Problems with 2001 Dodge Durango POWER TRAIN

Headlights, overhead dome, instrument lights all flash on and off when headlights are turned on which is impossible to drive at night without serious being a serious major safety hazard. checked forum for dodge products, there is also a service bulletin in your database there are many complaints of people with the same malfunction, and mechanics told everyone same thing power train or body control module (bcm). *tr

Car idles fast when in park. rpm needles also reacts. when driving car appears as if transmission isn't working. upon acceleration the car appears as if it's about to stop. when it does accelerate it reacts very sluggish.. thought tranny was bad, but was informed tranny. took in for a tune-up, was told only spark plugs may need replaced. did online research to discover several others having same trouble. on-line feedback suggested possible tps problem or needed to replace idle speed control module. my husband and i are both on fixed incomes and don't have money to pay for "it could be". we need a definite answer to our trouble so we can properly repair it. we use this vehicle to transport our grandkids in as well as use it for vacations. please help!!! we need an answer asap. *tr

the other driver was at a stop and i was driving between 50 and 55 mph on the highway. the other driver pulled out infront of me from my left to right. as we impacted my air bag did not deploy but the passenger's air bag did deploy. i was the only person in my car. i struck him with such force that the vehicle i was driving was forced off the road and then was stopped by a tree. after 2 hits the driver's side air bag still did not deploy. the vehicle was deemed a total loss. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle could be shifted out of park even when the brake pedal was not depressed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that a pin within the gear shift mechanism was bent. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure continued. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 87,000. updated 01/10/12*lj

I was driving my 2001 dodge durango to work one day when it died at an intersection. i tried to start it for about three minutes before it finally turned back on. i got to my destination, then on the way back it stalled out three more times in a row. i managed to get it to a safe parking lot. that weekend i went to get it with my wife following me, and made it home safely, where it sat in my driveway until i could replace the fuel pump. then, on november 16, 2011, i was driving to work when it stalled out again. obviously it wasn't the fuel pump, and after doing more research and calling the local dodge dealer i found out that it was probably the pcm (powertrain control module). apparently there has been a big problem with dodge durango's and dakota's stalling out due to malfunctions of the pcm. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the gear shifter could be moved without depressing the brakes first. a local mechanic diagnosed that the neutral safety switch was defective. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 127,000 and the current mileage was 133,340.

2001 dodge durango with recall for the ignition/park interlock system. *kb in 2008 the consumer scheduled an appointment to have the recall performed regarding the ignition/park interlock system. on february 16, 2010, the ignition malfunctioned. the key would not go completely in the ignition, therefore, he was unable to start or move the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the consumer was then informed that the ignition tumbler could not be repaired because one of the metal bars in the tumbler had jammed in the locked position and that a new tumbler was needed. the consumer was certain that the malfunction of the tumbler was caused by the repair to the ignition/park interlock system. *jb

I had a recall completed on 2/20/09. prior to recall i was not experiencing any issues w/ my vehicle. since the recall i have noticed that my vehicle is doing the exact thing they were supposed to have corrected in the recall. the recall was for the shift interlock lever to keep the vehicle from being able to be taken out of park w/out the vehicle running. at this point the vehicle is easy to steal & presents a risk to anyone who might be in the area if it does come out of park when i am not in the vehicle. *tr

I have a 2001 dodge durango with 103,000 miles and the transmission has been replaced 3 times. again it's bad, the computer is bad again (replaced twice) and now the air bag light is flashing............ i ended up buying a cheap car to drive since i could not afford to fix this truck, not to mention 10 miles to gallon....... this truck is a complete piece of ?!@#$% and i would not recommend anyone buy a dodge, they should go out of business selling the cars they do... *tr

