1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

PREMATURE WEAR ON BALL JOINTS. DEALER INSPECTED AT MY REQUEST DURING ROUTINE 37,500 MILE MAINTENANCE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH INVOLVES REPLACING THE ENTIRE UPPER CONTROL ARMS ON THE VEHICLE FOR A COST OF OVER $800. NOT REPLACING THEM COULD CAUSE WHEEL TO COME OFF. REPLACING MAJOR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ON A LIGHT USE, LOW MILE VEHICLE IS OUTRAGEOUS. IF THEY WERE MENT TO BE REPLACED AT 38,000 MILES THEY WOULD NOT BE INTEGRAL WITH THE CONTROL ARM. *LA

STEERING BECAME LOOSE AND FRONT WHEELS BEGAN TO MAKE LOUD CREAKING NOISES. HAVING BEEN AWARE OF THE TENDENCY FOR DURANGO BALL JOINTS TO FAIL, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SHOP. BALL JOINTS ON FRONT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS BEARING ON ONE SIDE. *AK

CONSUMER FELT THAT MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR ON VEHICLE. *LA THE VEHICLES LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AND HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR. PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE THE VEHICLE'S LEAF SPRINGS BROKE. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH REAR LEAF SPRINGS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE CONSUMER HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. ALSO THE LEFT HUB BEARING WAS WORN OUT. *AK

I BEGAN HEARING A HORRID SQUEAL IN THE REAR WHEELS OF MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER WHO SAID THE JOINTS WERE WORN, AND IT WOULD BE OVER $1500 TO FIX IT, AND IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL, BUT HAD NOT BEEN. I HAD TWO JOINTS REPLACED FIXED AT ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP, BUT NOW THE SQUEALING HAS STARTED AGAIN, AND ALSO IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE FRONT END SHAKING WHEN I DRIVE OVER 50 MPH.*AK

AT 39000 MILES, 1999 DODGE DURANGO HAD TO HAVE BALL JOINTS REPLACES AS THEY WERE DANGEROUSLY WORN. SINCE GRANDCHILDREN RIDE IN VEHICLE, BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $764.22. DODGE REFUSES TO STAND BEHIND VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH BALL JOINTS WERE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE AND WORN AT 36000 MILES WHEN WARRANTY RAN OUT.*AK

MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO VIN [XXX] HAS AROUND 58,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL 5-STAR DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR SOME SCHEDULED MAINT. INCLUDING NEW TIRES. WHEN THE DEALER WENT TO DO THE ALIGNMENT FOR THE NEW TIRES, I WAS INFORMED THEY COULD NOT GET THE CAR PROPERLY ALIGNED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEARING OF THE BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS. THEY TOLD ME I NEED TO REPLACE BOTH BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO AS NOT TO WEAR OUT MY NEW TIRES PREMATURELY. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE I'VE SEEN REPORTED ON CBS' EVENING NEWS AND THEIR WEB SITE MULTIPLE TIMES. I CAN PERSONALLY STATE THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS EQUIPMENT AS THERE WERE NO WARNINGS WHATSOEVER. I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD, AND USE THIS AS A COMMUTE CAR AND TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY. I'VE READ HOW OTHERS HAVE STATE THEY HAD NO WARNINGS AND THEIR WHEELS BROKE OFF! AS WITH OTHERS WHO ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE A WHEEL BREAKS OFF THE CAR, I AM GETTING STUCK WITH THE REPAIR COSTS AS IT ISN'T AN OFFICIAL RECALL. THE DEALER ADVISED ME TO WRITE A COMPLAINT TO CHRYSLER, WHICH I PLAN TO DO, TRYING TO SEEK SOME COMPENSATION FOR THIS. I'VE NEVER OWNED A VEHICLE WHERE I HAD TO REPLACE CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS EVER. THE CAR USUALLY WEARS OUT BEFORE THAT DOES. ESPECIALLY WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES AND BABYING THE CAR, MAINTAINING IT WELL. I HAVE NEVER ABUSED OR GONE "OFF-ROAD" IN THIS CAR. I AM WRITING TO OFFICIALLY COMPLAIN THAT I AM THE NEXT VICTIM IN THE BALL JOINT FIASCO. AND I'M STUCK WITH THE BILL. THIS REALLY SHAKES MY CONFIDENCE IN CHRYSLER WITH THEM STATING THAT THERE IS "ADEQUATE WARNING BEFORE A FAILURE." WHEN MINE ARE WORN OUT TO THE POINT THE CAR CAN'T BE ALIGNED, AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OF A PROBLEM, THEN I CAN 100% SAY THEY ARE LYING ABOUT THAT...THEY AREN'T EXPERIENCING THIS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY THAT...ESPECIALLY SINCE I CAN ATTEST TO IT, AS HAVE MANY OTHERS. *AK UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA),

PE 03-032, FRONT SUSPENSION. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE: WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN TURNING CORNERS A CLICKING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT END. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT THERE WAS A GROANING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. *AK *SC *JB

THERE WAS A SQUAWKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OVER A BUMP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS BECAUSE THEY WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK *SC *JB

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO, 4WD, 5.2 LITER V8.*AK