1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

BALL JOINTS HAVE WORN ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO. AN $850 REPAIR WAS NECESSARY. AT ONLY 75K THIS KIND OF MAJOR REPAIR SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. A GENTLEMAN AT THE TIRE DEALER WHERE I HAD MY TIRES REPLACED INDICATED HE SEES PROBLEMS WITH THESE DURANGOS ALL OF THE TIME. ALL OF THE PROBLEMS HE SEES ARE RELATED TO WORN BALL JOINTS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING UP A STEEP INCLINE WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE AN ADDITIONAL 3 MILES BEFORE IT WAS SAFE TO STOP VEHICLE. CONSEQUENTLY, ALL THE ENGINE OIL HAD LEAKED OUT, CAUSING ENGINE TO "BLOW UP".*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR TIRE ALIGNMENT. DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER COULD NOT SERVICE DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR OF BALL JOINTS.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN TURNING CORNERS HEARED A "CLUNKING" NOISE, AND EXPERIENCED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS FRONT SUSPENSION FAILURE, AND REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS, INNER SWAY BAR AND BUSHINGS.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. MECHANIC ADVISED CONSUMER COULD NOT PERFORM ALIGNMENT UNTIL ALL 4 BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED DUE TO BEING EXCESSIVELY WORN. ALSO, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT BALL JOINT FAILURE HAS CAUSED THE GEAR BOX TO LEAK.*AK

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE. ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED AT OIL CHANGE WITH DEALER AT 52000. THEY SAID THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND UPPER CONTROL ARMS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, COSTING $1700! I ASKED WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING, AND MY SERVICE ADVISOR INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURENCE ON DURANGOS. I ASKED WHY AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS WOULD NEED TYO BE DONE BUT IT WAS NOT URGENT BECAUSE IT WAN'T A SAFETY ISSUE.PROBLEM AGAIN IDENTIFIED BY DEALER AT 56000 OIL CHANGE. I HAD THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED BY A PRIVATE SHOP. I TOLD THEM I WANTED THIS FRONT SUSPENSION WORK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER SEEN A FRONT SUSPENSION FAIL AT ONLY 57K! THEY LOOKED AT IT AND DETERMINED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT HTE CONTROL ARMS WERE OK AND COULD BE REUSED. THIS DEFECT ALSO COST ME 2 TIRES AS THE SUSPENSIONS FAILURE CAUSED MY TWO FRONT TIRES TO 'CUP'. DATE OF INCIDENT IS THE DATE OF THE REPAIR: 6/21/03 . *AK

THE VEHICLE DRIFTS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THE BALL JOINTS ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE GARAGE MECHANIC TOLD ME HE HAS SEEN ALOT OF THIS. HE PUT THE VEHICLE UP ON THE RACK AND SHOWED ME HOW EASILY THE SUSPENSION COULD BE MOVED BACK AND FORTH. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD ,AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON ROAD, NOT OFF ROAD. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE AND THE $900 I WAS QUOTED TO FIX IT.*AK

I SEE THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL ON DODGE DURANGO'S 1998-2003 FOR A FAILURE OF AN UPPER BALL JOINT ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION.*AK OUT OF THE BLUE ON MY LAST INSPECTION, I HAD AN UPPER BALL JOINT REPLACED WITH NO MENTION TO WHAT WAS WRONG, AND I HAD TO PAY FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR.

I READ ABOUT THIS IN THE NEWSPAPER, CALLED DODGE, AND FOUND OUT TEH NTSB WAS LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM.I PURCHASED A 1999 DODGE DURANGO IN FEBRUARY OF 2000, AND IT HAD 45,109 MILES ON IT. BEFORE I TOOK POSSESSION THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS (NOT SURE IF IT WAS UPPER/LOWER OR BOTH). THEN IN DECEMBER OF 2001 I WAS TOLD THEY WERE BAD, AND IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY. THEY (FOREST LAKE DODGE) REPLACED UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES, BOTH TIE ROD ENDS, AND ALIGNED IT. THE TOTAL COST TO ME WAS $1,772.63. *AK I NOW HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE STABILIZER BAR WHICH HAS COME APART ON THE DRIVERS SIDE; THIS FITTING IS LIKE A BALL JOINT. ALSO, I THINK THE FRONT END IS GETTIG BAD AGAIN.

WE OWN A 1999 DODGE DURANGO WITH 81,000. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN OCTOBER 1998. ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS AGO, OUR MECHANIC SAID, THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE GOING BAD (PREMATURELY), BUT THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO WAIT A FEW MONTHS BEFORE FIXING THEM. JUST RECENTLY WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON 1998-2000 DURANGO UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE. THE REPORTS SAY THERE WERE 4 ACCIDENTS AND 81 COMPLAINTS, WE ARE WRITING TO ADD TO THE COMPLAINT NUMBER. PLEASE NOTIFY US IF THERE IS A RECALL. THANKS.*AK