1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK. CONSUMER HIT HER HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL,SUSTAINING FACIAL INJURIES. DAMAGE TO FRONT END OF VEHICLE WAS $ 9000.00. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUFFERED FACIAL INJURIES. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS $ 9000.00. *AK

ONE DAY AFTER PURCHASE, REAR AXLE WENT BAD. 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, OIL GAUGE STARTED ACTING UP, WE HAD IT CHECKED WITH 2 DIFFERENT GARAGES, BOTH SAID THIS VEHICLE SHOWS SIGNS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN THE ENGINE, CRANKSHAFT IS SCORED AND ENGINE CONTAMINATED. IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ONE ESTIMATE IS OF 5,500 AND THE OTHER IS $3,500. DEALER SAYS "TOUGH LUCK" HOW IS THIS FAIR? *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR NEW TIRES TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT UPPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN LESS THAN A YEAR TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ON 7/24/01, WHILE TRAVELLING ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES NORTH OF GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS, WE ENTERED A SECTION OF ROADWAY WHERE IT HAD BEEN RAINING. OUR VEHICLE PULLED HARD RIGHT, ACROSS SEVERAL OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC. AT FIRST I TURNED INTO THE "SKID" I PERCEIVED THIS TO BE, BUT I WAS ABOUT TO GO OFF THE HIGHWAY, SO I TRIED TO CORRECT SLIGHTLY BACK TO THE LEFT, AT WHICH TIME OUR VEHICLE BEGAN SPINNING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. WE SPUN APPROXIMATELY THREE TURNS BEFORE FINALLY HITTING THE CONCRETE BARRIER BETWEEN LANES. I JUST ASSUMED THAT WE HAD HYDROPLANED BUT HAVE SINCE HEARD OF OTHER DURANGOS HAVING SIMILIAR TYPE PROBLEMS. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE DRIVEN IT IN THUNDERSTORMS, SNOW AND EVEN ICE AND NEVER HAD ANY STEERING PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS ONE INCIDENT.*AK

VEHICLE BURNED EXCESSIVE OIL PRIOR TO ENGINE SEIZE AND WE WERE TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF MILES TRAVELED ON THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS AFTER A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT KENWOOD DODGE. AS USUAL WE INQUIRED AS TO ANY FACTORY RECALLS. ON OUR WAY TO NEW HAMPSHIRE TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL FOR A RELATIVE, MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE OIL AS USUAL AND IT APPEARED TO BE FINE. NO OIL WAS ADDED AT THIS TIME. AFTER ENTERING NEW HAMPSHIRE IN THE TOWN OF PEMBROOKE, THE CHECK GAUGES LITE ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO 0. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A LOCAL AUTOZONE CAR CARE STORE AND MY HUSBAND THEN CHECKED THE OIL. THE DIPSTICK SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 QUARTS LOW AND SO AFTER SETTING FOR A SHORT WHILE OF ABOUT 35 MINUTES AND REPLENISHING THE OIL, WE PROCEEDED ON THE REST OF THE JOURNEY. AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 OR SO MILES ON THE WINDING BACK ROADS MY HUSBAND NOTICED AN ERRATIC, LOUD KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE THEN PULLED THE DURANGO TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEREBY THE KNOCKING WAS SO LOUD YOUR COULD NOT HEAR EACHOTHER TALK. HE THEN NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED AGAIN TO 0 AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. IT BANGED LOUDLY AT THIS POINT AS SMOKE SPEWED FROM THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE TRUCK. WE HAD THE DURANGO TOWED TO BONNEVILLE AND SONS DODGE IN MANCHESTER NH AND THE CONCURRED THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED. THEY HAD STATED THAT THE OIL AS WELL AS THE RADIATOR FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT AND THIS WAS UNTRUE AS WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE INSPECT THE TRUCK PRIOR TO THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND SAW NO EXTERNAL VIEWS OF ANY FLUID LEAKAGE. THE RADIATOR WAS FULL AND THE DIPSTICK WAS SEIZED IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER AS WELL AS DODGE SAID THIS WAS DUE TO LACK OF OIL CHANGES. THE OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 5-7 THOUSAND MILES REGULARLY AND WAS ONLY THREE THOUSAND MILES PAST DUE FROM IT'S LAST CHANGE. I CAN'T IN MY WILDEST DREAMS IMMAGINE THIS IS THE RESULT OF OIL THAT WAS IN THE BLOCK AT THE TIME. WE DID FIND OUT HOWEVER THAT THIS IS COMMON.*AK

UPPER BALL JOINT WEAR, MISDIAGNOSED AND NOT FIXED UNDER WARRENTY. DODGE HAS REDESINGED REPLACEMENT PARTS TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DEFECT, HOWEVER, NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I BELIEVE THIS CONSTITUTES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD TO THE 1999 DODGE DURANGO. POSSIBLY COULD LEAD TO STEERING FAILURE AND ROLL-OVER RISK.*AK

ACCORDING TO THE DEALER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO (NORTH STAR DODGE), THE FUEL TANK BUCKLED, AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID THE FUEL TANK IS ON BACKORDER NATIONWIDE, AND THAT THERE ARE 20 OTHER DURANGO OWNERS WAITING ON THIS PART. I FEEL THIS NECESSITATES A RECALL OF THIS MODEL BECAUSE A) THE LIKLIHOOD OF COMBUSTION IS VERY POSSIBLE GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE FUEL TANK ACTUALLY SHRINKS UP MUCH LIKE A PAPER BAG WHEN ALL THE AIR IS SUCKED OUT; B) THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS VEHICLES ALREADY, ENOUGH TO REQUIRE DODGE TO BE IN A BACKORDER SITUATION. I ALSO AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE COMPARABLE TO MY DURANGO THAT SEATS 8. THE DEALER ONLY PROVIDES A $30 A DAY RATE WITH ENTERPRISE, WHICH SUPPLIED ME WITH A FORD PICK-UP THAT SEATS 3. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER OVER THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF FIRE AND RELATED HAZARDS DUE TO THIS FUEL TANK PROBLEM. THANK HEAVENS MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE NOT INJURED--THE CAR SIMPLY DIED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

I REPORTED THIS LAST YEAR WHEN IT HAPPENED BUT I WAS NEVER CONTACTED. DODGE PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH MIKE MARTELL WHO IS THE DAIMLER-CHRYSTLER LIASON FOR SAFETY. I HAVE REASON TO BELEIVE THAT THEY DELETED MY INFORMATION ABOUT THE WAY THE BRAKE PEDAL BROKE OFF BEFORE IMPACT. EVERY TIME I CALLED IT HAD DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR INFORMATION. I ALSO RECEIVED WORD FROM THE INVESTIGATOR THEY SENT OUT TO LOOK AT THE AIRBAGS THAT THE AIRBAGS WERE IN FACT DEFFECTIVE. DODGE TOOK THE ORIGINAL REPORT AND DENIED IT. THOSE VEHICLES ARE UNSAFE AND DODGE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE SPENT OVER $20,000.00 IN MEDICAL BILLS AS A RESULT AND DODGE REFUSED ANY HELP. *AK

BALL JOINTS REPLACED AT 21000 AND 43000 MILES. NEW PART WAS REDESIGNED TO INCLUDE A GREASE FITTING. DODGE PAID FOR PARTS NOT FOR LABOR.*AK