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#BS-1998-DODDUR-8F2B

1998 Dodge DurangoProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 1,553 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
1,553
Crashes
73
Fires
15
Recalls
6
TSBs
114
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,553 complaints, 73 crashes, 15 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 7.4x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

13 complaints • Severity 9.1/10

$X,XXX
2

heater does not work well blows lukewarm air

12 complaints • Severity 6.7/10

$X,XXX
3

defective ball joints

8 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
4

abs brake lights are constantly on

7 complaints • Severity 6.3/10

$X,XXX
5

heater ac stopped working

6 complaints • Severity 6.7/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball JointHIGH

369 owners reported suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint issues — failures commonly reported around 69K miles.

!Inspect the Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball JointMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

35
0–30K
234
30–60K
299
60–90K
109
90–120K
57
120–150K
24
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (299 reports) • Median: 69K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint (369 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint369 (24%)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint293 (19%)
Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly41 (3%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission37 (2%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip37 (2%)
Suspension:front37 (2%)
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls37 (2%)
Suspension36 (2%)

1998 Dodge Durango: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Durango, with 369 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 69,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 69K-mile mark.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Durango, with 293 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly Issues

Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Durango, with 41 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering:linkages:tie rod assembly-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 2% of all reports filed for the 1998 Dodge Durango, with 37 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

102
00
88
01
69
02
433
03
417
04
154
05
32
06
7
07
24
08
13
09
10
10
4
11
2
12
4
13
7
14
3
15
6
16
3
18
3
21

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Dodge Durango. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

01V153000Jun 2001

AIR BAGS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS. SOUND DEADENER MATERIAL INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL COULD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE COVER AND HOUSING. NOTE: THE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS WERE BUILT AT THE WARREN ASSEMBLY PLANT ("S" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 16, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; ST. LOUIS NORTH ASSEMBLY PLANT ("J" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 19, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; LAGO ALBERTO ASSEMBLY PLANT ("M" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 23, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000; AND SALTILLO ASSEMBLY PLANT ("G" IN THE 11TH VIN POSITION) FROM MAY 23, 2000 THROUGH OCTOBER 23, 2000. IMPORTANT: VEHICLES THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD THE PROPER CLOCKSPRING INSTALLED, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS RECALL. IN ADDITION, 1997-2000 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD A SUSPECT REPLACEMENT CLOCKSPRING INSTALLED, ACCORDING TO WARRANTY RECORDS, HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THIS RECALL.

06E022000Mar 2006

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.

06E024000Apr 2006

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT K&N FUEL PERFORMANCE KITS, P/NOS. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, AND 57-1530. ALSO, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE KITS WERE SOLD UNDER THE MOPAR PERFORMANCE PARTS BRAND NAME (P/NOS. P5007069 AND P5007070). ALL KITS WERE MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 20, 1999, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23, 2004. THESE ASSEMBLIES WERE MANUFACTURED AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN DODGE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SUVS. A SMALL PIECE OF MATERIAL FROM THE TUBE WALL COULD BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE THROTTLE BODY, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE OPEN POSITION.

98V019000Mar 1998

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. THE FASTENER WHICH SECURES THE GENERATOR CABLE TO THE POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER (PDC) HAS AN INSUFFICIENT CLAMP LOAD, RESULTING IN A LOOSE CONNECTION AND ELECTRICAL ARCING AT THE CONNECTION.

99V341000Feb 2000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE REAR BRAKE TUBE CAN CONTACT AN UNDERBODY CROSSMEMBER EVENTUALLY WEARING A HOLE IN THE TUBE.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

EA03023ClosedOpened Nov 2003 · closed Feb 2005

UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION

SUSPENSION

PE02082ClosedOpened Nov 2002 · closed Apr 2003

SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATE

SEAT BELTS

PE03032ClosedOpened Jul 2003 · closed Nov 2003

FRONT SUSP. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE

SUSPENSION:FRONT

The worst model year for the Dodge Durango is the 2004 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Dodge Durango vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD)

This vehicle

1,553

Class avg

210

7.4x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical special purpose vehicle 4wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,553 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Dodge Durango Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
View all Dodge Durango years →

1998 Dodge Durango: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Dodge Durango?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Dodge Durango is related to the suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint, with 369 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Dodge Durango reliable?
The 1998 Dodge Durango has 1,553 complaints, 73 crash reports, and 15 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 7.4x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Dodge Durango problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Dodge Durango have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Dodge Durango has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Dodge Durango problems start?
Based on 758 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 69,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 1998 Dodge Durango data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,553 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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