1999 Dodge Durango SLT Review - A Nostalgic Look At A 90's SUV!

[@-aid4084]

I like that when it cuts to him in the third row of seats he has visibly messier hair and a exhausted position... gave me a chuckle

[@Toothless69420]

Still driving my 99 Durango to this day 220k miles and still going with a new transmission, she’s a champ

[@popot4627]

Buying a 99 tomorrow with 250k miles, hoping it’ll get me around for a little while.

[@yu4ia]

How much you pay for that tranny?

[@theogross85]

How much should I pay 4 new transmission

[@Toothless69420]

@@theogross85 i would either buy from monster transmission or shift rite shift rite is cheaper but still a really good transmission, dont get into a store they will up sell you baddd

[@Toothless69420]

@@theogross85 shift rite wants around 2 grand for a fully rebuild and upgraded 42re, trans go shift kit and borg warner parts, or just take yours out and take it to a shop and have they rebuild and upgrade it

[@MuniTechnology]

My '99 Durango SLT Prem+ is the only car I've owned that I regret selling. 5.2L, 4WD, leather, 3rd row, 4 wheel ABS, factory tow, anti spin rear, rear AC and more. It was a smooth ride and unstoppable in deep snow. I did replace the transmission!

[@Inferno45]

Why did you sell it?

[@MuniTechnology]

@Inferno45 I had it for 7 years. Friends of mine asked to buy it for their son who's car was wrecked in a parking lot. That generation of Durango never had a sunroof option, and I wanted one. I also wanted to go back to driving a manual transmission, so I ordered a Subaru Forester in 2009 and I still have it.

[@Aaron.Crow512]

​@@MuniTechnology Damn you lost me at the no sunroof option. That's a must for me.

[@xFactoryUSA]

5 mpg and ball joints that go out every 5k like oil changes 😂

[@dazednconfusedrn]

@@MuniTechnologygoing from a 99 durango to an 09 forester must have been a pretty massive change lol

[@weegeemike]

My mom almost bought a Durango IDENTICAL to this unit back in '99. SLT 5.9 in Chili Pepper Red metallic. 5 year old me wanted her to buy it, I was a huge Dodge fan even back then 😂. She thought the Durango was just a little too small, she wound up buying a '99 GMC Yukon SLT with the Vortec 5.7 (350). Lots of good reliable SUV options back in the late 90s for sure.

[@bwofficial1776]

These used to be everywhere, usually in various stages of clapped-out. It's a good-looking design and unashamedly trucky. As my family had a Plymouth Voyager minivan, I always thought it was funny that the Durango had the same taillights.

[@doug6191]

8:52 - It's not. That engine dates back decades before the Daimler Debacle. 9:04 - Surprised there was no mention of the creative use of their minivan's taillights. 10:14 - The SUV market was well-defined by the time the Durango arrived for 1998. The Explorer was 8 years old. The 4Runner, too, was well into its SUV-as-a-daily-driver form. The Pathfinder was redesigned in 1996 to follow suit. Rodeos & Troopers, Monteros & Montero Sports, S-10 Blazers & Jimmys, Navigators... SUVs were in almost every new car lot & wildly popular. Durango was *late* to the game.

[@forgottenmuscletrucks]

But came with a bang!

[@TheRedSpider13]

i used to loves these.. remember seeing these brand new when I was a kid.

[@gittyupalice96]

I still have mine. And actually recently have been seeing quite a few rust free examples for sale out there in the world... might be able to pick one up.

[@doug6191]

The best generation of Durango.

[@weegeemike]

I've always really loved these Durangos...by far the best small/midsize SUV of the era in my eyes...bigger and better equipped than the Explorer and GM S10 twins...a choice of TWO V8s...and they're the best looking of all of them as well. I'd love to find a clean 5.9 equipped unit like this one ❤

[@Inferno45]

What about the grand cherokee from that time?

[@AsterixmGame]

@@Inferno45 same thing. its all mopar so they all had three V8s a v6 and the GC had an I6 in place of the v6. ftmp same vehicle i think with slight sizing changes to keep it dedicated to its "midsize SUV role" where the durango had a foot in the door of large SUVs cause of the 3rd row, but thats also negligible as it was noticeably smaller than the tahoes and expeditions

[@damilolaakanni]

You might want to look at the Dodge RamCharger. It was (in the 80's and early 90's) a competitor to the Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer (K5, not S10). It didn't sell as well as those two, so it was discontinued in the US and Canada in ~1993. However, it got another generation in Mexico (basically a two door version of this Durango). If someone has a RamCharger (either the first or second generation), please send an email to Zack so he can review it.🙏

[@keithdosik]

Have you seen the third row side facing seats in the second Gen ramcharger?

[@CJ38...]

My mom had a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. This video was nostalgic, too.

[@WildWildWeasel]

One of my school teachers had this exact same spec of Durango, and SHE STILL HAS IT. I still see her driving around my town in it to and from the local market on the weekends.

[@mumwifeteacher]

Very ahead of its time on this he interior and seating and I love how it’s still a real suv (true 4x4 and low range and rwd)

[@colesabandonedparanormalvl8]

Man. I used to have a 01 sport. I miss my Durango! It had a 4.7L with a blown headgasket. Had to get rid of it. Basic but it was a beater with a heater

[@TempoMontages]

when i was a kid my mom had a 2002 durango rt from 2002 until 2008. i loved riding in it not going to lie

[@314jrock]

I absolutely LOVED the first generation Dodge Durango when I was a kid. I remember being mad when the second generation of the Durango came out because I find the second generation very ugly. I remember going to the Auto Show in 2011 and seeing the brand new third generation Durango. I was so excited because I didn't know that Dodge was coming out with a third generation Durango and I found the third generation (and succeeding generations) to be some of the best looking SUVs on the market.

[@cleantoronto3658]

Rented one in that era because it was all they had left when I go there. Was brutal for mileage in the city. 20l/100KM (11MPG). I'll never forget that.

[@TwoDollarGararge]

It's effectively Ava from the 60s, with some fuel injection bolted on

[@fabianboesch96]

I remember my dad always had to fill it up when I was a kid at the gasstation😂 but it was fun. One time in Winter it snowed like crazy over night in Switzerland. So many cars got stuck in the snow going uphill and we flew pass them😂 fully loaded 5 passengers and suitcases.

[@fabianboesch96]

My dad had exactly the same car in grey here in Switzerland will never forget this car part of my childhood ❤ he never had any issues with this car

[@dave11686]

So sweet to see one in decent condition

[@jazzkillorin5933]

My first car is an 03 first gen slt* with the 4.7 v8 fully loaded. Paid 2500 for it and it has a quarter million on it. Though it has high miles it was extremely well taken care of

[@jessekuchinski1172]

Dad would let me drive his brand new Ram in 1998 and i felt like a baller cruising around in that. Quite the change from my 88 s10 "4tech" but i miss that s10 too

[@form109]

Got a chance to test drive one of these a few months ago. Had some friends who were selling one. Was really impressed with how it felt on the road. It rode better than any blazer or explorer I've ever been in. The 5.2 had eager power as well.

[@davinp]

This Durago looks like new. Chrysler didn't have reliable transmissions in the 1990s

[@jacobyo99]

My grandma had a 2003 Durango SLT Plus 5.9. Loaded to the gills, heated leather seats, automatic/full time 4WD. It had 230k when she traded it in and it never broke down and surprisingly never had transmission problems despite towing boats and such.

[@forgottenmuscletrucks]

A lot of people forget the rt firango and the jeep limited 5.9 were 2 of the fastest suv's on the market!

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Drove 1 once, cranked the steering wheel & hope wind caught the sail, truly a land barge!

[@Dankcatvacs]

Excessive oil consumption... Was the intake plenum replaced? Those magnum engines are work horse tanks. I think that those are better engines than the hemis. My dad's rocking his 94 dakota 5.2 343k won't quit

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool, My Dad dad a 2002 4.7 l v8, I enjoyed driving it. Good menories. 😀

[@JohnDoe12515]

Aaaaah 3:10 that rust 😢

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

11:25 There were chimes in the 90s??

[@CentralPALocos]

I have a 2001 (post refresh) model with a 4.7 sitting at 225k. My parents bought it in 2003 and I basically spent my entire life liking it and wanting it. My dream came true in 2019 when I bought it as my first car.

[@nonoiscool98]

My parents bought one like that except it has the brown cloth. Otherwise identical 5.9, Red. 4x4 etc... 25 years later I still own it, you don't see many of these that are well cared for. Mine is having some clear coat issues, so hopefully I will get the money to fix it someday. Thankfully no major rust since it has been west most of its life so far. The ride is harsh and they drove like trucks lol. The Durango really does have that righed truck like feel. That lacks in modern CUV SUVs that everyone basically drives now. Well I really feel the same way too about the sounds of the chimes. Everytime I hear it I am immediately brought back to my child hood. I really hope to keep mine, one day these things will be collectible classics in good shape lol.

[@WarthogRacer]

Yes! My dad bought a 1998 brand new!

[@TheStumpSitters]

I recently bought a super clean 99 Durango has mechanical issues but is the same gold brown color as my high school one. And I’m currently doing a full restoration on it just because of nostalgia..

[@michaelantuna3648]

Finally!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!

[@ralphabreu5022]

FIAT/Dodge till like this day still has transmission issues. I had a 2016 Dodge Durango my transmission blew at 6700.00 miles The dealership fixed it and the Durango has the same transmission as all the Jeeps Dodge and minivans The transmission is their weakest point. I got rid of it at 28 k

[@RemnantSRT440]

I've always like this generation Dodge Pick Up and SUV. I bought myself a 2002 Dodge Durango SLT+ with a 5.9 lt V8. Horrible MPG, but man, when it hauled or carried stuff, it always pulled through. Then gas was $5 a gallon and I was like nope I need something more economical. I miss it. Marroon with silver trim

[@DaniTheNachoPirate]

I'm not talking shit, I think the current Durango is an awesome looking vehicle. This, however, is the coolest of any generation Durango model. The OGD

[@chadmay6346]

This v8 has a ton of go power

[@zootedgamecube]

I desperately wish that Dodge will someday wake up and make the Durango a proper 4x4 SUV again and revive the old “big rig” styling from the 90s. It’s lost all of its rugged capability and devolved into another generic 3 row crossover. Might as well just be an AWD Pacifica with goofy stripes. These had so much more character in comparison. I feel the same way about the modern Blazer, Grand Cherokee, and Nissan Pathfinder. The proclaimed “era of the SUV” sure has lost a lot of true SUVs to crossover-ism. It’s a real shame new things can’t just be simple and durable.

[@richards8872]

That rust lol. My mom had a ‘99 SLT 4x4 but had the 4.7 Magnum. It looked brand new even at 140,000 miles. She went to a ‘10 Malibu LTZ with the 3.6 but she still missed her Durango

[@JerryNoel-th7wh]

I had a 2001 Durango with 5.7 hemi that I regret getting rid of all the time, had heated seats

[@Just1American1966]

I have a 2000 Dakota Quad-Cab, and it would definitely be cool to have a matching Durango to go with it (though I'd really like to have a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9, the only model JGC in which that engine was available.)

[@SnarkyRC]

It's good to see that you spell your name correctly.

[@mikeperry6794]

When it was a truck, not a crossover.

[@Holy_VHS_Tape]

I just bought exact same kind. I hope its a good vehicle.

[@MrJayrock620]

It’s not powered by Mercedes, the 5.9L V8 is the same LA block from the early 70’s

[@theramquest4advanture.]

I have a '97 Ram 1500 with a 5.9 360 V8 auto and so far it has 298,125 miles and still going strong. With the original engine and trans, I've owned it for a little over 10 years and have put 106,000 miles on it myself. The first thing I did when I got the truck was flush out the trans fluid and then with the new fluid I put a can of Trans X and a can of Lucas Trans Fix in it. I flushed out about a gallon of fluid at a time and with each flush over years I would put in a new can of each of stuff I was talking about each time. Then I put an external trans cooler on it because I don't think the radiator trans cooler is enough to keep the trans fluid cool enough. So now I have 2 external trans coolers on my truck and I've put 106,000 miles on it so far. So if you take care of them they will last, but if you don't change the trans fluid then how can they last?!

[@theramquest4advanture.]

Oh I have an update video of my truck on my channel on here. I'm not as good a review as this channel but still trying to get started on here.

[@theramquest4advanture.]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4OTqXdon8tobrMsi=JgPZSSd2YO0gXcVD

[@Janoodle]

Gotta know where you got your external trans coolers from cuz I’m literally trying to buy one of these

[@theramquest4advanture.]

@@Janoodle I bought one at Advanced Auto Parts, can't remember what I gave for it but it's probably more now. Can't remember where I got the other one, I would shop around might look up some on eBay or Amazon one, might find them cheaper. Update on my truck it has 301,800+ miles on it now and still going strong. Not sure how long it will last but I'm going to drive it until it won't run anymore or I can't drive anymore.

[@AsterixmGame]

Daimler Chrysler was a Mercedes and Chrysler Dodge Jeep partnership, back in the 90s and 00s until fiat bought dodge, so all the magnum engines and transmissions were manufactured by dodge in part with mercedes, so they shared a lot of similarities and faults all together, in my opinion the best era for these vehicles (biased cause I own one and its been a one family car.) but they were admittedly not the best for a few reasons. my 02 5.9 leaks coolant like a sieve and I've been chasing that leak for years. Otherwise just like any vehicle, maintain it and do all the regular services and it should last a lifetime.