After purchasing my durango used from a local dealer i immediately began having issues with the transmission slipping out of gear while going up passes, passing car, towing etc. i took it back to the dealer and they stated that the transmission had been over filled causing this. i then drove it again and it still happened. in researching my durango i found that it already had its tranny replaced at 60k miles by the previous owner. i also have the gear shift lever that will come out of gear without the brake being pressed, but i see they actually recalled that particular item so it will soon be fixed. i also have rear and passenger window that stopped rolling up or down by their controls but still operate with driver controls. and last but not least my engine service light came on right before a trip stating that i had a coolant leak. i had just washed my durango so i reset the light and it hasn't came back on again. what did happen though is as soon as i reset the light my service 4wd light came on and will not clear. does dodge actually recall the annoying things too or do they wait until it becomes a problem that actually kills someone before anyone takes notice? hello toyota here we come tire of all the tranny issues with american cars. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving at unknown speeds, the doors would lock and unlock independently. when the vehicle was parked, the doors would unlock even after the lock had been engaged. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, but was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 136,000. the rear passenger door appeared to be permanently locked. the consumer also stated the transmission was slipping. the vehicle would move slow, when the accelerator was applied. updated 11/10/14. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the electric shift transfer case does not fully engage into gear when the transfer case selector switch is moved; therefore, the vehicle ends up in the neutral position. the dealer stated that his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 01v077000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift). the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the vehicle has not been repaired and the manufacturer failed to assist. the failure and current mileages were 93,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated the four wheel drive selector switch would not engage the transfer case. this would cause the vehicle to roll away unexpectedly if the switch was not engaged. the dealer advised reprogramming the transfer case control module. although there was a recall for the failure (nhtsa campaign id number 01v077000: power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift) the manufacturer advised his vin was not included. the failure mileage was 58,000 and current mileage 81,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v555000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift) on march 1, 2008. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on march 5, 2008 for the recall repair; however, the vehicle continues to shift out of the park position. when placed into drive, the vehicle will shift into neutral. the dealer stated that they performed the repair correctly and will charge $80 to diagnose what they suggest is a new failure. the manufacturer took a report, but was unable to assist any further. the current and failure mileages were unknown.

Electric fan,steering;rack and pinion; control arm; lower ball joints, front drive shaft, front bearings. replaced drive shaft,left wheel bearing. i bought it in 2006 w/125,000 miles. drive shaft went out at 135,000 and steering at 146,000. i still owe money on it and it sits parked because i cant afford the rest of the repairs. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the gear shifter will shift automatically without the brake pedal being depressed. the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired for nhtsa campaign id number 07v555000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift) and chrysler recall number g28. the dealer and manufacturer stated that nothing could be done and advised her to call nhtsa. the failure and current mileages were 148,000. updated 02/14/08. *lj

Have a loud humming sound comes from the front starts about 30mph and gets louder as speed is increased. also have a continuous chime while driving in forward or reverse. i have taken it to many mechanics including dealers and they say there's nothing they can do. *tr

When i drive my durango above 40 miles an hour i get a loud humming noise about 50 decibels coming from the front in i checked my hub its not that it sound like its from the axle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact can switch gears without first engaging the brake. the consumer repaired the power train: automatic transmission lever and linkage column shift per nhtsa campaign id number 07v555000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift). immediately after the repair, the failure recurred. the dealer stated that because the vehicle was previously repaired according to the recall, the contact would be responsible for any additional repairs. the vehicle also began overheating repeatedly. the dealer replaced the water pump, thermostat, coolant tube, fan clutch, and the control box; however, the failure still persists. the failure and current mileages were 102,000. updated 08/08/08 *bf updated 08/12/08

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving approximately 65 mph, the electronic door locking mechanism automatically unlocked and locked the vehicle. additionally, the shift lever became difficult to shift out of park. the failure recurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that an unknown part needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 33,500.

