2003 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

I AM DRIVING 2003 DODGE DURAGO. ON 3-12-04, I WENT TO A CAR WASH. I SHIFT THE LEVER TO N, AND THE PRNDL SHOWED THE N POSITION. WHEN THE WASH DONE, THE DYE STARTED, I FELT THE CAR WAS GOING BACKWARD. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL I HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. THE CAR WASH MECHINE STOPPED, I NOTICE THAT THE PRNDL WAS ILLUMINATING HALF OF THE R, THE CAR WAS CHANGED TO REVERSE! THE SIMILAR THING HAPPEND BEFORE. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING ON THE LOCAL ROAD(45 MILE/HOUR), IN A SUDDEN, I HEARD STRANGE LOAD NOISE, THEN I SAW THE PRNDL SHOWING "2" INSTEAD OF THE "D". ANOTHER TIME, THE GEAR WAS CHANGED FROM "D" TO "N" WHEN I WAS DRIVING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND JERKED. ANOTHER MOTORIST INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND WATCHED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECOME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH NO INJURIES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT ENGINE THREW A ROD, AND IT PUNCTURED THE OIL PAN. *AK THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. *SC

ON JANUARY 26, 2004, OUR 24 YEAR OLD SON, BRANT, WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 DODGE DURANGO ON I-85 NEAR COMMERCE, GEORGIA. TIME 2:00 AM.. ROAD CONDITIONS COLD & RAINY. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, THE RIGHT/FRONT TIRE AND MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY (BALL JOINTS.. EVERYTHING) CAME OFF THE CAR CAUSING HIM TO SKID INTO RIGHT SIDE GUARD RAIL. NATIONWIDE INSURANCE ESTIMATED DAMAGE IN EXCESS OF $12,000. THE DURANGO IS 10 MONTHS OLD WITH APPROXIMATELY 17,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORPORATION REQUESTING A BUYBACK.. OR RETURN OF OUR MONEY LESS REASONABLE MILEAGE ALLOCATIONS. WE FEEL THE PRODUCT IS DEFECTIVE AND NOW SERIOUSLY DAMAGED BEYOND REASONABLE REPAIR. CHRYSLER DENIED OUR CLAIM, REFUSED TO ISSUE COPIES OF REPORTS THEY USED FOR THEIR DENIAL, SIMPLY OPTING FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE ANY FURTHER. *AK

I BOUGHT A USED 2003 DODGE DURANGO ON 2/28/2004. IT RAN FINE FOR A FEW DAYS. THE FRONT END WAS NOT PERFORMING AS IT SHOULD. THIS ONLY HAS 27,000 MILES ON IT SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT MY MECHANIC AS ALIGNMENTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DAY BEFORE I WAS TO TAKE IT TO HIM THE CBS NEWS SHOWED A STORY ON DODGE DURANGO'S AND THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. I ASKED OUR MECHANIC TO CHECK THESE ALSO. HE FOUND THE LEFT SIDE WORN AND THE RIGHT SIDE WAS TO THE POINT THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED THE DEALER SHIP THAT IT WAS PURCHASED AT AND OF COURSE THEY HEAD MECHANIC STATED THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT. AFTER MY HUSBAND MENTIONED THE NEWS STORY AND WHAT OUR MECHANIC FOUND, THEY STILL TRIED TO SAY IT MUST BE THE BEARINGS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS VERY RUDE TO HIM EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. HE INSISTED THEY BE REPLACED. MY HUSBAND WAS A MECHANIC BUY TRADE SO HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. I FEEL SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS. OUR APPOINTMENT IS ON 3-9-04. WE WILL OF COURSE TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO INSPECT THEY REPLACED WHAT WAS WRONG. WE HAVE BEEN DODGE OWNERS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND I CAN NOT BELIEVE SOMETHING THIS SERIOUS IS BEING HIDDEN BY THEM. THEY HAVE LOST MY VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN RELIABILITY. THEY DID NOT CHECK THE DURANGO PRIOR TO SELLING IT, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. I AM AFRID TO DRIVE MY OWN CAR FOR FEAR OF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER AND AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM 2002 AND ON, WHY IS THIS NOT BEING ADDRESSED WITH CHRYSTLER? WE RELY ON YOUR SERVICE AS AN INDEPENDENT AND WE NEED YOUR BACKBONE IN MAKING THIS A RECALL ISSUE. PLEASE TAKE THIS AS SERIOUS AS WE ALL DO. THANK YOU. *AK

THE BACK SEAT SEAT BELTS DO NOT HAVE A LOCKING MECHANISM. CHILD SEATS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO INSTALL PROPERLY.*AK

2002 DODGE DURANGO W/4.7 V-8 PURCHASED IN AUG. MILAGE3994. TWICE SINCE AUG. ONCE IN SEPT. AND 2/21/04 THE DASHBOARD RADIATOR ICON LIT UP AND THE TEMP. GAUGE WAS ALL THE PAST HOT, I STOPPED THE DURANGO TURNED IT OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE GAUGE READS THE NORMAL TEMP. AND THE DASHBOARD ICON IS UNLIT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING OUT AND CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY SAID NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH DASH ICON ON AND THE TEMP GAUGE PEGGED PAST H.*AK

2003 DODGE DURANGO UPPER BALL JOINT FAILED ON INTERSTATE AT 65MPH. RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND ASSEMBLY SEPERATED FROM VEHICLE CAUSING SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT ..SKIDDED INTO GUARD RAIL. DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT $10,000 PLUS BY CLAIMS ADJUSTER. NATIONWIDE INSURANCE IS SUBROGATING AGAINST CHRYSLER TO RECOVER MONEY. *AK EA03-023

THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SUSPENSION AND/OR STABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON A WINDY DAY THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO REDUCE HIS SPEED TO DRIVE IN THE WINDY CONDITIONS. *PH *NM

PE 03-032/FRONT SUSPENSION/UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE: AT ANY SPEED, CONSUMER INTERMITTENTLY HEARD A SEMI SCRAPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S MECHANIC WAS SCHEDULED TO GIVE THE VEHICLE A CHECK UP, BUT FELT FROM THE SYMPTOMS THAT IT WAS THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND HIT THE BRAKE LINE. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKES BECAME INOPERATIVE. *AK