Your vehicle report
2003 Dodge Durango
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 339
- Received Sep 2002 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ball joints wear out and fail35 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Headlights dim or fail at night24 complaints · 7.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates14 complaints · 4.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #06V339000On 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.
- Recall #04V596000On 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 of time. This could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 29 crashes, 18 fires, 28 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Engine stalls and loses power while driving
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 26 |
| 2004 | 63 |
| 2005 | 46 |
| 2006 | 14 |
| 2007 | 31 |
| 2008 | 19 |
| 2009 | 14 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2011 | 15 |
| 2012 | 20 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 15 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 339 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 35 | 10% | – | NHTSA recall #04V596000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 24 | 7.1% | – | NHTSA recall #02V322000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 14 | 4.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 4.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 3.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 12 | 3.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 2.9% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 10 | 2.9% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 7 | 2.1% | – | NHTSA recall #04V596000 |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 1.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #06V339000September 7, 200635,103 vehicles affected
electrical system
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.
This may allow development of a high resistive short circuit in the connector, which could eventually lead to a fire.
Remedy
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 october 30, 2006. Owners may contact daimler Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #04V596000December 21, 2004592,707 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
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 of time. This could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
Excessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
Remedy
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.
NHTSA recall #04V216000May 5, 2004320,188 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper module motor may be susceptible to water intrusion that could cause internal corrosion and result in partial or complete loss of front windshield wiping capability.
Driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper module. Owner notification began on july 12, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #02V322000December 2, 20023,640 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights: switch
On certain pickup trucks, the central timer module (ctm) has an improperly sized circuit board trace that could potentially cause the right headlamp low beam to become inoperative.
If the lights fail, a visibility problem could occur, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ctm. Owner notification began december 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Dodge Durango.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN