NHTSA Complaint #10028803 — 2001 DODGE DURANGO

FRONT TIRES STARTED WEARING EXCESSIVEY ON THE OUTER EDGE WITH LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON VEHICLE ACCOMPANIED BY HARD PULLING TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS WITH MINIMAL RESULTS. IT WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED AS AN ALINGMENT PROBLEM, DEALER SUPPOSEDLY ALIGNED VEHICLE TO FACTORY SPECS. THE SECOND VISIT I WAS TOLD THE SPRING ISOLATORS WERE MISALIGNED (REALIGNED ISOLATORS AND FRONT END). "COMPLAINTS ABOUT SERVICE AND CONTINUOS PROBLEMS ADDRESSED TO SERVICE MANAGER". I WAS OFFERED A FREE OIL CHANGE AS COMPENSATION. THIRD VISIT WAS TO DIFFERENT DEALER WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS WORN RIGHT FRONT UPPER BALL JOINT (REPLACED PARTS). VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN AGAIN RECENTLY AT 36000 MILES WITH EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND UNCONTROLLABLE PULL TO THE RIGHT. DEALER STATED THAT THE GOODYEAR LS TIRES WERE THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY ARE ONLY A 30,000 MILE TIRE AND CROSS ROTATED THE LT. AND RT. FRONT TIRES AS A FIX. I IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED UP WITH A VISIT TO THE LOCAL GOODYEAR DEALER AND THE FIRST SUGGESTION WAS I GET A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND TOLD ME THAT THE GOODYEAR TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE 40,000 MILE PLUS. ALL PROBLEMS HAVE ALL OCCURED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY I CALLED CHRYSLER TO INQUIRE ABOUT NOTED PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS OR HISTORY OF FRONT END PROBLEMS WITH DURANGOS. I DID REQUEST TO START A CUSTOMER PROBLEM FILE AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT BOTH DEALERSHIPS RELUCTANCE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE FOR WARRANTY WORK. FINALLY, WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE IS HARD TO CONTROL, THE VEHICLE WILL BECOMES VERY UNSTABLE AND BOUNCES TO LEFT OR RIGHT.