1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

I WANTED TO REPORT THAT I TOO HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER BALL JOINTS FOR MY 1998 DURANGO. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED THIS PROBLEM AFTER I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN FOR 60,000 MILE SERVICE. I NOTICED A SOFT SUSPENSION AND UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR RESULTING FROM PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BALL JOINTS.*AK

MY 1998 DODGE DURANGO HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MAJOR FRONT END PROBLEMS. IT NEEDS UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINT REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS TIE ROD ENDS.

RETURNING HOME FROM A BUSINESS TRIP, THE DURANGO STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE, THEN QUIT WITHIN SECONDS OF THE ORIGINAL NOISE, WITH A LOUD CLUNK. THE "CHECK ENGINE GUAGES" LIGHT DID NOT COME ON PRIOR TO THE LOUD NOISE. I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND FORTUNATELY THE ENGINE QUIT NEXT TO A VEHICLE TURNOUT. IF THE ENGINE FAILURE HAD OCCURED A FEW SECONDS EARLIER, OR A FEW SECONDS LATER, MY LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS DANGER, AND I WOULD HAVE ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE AT RISK OF HITTING MY STALLED VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC FOUND A USED ENGINE AND INSTALLED IT. NEW INSTALLED ENGINE RAN QUITE WELL FOR ABOUT 300 MILES. THIS TIME, THE FAILURE WAS FORWARNED BY A "CHECK ENGINE GUAGES" LIGHT AND BELL. CHECKING THE GUAGES, I FOUND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY - OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP WERE OK. THIS HAPPENED WITH THE SECOND BELL AS WELL. THE THIRD BELL, AND I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF DUE TO THE OIL PRESSURE GUAGE FALLING TO ZERO. TOWING THE DURANGO TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, HE ADVISED THAT WE SHOULD CHANGE THE OIL PUMP, BUT ADVISED ME THAT METAL SHAVINGS WERE FOUND IN THE OIL PUMP SCREEN, AND THAT FURTHER DAMAGE WAS PROBBABLE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE PUMP CHANGED, AND DRIVE IT TO HIS SHOP FOR INSPECTION - A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES. THE DURANGO MADE IT 15 MILES BEFORE QUITTING. THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS ENGINE CREATES A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO A RECALL ON THIS ENGINE. IF THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT THINK A RECALL NECESSARY, THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE A RECALL. THIS ENGINE WILL CREATE SERIOUS HARM TO SOMEONE. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME....

I OWN A 1998 DODGE DURANGO, I AM ON MY SECOND SET OF UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING HUBS ALSO. MY DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL, I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THESE ITEMS ON ANY OTHER CAR THAT I'VE OWNED!*AK

I HAVE BEEN READING THE COMPLAINTS ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE DODGE DURANGO AFTER HEARING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY FIXING THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT ARE BEING DESCRIBED. MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY, WOULD STAY ON FOR AWHILE, THEN GO OUT. WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT ON THE COMPUTER, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THEN MY SPEEDOMETER STARTED JUMPING FROM 0 TO 60 MPH INTERMITTENTLY. THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR, A SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO SPENT ALMOST $1000 REPLACING BRAKES, ETC. BECAUSE MY BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHILE DRIVING, LUCKILY ONLY IN A PARKING LOT, AND THE CALIPERS, BRAKES, ROTORS, ETC. HAD TO BE REPLACED. I JUST REPLACED MY TIRES BECAUSE OF SEVERE CUPPING. THESE TIRES WERE NOT THAT OLD AND THIS CONDITION WOULD CAUSE MY VEHICLE TO HYDROPLANE IN WET WEATHER AND SHUDDER GOING 50 MPH AND OVER. I ALSO EXPERIENCE THAT SAME SHUDDER WHEN THE BACK WINDOWS ARE OPEN AND THE FRONT WINDOWS CLOSED. THE WHOLE VEHICLE VIBRATES TERRIBLY, UNLESS YOU CRACK THE FRONT WINDOWS ALSO.

1998 DODGE DURANGO AT APPROXIMATELY 44,000 MILES WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE WORN OUT UPPER BALL JOINTS THAT THEY INSISTED NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (AT SIGNIFICANT COST) AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SELLING DODGE DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE "WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS" AND NOT IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. NOW AT 47,000 MILES WITH THE NEWS OF THE POSSIBLE DEFECT AND FAILURE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE BUT NOT SURE IF I SHOULD SPEND THE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT THE DEALER SAYS IS "WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS" AND DOES NOT NEED REPLACEMENT.

WE HAD NOTICED THAT THE TRANMISSION WAS ACTING VERY SLUGGISH. DESPITE HAVING THE VEHICLE CHECKED, OUR LOCAL SHOP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. WHILE ON OUR WAY TO FLORIDA, JUST OUTSIDE OF BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA WITH TWO CHILDREN IN THE CAR, DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, WE HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSFER CASE BLEW UP AND BOTH DRIVESHAFTS BROKE. WE WERE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, OR HAVING ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT US, DESPITE THE BLACK COUD OF TRANSFER CASE FLUID TRAILING BEHIND US. THE VEHICLE REQUIRED EXTENSIVE SERVICE - TO THE TUNE OF $ 2,600.00. WE HAD 95,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND WERE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE BY CHRYSLER. IN FACT, NOT EVEN AN OFFER TO ASSIST US WITH THE RENTAL CARS WE WERE FORCED TO TAKE.

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AND TECHNICIAN STATED HAS TO REPLACE LOWER PASSENGER BALL JOINT, CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 020498 ON THIS PROBLEM. *AK

THE REAR SEAT BELT LOCKING MECHANISM FELL APART IN THE CONSUMER'S HAND.*MR *TS *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON; CRACKED LEFT CYLINDER HEAD AT 40,000 MILES. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY; CLAIMS TO NOT KNOW WHY HEAD CRACKED. EXACTLY 40,000 MILES LATER, LEFT CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED AGAIN. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR; CAR IS 3 MONTHS OUTSIDE OF EXTENDED WARRANTY. DEALER STILL CAN'T GIVE REASON FOR CYLINDER HEAD FAILURE. OTHER MECHANICS/DEALERS BELIEVE CYLINDER HEADS FAIL DUE TO FAULTY CASTING. *NLM THERE WAS A SCRAPING NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND INTERNAL DAMAGE IN THE CLOCKSPRING AND REPLACED THE UNIT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SCC