Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
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).
The spare tire winch on my vehicle failed and the spare tire fell to the pavement. In my case I was fortunate to be in a parking lot when it happened and there was no accident. If this had happened on the highway an accident would have almost surely resulted. The spare tire on these vehicles is quite large and heavy and could cause a large number of possible outcomes if hit at highway speeds. The spare tire winch uses a stranded steel cable to lift and lock the spare tire up against the bottom of the vehicles frame. This stranded steel cable failed right where it passed through the center of the rim. This stranded steel cable is going to fail eventually on every Dodge truck that used this design of winch. Everyone will eventually fail. Chrysler has used this design in literally hundreds of thousands of vehicles over the years since the 90s or before. …
Hello yesterday I left work wasn't in my truck for 5 minutes and it started smoking white smoke came out and I seen antifreeze spray everywhere I don't know if the engine locked on me or the head gasket is blown either way what can I do about this also before this happened when it rains my truck will spin it scared the hell out of me when I was driving to work but this only happens when it rains the tires look good
I have a 2003 Dodge Durango with about 30,000 miles on it and the problem I am having is the center cap on the wheel is coming off when the car is being driven. At first I thought maybe somebody was stealing them but I now know that isn't true. After I lost two of them I decided to check them every time I get in or out of the car. Yesterday I had to go to the doctor, so before I got into the car I looked to make sure that the two center caps that were left was still in their places of which they were. When I arrived at the doctor I checked again and this time I was missing one on the rear driver side. I did not stop anywhere so I know that it had to come off while I was driving. …
I have to stop far away from a vehicle fear of running in the back of their vehicle. It doesn't seem to want to stop sometime, this has been happening for awhile now alot recently. It cuts off on me if I get in the highway so embarrassing and when that happens I only can take off slow. Which causes me to exit the highway and not get back on. I had bought a car vacuum and it stated smoking on me, I was using the socket in the arm rest. I have alot of problems when I use the A/C or heat it cuts off on me and it stalls to take off,it's scary for me and my kids. It rams by it's self and it acts as if it's gone cut off and most of the time it do. It make this putting sounds when it's going to cut off or even when it stops on me. The dealer replace the Cadillac converter and my oxygen sensors. I also got a tune up and two of the fuel injectors replace new parts, that I paid for myself. …
I have a 2003 Dodge Durango. In dec. 2006 the original tires walls started to separate from the tread to the point that it was a complete ring around the tire showing the treads. I had to pay the difference of tread wear to replace the tires after arguing with a Goodyear dealer. On aug. 3 2007, I was riding on 495 doing the 65 mile speed limit when the tire started to bubble, smoke and then proceed to shred. I took the vehicle to a Goodyear dealer who started to refuse to replace the tire at their cost because he said the replacement tire was replaced with the same recalled/defective tire. I now have 5 tires that are starting to have little blisters all over the wall of the tires. I am in no position to pay to replace these tires with another kind or brand. I want these tires replaced with something that is not going to kill us one day. Or give me the money to buy a different brand.
I purchased a 2003 Dodge Durango. Within 20 minutes of completion my 1st tire blew out. The dealer (clear lake Dodge, houston, texas) replaced the tire free of charge. At approximately 12K on a trip to new orleans my right front tire blew out and I almost lost control of vehicle. My youngest son suffers from asthma and had an asthma attack on I-10 to new orleans. I calmed him down with no medication (nebulizer requires electricity). When I returned to houston, I contacted discount tire which warranties Goodyear tires and was informed that I had jumped a curb causing damage to my tires. I purchased my 3rd tire along with road hazard because all representatives blamed my driving habits on me, even though I have never experienced these problems before. My vehicle now has over 50K miles and all of my tires are wearing. The belt is showing on all 4 tires. I am seeking arbitration.
The front tire on my Dodge Durango is messed up. It gets stuck sometimes when I'm trying to turn. The shop that I took it to said that the ball joint in the front tire is bad. They told me that they have heard of a lot of durangos that were having the same problems. They also said that my tires are being worn down because of the turn of the wheel. I had to buy a whole new set of tires also. It was very expensive for all the things I had to have done. I saw a website about it so I decided to report mine. Something needs to be done before somebody gets killed. Please recall these vehicles so the world won't lose any of it's precious life. My kids lives are very important to me, and I don't want to lose them because of a faulty part in my car. Please consider the facts about taking huge risks by not getting all these durangos fixed.
I noticed my tires were not wearing evenly and I felt and heard a "clunk" noise every time I back out of my parking spot at work. The dealership inspected and said that the upper and lower ball joints of the right and left wheels of my 2003 Dodge Durango must be replaced. I see there are recalls for all previous year durangos but not the 2003??? The dealership refused to pay for my replacement. I replaced the left side as they were actually broke, my right side still needs to be replaced and are loose and near failure. I request that Dodge reimburse me for the repair as well as replace for free the right side. I would also like two new tires as they now need to be replaced due to the uneven wear and tear.
I noticed that my right tire was loosing it was tread. I thought that I could just take it in for a wheel allignment, but the shop said that it was a worn out upper ball joint. It is going to cost me around $800.00 to fix it. I am over on my warranty by 1000 miles and when I call daimlerchrysler they said that there was a pending investigation on this matter, but do not offer any inforamtaion. I then noticed on the internet where others are having the same problems. I think that since there are so many complaints and so many of us owners of the Dodge Durango there should be a recall into this matter. Ball joint problems should not be a problem until 100,000 miles at least.
When driving my 2003 Durango at times it feels like the front wheels are locking up and the truck begins shaking badly. I have had it in the dealership and they say they can't find anything wrong. I also have been hearing strange noise from the front right right tire well. Also, my glovebox started hanging down and when I asked the dealership to fix it they charged me and told me that the warranty would not cover it. We don't use the glove box, so the problem was not caused by misuse. At 20,000 miles the warranty should have covered the problem because it is obviously a defective part.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2003 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2003 Dodge Durango, 8% of the model year's 339 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Durango wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires 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 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 38,000 miles, and 37% before 25,000 miles.
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.