1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

DURING A VEHICLE STATE INSPECTION MECHANIC FOUND THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORNOUT. ALSO THE TRANSFER CASE WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. *AK

I HEARD A SQUEAKING TYPE NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF MY CAR WHEN GOING OVER LITTLE BUMPS OR DIPS IN THE ROAD. TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD CONTROL ARM NEEDED ADJUSTING. A FEW MONTHS LATER TOOK IT BACK FOR SAME THING. TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. NOISE KEPT GETTING WORSE, SAW REPORT ON CBS EVENING NEWS REGARDING PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINTS/CONTROL ARM AND SEVERITY OF SAME. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD BOTH SIDES NEEDED COMPLETE REPLACING THEY WERE COMPLETELY WARN OUT AND THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD HAVE BEEN GREASED TO KEEP UP MAINTENANCE AND I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. *CB

AFTER SEEING THE NEWS ARTICLES ON TV, WE HAD THE BALL JOINTS ON OUR DURANGO CHECKED AND WE WERE TOLD THAT ALL FOUR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND BE ONE OF THE FATALITIES DUE TO THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WE WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THEM IN HOPES THAT THERE WILL BE A RECALL. WE REQUEST THAT YOU DO A RECALL. ALSO, THE BACK LATCH RATTLES VERY LOUDLY AND WE CANNOT MAKE IT STOP. *CB

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT SUDDENLY. WE NOTICED IT MAKING A WHINING NOISE WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THIS STOPPED WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. AFTER APPROX. TWO DAYS THE NOISE STAYED IN DRIVE. CHANGED THE FAN BELT AND CHECKED OTHER MINOR THINGS. READ MANUALS AND SUSPECTED TRANS TROUBLE, TOOK IT IN AND IT NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE PAN WAS FILLED WITH PIECES OF METAL. WE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT REPLACED AT 55,548 MILES, THIS WAS GOING ON A LONG TIME AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT TIRE WEAR.

BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE WITH 44,490 MI, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE DEALERS LOT. IT WAS FIXED AT NO COST TO ME, BUT IT CAME ON THREE MORE TIMES ON DIFFERENT DAYS. NOW THERE IS SOME KIND OF NOISE IN THE REAR END OR BRAKES, NOT ALL THE TIME THOUGH. THE FRONT TIRES WERE BAD, BUT HAD GOOD TREAD, THOSE ARE MY EXPENSE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. I HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT, BUT I MADE A BAD MISTAKE BUYING THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER DID NOT TELL ME THAT THESE VEHICLES WERE UNDER INVESTGATION BY NHTSA

WE JUST HAD THE RIGHT HUB BEARING CHANGED IN MAY 2003. NOW THE SAME BEARING IS BAD AGAIN AND THE TIE ROD ENDS ARE GOING BAD AND THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS (THESE PROBLEMS ARE ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE) IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS AN AWFUL LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR A TRUCK THAT IS ONLY 4 YRS OLD. THE EXTENDED WARRENTY I BOUGHT ON IT DOESN'T COVER ANY THING BUT THE HUB BEARINGS. WE BOUGHT THIS BECAUSE WE NEEDED A FAMILY SIZE VEHICHLE, NOW I'M AFRAID TO PUT MY KIDS IN IT.

WITHOUT ANY WARNING, AND ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 1999 DODGE 4X4, DURANGO COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, W/THE ABS AND ENGINE LIGHT ON THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DODGE DEALER FOR SERVICE. IT WAS FOUND THAT A SPEED SENSOR NEEDED REPLACING, THIS WAS DONE. APPROXIMATELY 4 DAYS LATER WHILE DRIVING ON NEW YORK AVE. IN WASHINGTON DC, THE DURANGO AGAIN COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, ON THIS OCCASION AND SUBSEQUENT ONES, NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE SHOWN, NO EVIDENCE WAS GIVEN THAT VEHICLE WAS ABOUT TO SHUT DOWN. ON THE LAST OCCASION SEPT 17, 2003 IT AGAIN SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON LEESBURG PIKE IN FALLS CHURCH VA. UNLIKE THE OTHER 2 OCCASIONS THIS TIME IT WOULD NOT RESTART, ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE ATTEMPTED TO TURNOVER. IT HAD TO BE TOWED, WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING ANOTHER DIAGNOSIC, CURRENTLY I AM AWAITING A CALL FROM THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN. ADDITIONALLY THE CAR HAS 87,256 MILES AND 3 YEARS OLD, THE BACK WINDOWS ARE NOT WORKING DUE TO A FAILED POWER HOUSING UNIT FOR THE WINDOWS. THE APPROXIMATE COST IS $500 FOR REPAIRS.

DURANGO HAS GIVEN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS INCLUDING HIGH REV BEFORE SHIFTING, AND ROUGH SHIFTING IN GENERAL.PROBLEM WILL ALWAYS OCCUR IF ALLOWED TO IDLE FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE RESUMING MOVEMENT. HAS APPEARED TO SLIP ON OCCASIONS. PINION BROKE WITH VEHICLE IN NO APPARENT STRAIN WITH VERY SLIGHT ACCELERATION ON TAKE-OFF- CAUSED MAJOR REAR END DAMAGE AS WELL AS RUINING ONE REAR AXLE. CONTACTED DODGE CONCERING PROBLEM SINCE PART BROKE WAS 1.5 INCH THICK STEEL WHICH BROKE SO SMOOTHLY, IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CUT. PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH VEHICLE 50 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN IT IS IN A JUNK-YARD! WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THAT NOTHING COULD BE COMPENSATED FOR. FORTUNATELY, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE OPEN ROAD, OR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. I FEEL DODGE SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST REIMBURSE US FOR THIS PROBLEM AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION WOES!

THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE IT ABRUPTLY STOPPED WORKING. BUT THE REAL PROBLEMS ARE WITH THE CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN DYING WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY ON THE ROAD, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO FAIL MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OUT OF HARMS WAY IF YOU FIND YOURSELF ADMIST A LOT OF TRAFFIC. ONCE THE CAR DIES IT USUALLY STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN AFTER A FEW MINUTES, BUT IT HAS BECOME SO UNPREDICTABLE THAT I'M AFRAID TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK OUT ON THE STREET! THE MILAGE NOW IS AT 48000 AND THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURING AT AROUND 40000 FIRST RARELY BUT NOW MORE FREQUENTLY.

I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE SINCE JULY 28, 2003. IT WILL WORK FOR A COUPLE DAYS THEN SOMETHING ELSE GOES WRONG. I AM PUTTING IT BACK IN THE GARAGE ON FRIDAY DUE TO MORE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAVE PUT WAY TOO MUCH MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!