1998 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE GAS PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. APPLYING THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD ACCELERATED TO OVER 85 MPH WHEN I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER LANE. I THEN STOOD UP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, SLOWED THE CAR DOWN TO 35 MPH AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. THE CAR EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP. AN AAA TOW TRUCK CAME OUT TO HELP. THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR CONFIRMS THAT WHEN HE TOWED THE TRUCK THAT THE GAS PEDAL WAS STILL ON THE FLOOR. WHEN THE CAR WAS DROPPED OFF AT THE DEALER, THE PEDAL WAS BACK IN A MORE NORMAL POSITION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.

NOTICED DRIVER'S SEAT ROCKING FORCE AND AFT DURING ACCELERATION AND STOPPING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. DEALER SAID PARTS ON ORDER. PARTS NEVER ARRIVED. DEALER NOW CLAIMS SITUATION NORMAL. FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT DURING OPERATION WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL LEADING TO POSSIBLE INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE.

THIRD ROW OF SEATS, WHEN APPLYING THE LATCH TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE, THE THIRD ROW OF SEATS WON'T ALLOW THE DOOR TO OPEN. *AK

I WAS DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM AND HIT A POCKET OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAY. I HYDRO-PLANED INTO A CONCRETE BARRICADE, HITTING THE WALL AT ABOUT A 40-45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE REAR END STARTED TO SPIN COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, SO I STEERED INTO THE SKID. THIS STOPPED THE COUNTER-CLOCKWISE SKID, BUT THREW ME BACK INTO THE BARRICADE - HITTING THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE AND MORE ESPECIALLY THE REAR WHEEL. WHEN I HIT THE WALL, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE LEAF SPRING "WHIPLASHED" IN-BOARD AND CRACKED THE GAS TANK. THE CRACK IS APPROXIMATELY 2-3 INCHES LONG. I DID NOT NOTICE THE CRACK RIGHT AWAY, AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE HOME. THE "LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT" CAME ON AND I STOPPED FOR GAS. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL WAS RUNNING OUT ON THE GROUND. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR REPAIR, AND PERHAPS INVESTIGATION INTO THE FAULTY PLACEMENT OF THE SPRINGS. THEY HAVE IGNORED THE SITUATION AND GAVE ME THE 800 NUMBER FOR CHRYSLER CUSTOMER RELATIONS. WHEN I CALLED THEM, I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND RECEIVED BASICALLY A "SO WHAT ??" ATTITUDE. I AM A PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE AGENT AND WOULD NOT WANT ANY OF MY INSURANCE CARRIERS TO NEEDLESSLY PAY CLAIMS FOR FAULTY DESIGN. I FEEL THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO PREVENT THE UNNECESSARY LOSS OF LIFE AND NEEDLESS PROPERTY DAMAGE. I WAS LUCKY THAT IT WAS RAINING THE NIGHT THAT THIS HAPPENED WHICH LESSENED THE "SPARKS" POTENTIAL. HAD THERE BEEN SPARKS OF METAL ON CONCRETE, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN BURNED IN THE WRECKAGE. I AM REMINDED OF THE FAULTY PLACEMENT OF THE SADDLE TANKS ON THE GMC PICKUP TRUCKS WHICH CAUSED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CLAIMS AND SETTLEMENTS. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO CHRYSLER AND THEIR QUESTION WAS "WHAT DO YOU WANT CHRYSLER TO DO?". YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *AK

VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR BY A TWO- YEAR OLD CHILD WHILE PARKED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. VEHICLE GEAR SHIFT WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO MOVED UNLESS FOOT WAS PRESSED ON BRAKE PEDAL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF 55 MPH OR ABOVE WITH BACK WINDOWS DOWN THE VHEICLE STARTS TO VIBERATE UNTIL IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD ON THE ROAD. THIS VIBERATION IS LIKE HAVING A FLAT TIRE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COMPLETE VEHICLE VIBERATING

ABS BRAKES FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY, AND AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING A CRASH AT APPROX. 28 MPH IMPACT. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

IN 3 OCCURRENCES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STIFF WHEN PRESSED AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT BREAK. ON ONE OCCASION, NO BRAKING AT ALL RESULTED IN A CRASH. VISITED THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

SUSPENSION VIBRATION CAUSING CONSUMERS EAR DRUM TO HURT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. MJS

COMING OFF THE RAMP WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH ON WET PAVEMENT, CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND THE BRAKES WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO REAR END VEHICLE IN FRONT, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK