1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

1998 DODGE DURANGO BALL JOINTS & CONTROL ARM UPPER AND LOWER THEY WERE FIRST REPLACED IN 2000 THEN IN 2004 AND NOW NEED TO BE REPLACED IN 2005 CONTINUOUSLY FAILS SAFETY INSPECTION VIN NO. [XXX] UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY DODGE DURANGO STARTED MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPON TURNING OR GOING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE SHOP AND THERE WAS A FAILURE OF BOTH THE UPPER BALL JOINTS AS WELL AS THE TIE-ROD ENDS, NEARLY SEPARATED. PER THE GARAGE, UNUSUAL FOR A 7 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 66,000 MILES. THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OCCURS. REPLACEMENT WILL INCLUDE BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE AND 4 TIE RODS. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR $1,100. *JB

FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. 35,661 MILES TO DATE 17,819 MILES ON WHEN UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED THE FIRST TIME. ROTHROCK MOTORS WHERE I PURCHASED IT WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANY SATISFACTION SO I WENT TO BROWN DAUB DODGE. THEY REPLACED THEM THE FIRST TIME. (07/31/01). THIS TIME ON 07/28/05 I CALLED ROTHROCK LEFT A MESSAGE AND NO ONE EVER CALLED ME BACK SO I CALLED BROWN DAUB AND THEY SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT THEM. THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THEM THIS TIME AND I WAS CHARGED $546.41 AND TOLD TO CONTACT CHRYSLER TO RECOUP MY MONEY. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE UPPER BALL JOINTS NEXT YEAR FOR INSPECTION, THEY BARELY PASSED. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED TWICE ON VEHICLE. ALSO, BOTH FRONT TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE TIRES NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE WAS AT 27,280. THE SECOND REPLACEMENT OCCURRED AT 43,908 MILES. CONSUMER STATED FRONT END WAS MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE AND WAS DRIVING DIFFERENTLY. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS SENDING THE SERVICE RECEIPTS. THERE WAS A RECALL ON DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR FOR THIS SPECIFIC COMPONENT, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN DUE TO VIN. CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THE COMPLETE ADDRESS FOR THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED.*AK REPAIR RECEIPTS ATTACHED FOR BALL JOINTS. WINDSHIELD SPRAYER SPRAYS ONE SIDE. CONNECTOR REPALCED. FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS MACHINED. *TT

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE DURANGO. VEHICLE HAS DEFECTIVE FRONT BALL JOINTS. THE VEHICLE WAS VERY UNSTABLE EACH TIME THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE MECHANIC ENCOURAGED HIM TO LET NHTSA KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE. *AK

DT: THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS PULSATED AFTER BEING BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TURNED THEM THEN THEY WORKED FINE FOR A SHORT PERIOD, THEN THEY PULSATED AGAIN. *AK

DT: CONTACT OWNED A 1998, DODGE, DURANGO. THERE WAS RECALL O4V596000 CONCERNING THE UPPER BALL JOINT. THIS RECALL WAS ONLY FOR 2000-2003 MODELS. CONTACT ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH LOWER BALL JOINTS. *AK

DT: CONTACT HAD TO GET THE UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACED WITH ONLY 67,000 MILES. ON IT. DEALER SAID THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE, AND NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED ON THAT PARTICULAR YEAR TO WARRANT A RECALL. *AK

DT: OWNER COMPLAINED ABOUT SEVERAL VEHICLE PROBLEMS. . ON ALL FOUR WINDOWS THE REGULATOR HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE. DRIVER'S SIDE HAVING TO BE REPLACED THE MOST. ALSO, LOWER BALL JOINTS / LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT, AND STEERING COLUMN HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR TIME. CURRENTLY THE UPPER RIGHT BALL JOINT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THESE HAS BEEN ONGOING ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE CONSUMER OWNED IT. CONSUMER DEALT WITH DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER, BUT CHRYSLER REFUSED TO HELP SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL. CHRYSLER WAS VERY RUDE AND HUNG UP ON THE CONSUMER. *AK

DT: ENGINE KEPT OVERHEATING. HAD TWO NEW ENGINES PUT IN THE VEHICLE, AND OVERHEATED A THIRD TIME, AND VEHICLE WAS BACK IN THE SHOP. FIRST TIME MECHANIC SAID IT WAS DUE TO OIL LEAKING. SECOND TIME DEALER GOT A USED ENGINE THAT WAS CRACKED, AND THIRD TIME WANTED TO PUT ANOTHER USED ENGINE . *AK