NHTSA Complaint #10029219 — 1999 DODGE DURANGO

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE. ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED AT OIL CHANGE WITH DEALER AT 52000. THEY SAID THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND UPPER CONTROL ARMS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, COSTING $1700! I ASKED WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING, AND MY SERVICE ADVISOR INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURENCE ON DURANGOS. I ASKED WHY AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS WOULD NEED TYO BE DONE BUT IT WAS NOT URGENT BECAUSE IT WAN'T A SAFETY ISSUE.PROBLEM AGAIN IDENTIFIED BY DEALER AT 56000 OIL CHANGE. I HAD THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED BY A PRIVATE SHOP. I TOLD THEM I WANTED THIS FRONT SUSPENSION WORK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER SEEN A FRONT SUSPENSION FAIL AT ONLY 57K! THEY LOOKED AT IT AND DETERMINED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT HTE CONTROL ARMS WERE OK AND COULD BE REUSED. THIS DEFECT ALSO COST ME 2 TIRES AS THE SUSPENSIONS FAILURE CAUSED MY TWO FRONT TIRES TO 'CUP'. DATE OF INCIDENT IS THE DATE OF THE REPAIR: 6/21/03 . *AK