1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WITH LESS THAN 55,000 MILES TWO (2) UPPER BALL JOINTS, TWO (2) LOWER BALL JOINTS AND TWO (2) INNER BRACKETS HAVE ALL GONE BAD.*AK

1999 DODGE DURANGO. DURING ANNUAL STATE VECHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION, UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS (LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES)WERE IDENTIFIED AS APPROACHING THE SAFETY WEAR LIMITS. EVEN THOUGH THE WEAR IS PREMATURE AT 49199 MILES, I ELECTED TO REPLACE ALL BALL JOINTS WITH ONES WHICH CONTAIN A ZERK ( GREASABLE) FITTING. VEHICLE WAS FRONT END WAS ALIGNED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. CAUSE IS DUE TO OEM INSTALLED BALL JOINTS WHICH ARE NON GREASABLE. REMOVED DEFECTIVE UNITS WERE RETAINED IN HOPES OF A SAFETY RECALL. COST OF REPAIR WAS $686.29. *AK

WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM V & H FORD INC, MARSHFIELD, WI. IN JUNE 2003. THE NEXT DAY AFTER I GOT IT I STARTED IT & IT STARTED TO SQUEAL. MY HUSBAND NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING AS WELL. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FAN CLUTCH & SERPENTINE BELT WERE SHOT, AS WELL AS A LITTLE LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION. THEY PUT SOME KIND OF SEALER ON IT & CONTINUED TO LEAK. (ALSO DURING ALL OF THIS TIME, OUR RPM'S KEPT JUMPING.) AFTER THE 3RD TIME, THEY SAID THEY DID A FACTORY AUTHORIZED REPAIR & PUT WHAT WAS REFERRED TO AS A "COCK RING" IN IT TO SEAL IT. THIS SEAMS TO HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THIS. THEN WHEN THE TRUCK WAS PUT IN REVERSE IT KEPT CLUNKING, THE U-JOINTS WENT OUT NEXT, THEN THE LATCH BROKE ON OUR GLOVE BOX. MEANWHILE THE RPM'S KEEP JUMPING, IT HAS BEEN BACK IN THE SHOP A TOTAL OF PROBABLY 7 TO 8 TIMES SO FAR. OUR SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & FLASHED THE CODE OF FUEL INJECTOR #8, WHEN IT WAS PUT THROUGH THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST, HOWEVER WE ARE LEARNING THIS IS STILL NOT THE PROBLEM. LAST WEEKEND I WAS GOING TO PUT THE TRUCK IN THE GARAGE. I PUT IN DRIVE, AND IT TOOK OFF ON ME WITHOUT ME EVEN TOUCHING THE GAS. IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES NOW WHILE ON THE ROAD. NOW FOR THE PAST WEEK, WHEN YOU LEAVE A STOP SIGN, IT WILL SHIFT ONCE AND STAY AT ABOUT 3000 - 3500 RPM AND WILL NOT SHIFT UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO STOP. WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP THE TROTTLE STICKS AND THE TRUCK WANTS TO GO. WE ARE AT LOSS WHAT TO DO. WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY PURCHASED A LEMON THAT IT A HAZARD TO BE ON THE ROAD. TO TRADE IT IN OR TRY TO SELL IT OUTRIGHT SEEMS TO BE A CRIME, BECAUSE WE KNOW THE HORRIBLE THINGS WRONG WITH IT. I AM CERTAIN THAT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MY HUSBAND & I AND OUR 2 CHILDREN ARE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED BY THE SPURATIC BEHAVIOR OF THIS DANGEROUS VEHICLE. PLEASE ADVISE US WHAT TO DO. IS THERE A LEMON LAW OR ANY THING THAT CAN HELP US. MEANWHILE, WE ARE STUCK MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS . *AK

BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. AND THEY POINTED OUT THE THE BOTH BALL JOINT (UPPER AND LOWER) AND CONTROL ARM WHERE LOOSE AND NEEDED REPLACE. I TOOK MY 99 DURANGO IN DO TO THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE GETTING A LOT DURANGO'S IN WITH THE SAME LOOSE BALL JOINT PROBLEM. I WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEALER THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 67K MILES. THANKS. *AK

WE BOUGHT OUR DODGE DURANGO WITH ABOUT 31,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER A FEW MONTHS AROUND 49,000 MILES WE REPLACED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS AT A PRICE OF $600.00. WE ARE NOW AT 67,000 MILES AND WE ARE NEED OF REPLACING THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. AROUND 60,000 MILES WE HAD TO GET THE FRONT EVAPARATOR CORE REPLACED. THIS HAS ALSO HAD US TO PAY OUT ANOTHER $900.00 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *AK

RIGHT UPPER CONTROL ARM CAME LOOSE CAUSING POPPING, BINDING AND STEERING CONTROL PROBLEMS. ALSO, UPPER AND LOWER RIGHT BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION REPAIRED AT 73,600 MILES. NOW TWO WEEKS AFTER, THE LEFT FRONT IS DOING THE SAME AND NEEDS REPAIRING. ALSO, HAVING OTHER SQUEAKING AND GRINDING SOMEWHERE IN THE SUSPENSION THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED WHAT IS CAUSING IT. IT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A WRECK. *LA

VEHICLE'S FRONT END VIBRATED AT SPEED OF 30 MPH AND FASTER. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WERE REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE03032. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THERE WAS LOUD INTERMITTENT CLICKING AND CLUNKING NOISE FROM UNDER THE FRONT END WHILE DRIVING NORMAL STREETS AND SPEEDS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. THEY SAID THE FRONT END, INCLUDING THE BALL JOINTS, LOOKED LIKE IT HAD NEVER BEEN LUBED. THEY LUBED IT, AND THE NOISE WENT AWAY. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD THIS SHOP PERFORM THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED PERIODIC LUBE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEM. PRIOR TO THIS, I HAD USED QUICK LUBE SERVICE COMPANIES PERIODICALLY AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. ALL THE QUICK LUBE SHOPS PRODUCED COMPUTER PRINTOUT DOCUMENTATION DURING THE SERVICE INDICATING THAT THERE WERE NO GREASE FITTINGS (ZERKS) FOR THE BALL JOINTS, ETC., AND THEREFORE NO LUBE WAS EVER PERFORMED. I HAVE SOME SUCH DOCUMENTATION ON FILE AT HOME. THIS ALL LEADS ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE DURANGO BALL JOINT FAILURES MAY HAVE BEEN MORE OF A MAINTENANCE/SERVICE SYSTEM MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE MANUFACTURER AND THE QUICK LUBE SHOPS, RATHER THAN A DEFECT OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

WHEN TURNING RIGHT/LEFT THERE IS A CLICKING/SQUEAKING AND POPPING NOISE COMING FROM UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AT 73,000 MILES. *AK

AT 66,510 MILES BOTH UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND BOTH INNER TIRE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS AGO AND THEY TOO HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK