Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
A few weeks ago, it started with the door ajar light, and gate open light coming on when nothing was open. A lot of ice build up (bad seals) made the driver door difficult to latch. A week ago we were driving and all of the locks started unlocking repeatedly. Now we can't even lock our truck, it unlocks itself. It does this whether the vehicle is on or not. It also turns on the interior lights. The switches do not work to lock the doors. We have to remove the fuse (which also controls the wipers, bad idea) to stop the locks from unlocking. Also, it arms the security system ( I think)and makes it so the truck shuts off on it's own. I feel extremely unsafe now that I my vehicle unlocks itself and shuts off. Last night we came out to the parking lot to discover it unlocked and the interior lights were turning on and off the whole time. I have to take my 3 year old in this vehicle. …
2000 Dodge Durango door locks are not working properly. The rear passenger door lock will not respond to the commands. I have read about numerous complaints about the door locks and it concerns me if we were in an accident if the doors will stay shut, or worse unable for anyone to access that door. It seems to be a problem in all years of cars. I understand it is a plastic wheel poorly designed. I am having problems with 2 door locks and the rear hatch. Currently, we are faced with an electrical drain on the battery. It is a new battery and still will not start. I have my suspicions that these door locks May have a bearing. Please look into the matter as it is a definite flaw and a safety hazard. The rear hatch has not worked in about 3 years and the passenger rear about 2 years and the drivers door makes noises about 3 years.
Winding sound in steering when tuning wheel,horible sound while turning wheels and backing up,door locks are in locked position (can't open to get out of car and loud sound going off when door locks are supposed to self lock at 25 MPH)bought car in 2001, after 6 mo took car to dearership to report problems while still under warranty and they said nothing was wrong. Still have paperwork to show of the complaints.I have 3 small grandchildren I take care of and transport in the vehicle. Hope you people do something about this before someone dies or you will really be out of pocket. I have less that 60,000 miles on SUV so this can't be due to wear and tear. ( I marked OEM yes if that pertains to original parts on SUV).
2000 Dodge Durango. The drivers side back door lock motor broke. The vehicle had approx. 57,000 miles on it. At 60,000 miles the front door will not lock at all. This is a huge problem. Can't leave anything in the vehicle. It could get stolen and worst of all I could get car jacked because the door won't lock. This is a huge problem with durangos. There are complaints all over the internet. And that is only people who take the time to complain. I also have a Dodge conversion van with the same problem. My friend has a Dodge van also and his locks are broken too.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Dodge Durango. The driver side windows would not roll up or down. In addition, the remote would not open and lock the doors. She was unable to drive the vehicle due to several hazards. The dealer and manufacturer stated that nothing could be done because they had never heard or seen that type of failure. Through online research, the contact discovered more information regarding the defect. Daimler Chrysler advised her to call NHTSA and file a complaint. The failure and current mileages were 39,000. Updated 02-19-08
Passenger side upper ball joint bad at 37,000 miles. Could feel something wrong through the steering wheel and made several visits to Dodge dealer and non-Dodge dealer and all said nothing was wrong. Finally insisted the dealer where the vehicle was purchased put it on the front end machine and take a look. Problem was easily discovered by the mechanic prior to making it to the machine. Also replaced drivers side automatic door lock assembly twice in two months.
2000 Dodge Durango. The front door will not lock at all. It can't even be locked manually or with the key. The back drivers side door lock does not work. The motor quit working. This is not only dangerous, but the vehicle could be stolen or the contents. This is a problem with durangos. There are many complaint sights on the internet with the same complaint over and over. This must be a recall. My Dodge van has the same problem. It happened at around 57,000 miles.
Door makes loud noise when locking, and dosen't unlock by remote have to unlock door for passenger to get in, also when aouto lock engages make realy loud noise, took Durango in while and was told that the regulator was out. This seems like its a defect in workmanship or the parts that controle the locking machanism, notices other durangos haveing the same problem must be recalled , and I have less than 40K miles on Durango so its not from prolong use its a defect!
An automatic door lock of our 2000 Dodge Durango does not unlock one door when the front control is activated. The lock has to be manually lifted. If the front control is not used to unlock the whole car, the one defective lock cannot be unlocked manually. This is a safety hazard. This is the second activator that has gone bad on this car. The first was the front driver's side and the current defective lock is the right rear passenger door.
Every door lock in the vehicle has failed causing the inability to open the door manually. The lock system fails in the locked position and remains stuck in the locked position causing the inability to open the door from the inside or outside. If you do a google search you will note that there are 100's of postings on this problem. I feel this is unacceptable from a safety stand point to not be able to open a door due to a faulty power lock.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2000 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2000 Dodge Durango, 4% of the model year's 1,075 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Dodge Durango door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2000 Dodge Durango, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Dodge Durango door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to locks & latches problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.