I have recently been having trouble with my transmission slipping. i will step on the gas and it revs up to high rpm before engaging the next gear. if that doesn't work, i just have to limp along until it decides to automatically shift which could be within a few minutes or longer. i've had the transmission replaced, but the problem still persists. my mechanic is at a loss at what it could possibly be. this problem (and him working on it) has lasted many months. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard a thumping noise. the vehicle veered to the right and rolled over. the contact felt that the cause of crash was the drive shaft. the vehicle was destroyed. the driver sustained serious injuries. a police report was filed. the manufacturer and dealer have not inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of failure. the current and failure mileages were 115,000. the consumer stated the air bags did not deploy. updated 09/11/07 *tr

I have a durango (2001) that has had the transmission replaced 3 times in two and a half years. i have had the transmissions serviced and kept all records but the transmission fails everytime within a year of replacement. *tr

I have a 2001 durango. i have always been up to date with tuneups and fluid changes. within the past few months i've been having transmission trouble. more and more it has been slipping. i'm afraid i'm heading for a large repair bill. did i mention it has only 63000 miles on it. i'm dumping it before it gets any worse. *jb

Transmission failure after 6 years. my transmission temperature light came on and i was not able to accelerate over 5-10 mph. i was told by the dealer that my warranty had expired and it was over the mileage. however, i would have to pay $6,000 to have everything fixed. these were the issues: - transmission re-haul ($4,150) - catalytic converter ($1,100) - differential service ($500) *jb this is absolutely ridiculous to pay $6,000 for transmission services after 6 years old.

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2001 dodge durango with 55000 failure mileage) at 45 mph the vehicle lost power without any warning, then the check engine light appeared on the dashboard. the contact temporarily lost control of the vehicle, and had to maneuver to the side of the road. the vehicle hesitated twice before it restarted. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, who determined with a diagnostic test that the vehicle was in need of another transmission. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact was able to shift gears without applying pressure to the brake pedal. six months ago, he received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v555000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift) and had the vehicle repaired for free by the dealer. immediately after the repair, the failure recurred. the manufacturer and the mechanic stated that the contact would have to pay for any further repairs. the current mileage was 102,000 and failure mileage was 58,000. updated 10/07/08. *lj updated 10/09/08. *jb

I have had my dodge for three years and since then several things had to be replaced on it. i had to have my transmission rebuilt due to the coolant failure. the sensor stopped working and over heated the engine burnt up the transmission. the motor in the driver window burnt out and had to e replaced. the dodge stop cranking so we had to replace the fuel pump. we are now having problems with the cooling fan on the engine that has burnt out as well. i am very displeased with my truck and will never buy another dodge again. all these things happened in a year. man i hate this truck. *nm

Driving 70 mph on interstate with my two small children with me, without warning i lost power and all gauges went to 0. fortunately, i was able to make it to the emergency lane. i shut the vehicle off waited a few moments and tried to restart. the engine would not start, all lights on the panel were on, windows, radio, seats, and locks worked. i had the vehicle towed to a dealership where it still sits. unable to locate problem at this time. finding on forums that it is a pcm issue and seems to be more prevalent than the vendor admits. *nm

1. not sure if its transmission or what, while driving, periodically feels like transmission bumps very hard like it was taken out of gear then put back in while rpm's were high, also feels that the overdrive slips while engaging, which the engagement point is set to low,ie below 40 mph. 2. while driving and holding the throttle steady at cruise speed, or at take off from stop, when you press on the gas pedal nothing happens, as you press a little farther, it all of a sudden is as if you floored the accelerator. the durango has been in for service 4 times so far and the dealer has not been able to duplicate nor have the problems been fixed. the vehicle is currently under warranty. *jb

Dt: the contact stated the rear differential clutch pack retainer clips broke, causing damage to the rear differential. he took the vehicle to a dealer, who confirmed the damage. this was not covered by warranty. the vehicle is currently being repaired by the contact himself. *ak

