1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

FRONT RT & LT (UPPER & LOWER) BALL JOINTS & TIE ROD NEEDED REPLACEMENT CAUSING IMPROPER ALIGNMENT & EXCESSIVE & UNEVEN WEAR ON THE TIRES....WE HAVE PURCHASED NEW TIRES 3 TIMES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM! IN APRIL OF 2001, WE FIND THAT WE NEED REPLACEMENT OF THE LT UPPER BALL JOINT AND CHRYSLER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING AS THEY SAY WE HAVE TOO MANY MILES! ALMOST ENTIRE MILEAGE IS OPEN ROAD DRIVING & VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED. A VEHICLE THAT IS 3 YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT NEED BALL JOINTS REPAIRED/REPLACED LET ALONE 2 TIMES IN LESS THAN 10 MONTHS!!!*AK

SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED AT THE DIP STICK SMEARED HIS FINGER INSIDE AND SAID SLUDGE LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THE FACTORY REP CAME ON TUESDAY I WAITED FINALLY WENT TO WORK BUT THEY HAD THE HEAD GASKET LID OFF AND THE WHOLE THING WAS CRISPY SLUDGE AND BLACK. THE DEALER SAID IT WASN'T GOING TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE WINDOWS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY BUT IF IT HAD HELD OFF A COULPE MORE MOUNTHS I WOULD BE PAYING FOR THAT!!! THIS IS A LEASED VEHICLE. MY WIFE PREGNAUNT WWEITH TWINS AND I AND ANOTHER COUPLE WERE ON OUR WAY ON A 45 MIN TRIP TO A COMEDY CLUB. ON I-75 THE CHECK GUAGES LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE DINGING BELL. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE AND AFTER CHECKING THE GUAGES I FOUND THE OIL PRESSURE WAS AT 0. JUST A FEW MILES AHEAD WAS A REST AREA AND THATS WERE I WAS HEADED BECAUSE IT WAS COLD AND WINDY. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE GUAGE BECAUSE EAIRLER AT THE GAS STATION I KNOW SHE WAS GOOD. DID THE OLD, FILL UP WASH AND WAX JOB! SHE WAS LOOKING GOOD! THE SUV BEGAN LOOSING POWER AS WE HIT THE ON OFF RAMP TO THE REST STOP SHE WAS A TICKIN I THREW IT IN N. AND COASTED DOWN TO A PARKING SPOT BY THEN IT WAS KNOCKING. TURNED IT OFF AND POPPED THE HOOD PULLED THE DIP STICK OUT IT WAS STEAMIN HOT AND BLACK! I GAVE COPYS OF THE FOUR OIL CHANGES THAT I COULD ROUND UP THE OTHER THREE WERE AT A PLACE THAT WENT OUT OF BUISNESS AND NO LONGER HAD RECORDS, SOMEBODY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO KEEP THEM FOR THREE YEARS WELL THEY DONT HAVE THEM. I TALKED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT MY WIFE DRIVING IN TOWN MAYBE 5MILES TO WORK COULD PRODUCE SLUDGE. THE PLACES I GET MY OIL CHANGED ARE PROBABLLY 15- TO 25 CITY BLOCKS. THE MECHANIC I TALKED TO ALSO SAID IF I GOT MY OIL CHANGED AT DIFFERENT PLACES SOMETHING ABOUT TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF OIL COULD ALSO SLUDGE UP. I THEN ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER WHAT COULD MAKE AND ENGINE SLUDGE UP? HIS RESPONSE WAS " I BEEN DOING THIS FOR 25 YEARS ONLY THING IS LACK OF MAINTAINCE." SO THATS WHY I WRITING TO YOU.*AK

AFTER INSPECTING BRAKES HAD FOUND THE FRONT ROTORS CRACKED. DEALER HAD INSPECTED AND TRIED TO REPAIR.*AK

AFTER SERVICE OF VEHICLE, I LEFT THE DEALER. WHEN I LEFT THE PARKING LOT I HEARD A BANG FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WENT FOR A ROAD TEST WITH ONE OF THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES. HE CONCURED THAT THERE WAS A NOISE BUT COULD NOT TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. SERVICE WAS BOOKED THE FOLLOWING DAY SO I ARRANGED TO DROP THE TRUCK OFF TWO DAYS LATER. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE BAD ON BOTH SIDES. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE APPROX $200.00 OVER THE AREA'S SERVICE CENTERS. THE SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN BECAUSE IT "WAS NOT SAFE". AFTER RESEARCHING THE SUSPENSION I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I FEEL THAT SINCE THE DEALERSHIP HAS A RE-OCCURING PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR EQUIPMENT, THAT A SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE IMPLIMENTED. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE TRUCK IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD AND VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER STATED THAT NO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS HAVE FAILED, CAUSING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF WHEEL STUD/BOLT BREAKAGE. HAS OCCURRED BOTH DURING HIGHWAY OPERATION AND DURING TIRE REMOVAL. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE APPROXIMATELY 6 STUDS ON VARIOUS WHEELS. IN EACH CASE, LUGS WERE INSTALLED AT PROPER TORQUE AND WERE REMOVED EITHER BY HAND OR BY AIR-POWERED TOOL. CONCERNED THAT THE STUDS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE OF POOR QUALITY OR THE MATERIALS USED IN THE STUDS AND LUGS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE AND THEREFORE SEIZING IS OCCURRING. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLES I'VE OWNED AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TOO MANY WHEEL STUDS! 4/10/01 - WHEEL LUG COULD NOT BE RE-INSTALLED AFTER REMOVAL FOR TIRE ROTATION, COULD NOT HAND-START; CONCERNED ABOUT PROBLEM WITH STUD AND POTENTIAL BREAKAGE. TIRE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH DURANGO STUDS BREAKING OFF.

LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH;. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A LOWER STEERING SHAFT FAILURE. *AK

AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN HEAD ON ACCIDENT OCCURRED, CONSUMER SUSTAINED PERMANENT INJURIES, CONSUMER STATED 2 OTHER PEOPLE WERE ALSO INJURED. *JB

I WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, HIT AT 55 MILES PER HOUR. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! I SUSTAINED PERMANENT INJURIES, INCLUDING A KNEE SURGERY FROM HITTING THE DASH. RECENTLY, AND ARTICLE HIT THE PRESS ABOUT DAIMLER/CHRYSLER MINIVANS 1996-2000, AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING CAUSING INJURIES. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO, TO GET SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO ME? I HAVE FILED 3 COMPLAINTS, AND LEFT MESSAGES AND HAVE YET TO SEE A COMPLAINT FILED OR A PHONE CALL RETURNED. IF I HAD DIED, THEN, MAYBE SOMEONE WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO A PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION OF THIS COMPLAINT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK