1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH NOTICED THAT DRIVER'S SEAT WAS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH. VEHICLE AT DEALER AT THIS TIME.*AK

THE FAILURE WAS DETECTED DURING A VEHICLE INSPECTION. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT I DON'T BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS HURT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE SUSPENSION DOES NOT PERFORM PROPERLY AND IF YOU KNOW WHAT THE ROADS ARE LIKE IN MO (NOT THE ORIGINAL HOME OF THIS VEHICLE, IT WAS BOUGHT USED) THEN THE SITUATION IS EVEN WORSE. THE FAULTY BALL JOINTS/CONTROL ARMS NOT ONLY EFFECT THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE BUT ALSO THE WEAR OF THE TIRES AND STRUTS/SHOCKS. THE BALL JOINTS/CONTROL ARMS SHOULD NOT WEAR OUT THIS FAST.*AK

MY WIFE PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO WALK INTO A STORE AND THE CAR JUMPED INTO REVERSE, MOVING QUICKLY TOWARD A BUSY STREET WITH MY SON IN THE BACK SEAT. SHE WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND DIVE IN, HITTING THE BRAKES IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. HER ONLY INJURY WAS A BRUISE ON HER HEAD FROM HITTING THE DOOR FRAME, BUT HAD SHE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER IN TIME THE CAR CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE INDICATOR (TELLING WHAT GEAR I AM IN) IN THE PAST, BUT THE DEALER DISMISSED ALL CLAIMS OF DEFECT. WHEN I HEARD OF THE GRAND CHEROKEE PROBE I REALIZED THERE WAS SOMEHTING I COULD DO TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE OTHERS DO AS WELL.*AK

NEEDED TO REPLACE EVAPORATOR CORE ON A 98 DODGE DURANGO. HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A 1994 PLYMOUTH, VOYAGER A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A FRIEND THAT WORKS AS A SERVICE ADVISOR FOR A DEALER THAT CHRYSLER HAS PROBLEMS WITH EVAPORATOR CORES. SEEMS TO ME, HE MAY BE RIGHT, SINCE I'VE REPLACED 2 IN 2 DIFFERENT CHRYSLER VEHICLES AT $700 EACH IN JUST A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER MAKE VEHICLE THAT I'VE EVER OWNED, PLUS IT SEEMS THAT THIS NEW OF A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT NEED AN EVAPORATOR CORE ALREADY. AIR CONDITIONER JUST STARTED BLOWING WARM AIR. HUSBAND BOUGHT A CHARGING KIT AND CHARGED THE AIR CONDITIONER. IT WORKED FOR A VERY SHORT TIME, THEN WAS BLOWING WARM AIR AGAIN. WE COULD HEAR A HISSING OR LEAKING NOISE UNDER THE DASH BOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CONFIRMED BY GARAGE THAT IT WAS AN EVAPORATOR CORE THAT NEEDS REPLACED. WE WERE ALSO TOLD AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CHARGING KIT THAT THERE HAD BEEN FIVE PEOPLE IN THAT DAY WHO HAD ALSO BOUGHT CHARGING KITS FOR DODGE DURANGOS.*AK

WHEN TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO RIGHT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHEN FIRST ACCELERATING OR BRAKING TO A STOP THERE IS A SHIMMYING IN THE FRONT END TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED GOT ALIGNMENT PROBLEM STILL THERE WAS TOLD I HAD A BUSTED BELT WENT OUT AND PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AGAIN WAS TOLD HAD DEFECTIVE U-JOINT AND DRIVESHAFT HAS TO BE REPLACED. I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT PROBABLY IS NOT JUST MY DURANGO. *AK

POWER OPERATED WINDOW ON DRIVER'S SIDE HAS BECOME JAMMED WITHIN DOOR FRAME. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY. SHE WAS DRIVING IN DESSERT AND ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW, AND STRARTED SMELLING WIRES BURNING. SHE WAS INSIDEOF PARKING LOT, AND VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES.*AK

SPOKE TO DEALER ABOUT FAILURE AND HE CLAIMED THIS IS NORMAL. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE JOINTS SHOULD FAIL AT 37000 TO 38000 MILES. *AK

A MOUNTING BOLT FOR POWER STEERING PUMP, LOCATED BEHIND POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY (WHERE THEY CANNOT BE SEEN NOR SERVICED) BECAME LOOSE AND DETACHED FROM MOUNTING BRACKET. THE BOLT ATTEMPTED TO EXIT BETWEEN THE PULLEY AND THE BRACKET CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP. DAMAGE REULTED TO PULLEY WHICH CAUSED 2 STRANDS OF THE SERPENTINE BELT TO SHRED. BOLT IS STILL BEHIND PULLEY AND CANNOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT PULLING THE ASSEMBLY OFF THE ENGINE AND USING A PULLEY PULLER TO REMOVE THE BOLT. I KNOW OF 3 OTHER PEOPLE WITH DODGE DURANGO'S THAT HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN. ONE OF THE THREE'S INCIDENT HAPPENED GOING APPROX. 65 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, LOCKING THE ENGINE UP AND CAUSING THEM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. I DO BELIEVE CHRYSLER KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM, BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPART GAVE ME A COOL RESPONSE TO MY INQUIRIES. WHEN ORDERING A NEW PULLEY FROM THE DODGE DEALOR PARTS DEPARTMENT, THE PARTS MANAGER TOLD ME TO EXPECT DELAYS, AS THERE WAS "SOME SORT OF PROBLEM" GOING ON AND THERE WERE BACKLOGS ON THAT PARTICULAR PULLEY. HE ALSO STATED, THAT IT IS ALMOST UNHEARD OF TO HAVE TO REPLACE A PULLEY ON A POWER STEERING PUMP, AN HE ALSO TOLD ME THE PEOPLE HE HAD TALKED TO HAD TOLD THEM OF THE BOLTS BECOMING LOOSE AND TRYING TO EJECT AS MINE HAS DONE. I THINK THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY CHRYSLER CORP. AND IS POTENTIALLY A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHICH COULD OR HAS CAUSED VEHICLE CRASHES OR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLES. YOU MAY CALL ME IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION.