1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

FRONT END SUSPENSION SQUEAKS HORRIBLY. EMBARRASSING TO DRIVE AT TIMES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I NEED TO HAVE BOTH UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS/ BALL JOINTS REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. BY VIEWING THE COMPLAINTS FILE I SEE THIS IS COMMON AND DON'T SEE THE SENSE IN REPLACING THEM ONLY TO HAVE THEM GO BAD AGAIN. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS SUV AND STOP GIVING THEIR CONSUMERS GRIEF. WHY WAIT FOR FATALITIES!!

IN JANUARY OF 1999 I PURCHASED A 1999 DODGE DURANGO. NOT MORE THAN ONE YEAR LATER, I STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A ROUGHNESS IN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL AND THE TIRE WOULD WEAR UNEVENLY. I HAD WHEEL ALIGNMENTS AND BALANCES DONE WITH NO CHANGE IN THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO BAUM BLVD. DODGE IN PITTSBURGH PA AS MY PRIMARY SERVICE CENTER. THEY CHECKED THE PROBLEM OUT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND CLAIM THAT THEY COULD NOT DETECT A PROBLEM. I CONTINUED TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED EVERY SEVERAL MONTHS AND DEALT WITH THE ROUGHNESS THAT I FELT IN WHEEL. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. I BEGAN TO TAKE THE CAR TO ANOTHER REPUTABLE SERVICE CENTER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE BALL JOINT AND THE COST OF THE REPAIR COULD VARY FROM $700.00-$1,700.00. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED AT THIS TIME.

AFTER MY FIRST WEEK OF BUYING THIS DODGE DURANGO I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE, IT SEEMS THE FRONT END TWO WHEELS KEPT ON JUMPING AND I COULD NOT STOP IT. IT WAS NOT IVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BUT I HAD TO JUMP IN ANOTHER LANE WHICH I COULD HAVE HURT SOMEONE. I DID JERK MY NECK AND HAD TO TAKE SOME IBURFROFEN FOR AWHILE. IT ALSO SEEMS THE BRAKES ARE REAL TOUCHY. I HAD MY DURANGO FOR TWO YEARS AND STILL AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE ITS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. I ALSO WITNESS ANOTHER PERSON THIS WEEK DRIVING HER DURANGO WELL AS SHE TURNED THE CORNER SHE LOST CONTROLL OF HERS ALSO AND I TOLD MY DAUGHTER THATS WHAT HAPPEN TO ME MY FIRST TIME DRIVING MINE, IM GLAD I HAD A WITNESS BECAUSE NO ONE BELEIVED ME WHEN I TOLD THEM MY STORY. ANYWAY I BELEAVE ITS THE FRONT SUSPENSION YOU HAVE TO BE REAL CAREFULL WHEN YOU TURN AND BRAKE. THANKS FOR LISTENNING TO ME. OH YEAH MINE IS A 1999.*AK

NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE03032 NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER : N/A MAKE : DODGE MODEL: DURANGO MANUFACTURER : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION YEAR : 1999 COMPONENT : SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO WERE TOTALLY UNSERVICEABLE WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES. THE RIGHT FRONT WAS SO BAD, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN REMARKED THAT HE WAS SURPRISED THAT THE WHEEL DID NOT FALL OFF. I HAD THE VEHICLE ALIGNED AT SEARS TWICE IN TWO DAYS AND THE VEHICLE STILL WANDERED SO I HAD A THIRD ALIGNMENT DONE (THIRD IN 8 DAYS) AND THERE WAS OVER 1 INCH OF MOVEMENT FROM THE UPPER BALL JOINT.

POOR BRAKES WITH THE 2 WHEEL ABS SYSTEM AT DODGE DURANGO 1999. THE BREAKING POWER IS MAINLY ON REAR TIRES, AND WHEN THEY LOCK UP THE ABS SYSTEM RELEASE THE BRAKES WHICH RESULT IN AN NOT ACCEPTABLE BRAKING LENGTH, ESPECIALLY AT SLIPPERY SURFACE AND/OR BAD TIRES. THIS IS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF 2 WHEEL ABS SYSTEM TOGHETER WITH THE MAIN BRAKING POWER ON THE REAR TIRES, I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE CHECKED, IT IS IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AT THE DURANGO, POORLY DESIGNED BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET DUE TO THIS, BUT I AM AFRAID IT MIGHT HAPPEN EVEN THOUGH I DRIVE EXTRA CAREFULLY BECAUSE I AM AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK

1999 DODGE DURANGO. JUST REPLACED BALL JOINTS AND INNER TIE ROD ENDS DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR IN ONLY 65000 MILES. A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR NOT ONLY MYSELF BUT MY NEWBORN AND 3 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR WITH ME. APPARENTLY THERE IS A TSB OUT ON THIS BUT CHRYSLER NEEDS TO CONCIDER A RECALL.*AK

ON DECEMBER 27, 2002 I BROUGHT MY DODGE DURANGO TO JUST CRUISIN, INC TO HAVE MY ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION PERFORMED. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO OUT OF SPECIFICATION CONDITIONS ON MY FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE HAD 62,810 MILES AT THE TIME OF THIS INSPECTION. THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THEY BELIEVED THIS TO BE A PREMATURE WEARING OF THE PARTS. ON 1/17/03, THE ORDERED PARTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED, AND I HAD THEM REPLACED. JUST CRUISIN REMOVED AND REPLACED BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS, THE LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT, AND BOTH INNER TIE ROD ENDS. I DID NOT NOTIFY CHRYSLER OF THIS PROBLEM YET. TODAY, I READ AN ARTICLE REGARDING 4 ACCIDENTS AND 81 COMPLAINTS OF PREMATURE WEAR ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF DODGE DURANGOS AND DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. I ALSO INTEND TO CONTACT CHRYSLER REGARDING RECOUPMENT OF MY EXPENSES. BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE REPLACED W/ FACTORY PARTS, I PROBABLY WILL STILL NEED TO REPLACE W/ THE REDESIGNED PARTS WHEN THEY COME OUT.

CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT END. TOOK TO DEALER IN LOS BANOS, CA. HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY. DEALER WILL CHANGE UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

UPPER LEFT & LOWER RIGHT BALL JOINT FAILED TO PASS PA INSPECT AT 15,000 MILES (1ST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW). THE UPPER LEFT BALL JOINT WAS VERY CLOSE TO FAILURE AT TIME OF INSPECTION. AT 32,000 THE LOWER LEFT & UPPER RIGHT BALL JOINTS WHERE REPLACED DUE TO FAILING INSPECTION. CURRENTLY A 62,000 ON VEHICLE AND SEEING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON FIRST REPLACEMENT INTERVAL.

I HAVE A 1999 DODGE DURANGO. THE BALL JOINTS WRE OUT AND I HAD THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL FALL OFF WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I SPENT SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIRS AT A DODGE DEALERSHIP. HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL OR OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS? THANKS, KENNETH LOWRIE