1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WHILE PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT LEFT FRONT BALL JOINT PIPE BROKE OFF. THIS CAUSED TIRE TO COLLAPSE INWARD. VEHICLE COULD NOT MOVE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED OUT OF PARKING LOT.*AK

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MAJOR COMPONENT BREAKDOWNS SINCE PURCHASE. INITIALLY, IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB AND REPLACED STEERING COLUMN. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2000, SOME THREE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. WE BEGAN TO NOTICE A SIGNIFICANT PULSING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THIS TO ABS BRAKES. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER WHEN THE PULSING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER AND THE BRAKING WAS BEING AFFECTED, AN INDEPENDENT SHOP REVIEWED THE BRAKES AND INDICATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE SEVERELY WARPED AND CAUSING THE PULSING SENSATION. THIS WAS REPAIRED OUT OF POCKET. IN FEBRUARY, 2001 THE TEMPERATURE BEGAN FLUCTUATING, SPIKING HIGHER TEMPERATURES CAUSING THE CHECK GAUGE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. IT WOULD THEN RESET. HANOVER DODGE, A DIFFERENT DEALER INDICATED THAT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING SEAL WAS LEAKING AND REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND GASKET. THIS WAS PAID OUT OF POCKET. APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS LATER, THE RADIATOR HAD A MAJOR FAILURE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THIS WAS PAID OUT OF POCKET IN THE AMOUNT OF $610.33. IN MAY, 2001WE WERE ALERTED TO A PROBLEM INVOLVING THE FRONT END. IN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, A LEAK WAS NOTICED FROM THE TRANSMISSION COOLER AND ALSO AND MORE CRITICALLY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS THE INNER TIE RODS. THESE REPAIRS WERE ALSO PAID OUT OF POCKET IN THE AMOUNT OF $923.45. THE LATEST ISSUE AROSE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHEN A HOWLING SOUND WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THROUGH RESEARCH AND INDEPENDENT EVALUATION IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS A DESIGN DEFECT WHEREBY THE RING AND PINION CANNOT HANDLE THE LOAD OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTED SEVERAL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS BEING MADE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION IN THIS DATABASE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE WE HAVE IS DEFECTIVE. EACH PROBLEM HAS INVOLVED A MAJOR COMPONENT OR SYSTEM.

I HAVE COMPLAINED WITH THIS PREVIOUSLY BUT NOW HAVE A MORE IN DEPTH COMPLAINT. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE SHOP TO FINALLY HAVE THE AIR DUCTS CHECKED. AFTER REMOVING THE COMPLETE DASHBOARD, THE MECHANIC FOUND A DOOR WHICH WAS BROKEN THAT WAS CAUSING THE AIR TO FLOW OUT THE FEET DUCTS INSTEAD OF THE DASH VENTS. THE DOOR BROKE BECAUSE SOME STICKY-BACK FOAM GOT UNSTUCK AND STUCK TO SOMETHING ELSE PUTTING THE DOOR UNDER STRAIN AND FINALLY BREAKING IT. THE FOAM, I BELIEVE, WAS TO KEEP DOWN THE NOISE OF THE DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. ANYWAY, WHEN THAT PART IN QUESTION WAS ORDERED, PART #21, A DOOR WAS SENT BUT IT WASN'T THE CORRECT DOOR. AFTER INTENSE INVESTIGATION BY THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PRODUCE THE CORRECT DOOR BECAUSE THE NUMBERS IN THEIR SYSTEM DIDN'T MATCH THE NUMBERS ON THE DOOR. I HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS WRITTEN DOWN, UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE NOT WITH ME. I CAN PRODUCE THEM IF NEEDED. WHEN INQUIRING WITH OTHER DEALERS ABOUT THE DOOR, WE FOUND THEY ALSO HAD RUN INTO THE PROBLEM AND HAD NO SOLUTION FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AS WELL. WE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A NATION-WIDE PROBLEM AND THOSE DEALERS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PART ON THEIR PREMISES WILL NOT GIVE THEM UP FOR FEAR OF NEEDING THEM FOR THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS. I AM APPALLED THAT A MANUFACTER CAN NOT OR WILL NOT PRODUCE A MUCH NEEDED PART TO A CONSUMER AND WILL BRUSH THEM OFF. I SPENT RIGHT AT $500 FOR A SOMEONE TO TELL ME THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. I LIVE IN A VERY HOT PART OF THE COUNTRY AND HAVE SPENT MANY DAYS SWELTERING IN MY VEHICLE. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE OUTRAGE AND I DEMAND EITHER A FIX OR A REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY HARD-EARNED MONEY OR REALLY BOTH. I NEED COOL AIR AND I NEED TO FIX MY BROKEN POCKET BOOK. WHEN I EVER GET RID OF THIS VEHICLE, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DAIMLER PRODUCT. IT IS SAD TO THINK THEY CAN'T EVEN SERVICE OR SUPPLY PARTS FOR THEIR OWN CREATIONS. PLEASE DON'T IGNORE THIS COMPLAINT. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYWHERE WITH DODGE AND I FEEL IGNORED. THANKS.

WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY CAR MADE A LOUD NOISE, CAR WAS INOPERABLE, CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. WAS NOTIFIED BY THE DEALER THAT THE RING AND PINION GAR HAD CRACKED, AND REAR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED STEERING WHEEL MAKING A POPING NOISE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND REPLACED STEERING COLUMN AND COUPLING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

TRANSFER CASE EXPLODED ON I-75 NEAR WEST BRANCH MICHIGAN WITH PARTS FLYING IN ALL DIRECTIONS. LOST POWER AND PARTS BLEW OUT DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE. DURANGO ALMOST FLIPPED OVER GOING AT THIS SPEED. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC GOING SOUTHBOUND AND AS I FISHTAILED FORM LANE TO LANE I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT WITH INCIDENCE. I FELT THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I STILL HAVE THE DAMAGED TRANSFER CASE THAT SHOWS HOW IT EXPLODED. THERE WAS NO WARNING. CRYSLER COULD NOT HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT THIS SITUATION. ALL THEY SAID WAS THAT PARTS FAIL SO LIVE WITH IT.*AK

REGULATOR ON POWER OPERATED WINDOWS MANLFUNCTIONED WHICH CAUSED WINDOWS TO REMAIN IN UPRIGHT POSITION. *AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS ARE LARGE IN SIZE AND HEIGHT. HOWEVER, IT'S EXTREMELY HARD TO DETERMINE TRAFFIC DUE TO BLIND SPOT. ALSO, THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A TOW PACKAGE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT BIGELOW MOTORS IN BELLEVILLE,NJ (973) 759-4220 ,WAITING FOR A COMPUTER TO BE DELIVERED. ALSO, THERE ARE FOUR OTHER DODGE DURANGOS' WAITING FOR THE SAME COMPUTER AT THIS DEALERSHIP.*AK

A THREE YEAR OLD SON CLIMBED INTO VEHICLE AND SHIFTED GEAR FROM PARK TO REVERSE AND AGAIN FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE WITHOUT EVER APPLYING BRAKES. THEN, SHIFTED AGAIN INTO FORWARD WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL OR BRAKE PEDAL. CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. *AK