&N WILL PROVIDE OWNERS WITH A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2006.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4X4), IF MOISTURE LEAKS INTO THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPPER BALL JOINT, EVACUATION OF THE LUBRICANT AND CORROSION OF THE JOINT MAY CAUSE THE JOINT TO WEAR OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPPER BALL JOINTS. THIS SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BEGAN ON DECEMBER 21, 2004. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL DRIVE. THE ELECTRIC SHIFT TRANSFER CASE MAY NOT FULLY ENGAGE INTO GEAR WHEN THE OPERATOR MOVES THE TRANSFER CASE SELECTOR SWITCH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 9, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." SOME OF THE OWNER'S MANUALS FOR THESE VEHICLES ARE MISSING INSTRUCTIONS…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADDENDUM TO THE OWNER'S MANUALS.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 06V339000.
Led to recall campaign 04V596000.
Technical service bulletins
76 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2001 Dodge Durango. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2001 Durango TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2001 Dodge Durango reliable?
The 2001 Dodge Durango drew 964 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 36/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2001 Dodge Durango problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Dodge Durango are suspension (346 complaints), electrical (116), and transmission & drivetrain (114).
At what mileage do 2001 Dodge Durango problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Dodge Durango problems around 55,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 90,000 miles.
Does the 2001 Dodge Durango have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 Dodge Durango. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.