Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Front end problems with m 2003 Dodge Durango. Have had steering rack replaced, inner & outer ball joints replaced as well as both upper control arms. Steering went out on my wife while making a right hand turn. Both inner tie-rod ends snapped out and car lost complete steering control. Car ran into parked car causing substantial damage to both vehicles. Because of the low speed no injuries occurred, had this happened at highway speed. I could have been killed along with others on the highway. What are you waiting for? For a fatality? Does it take the life of human being to save money to have this problem solved? Please do something, I will never never buy a Dodge automobile again and if I see someone making this mistake or looking at Dodge I will advise them of all the problems that Dodge has and are not willing to back their product. Buy a foreign car!!!!
The steering column contains a universal joint which clicks whenever making a turn and causes the steering wheel to bind and then release suddenly which causes a degree of confusion and if not repaired could cause a major accident through the complete loss of controll or the vehicle by separation of the steering column. This clicking, binding and sudden release with a degree of confusion happens at all speeds including while sitting still!
Driving home from north carolina to new york, I-95, legal speed limit of 65mph, truck shut off displaying "no bus" in odometer screen. Was able to pull over safely, thank god, and turned ignition off for a couple of seconds and than restarted truck. Thankfully it started up and I was able to proceed on my way. This happened a few times more while on my trip to new york. Driving locally didn't encounter any other problems. Have scanner at home as I'm a auto repairman at a novice level, and was surprised that not one code was stored in the computer. None of the forums seem to be able to give me any insight as to what caused this problem as none of the recommended checks produced any bad tests. This is a serious problem that should be recalled and fix by the Chrysler corp before someone gets killed.
The passenger side upper ball joint started coming apart at just 47,000 miles. I was lucky to catch it as it could have resulted in the whole wheel coming off the vehicle and a serious accident if at speed. Typically ball joints wear before they fail and that is usually only after a hundred or a few hundreds thousand miles. To have a complete failure of the ball joint at just 47,000 miles is alarming. I discovered there was an issue and a silent recall of 2000-2003 Durango's for this problem. I called Dodge about the repair but they refused to fix it saying that even though my vehicle is a 2003, my VIN was not included in the recall. My vehicle is the same year and same extraordinary and dangerous problem.
The front end of my 2003 Dodge Durango began to have a thumping noise. I could not identify what it was or exactly where it was coming from. On my way home from work, Friday August 4,2006 I lost braking on the vehicle and the left front wheel became detached from the axle. I lost control of the vehicle, skidded and stopped in a residential neighborhood. Had this ocurred while I was in the mountains (which I am quite a bit) or on the interstate (which I am on every day) myself or others May have been killed. I could have struck a child in the neighborhood where this happened as well.
Vibration in front end of SUV. The vibration occurs when driving. Dealer states this is normal also vibrates when braking I am a service mgr. For farm dealership and deal with complaint everyday this is not normal problem with SUV but one that has been ongoing from the day the truck was bought and now Dodge and the dealer do not wont to repair this problem it has been to the shop 3 time going to different dealer this also had new tire installed at dealers request at my cost and had the tire balanced three times the vehicle has app 15,000 miles on now it is 2003 Durango.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Durango. The contact stated when driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would sporadically become very difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the mechanic advised that the intermediate steering shaft had twisted and would need to be replaced. The manufacturer advised the vehicle was not under recall and would not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned with the failure potentially leading to a crash. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Durango. The contact was driving 35 MPH when the power steering assist failed, causing increased effort in maneuvering the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the entire power steering system would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the recurring failure. The failure mileage was 77,832.
Power steering rack failed at 73,000 miles. Unacceptable that the steering would fail with only 73,000 miles!! Paid $900 to have repaired. This was 6 months ago. Now they are saying our wheel bearings are failing and are not covered under the recall that was put in place back in 2004. Even though the mechanic told us that our wheel would fall off if we didn't have it fixed. That should fall under the category of the recall for the wheel hub.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Durango. While attempting to make a right turn at 30 MPH, the vehicle veered to the right. The contact experienced difficulty controlling the vehicle, but was able to drive to his residence. He took the vehicle to a repair shop the following day and they repaired the vehicle at the cost of $357.64. The failure mileage was 41,725. Updated 5/20/08 updated 05/20/08
Steering complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2003 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the steering of the 2003 Dodge Durango, 6% of the model year's 339 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Durango steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2003 Dodge Durango, though it has 4 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 2003 Dodge Durango steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to steering 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.