1999 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

ALL SUSPENSION BALL JOINTS ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO WENT OUT AT ONCE MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSIBLE TO DRIVE AND ALMOST LOST THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WITH ALL MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 82,000 MILES ON IT WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND HAD ALL BALL JOINTS REPLACED. HE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT AND THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE DURANGO MANY TIMES. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT I CAN SEE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM ASAP. THANK YOU. *AK

1999 DODGE DURANGO WITH ABOUT 75,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT THE TIRES STARTED TO VIBRATE THE STEERING COLUMN AND I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE CENTER. THEY FOUND 2 BAD UPPER BALL JOINTS AND TWO BAD TIE ROD ENDS. ONE OF THE BALL JOINTS WAS ABOUT READY TO FALL APART. I HAD THEM REPLACE ALL BAD COMPONENTS AND REALIGN THE FRONT END. ALSO I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES (2ND) TIME SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE AND MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AS WELL AS THEY MAY BE WORN THIN. *AK

TWO POWER WINDOWS FAILED. ONE MOTOR BURNED OUT OR SHORT IN RIGHT SIDE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. DRIVER DOOR WINDOW STUCK IN COLD WEATHER, ALL PLASTIC COMPONENTS BROKE AND LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW. THIS WAS NOT A FORCED LOWERING OF THE WINDOW.*AK

REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEFECTIVE BALL JOINT REPAIRS. *PH WHEN THE CONSUMER HEARD ABOUT A REPORT REGARDING DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER THEY TOLD HIM THE BALL JOINTS WERE FINE. WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, HE WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. *JB

TIRES WORN UNEVEN BECAUSE OF PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BALL JOINTS. *PH THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED UP AND DOWN. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WAS HARD TO SHIFT AND IT SLIPPED GEARS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

TOO MANY OWNERS SEEM TO BE UNIFORMED OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT-END DESIGN FLAW OF THE DODGE DURANGO. NEEDING UPPER AND/OR LOWER BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENTS AT 50K OR LESS SHOULD NOT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CUSTOMER. THE MAIN ISSUE LIES IN THE FACT THAT THIS FLAW REQUIRES THE CUSTOMER TO PAY FOR THE FIXES WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN DESIGN SO THE NEED FOR FUTURE REPLACEMENT FALLS ON THE CONSUMER IN LESS THAN 50K MILES AGAIN! I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE EFFORTS MADE WITH DODGE TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMER AND THE FINANCIAL BURDEN BY AT LEAST PAYING FOR THE FIX THE FIRST TIME AND PRIOR TO THE FAILURE CAUSING SUSPENSION FAILURES THAT CAN AND EVENTUALLY WILL CAUSE HARM OR DEATH. MY VEHICLE IS IN NEED OF THESE REPLACEMENTS WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE WHEEL ALIGNMENTS CANNOT BE PREFORMED AND WARRANTED UNLESS THE SUSPENSION PARTS ARE REPLACED. FOR MANY CONSUMER THAT ARE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE VEHICLE THEY MAY NOT DO THE REPLACEMENT AND EVENTUALLY DODGE MAY BE INVOLVED IN LAW SUITS THAT COULD ULTIMATELY SHOW FAULT IF NO PROACTIVE MEASURES ARE TAKEN BY THEM. I WOULD CERTAINLY YOUR HELP IN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU- IF DODGE DID PAY THE FIRST BILL, THEY SEEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL , AT LEAST, THE FACT THAT THIS IS NEEDED BY THE CONSUMER IN THE FUTURE AND COULD REMOVE ALL LIABILITY TO THE ISSUE FOREVER.

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT 3 OF THE BALLS JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WAS LOOSE. *AK *SC *JB

UPPER BALL JOINTS CRACKED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THREE MONTHS AFTER REPLACING THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, THE UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *PH

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT WAS LOOSE, AND THE TIRE COULD FALL OFF AT ANYTIME. ALSO, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE PARTS WERE ON A NATION WIDE BACK ORDER.*AK AFTER PARTS WERE REPLACED, CONSUMER AGAIN EXPERIENCED STEERING BECOMING LOOSE. ALSO, REPAIR WAS MADE ON TRANSMISSION PAN GASKET DUE TO A BOLT STRIPPED OUT OF THE PAN. *LA