Top 5 Problems Dodge Durango SUV 1st Generation 1998-2003

In this video, we're going over the top five problems in this first generation Dodge Durango. Number one, the throttle position sensor. Now on this vehicle it's located right on the throttle body, right here. And when this goes bad or starts going bad, you're gonna notice some throttle issues, engine drivability, and you may end up with a check engine light with a code related to the throttle position. On this particular vehicle because it is a cable driven throttle body and not electronically controlled, you can replace just that sensor. To replace this, you just disconnect the connector, take the two screws out, slide it off, slide the new one on and reconnect the connector. It's always a good idea to clean the throttle body if you're replacing that sensor anyway.

Number two, the MAP sensor. On this vehicle, it happens to be located right here behind the alternator. This is where the connector is. And when this goes bad or starts going bad, you're gonna notice some drivability issues. It may have a little bit of trouble starting, and your check engine light could be on with a MAP sensor-related code. Luckily, the MAP sensor is right here. It's a little bit tight to get in there. Be careful. Don't drop those screws.

Number three, the front-drive shaft. Now as you can see on this vehicle, the front-drive shaft is actually missing. It should go from the transfer case right here to the front. And the reason they fail is because of this joint right here. This is the constant velocity joint and all the grease has come out of it and it has failed. So you're gonna get some noise coming from this joint when it fails. And there is rebuild kits for this or you can replace the whole driveshaft. Now this, it's only for the four-wheel drive or for the front-wheel drive part of the four-wheel drive system. This vehicle actually still drives in two-wheel drive, just the rear-wheels are the only ones that give the power.

Number four, exhaust manifold bolts. You may notice that as you're driving the vehicle or you try to accelerate, you hear a little ticking noise coming from low parts of the vehicle. And a lot of times that's the broken exhaust manifold bolts and you have a little bit of an exhaust leak. Now you can replace those bolts. It's not the easiest to get those off. You pretty much have to remove the whole manifold, extract those bolts, put the new bolts in, and you're gonna wanna replace the gasket when you do that.

Number five, the driver's door lock cylinder switch. You may notice while you're driving down the road that the door locks cycle on and off, and that most likely is caused by the door lock cylinder switch which is located behind the door lock cylinder. This switch gets a lot of moisture in there especially if you're going through some heavy rain or some car washes. Overall if you're having those symptoms, it's most likely due to that switch.

So there's our top five problems for this Dodge Durango. Overall, this vehicle is a great vehicle. I actually used to own one. If you enjoyed it or it helped you out, make sure you subscribe to our channel, ring the bell, turn on all notifications so you don't miss any of our videos.