1st generation (DN) · DN · 8,201 complaints, 4,865 with mileage
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).
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 3,738 | 45.6% | 60,000 | 43,000–78,000 |
| Power Train | 651 | 7.9% | 69,000 | 48,000–104,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 650 | 7.9% | 72,000 | 48,691–104,000 |
| Electrical System | 483 | 5.9% | 104,895 | 63,644–143,048 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 479 | 5.8% | 50,765 | 26,540–80,000 |
| Steering | 469 | 5.7% | 65,336 | 45,000–89,488 |
| Air Bags | 214 | 2.6% | 73,000 | 44,543–115,000 |
| Visibility | 196 | 2.4% | 52,000 | 36,000–86,500 |
| Seats | 152 | 1.9% | 87,216 | 55,000–124,668 |
| Exterior Lighting | 122 | 1.5% | 86,000 | 51,000–110,000 |
| 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 |
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 48,691 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 104,895 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 63,644 and 143,048 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 5.8% of complaints (479 reports, 239 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,765 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 26,540 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 65,336 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 89,488 miles.
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.
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.
Of the 8,201 complaints filed against this generation, 528 reported a crash; 156 reported a fire; 527 reported an injury; 116 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 6.4% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
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.
Upper ball joint wear and separation causing loss of steering control; subject to recall on the Durango/Dakota chassis.
4.7L PowerTech V8 head gasket and cylinder head cracking following overheating; the engine has little margin once coolant is lost.
46RE overdrive clutch and governor pressure solenoid failures.