2002 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WE BOUGHT OUR 2002 DODGE DURANGO IN JANUARY OF 2008. WE HAVE GOTTEN REGULAR OIL CHANGES, AND USE ON SYNTHETIC OIL. WE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT, UNTIL SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2008. EVERYTHING WAS FINE NO WEIRD NOISES, FEELINGS OF THE TRUCK SHAKING, OR JUMPING THEN WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT ALL THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED. THE TRUCK KEPT RUNNING AS NORMAL THOUGH. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED THE OIL PRESSURE STARTED CLIMBING AGAIN, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. AS SOON AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY HOWEVER THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AND ALL THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED. FROM EVERYTHING WE HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THE FIX IS VERY COSTLY UP TO 4000.00 DOLLARS. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT FIXED AS OF YET, BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR A NEW ENGINE!!! *TR

THE LEVER FOR TILT STEERING WHEEL BROKE IN STEERING COLUMN AND STEERING WHEEL WILL NO LONGER CHANGE POSITIONS. ACCORDING TO DODGE DEALER, A NEW STEERING COLUMN IS THE ONLY REMEDY. *TR

SLUDGE IN ENGINE IN 2005 REPAIRED BY CHRYSLER THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. NOW AGAIN IN 2008 SLUDGE IN ENGINE. CAR STOPPED WHILE IN TRANSIT IN THE OFF RAMP OF MAJOR HIGHWAY. SLUDGE IN ENGINE HAS OCCURRED TWICE NOW. *TR

ADJUSTABLE LUMBAR SUPPORT ON BUCKET SEATS CAME APART AND THE ADJUSTMENT WHEEL IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. THE SEAT IS DISHED OUT IN THE BACK AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. *TR

WHILE RETURNING FROM A FAMILY VACATION(APP. 600MI. ROUND TRIP) THE DURANGO CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH, I FOUND THE TEMP GAUGE WAS HOT, WHILE LOOKING FOR A WIDE PLACE TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY THE MOTOR DIED. I OPENED THE HOOD TO TRY TO FIND THE PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS STILL FULL OF COOL FLUID, AND THE RADIATOR WAS ALSO COOL(ABOUT BODY TEMP) ALSO FOUND THE TOP RADIATOR HOSE WAS WAY TOO HOT TO TOUCH. WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK, ABOUT 30 MIN. LATER, I HEARD BUBBLING, AND GURGLES FROM THE COOLANT SYSTEM, THEN THE RADIATOR WAS REALLY HOT. AFTER HAVING THE TOW TRUCK DROP IT OFF AT MY MECHANIC, HE SAID THE MOTOR WAS BLOWN(NO COMPRESSION IN CYLINDERS 2, 4, AND 6) PROBABLY CAUSED BY A STUCK THERMOSTAT. ESTIMATED REPAIR BILL FOR A REMANUFACTURED MOTOR APP. $6,000. *TR

THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL DETACHED FROM OUR 2002 DODGE DURANGO. STEERING WAS THEN UNRESPONSIVE. WE COLLIDED WITH CENTER CEMENT WALL AND OVERTURNED 2-3 TIMES. *TR

I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE NEW IN JAN 2003. I FIRST EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM A FEW MONTHS LATER BUT IT WAS VERY OCCASIONAL AND CONSEQUENTLY COULDN'T BE IDENTIFIED BY THE DEALER. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT (USUALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED), THE ENGINE WOULD VERY BRIEFLY SHUT OFF AND THEN RESUME NORMALLY. THE BEST WAY I COULD DESCRIBE IT WOULD BE A SLIGHT 'STAGGER'. OVER THE YEARS THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AND NOW OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS IN ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS REGARDLESS OF LOAD, TEMPERATURE, WEATHER, ETC. IT NOW OCCURS AT LEAST DAILY AND SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES IN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE. OFTEN THE ENGINE WILL DIE COMPLETELY AND NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED USING THE KEY. TODAY, THE ENGINE DIED (COMPLETELY) AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND ATTEMPTING TO MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT DIED (COMPLETELY) AGAIN AS I WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH ON CITY STREETS UNDER LIGHT LOAD. IT DIED AGAIN (COMPLETELY) AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT OF A BUSINESS. DURING MY COMMUTE TO WORK IT 'STAGGERED' AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT THREE SEPARATE TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHILE UNDER MODERATE LOAD. SUFFICE TO SAY THIS IS QUITE DANGEROUS AS THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES BECOME SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DIFFICULT TO USE FOLLOWING LOSS OF POWER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 DODGE DURANGO WHEN I STRUCK THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WHO WAS SITTING IN MY LANE ( A NON-TURNING LANE) NEITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. I TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY SAID THAT THE LEFT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE IS BAD AND MAYBE THE AIRBAG, ALSO THE AIRBAG MODULE ITSELF MAY BE BAD. SAID THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE IT IS ELECTRICAL. I THOUGHT WHEN IT CAME TO SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS AIRBAGS, THAT IT WAS A FEDERAL LAW THAT THOSE ITEMS ARE FIXED FOR FREE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING, WHINING, AND HUMMING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. HE DROVE TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND A TIE ROD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V596000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT: CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT) WAS REFERENCED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE DEALER COULD NOT LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE COOLING SYSTEM HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE THE REPAIR. THE SWITCH TO OPERATE THE BLOWER MOTOR FAN ONLY WORKS ON HIGH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 07/15/08.*LJ THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. UPDATED 07/15/08.