[@wranglercody8422]

I had a 01’ with the 4.7. 4wd leather every option on the list. Unfortunately the 4.7 was absolute junk and it ended the truck.

[@HenrySchecker]

Not your fault, really isnt. But the only way a 25 year old Durango is worth $7k is if its got $7k in cash in the trunk.

[@doug6191]

hahahahahaha. so original. this guy is comedy gold. i hope you get all the likes this deserves. 🙄

[@kc0lif]

great car.

[@LuisBarucUreñaMaldonado]

Let me check this out while im at lunch

[@erich84502a]

Gas milage wasnt good. Power was enough for the 5.2 and 4.7 but it needed better differential gears and maybe a trans retool or kit

[@DavesLife100]

My dad leased a 2000 Silver dodge Durango SLT with the running boards, and V8 Bad as$ car. I remember driving off the lot with him, me sitting in the front passenger seat, no car seat or booster only the seat belt. Too bad engine siezed at 45,000 miles from no oil changes. 😮

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

A friend of mine has one a lot like that, but hers is green.

[@Crispychicken4u]

The best looking of the Durangos .. but I swear they must of come off the assembly line with no rust protection and l couldn’t get pass the 12 mpg

[@christophersmith1155]

GD bless you. You are living the life.

[@trevorzehren139]

That Mercedes sticker might indicate a Durango with a 4.7 sohc v8 that Mercedes provided Dodge with.

[@Thankyou_3]

Chicago vehicles rust very fast, why would anyone pick up a used vehicle from there.

[@craigbates178]

Google says 245hp, it can't be that easy to get so little out of a 5.9

[@damilolaakanni]

One could reason that they went for reliability over performance, but it wouldn't make sense. Toyota's truck/SUV V8 at the time (2UZ-FE) made almost as much power from a much smaller displacement (4.7) but was equally as reliable, if not more reliable as the Magnum 5.9.

[@brandondannys-menary3678]

@@damilolaakannithey had decent torque, but was paired to a glass transmission lol. You can get good power with aftermarket support though.

[@Carlo_1998]

I want to hellcat swap one of these Durangos with the new hellcat Durango motor and interior

[@jessekuchinski1172]

Bullet proof motor. Thirsty but trusty

[@calvin4319]

This might be my favorite gen of Durango. Screw the SRTs and stuff I’d rather have this.

[@landonbrewer110]

I have a 35,000 origanal mile 2000 R/T if you would want to review, located in washington state

[@kiraleaf]

I can't really say anything good about Dodge vehicles from this time period. If you see one out and about, I guess it hasn't rusted and fallen apart yet.

[@appliancealliance4444]

Exactly anyone here is just a fanboy. Scroll up and see my story. Google the reviews and see all the complaints from early on. Everyone here kept theirs because either they had good luck or completely turned a blind I to what a pile of shit this vehicle was for its time.

[@kevinheneghan74]

I love a Does shifter to turn on a 4 Wheel Drive is Less maintenance. Old school shifter is best. I miss have a 2001 Nissan Xterra xe V6 have shifter to turn on a 4wd high I miss this System so much

[@placeholdertag]

Number 45

[@christophkross5285]

fuck I love mopar 💯❤️

[@appliancealliance4444]

I had mine towed to the junk yard less than a year after the owner paperwork being placed under my name. Don’t care what anyone says, biggest piece of Crap we’ve ever owned since the day of purchase 3/2006. In and out of the shop by 2007 for numerous issues including the dreaded oil pressure/oil sludge issues. Techs could never fully fix the issue until engine blew, began smoking and left us stranded on the side of the road on our way home from vacation 02/2012 at 112,000 Miles!!! In 2017 the transmission went at 147,000 miles. By 06/22 at roughly 172,000 transmission began slipping AGAIN!!! In between numerous other issues, suspension, water pumps, oil pressure switch, door issues, leaks, it was rusting from the inside out, oh and did I mention the new/rebuilt engine was capable of slowly burning oil?!?! At 177,000 ON THE FRAME I had this POS towed to the scrap yard. Never again will I own another Dodge product. Only reason why it lasted as long as it did was because parents sunk 10s of thousands of dollars into this silver painted rusty dumpster on tires.

[@theowl2044]

first

[@2H2521]

Junk!

[@fabianboesch96]

No

[@성태김-c1w]

Russia 🇷🇺

[@bwofficial1776]

What about it?

[@CentralPALocos]

Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@Alzi79]

I'm from Poland and I have a Durango, I love this car