1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

PURCHASED MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO IN JULY 1999. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP IN LITTLE ROCK AT THE SERVICE INTERVALS THAT CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS IN THEIR SERVICE MANUAL. I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY DURANGO AT 51,492 MILES WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE. THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER SAID I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET ALONG WITH #7 INJECTOR BEING BAD. SO A NEW PLATINUM GASKET, #7 INJECTOR AND INJECTOR SERVICE WAS DONE AT A COST TO ME OF $814.72. AT 52,085 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. AGAIN INTO THE DODGE SERVICE DEPT. ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT NOW THE ENGINE COMPUTER IS BAD (PCM213) AND WILL BE REPLACED UNDER DODGE'S 80,000 MILE WARRANTY. MY THINKING AT THIS POINT WAS THAT IF THE COMPUTER WAS GIVING OUT FALSE INFORMATION AT 51,492 MILES THEN PERHAPS MY $814.72 BILL FOR A NEW PLATINUM GASKET WASN'T JUSTIFIED. OF COURSE, THE SERVICE DEPT. ASSURED ME THAT THESE REPAIRS WERE INDEED NECESSARY AT THE TIME. AT 53,628 MILES I GREW CONCERNED ABOUT UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS BEING BAD ON MY DURANGO AFTER WATCHING A CBS NEWS REPORT. AS I WAS PLANNING A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP FOR THE HOLIDAYS, I HAD THE SERVICE DEPT. EVALUATE THE BALLS JOINTS BEFORE I LEFT, AND SURE ENOUGH, MY DURANGO NEEDED UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND A RIGHT TIE ROD. BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM CAN BE SO DANGEROUS I WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO TAKE ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION ON MY TRIP. NEW PARTS WERE ORDERED AND THE DODGE SERVICE DEPT. REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES AND A RIGHT TIE ROD ARM AT A COST TO ME OF $952.10 PLUS A $57.82 DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO TELL US THESE PARTS WERE BAD IN THE FIRST PLACE. I FEEL THAT MY VEHICLE IS UNRELIABLE AND NOT ONE THAT I CAN DEPEND ON IN THE FUTURE. THESE ARE SAFETY DEFECTS THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE FIXED AT NO COST TO ME. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE ANYMORE. *LA

THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED PARTIALLY. THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED FULLY, AS A RESULT THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER RECEIVED HEAD INJURY'S AND BROKEN LEGS. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. *JB

WE HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR 1999 DODGE DURANGO. WE HAVE HAD THE PCM GO IN 2003, LUCKILY MY WIFE DID RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL AND IT WAS COVERED. THE FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINTS ARE BLOWN AND NOW OUR DEALERSHIP HAS INFORMED US THAT WE NEED TO SPEND $5100.00 TO REPAIR THE ENGINE DUE TO THE OIL PUMP IS BLOWN. THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE IF MY WIFE ATTEMPTS TO DRIVE THE DURANGO. THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THREAD HERE SINCE MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ABOUT ARE THE SAME COMPLAINTS WE HAVE. *LA

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT FRONT END SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, INCLUDING BALL JOINTS. *AK (UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS) *SC THE CONSUMER STATED THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AT 33,000 AND NEEDS TO REPLACED AGAIN AT 59,000. *JB

WHEN DRIVING, BRAKING OR GOING OVER BUMPS, THE BALL JOINTS WOULD MAKE A POPPING NOISE. *AK *SC *JB

THE DRIVER HAD PROBLEMS STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN. THE DEALER REPLACED THEM. *NM *SC *JB

I HAD TO REPLACE ALL BALL JOINTS ON A 1999 DURANGO THAT HAD ONLY 73,000. MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC SAID HE SEES THIS FREQUENTLY ON DURANGOS. HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS USUALLY DOES NOT HAPPEN AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. TH HUB AND THE BEARING ONE ONE SIDE HAD TO BE REPLCED ALSO. THE MECHANIC SAID THE WHEEL POSSIBLY COULD HAVE COME OFF HAD I NOT SPOTTED THE PROBLEM AND HAD IT FIXED. I HAVE HEARD OF MANY COMPLAINTS SIMILIAR TO THIS, SO I DECIDED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IT.*AK

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS, UPPER ARM, RIGHT INNER TIE ROD, AND ALL SWAY BAR BUSHINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR AT 56,880 MILES. COST WAS OVER $1400.00. THE SQUEAKING NOISE INDICATING THE PROBLEM WITH THE BALL JOINTS HAD BEEN NOTED SINCE 30,000 MILES BUT THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME SO THE DURANGO WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF REPAIR.

PURCHASED DURANGO IN MAY 02,AND PERFORMED REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON IT.ON 11/20/02 MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON OUR WAY TO MICHIGAN AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO 0,THE MOTOR STARTED TO KNOCK.WE WERE ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE,(WITH 5 CHILDREN),AND HAD TO FIND A PLACE TO PULL OVER BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD BLOW.THIS WAS ODD WITH ONLY 46300 MILES ON THE MOTOR.LUCKILY WE WERE NEXT TO AN EXIT,WE PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE CHRYSLER GARAGE,THEY SAID DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY FURTHER YOUR OIL PUMP IS MORE THAN LIKELY BAD.THE GARAGE TOLD US THAT THERE HAD BEEN SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE MOTOR WHICH CLOGGED THE PICKUP TUBE WHICH MADE PUMP FAIL,ALL DO TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE.THE OIL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND GOT THE VEHICLE BACK ON 1/9/03 AT THE PRICE OF $350.90.THE VEHICLE STIL HAD A TAPPING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS THE LIFTERS AND IT WOULD GO AWAY.IN OCTOBER 2003,MY SISTER AND I WERE PACKING THE CAR TO GO TO MY AUNTS FUNERAL 250 MILES FROM HOME,I STARTED THE CAR TO GO, WE HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO 0,SO WE CALLED THE GARAGE AGAIN.THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN THEY WILL REPLACE THE OIL PUMP AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD 55626 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME, AND THEY TOLD US THAT THERE WAS STILL A PROBLEM WITH SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR FROM LACK OF MAINTENANCE.THEY TOLD US THEY FLUSH THE MOTOR WITH CLEAN OIL OVER AND OVER FOR TWO DAYS TO REMOVE ANY SLUDGE,FIXED MY CAR FREE OF CHARGE AND THIS TIME I HAD IT BACK IN A WEEK.JANUARY 18,03 AT 11:00 PM I WAS PICKING UP MY HUSBAND FROM WORK AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS AT ZERO.THE GARAGE SAID TO BRING IT IN AND THEY WOULD ONCE AGAIN CHANGE THE OIL PUMP, FREE OF CHARGE, BUT STILL CONTINUE TO TELL ME THAT THERE IS STILL PROBABLY SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR,DUE TO LACK OF AMINTENANCE AND THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN ALL IT.THE MILEAGE NOW STANDS AT 58300. 300 MILES AWAY FROM THE NEXT OIL CHANGE.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT UNKNOWN SPEED CONSUMER SAW VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE, AND NOTICE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS WORN OUT. *AK