Photo: Bring a trailer/autoevolution
Buying a used car that has previously been reported stolen presents a mix of potential benefits and risks. On the one hand, you may be looking at a lower purchase price, so budget-conscious buyers may want to check their morals at the door. On the other hand, you may find yourself dealing with legal complications, insurance issues, and a reduced resale value.
According to the listing, this 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat shared the same fate, but was fortunately recovered in May of this year. It was recently auctioned off in California, with a Carfax report, a clean Michigan title, and a replacement VIN plate from its home state. The factory-issued stickers and VIN plates have been removed.
What happened to it? Well, it did sell, but for about half the original MSRP.
When new, this super-Off-road retails for $110,280, including options. Just a few days ago, it was listed for $63,777, making it one of the cheapest used 2023 Durango SRT Hellcats on the market. Of course, it didn’t help that it already had 19,000 miles on the odometer. You can also tell by the state of the steering wheel that it hasn’t exactly been sitting in some garage.
In any case, let's take a look at the specs and see what its new owner will undoubtedly appreciate: hopefully, he or she will not experience any emotional distress due to the vehicle's history. The fact remains that some buyers may feel uncomfortable owning a vehicle with a so-called “criminal history.”
So, on the exterior front, highlights include the Destroyer Gray finish with the optional Black Package (black center stripes, metallic gray badging, black exhaust tips), a hood scoop, a front spoiler, a power moonroof, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a power tailgate, and a set of 20-inch black V-spoke wheels wrapped in 295/45 Toyo Proxes ST III tires.
This top-of-the-line Durango also features adaptive suspension and red SRT-branded Brembo high-performance calipers, with two-piece front rotors.
Photo: Bring a trailer
Moving on to the interior, you’ll find heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable front bucket seats (upholstered in Demonic Red leather with contrasting white stitching), carbon-effect trim, a Harman Karton sound system (as part of the Premium package), heated second-row bucket seats, a fold-flat third-row bench seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay connectivity and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel.
There are some scratches on the seat backs and various plastic pieces, but again, this is not a pristine SUV, which is understandable given its history.
As for performance, under the hood is a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine, good for 710 horsepower and 644 lb-ft of torque, with it all sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. Step on the accelerator and you’ll hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and cover the quarter mile in less than 12 seconds.