1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

1E 03 029/FRONT SUSPENSION/UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE: WHILE DRIVING 60-65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WANDERED ACROSS THE ROAD. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT BOTH FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO REPLACED. *AK THE BALL JOINTS WERE WORN TO THE POINT THEY WERE ABOUT TO COME APART. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. *AK

WE HAD THE TRUCK CHECKED OUT PRIER TO PURCHASE IN NOV. OF 2003 AND WERE TOLD IT NEEDED BALL JOINTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED. AT THIS TIME THE TRUCK HAD 51K MILES ON IT. SEPT OF 2004 I TOOK THE TRUCK IN TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED DUE TO SHAKING AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE OUT OF TOLERANCE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD THE LOWERS REPLACED AGAIN AT 59000 MILES. *AK

ANNUAL STATE SAFETY INSPECTION FOUND BALL JOINT FAILUE FOR THE SECOND TIME. ALL WERE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2002 AT CUSTOMER COST. OCTOBER 2004 REPLACED LEFT SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT AT WARRENTY. HAVE FOUND NO RECALL OR SERVICE BUL. TO DATE. SAFETY ISSUE!*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE MADE A POPPING NOISE, AND STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE DEALER REPORTED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A LOANER VEHICLE UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE MADE. *TC

TODAY I SENT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL TO SUBARU OF AMERICA CONCERNING THE INVESTIGATION OF ABS DEFECT IN WRX VEHICLES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND ON NO OCCASION WAS I DRIVING IN AN "AGGRESSIVE" MANNER OR "HARD' BRAKING. NOR WAS MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT TO NHTSA A "PARROTING" OF SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM FROM THE IMPREZA WEBSITE, AS SUBARU HAS ACCUSED. THE ABS IS OVERLY SENSITIVE TO BUMPY SURFACES AND IS A SAFETY RISK, PERIOD. MY EMAIL TO SUBARU OF AMERICA: I HAVE JUST REVIEWED SOA'S LETTER DATED 9/10/04 TO NHTSA RE YOUR INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED ABS PROBLEMS IN WRX'S. I AM DISMAYED BY SOA'S INABILITY TO DOCUMENT, AND REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE, THE ABS PROBLEM. I AM INSULTED THAT SUBARU BLAMES THE PROBLEM ON "AGGRESSIVE DRIVING PATTERNS." THE PROBLEM REGULARLY OCCURS AT ONE POINT IN MY DAILY URBAN COMMUTE WHEN I BRAKE FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT OVER A BUMPY SURFACE. I AM USING ONLY 15% OF THE BRAKING CAPABILITY AT 20 MPH WHEN THE ABS FAULT OCCURS-- HARDLY "AGGRESSIVE" OR "HARD" BRAKING, AND HARDLY A SITUATION THAT ONLY AGGRESSIVE PERFORMANCE DRIVERS WOULD ENCOUNTER. WHEN IT OCCURS, THERE IS A SUDDEN, DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN DECELERATION. DECELERATION IS NO LONGER PROPORTIONAL TO PEDAL PRESSURE, AND INCREASED PRESSURE IS INEFFECTIVE WHILE THE ABS IS "CONFUSED" BY THE BUMPY SURFACE. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE HAD SCARY MOMENTS WHEN THE DROP IN DECELERATION HAS RESULTED IN NEARLY REAR-ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I AM VERY PUZZLED WHY AN EVENT, THAT FOR ME IS SO PREDICTABLE AND REPEATABLE, HAS ESCAPED YOUR ANALYSIS. I FURTHER TAKE OFFENSE TO THE CLAIM IN YOUR LETTER THAT MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA WERE DISHONEST REPETITIONS OF PROBLEMS A FEW HAD DESCRIBED ON AN OWNERS WEBSITE. NICE TRY, BUT I CAN ATTEST TO THE VALIDITY OF THE PROBLEM IN MY CAR, HAVING EXPERIENCED IT DOZENS OF TIMES. DISCUSSION ON THE WEBSITE HAS INFORMED OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM AND MAY HAVE PREVENTED SOME ACCIDENTS, SOMETHING I CANNOT SAY FOR SUBARU! CHARLES F. VISSER. *AK

THE UPPER BALL JOINTS MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, WHEN DRIVING 35-55 MPH FRONT END SHOOK. *AK *TC

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIE ROD BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OFF THE VEHICLE MOMENTARILY, HOWEVER WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD. *JB IN ADDITION TO THE BROKEN TIE ROD ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEMS HIS VEHICLE WAS HAVING WAS NOT CURRENTLY RECALL. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO TOLD THAT HIS REPAIR COST COULD NOT BE REIMBURSED BECAUSE THEY WERE MADE AT A NON DODGE DEALER. *NM

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO DIE WHILE IN MOTION. *SC

PE 03 032/FRONT SUSPENSION: UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE FRONT TIRES THAT WERE EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE WEAR, AND A CRUNCHING NOISE COULD BE HEARD WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT FRONT BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ALL 4 BALL JOINTS ARE BAD. CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE IS ON HER THIRD SET OF FRONT TIRES AND ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE.