1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS ARE PREMATURELY WORN ON MY VEHICLE LAST YEAR. I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE NOISE SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP FOUND NO PROBLEM. PRIOR TO MY LAST COMPLAINT I HAD MY BROTHER WHO IS A SCHOOL BUS MECHANIC CHECK THE FRONT END AND HE SHOWED ME THE EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. STILL AGAIN THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG, BUT "LUBED UP THE FRONT END REAL GOOD" AND SENT ME AWAY. HERE IT IS NOW ABOUT A YEAR LATER AND I AM BRINGING IT IN AGAIN NOW WITH THE NOISE AND LOOSENESS WORSE THAN EVER AND I LEARN OF A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS. (MY EXTENDED FACTORY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED LAST MAY, AND I WILL SEEK FOR THIS TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ANYWAY.) *LA

BALL JOINT FAILURE -- BOTH UPPER AND LOWER ON BOTH SIDES. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE, AND MENTIONED THAT I HEARD A SMALL SQUEAK IN THE CHASSIS. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, THEY FOUND THAT MY BALL JOINTS WERE SO BADLY WORN THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN I ASKED HOW UNSAFE, THEY INDICATED THAT THE WHEELS COULD FAIL IN A DAY, A FEW DAYS, A WEEK....THAT I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THEY HADN'T ALREADY. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $1,400. IF I ELECTED NOT TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED, THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO SIGN A WAIVER BEFORE THEY WOULD ALLOW ME TO GET MY VEHICLE BACK. I DRIVE CAR POOLS, HAVE THE SAFETY OF MY 3 CHILDREN PLUS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD, AND TO HAVE MY DURANGO "UNSAFE TO DRIVE" WHEN I HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY UPSETTING. I HAVE HAD MY MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP (METROLINA DODGE) AND WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THOSE RECORDS WITH YOU IN AN INVESTIGATION. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THIS 'AFTER-THOUGHT' WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, BUT LISTENING TO THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND URGE A RECALL. *LA

7/12/01 I WAS ADVISED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING UNDERNEATH WAS LOOSE. IT MADE NOISE GOING OVER ANY ROUGH SURFACE. AFTER CHECKING WITH SEVERAL OTHER DODGE SERVICE PEOPLE AND BEING ADVISED THAT THIS WAS VERY DEFINITELY PREMATURE, I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICE AND A PERSON NAMED [XXX] ARRANGED TO HAVE THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED WITH ME PAYING A GOOD WILL DEDUCTIBLE OF $150.00. THE CAR# 9012127 WAS ON MY INVOICE AND WAS APPROVED BY [XXX]. AT THE TIME OF DIAGNOSIS MY MILEAGE WAS 39,436 AND THE PURCHASE DATE WAS 3/18/98, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VIN IS [XXX]. I CURRENTLY HAVE 68,717 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS STARTING TO MAKE THE SAME NOISES AGAIN. I JUST REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR SHOCKS BUT THE NOISE CONTINUES. AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE UPPER BALL JOINTS, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TWO LOWER BALL JOINTS AND TWO TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED IN MY 1998 DODGE DURANGO. *LA

4 OF 6 RIGHT REAR WHEEL STUDS SEIZED/BROKE OFF DURING ROUTINE TIRE ROTATION. NUTS WERE CORRECTLY TORQUED TO MANUAL SPECIFICATIONS. *LA

VEHICLE WAS MAKING HIGH PITCH SOUND WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED. TRUCK ONLY HAD 70,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT (APRIL 2003) USED. I WAS ASSURED BY WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED CAR DEALER (KOEPPEL OF NEW YORK) THAT VEHICLE WAS IN GREAT SHAPE. 6 MONTHS LATER THE VEHICLE NEED TO HAVE THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL TO BE REPLACED. FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING FLUID AND REAR WAS CAUSING HIGH PITCH NOISE. *LA

1998 DODGE DURANGO SLT: POWER WINDOWS, ESPECIALLY ON RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE ARE PERIODICALLY FAILING TO OPEN. ALL 4 REGULATORS REPLACED ONCE. PASSENGER FRONT MOTOR AND REGULATOR REPLACED TWICE AND NOW BOTH WINDOWS ON PASSENGER SIDE ARE FAILED. ARE THERE ANY BULLETINS TO DIRECT DEALER REPAIR OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION? *LA

UPON ROTATING MY TIRES FOUND THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON MY 1998 DODGE DURANGO WERE FRIGHTENED WORN AND CLOSE TO FAILURE. THESE JOINTS WERE (NO GREASE FITTINGS) AND ONLY HAD 65,000 MILES ON THEM. I CHANGED THEM OUT MYSELF WITH MOOG PARTS (GREASEABLE) AND DISCARDED THE WORN OUT PARTS. MY CONCERN IS THAT A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING. THESE PARTS SHOULD HAVE A MUCH LONGER LIFE AND SEEMS TO BE A WEEK LINK IN THE DURANGO FRONT ENDS. I THINK THAT DODGE SHOULD REEXAMINE THE USE OF THIS STYLE PART, SINCE MY USAGE OF THIS AUTO WAS ONLY ON ROAD. *LA

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT ON MY 1998 DODGE DURANGO WITH 50,000 MILES NEED TO BE REPLACED. *LA

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A "SQUEAKING" NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK