1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH WHEN IT SLID ON ICE, THERE WAS NO IMPACT. HOWEVER, IT DID TURN OVER ONTO PASSENGER'S SIDE. A FIRE IMMEDIATELY STARTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD , CLOSE TO THE GENERATOR CABLE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. CAUSE IS STILL UNKNOWN. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AND IN AN EMERGANCY STOP T BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED WHICH HAD AN IMPACT. ROAD WAS WET BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF DISTANCE TO STOP. VEHICLE JUST SKID. CAUSE UNKOWN. CURRENTLY NO PROBLEMS WITH RWAL ABS SYSTEM.

REAR SEAT FOLDS DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. IF THE REAR OCCUPANT WAS IN A CRASH, REAR SEAT MAY FALL DOWN AND CAUSE INJURIES. DEALER REPLACED REAR SEAT, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROX 35-40 MPH THE VEHICLE JUST FLAT SHUT OFF, ELECTRICAL,BRAKES AND STEERING. WE ARE LUCKY DUE TO LITE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A SAFE STOP AND PUT VEHICLE INTO PARK TO RE-START. THIS VEHICLE WILL BE GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP 1ST THING MONDAY MORNING FOR A CHECK. I AM ADVISING YOU BECAUSE IF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS WERE DIFFERENT OR I WAS ON A FREEWAY DRIVING THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I DON'T HAVE ALOT OF CONFIDENCE IN DEALERSHIPS.

ABS FAILS TO ACTIVATE ON SNOW, ICE OR WET ROADS. DEALER SAYS THE CONDITION IS NORMAL.

NOTICED POPPING NOISE IN FRONT END SUMMER/99 @24000 MILES TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID BALL JOINTS WITHIN SPECS. BALL JOINTS ARE VISIBLY LOOSE, ABLE TO WOBBLE WHEEL.

THE SEAT RELEASES ON THE MIDDLE ROW OF SEATS ON THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE ARE VERY DIFFFICULT TO RELEASE AND MAKE IT VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET SOMEONE OUT OF THE THIRD SEAT QUICKLY IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY. MANY TIMES YOU MUST REACH THROUGH THE MIDDLE SEAT TO GET TO THE RELEASE ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT AND USE IT TO POP THE SEAT. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE DANGEROUS AS WELL AS INCONVENIENT.

WHILE ENGINE WAS ON AND IN PARK POSITION TRANSMISSION GEAR SLIPPED INTO REVERSE AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER, RESULTING IN A CRASH. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL ON A GOODYEAR WRANGLER LT/S TIRE (31 10.5R 15LT) DOT# MN60K60V498 AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RIM. *SLC

I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHILE DOING MY FIRST OIL CHANGE ON THE VEHICLE. I ALWAYS CHECK ALL THE FLUID LEVELS WHEN I DO AN OIL CHANGE AND NOTICED THAT THE ANTIFREEZE LEVEL DID NOT REGISTER ON THE RADIATOR DIPSTICK. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT SINCE I HADN'T CHECKED THE LEVELS OF ANYTHING SINCE I BOUGHT THE USED VEHICLE BECAUSE THE DEALER ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS GIVEN A CERTIFIED 135-POINT INSPECTION. WELL AFTER THAT I HAVE CHECKED THE RADIATOR FLUID LEVEL ON A REGULAR BASIS (APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO WEEKS) AND HAVE FOUND IT TO BE LOW EVERY TIME. I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING. THERE ARE NO TRACES OF ANTIFREEZE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AND I DON'T SEE ANY VISABLE LEAKS ANYWHERE. I ALSO CAN'T DETECT THE SMELL OF BURNING ANTIFREEZE IN THE EXHAUST FUMES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER ON 12/2/99 AND THEY COULD NOT DETECT ANY PROBLEMS AND HAD NO ANSWER. THEY PUT A DYE IN THE ANTIFREEZE TO BE ABLE TO DETECT A LEAK USING A BLACKLIGHT AT A LATER DATE. I HAVE GOTTEN ON INTERNET NEWSGROUP WEB SITES AND HAVE FOUND OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS, SOME WORSE THAN OTHERS. THEY ARE ALSO SAYING THAT DODGE KNOWS IT HAS THIS PROBLEM WITH IT'S LARGER ENGINES. WELL, THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU FOR NOW. THANKS.