Press Kit: 2004 Dodge Durango

Chrysler Group engineers set high standards for the 2004 Dodge Durango’s safety with a comprehensive approach to safety that includes lowering the height of the front frame and bumper for passenger car compatibility. By verifying the protective features through severe crash tests that exceed current government and industry requirements, engineers were able to achieve a robust frame for optimal occupant security.

New from the ground up, the 2004 Dodge Durango provides innovative tapered octagonal front frame rail tips and new advanced air bag protection. The vehicle is equipped with optional side-curtain air bags that cover all three rows of seating – one of the few sport utility vehicles on the market to offer this feature.

“The Chrysler Group developed and designed the 2004 Dodge Durango with a holistic approach to safety that included stringent safety targets from the beginning,” said Frank Klegon, Vice President – Truck Product Team. “We fused the best performance characteristics and innovative safety features into one impressive vehicle package to create the all-new Dodge Durango.”

Valuable Crash Protection Benefits
Crush initiators, located on the front-end of the vehicle, activate the Durango’s new, patented octagonal front frame rail tips during an accident. The rail tips fold up like an accordion during a crash to absorb as much energy as possible in order to reduce crash forces for vehicle occupants. The Durango’s lower bumper and frame were designed to be within the height and level as passenger car bumper zones.

Chrysler Group was one of the first companies to introduce side-curtain air bag technology to cover all three rows with the 2004 Chrysler Pacifica. That innovation continues with the Dodge Durango, one the first SUVs available with this safety feature.

The Durango also is one of the first Chrysler Group vehicles to offer an advanced air bag with an occupant classification system for the front occupants. This new system determines the conditions for air bag deployment based on occupant weight. This advanced system is designed to meet government requirements. Regardless of the type of air bag, the safest place in any vehicle for children 12 years old and under is in the back seat.

The first line of defense in an impact are the seat belts. Durango’s front seats are equipped with constant force retractors and seat belt pretensioners. Pretensioners tighten the seat belt to keep the occupant in place while constant force retractors balance the load on the upper body reducing injuries from excessive seat belt forces. Three point seat belts and head restraints are installed in every seating position including the second and third row center occupants. The driver’s side is also equipped with BeltAlert – a new enhanced seat belt reminder system that periodically activates a chime and illuminates a light in the instrument cluster to remind the driver to buckle up.

“Collectively, Dodge Durango’s structure, features and extensive testing help provide a cocoon of protection to absorb energy and deflect it away from passengers in a crash,” said Mike Cairns, Senior Manager – Vehicle Development. “For instance, the energy absorbing steering column is designed to take energy away from the driver’s chest in the event of a crash.”

Safety engineers evaluated the Dodge Durango with tests beyond current government requirements such as 40 mph front offset and 50 mph rear impact-tests. The 40 mph front impact simulates a high speed vehicle-to-vehicle crash while the 50 mph offset rear-impact test measures fuel system integrity when the vehicle is hit at high speeds on the side nearest the fuel tank.

Handling and Stability Refinements
During its development, the Dodge Durango was evaluated in a wide range of tests to maximize control in hazardous and challenging conditions and to provide excellent handling and stability capabilities.