2002 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN IT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS LIFTED HAVING AN OIL CHANGE PERFORMED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WHEEL INSPECTED. DEALERSHIP INDICATED AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THAT FRONT BALL JOINTS, LEFT OUTER TIE ROD, AND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

AFTER NOTICING STRANGE NOISES FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE 2002 DURANGO, I TOOK IT TO THE DELAERSHIP. THYE COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEMS. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THE NOISES HAVE BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED, AND NOW SEEM TO COEM FROM EVERY TIRE/ CORNER OF THE VEHILCE. TOOK THE TRUCK IN A SECOND TIME- NOTHING COULD BE FOUND, DEALER SAID THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE DOWN THE VERY SAME ROAD THAT I HEAR THE NOISES- LIKE A LOOSE MECHANICAL CONNECOION, AND A FEW SQUEAKS, AND RATTLES. WILL TAK CAR IN FOR THIRD TIME 7/30/04- I HOPE THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM ON THIS $35000 TRUCK.*AK

HEAR RATLING IN FRONT SUSPENSION. DEALER INVESTIGATION REVEALED PREMATURE WEAR OF BALL JOINTS. DEALER SUGGESTED TO WAIT, AS A POSSIBLE RECALL MAY OCCUR.*AK

UPPER BALL JOINTS CHECKED, FOUND OVER .500 VERTICAL TRAVEL IN BOTH, RETAINED DEFECTIVE PARTS. MILAGE AT TIME OF REPAIR WAS 80,000. DUE TO LACK OF REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS, BOTH UPPER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $1000, PAID BY ME. REPAIR DATE WAS 1-24-2004. THE DEFECTIVE PARTS WERE REPLACED WITH EXACTLY THE SAME UNIT. CURRENT MILAGE ON MY VEHICLE IS APPROX 106,000. I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE BALL JPINT ASSEMBLIES FOR A SECOND TIME WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. WHEN IS NHTSA GOING TO FORCE CHRYSLER TO RECALL THIS DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE AND REPAIR THEM WITH REDESIGNED BALL JOINTS?*AK

PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE EQUIPMENT ON 2002 DODGE DURANGO.*MR WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHIMMIED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE BRAKES THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE PADS WERE LIKE NEW BUT THE ROTORS WERE CORRODED SO BADLY THAT THE METAL WAS FLAKING OFF AND LEAVING PITS ON THE SURFACE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT MATERIALS USED WERE SUBSTANDARD. *NM *JB

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED CONSUMER NOTICED UNEVEN WEAR AND TEAR ON ALL FOUR TIRES. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET, AND THE REAR PASSENGER (ELECTRIC) WINDOW OPERATED THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SHAKE.*AK

OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, I NOTICED EXTENSIVE NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF MY 2002 DURANGO. IT GOT WORSE AND WAS MOST PROMINENT WHEN STRIKING POTHOLES OR CHANGES IN THE SURFACE ELEVATION WHEN DRIVING OR MOVING THE VEHICLE. AT 35,000 MILES I TOOK IT IN TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP FOR A CHECK UP. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE BALL JOINT SITUATION, AS IT WAS QUITE A PUBLIC AFFAIR. THE FRONT END NOISE BECAME SO LOUD THAT IT SOUNDED AS IF SOMEONE WAS STRIKING THE UNDERCARRIAGE WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER.*AK IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL FOUR OF THE BALL JOINTS, UPPER AND LOWER, HAD FAILED, WERE WORN OUT. THEY WERE ALL REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME, AS THE REPAIR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THIS, AS THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ARE NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS SUSPENSION SYSTEM. I TRUST THAT THE NEWER BALL JOINTS, NOT TRW, WERE PLACED ON MY VEHICLE. IF THIS IS A REPAIR THAT MUST OCCUR EVERY 36K MILES OR SO, THIS WILL GET EXPENSIVE. THANK YOU.

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS. SUBSEQUENTLY, VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR A QUARTER OF A MILE, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED AT THE PRESCRIBED DESTINATION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING DAY, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO SLUDGE BUILDING UP IN THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP WILL EITHER CLEAN OUT THE OIL PAN OR REPLACE THE MOTOR. *AK

I WANT TO JOIN THE GROWING LIST OF CONSUMERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DODGE DURANGO UPPER BALL JOINT PROBLEM. ON APRIL 15, 2004 I HAD TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT UPPER BALL JOINTS AT A COST OF $468.16 - THE TRUCK HAD ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON IT. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM NOW. WHEN THE MECHANIC PUT THE TRUCK UP ON THE RACK, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WOBBLED VERY BADLY. SHE SAID "THIS IS VERY SERIOUS." THERE WERE NO STEERING PROBLEMS AND NO WARNING NOISES, I JUST TOOK THE TRUCK IN TO BE CHECKED FOR MY OWN PEACE OF MIND. DOES THE WHEEL HAVE TO FALL OFF AS A FIRST WARNING. *AK