Pada bulan Oktober 2001 Durán pergi ke [[Argentina]] untuk mempromosikan CD [[salsa music|musik salsa]] yang baru saja dirilisnya. Ketika di sana dia terlibat dalam kecelakaan mobil dan mengharuskannya menjalami operasi untuk menyelamatkan hidupnya. Setelah kecelakaan itu dia mengumumkan pensiun dari tinju pada umur 50 tahun.<ref name="retirement">{{cite web | title=Roberto Duran quits boxing at 50 after car crash | work=USA Today | url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/stories/2002-01-26-duran.htm |access-date=January 26, 2002}}</ref>
Saat mengumumkan pensiun, Durán citedmenyebut themasalah weightberat issuesbadan ofyang hisdialami friendtemannya, Argentinianlegenda footballsepak legendbola Argentinian [[Diego Maradona]], assebagai motivationmotivasi foruntuk gettingkembali backfit, in shapemenyatakan, stating "asMulai ofsaat now,ini Isaya amberolahraga exercisingsehingga soketika thattanda whenpenghargaan thedatang, [retirement]orang-orang honorsmelihat arrivebadan thesaya peopledalam willkeadaan see me in shapebagus. ISaya don'ttidak wantingin toterlihat [look] likeseperti Maradona did, all fatgemuk."<ref name="retirement"/>
Durán'sLima fivesabuk worldkejuaraan titlemilik belts,Durán whichyang hedidapatkannya wondi inempat fourkelas differentberbeda divisions,dicuri weredari stolenrumahnya from his house indi Panama intahun 1993 duringketika ada aperampokan robberyyang allegedlydiduga stageddilakukan byoleh hissaudara brother-in-lawiparnya, whoyang gavememberi themmereka to memorabilia seller Luis González Báez, who stood trial for trying to sell stolen goods. González Báez allegedly sold the belts to undercover [[FBI]] agents. He alleged that Durán authorized the sale of the five belts to him during a time that Durán was facing financial trouble. On September 23, 2003, a federal judge in [[Florida]] ordered the five belts returned to Durán.
His 70 wins by knockout place him in an exclusive group of boxers who have won 50 or more fights by knockout. He is ranked number 28 on ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'''s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
