1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

1999 DODGE DURANGO 4WD. WITHIN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS I HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS, WHEEL BEARINGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES WITH IT ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT TIRES. WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS FROM THE 1998 TO 2003 MODELS, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE 98 AND 99 MODELS ARE NOT INCLUDED ALSO. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 80,000 MILES.*AK

VEHICLE VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OR MORE AND A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN TURNING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINT AND THE UPPER CONTROL ARM ON DRIVER'S SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

ARRIVING HOME, PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND FRONT PASSENGER TIRE FELL OFF. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND THE AXLE, WHEEL BEARINGS, AND FRONT SHOCKS WERE REPLACED.*AK

THE UPPER BALL JOINT IS MAKING A CLICKING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MAKING TURNS, CAUSING THE SUSPENSION TO SHAKE. CONSUMER HAS CONACTED DEALER FOR REPAIRS.*AK

PREMATURE WEAR OF UPPER CONTROL ARMS, BUSHINGS AND BALLJOINTS AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO AT 77,000 MILES. SQUEAK WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE ABOVE PROBLEM BY A TECHNICIAN NAMED BILL BLACKWOOD AT ALLEN SAMUELS DODGE IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS ON 12/14/04. THE COST OF REPAIRS WAS SAID TO BE $2,312.54 (AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT!). THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, MR. TERRY WEBER, ADMITTED A PROBLEM WITH THESE PARTS, BUT SIAD THE NEW RECALL ONLY GOES BACK TO THE 2000 MODELS. I BELIEVE IT SHOUD BE EXTENDED TO AT LEAST INCLUDE THE 1999 MODELS ASAP.*AK

1999 DODGE DURANGO BALL JOINTS FAILED PLACING OUT OF SPEC STRESS ON WHEEL BEARING. WHEEL BEARING FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE SEVER CONTROL PROBLEMS AT 75 MPH FULLY LOADED. BEARING FAILURE DESTROYED ANTILOCK SYSTEM MAKING VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. DEALER REPLACED ANTILOCK PARTS AND BEARING BUT DID NOT HAVE BALLJOINTS DUE TO HIGH DEMAND. BALLJOINTS NOT REPLACED DUE TO COST - CAR NOT CURRENTLY DRIVEN.*AK

I HAD TO HAVE ALL OF THE BALL JOINTS ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO SLT 4X4 (AT 57,594 MILES) REPLACED. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE ON "NATIONAL BACKORDER" OF >1 MONTH. HE OFFERED TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS (THE COME WITH THE BALL JOINTS INSTALLED) AT A COST OF OVER $2300. SINCE THE DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE (RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT WAS CLOSE TO FAILING), THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY PAID FOR THE WORK. MY COST WAS, FORTUNATELY FOR ME, ONLY $25. HOWEVER, THESE BALL JOINTS ARE OBVIOUSLY POORLY DESIGNED. I DO NO OFF-ROADING AT ALL AND OVER 50% OF THE MILES I PUT ON THE CAR ARE HIGHWAY. I HAVE NO AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES ON THE SUSPENSION. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THESE BALL JOINTS SHOULD FAIL SO SOON. ALL YEARS OF THE 1ST GENERATION DURANGO (1998-2003) SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL. THE CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS ARE BASICALLY THE SAME FOR ALL YEARS, SO ALL SUFFER FROM THE SAME POOR DESIGN. HIS VISIT (THE ONE IN WHICH THE CONTROL ARMS WERE FINALLY REPLACED) WAS THE 3RD TIME I HAD COMPLAINED (TWO TIMES AT A DEALERSHIP THAT HAS JUST GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND THEN THIS TIME AT THIS OTHER DEALERSHIP) ABOUT THE BALL JOINTS. I FIRST ASKED FOR THEM TO BE CHECKED OUT WHEN THE 60 MINUTES STORY CAME OUT ABOUT THE BALL JOINTS (OCT. 2003). THEN I ASKED AGAIN EARLIER THIS YEAR. THIS DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WERE FINE BOTH TIMES. JUST AFTER THIS SECOND VISITI TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE FOR AN ALIGNMENT, THEY SAID THAT THE COULDN'T ALIGN THE FRONT END PROPERLY BECAUSE THE BALL JOINTS WERE WORN. WHEN I CONFRONTED THE DEALERSHIP A COUPLE DAYS LATER, THEY SAID THE FIRESTONE PERSON DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND THAT I SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT. THEN THE DEALERSHIP I WAS DEALING WITH WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND I ASKED AGAIN WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE NEW DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE CONTROL ARMS (SEE ABOVE). SINCERELY, SCOTT. *AK

CONTACTED DAIMLER/CHRYSLER CORP. AFTER HEARING ON CBS NEWS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINTS AND THE DODGE DURANGO--THEY TOLD ME TO REPLACE THEM AND TO MOVE ON--THAT THEY WERE NOT RECALLED AT THE TIME. WE HAD THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD AROUND 65,000 MILES ON IT AND MONITORED THE SITUATION CLOSELY UNTIL WE WERE INFORMED THE JOINTS COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME. I AM CONCERNED AND UPSET THAT THE 1999 MODELS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR RECOMMENDED RECALL. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS IN MARCH 2004 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE 1999 SUSPENSION IS NO DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE 2000-2003 MODELS. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE NHTSA INCLUDE ALL MODELS OF THE DODGE DURANGO IN THEIR RECOMMENDED RECALL. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND ONE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BEAR THE BURDEN OF REPAIRING AT THEIR EXPENSE OR REIMBURSING OWNERS WHO ALREADY HAD TO MAKE THE REPAIR.*AK

FAILURE OF UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON MY 1999 DURANGO. I WAS TOLD IF I DIDN'T REPLACE THE UPPERS MY TIRES COULD FALL OFF AND IF I DIDN'T REPLACE THE LOWERS I COULD LOOSE MY ABILITY TO STEER.*AK

I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE RECALL REQUESTS WITH DIAMLER-CHRYSLER AND THE FAILING BALL JOINTS ON THE DODGE DURANGO. IT APPEARS THAT CURRENTLY ONLY THE 2000 TO 2003 MODELS ARE BEING COVERED. THIS IS SOMEWHAT APPALLING AS THE 1998 AND 1999 DODGE DURANGOS SUFFER FROM THE SAME PROBLEM. I CURREMTLY OWN A 1999 MODEL AND PRESENTLY THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ARE FAILING. WHY ARE THE 1998 AND 1999 MODELS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL????? *AK