At times of high acceleration (passing), the vehicle transmission seems to slip into neutral. i remove my foot from the gas and re-apply more slowly the transmission seems to re-engage and accelerate. this has happened several times. i reported it to a dealership that could find no problem. most recently, i has some additional transmission problems and they found a bad torque converter (different dealership). they felt this should take care of the other problem too. i thought it had until it just happened again. *nm

On the evening of august 28, 2005 while driving down the indiana toll road near michigan city, in., my 2001 dodge durango suddenly started to loose power, shortly after that we smelled something burning. it was at that point we discovered the rear differential had been smoking and as we were slowing down we could hear clunking coming from the rear-end. that night the durango was towed to michigan city, and the next day it was towed to my local dodge dealership lochmandy motors in elkhart, in for repair. after several days and inspection from an independent inspector from hired by insurance company, it was determined that the carrier bearing in the rear-end failed and caused the rear axle to be damaged beyond repair. the entire rear axle had to be replaced for a total cost of $1795.60. my 2001 dodge durango only has 59736 miles on it, but none the repairs were covered by the warranty not to mention the towing costs. both the dealership and the independent inspector agreed that the carrier bearing breaking was a manufactures defect. i feel all costs for the repair and towing of my dodge durango should be paid for by daimler chrysler. *nm

My son shifted the vehicle out of park with the engine running and the brake not pressed. the car rolled but we were able to stop it. *jb

The automatic shifter would slip out of gear. it states that it is in drive but when foot applied to gas vehicle doesn't move like in neutral gear. taken to dealership nothing done. the vehicle has only 45,000 and needs a new transmission which will cost 1,500 to 2,000 for a rebuilt. this is unbelievable for a vehicle with so few miles. not only did i pay over $30,000 for this vehicle now i have to spend money that i do not have to repair a transmission that should have done this in the first place and it seems like your dealers don't want to deal with the problem or at least help with fixing it in the first place. this vehicle was taken several times and all that was done was putting transmission fluid in and then when warranty was up i was told that there was a problem and that i would have to pay for it. i will never buy another dodge in my life time or will i ever refer anyone to a dodge dealer. *nm

I have a 2001 dodge durango rt i purchased from a dealer off lease with 26k miles and have had nothing but problems w/the transmission. was told several times after them hooking it up to a computer nothing is wrong w/it however the transmission continues to slip mostly on the highway in cruise. the rpms surge from 1 1/2 to almost 3 rpms and you can feel it slipping. it has since been in the transmission shop 5 times and is still not fixed first they said they replaced all the solenoids then this last time valves but it is still doing it. i feel when you pay 20k for a vehicle w/only 26k miles you should not have problems like this. i hope if more people voice their concerns maybe a recall will be in the very near future. this is not right and it took daimler chrysler years to recall the ball joints i hope something happens w/the transmissions. there's obviously a huge problem here!!!!!*jb

2001 dodge durango upper ball joint failure. the national highway traffic safety administration recomemded on 10 dec 05 that daimlerchrysler recall this vehicle. on 05 jul 05 i talked with charlene with the recall department, she tranfered me to heather with the warrentys departmet who inturn transfered me to joe, joe stated that he has the final say in what chrysler does and has denied the claim. this is a safety issue, luckly my son and i had just left the interstate.

Dt: when put foot on the brake to shift vehicle into gear it doesn't go into gear, it just rolls and will stop. has to play with it until it catches or pulls the emergency brake. started out slowly then it became worse. this started on june 30, 2005. it makes a clump when putting it into reverse. *ak

I have a 2001 dodge durango r/t that has had severe problems with the front end. i know that the upper ball joints have been replaced at least three times. two of which are from my local dealer and i just received a notice that they want it done again. i also know that my lower ball joints are shot and is definitely a complication of the upper ball joint problems due to the fact that they are on the same pivot point. also my upper and lower control arm bushings are seizing up and causing not only a substantial amount of noise but a severe amount of wheel hop while at high rates of speed on the highway. while cornering and hitting the expansion joint of a bridge or other highway bump the truck seems to want to bounce from lane to lane. i also had a drivers side front shock break in half while on the highway last week. i contacted daimler chrysler about these problems and they didn't seem the bit least worried about it. i asked if there was any consumer complaint program or any follow up procedure that i could be involved with and he was quick to say no. he also instructed me that i could do one of two things, i could have the ball joints changed for the fourth time or get ride of the vehicle. i asked him if this was dodges since on the whole problem by off loading the vehicle onto another unsuspecting person and he didn't say anything. he just repeated himself. i am a aircraft mechanic by trade and i can tell you right now that the faa and the ntsb would have grounded every aircraft that was affected in a situation like this. i don't know why there is such a double standard with the automobile industry. i drive around my family in this vehicle to include my 5 month old son and it scares me to death just reading the stories online that other people have been involved with. i hope it hasn't happened but what is it going to take to get this resolved with dodge, (multiple deaths with this $30,000 lemon) thank you mike audas. *nm

Dt :took vehicle to dealer omni friday to have greased and freon replaced. dealer said it has a bad fan clutch , and a part on crank case cover, he replaced it with a totally different part, it would not accelerate. they would not give me the old part back. dealership said it was a manufacturing problem . contacted the manufacturer, and they say it was a dealer's problem. the light for 4 wheel high stayed on all the time *ak

2001 dodge durango developed problems with the transmission.***no answer required***. *mr the vehicle shifted rough and the transmission sounded like it was slipping. the vehicle was taken to a repair facility were it was scanned for codes. the codes indicated that the governor solenoid was the problem. although it was replaced the transmission still performed poorly. *nm

2001 dodge durango seat belts won't stayed latched in back seats,motor gives itself gas while driving or parked,transmission will not be in any gear when you've put it in drive and then it will jerk and finally go and it has also changed gears while driving i called dodge and they said that it's all ready been taken in on that recall

2001 durango unsafe to drive while in 4 wheel drive.*mr the problem was not with the transfer case. the problem was that the vehicle had two different differentails on it. *nm

Dt: the differential on the front of the 2001 durango was different than the one in the rear. this was causing a hazard for driving. it entailed the changing on one rear end. vehicle was bought at an auction. it had a manufacturer's defect. the consumer has been in contact with chrysler, and chrysler repaired the defect. consumer had to pay the bill for that. the consumer noticed this when they tried to put the durango into 4 wheel drive, and it started erratically. the front differential was the correct one, but the rear was not the correct one. the front differential is 396 and the back was a 355 from the factory.*ak the consumer stated chrysler sent a check for the repairs. updated 11/16/05. *jb

Dt: dodge, durango: the brake do not have to be applied to place vehicle into gear or switch gear positions. there is similar to a recall. but this is chrysler town and country but not durango. no repairs or corrections at this time. has not been to a dealer or repair service at this time. has not contacted daimler/chrysler. consumer wanted to file complaint because vehicle was not included in the recall.*ak

A recall for the upper ball joints was issued, however, dealer stated that the parts were not available this had been going on for two months. *ak recall campaign; the consumer stated that she has had lifetime brakes installed on her vehicle twice. 4wd shaft was replaced twice. *tc

While the vehicle was parked and running in the driveway consumer's two-year old child was able to shift the vehicle out of park into drive. vehicle commenced to roll. then, 8 years old child was able to shift the vehicle into reverse. consumer was able to stop the vehicle while it was rolling backward into the garage. consumer sustained injuries to her left side while trying to get into the vehicle while it was in motion. dealer was not notified. *ak

While driving at any speed intermittently consumer can feel the vehicle slip in/out of gears. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While the vehicle was running, the consumer noticed that the gear would engaged without applying the brakes. the driver was concerned and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the vehicle was operating as designed. *jb *sc

While driving 5 mph driveshaft fell out. vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the pin, which holds the driveshaft in, broke. the part available for analysis.*ak