1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

THE SERVICE CENTER AT THE DODGE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE ONY HAS 46,000 GENTLE MILES ON IT. I BELIEVE THAT THE BALL JOINTS ARE EITHER DEFECTIVE OR HAVE BEEN DESIGNED UNDERSIZE.*AK

RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT WAS LOOSE IN MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO. HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK

OUR VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 45000 MILES ON IT AT AROUND 36000 MILES THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A OIL PRESSURE AND ENGINE FAILURE. WE WERE TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE, UNTRUE. WE HAD CHANGED OIL PROPERLY. WE REPLACED THE OIL PUMP NOT A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM WE HAD TO HAVE A OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINE BUT WERE TOLD THE PROBLEM WOULD PROBABLY STILL EXIST AND TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE AROUND 4000.00 LATER WE ARE LOOKING AT A WHOLE NEW ENGINE AND POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION AT AROUND 4000. PLUS LABOR. THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHILCE AND IT'S ENGINE TO IGNORE. WHAT WRONG WITH DODGE? SOMEONE MUST NEED TO DIE IN A ACCIDENT FOR THIS TO BE RECALLED. *AK

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I TOOK MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO IN FOR A "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE SPEED SENSOR WAS BAD, AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE INNER TIE ROD ENDS WERE WORN AND WOULD ALSO NEED REPLACEMENT. I WAS EXTREMELY SHOCKED TO HEAR THIS. AT LESS THAN 38000 MILES, THIS SUV SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH SUCH A MAJOR SUSPENSION COMPONENT. I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN TO SHOW ME WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AND HE PROCEEDED TO SHOW ME THE AMOUNT OF PLAY IN MY FRONT SUSPENSION DUE TO THIS FAULTY COMPONENT. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY THERE WAS NO GREASE FITTING ON MUCH OF THE FRONT END, HE REPLIED "THATS THE WAY DODGE DESIGNS EM" AND LEFT IT AT THAT. I OPTED TO PERFORM THE WORK MYSELF SO AS TO SAVE THE OUTRAGEOUS LABOR CHARGES HERE IN CALIFORNIA, AND ALSO TO ENSURE THAT A HIGHER QUALITY PART WAS INSTALLED THAT INCLUDED GREASE FITTINGS. SHORTLY AFTER I COMPLETED THE REPAIRS, I BEGAN SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR SIMILAR EXPERIENCES FROM OTHER DURANGO OWNERS. ALSO TO MY SURPRISE, I FOUND A SUSTANTIAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FRONT SUSPENSION ON THIS SUV, AND ALSO FOR MODELS OF OTHER YEARS. ANY AUTO MANUFACTURER WHO INSTALLS NON GREASABLE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ON AN SUV DESIGNED TO GO OFFROAD IS SIMPLY ENGAGING IN COST CUTTING MEASURES AT THE EXPENSE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS LIVES. I BELIEVE THAT MY WIFE,FAMILY AND I WERE LUCKY THAT THIS ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED EARLY AND THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR FATALITIES. IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS. ADDITIONALLY, I AM CURIOUS AS TO WHY A TECHNICIAN WOULD EVEN INSPECT THE FRONT END ON A VEHICLE THAT WAS BROUGHT IN FOR A SIMPLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. UNLESS THE TECHNICIAN EXPECTED THE DAMAGE AND NOTING THE MILAGE ON THE TRUCK, SIMPLY INSPECTED THE COMPONENTS ON HIS OWN, I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR OTHERWISE.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A OIL CHANGE AND WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. DEALER STATED THAT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS HAVE 2 INCHES OF PLAY, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. *AK UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED.*TS

THE DEALER NOTICED THAT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT AT 55,000. *AK. THE DEALER STATED THE BALL JOINT WEAR WAS NORMAL. CONSUMER DISAGREED BEING AS THOUGH HE OWNED TWO OTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLE'S WITH 127,000 AND 155,000 MILES ON THEM AND THE BALL JOINTS HAD NOT WORN OUT. *PH *JB

THERE WAS A TICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE WHEELS WERE TURNED. *AK THE CONSUMER READ NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST SIGN OF A MAJOR FRONT END PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE FRONT END PULLED EXCESSIVELY TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. ALSO, WHEN MAKING TURNS, CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD "GRINDING" COMING FROM THE FRONT END. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO BALL JOINT FAILURE. *AK THE WHINING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES. THE MARKER LIGHTS HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE WHEN PULLING OUT OF "INT" SWITCH AND THE HEAD LAMP SWITCH WAS REPLACED, AND UPON ACCELERATION, THERE WAS A PINGING NOISE IN THE PASSING GEAR. *SCC. THE TIE RODS WERE ALSO REPLACED.*JB

THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR AN ALIGNMENT, AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WOULD COST ABOUT 1,300.*AK WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE COMPLETELY CAME APART. CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE 2 SETS OF TIRES DUE TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION WEARING THE TIRES. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE TOTAL OF 4 TIRES PURCHASED. *PH *JB

VEHICLE'S LEFT REAR WHEEL SEPARATED FROM AXLE CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. *MR THE CONSUMER HAD GONE AROUND A SMALL BEND AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. AS THE CONSUMER TRIED TO STEER BACK INTO THE LANE, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO THE RIGHT LANE. THE CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE DIDN'T SLOW DOWN, INSTEAD IT WENT OUT CONTROL AND TRAVELED BACKWARDS FACING TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE HIT A BARRIER WALL OF THE BRIDGE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, BOUNCED OFF THE WALL, SPUN AROUND AGAIN, AND HIT THE BARRIER WALL AGAIN IN THE REAR LEFT SIDE. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AGAIN AND ENDED BACK ON THE INTERSTATE. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS FOUND ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. A WITNESS STATED THAT IT APPEARED AS IF THE REAR AXLE CRACKED AND THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WENT AT AN OPPOSITE ANGLE OF THE VEHICLE. *SCC *JB