2001 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

151 OLD FARM RD. LEOMINSTER, MA 01453 MARCH 26, 2004 DAIMLER-CHRYSLER CORPORATION PO BOX 610207 PORT HURON, MI 48061-0207 DEAR SIRS: MY FATHER ALWAYS TOLD ME, NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER PRODUCT. HOWEVER, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN LOOKING FOR A MID-SIZE SUV WITH A THIRD ROW I WAS TEMPTED BY THE DODGE DURANGO. HOWEVER, I KEPT HEARING MY FATHERS VOICE, NEVER BUY&.. BUT I THOUGHT, THAT WAS THE 1950S. YOU DONT SEE BLUE SMOKE POURING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE OF CHRYSLER PRODUCTS ANYMORE. SURELY IN THE 21ST CENTURY CHRYSLER PRODUCTS CAN COMPETE WITH ANYTHING ON THE MARKET. RIGHT? SO I RELENTED AND BOUGHT MY FIRST CHRYSLER PRODUCTA WELL-STYLED DODGE DURANGO. I WOULD PROVE MY FATHER WRONG. WELL-----? AFTER ONLY 60,000 MILES AND A $2,000 REPAIR BILL I AM NOW TELLING MY SONS, NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER PRODUCT. WHAT HAPPENED? AT 60,000 MILES I TOOK MY DURANGO INTO MY DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND A STATE INSPECTION. PLEASE TRY TO IMAGINE MY SHOCK WHEN I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMING ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS ON MY CAR WERE SO DANGEROUSLY WORN, THE CAR WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. IF I DID NOT GET IT REPAIRED THEY WOULD HAVE TO RED-FLAG THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO HAVE ON THE HIGHWAY. NOW REALLY, WHO WOULD WANT TO DRIVE A CAR THAT UNSAFE? I WAS RELIEVED THAT THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED IT AND POSSIBLY PREVENTED A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. I HAD IT FIXED. TOTALLY WORN OUT BALL JOINTS AT ONLY 60,000 MILES? AND THAT IS WHEN I HEARD MY FATHERS VOICE AGAIN, NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER PRODUCT. SINCERELY, IAN BOTHWELL CC: NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. *AK

THE VEHICLE'S ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY. AS A RESULT THE OWNER HAD TO REPLACE THEM EVERY 8,000 MILES THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BALL JOINTS. THE OWNER HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE BALL JOINTS ONCE AND NOW THEY NEED REPLACING AGAIN. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND HAD LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

I SAW ON T.V. THAT THE DODGE DURANGO'S WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINT. MY DEALER, NETHAWAY'S, CHECKED THE BALL JOINT'S ON MY VEHICLE AND THEY ARE ABNORMALLY WORN FOR A VEHICLE WITH 63125 MILES. I INFORMED DODGE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE IN CORRECTING THE SAME. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BALL JOINT PROBLEM. THE TIRES ARE WEARING OUT UNEVENLY, AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL THE BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE, GOT OUT TO INSPECT IT, AND NOTICED THE RIGHT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE CONTROL ARM. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT BOTH CONTROL ARMS FAILED.*AK

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE WHILE SHIFTING THE GEARS. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *MR

WHEN DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED OIL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC CLEANED THE OIL TRAP AND THE PROBLEM CLEARED. *AK

PREMATURE WEAR ON BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS. RIGHT SIDE UPPER AND LOWER WORE PREMATURELY. LEFT UPPER WORE PREMATURELY. SEALS WERE INTACT. VEHICLE HAS 40K MILES. DODGE DURANGO 2001. *JB

FRONT END SHOOK AND PULLED TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING. THIS WAS DUE TO THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT BEING WORN OUT. THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, PER THE DEALERSHIP. *AK