NHTSA Complaint #10060322 — 2000 DODGE DURANGO

I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 DODGE DURANGO ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT WHEN MY VEHICLE START MAKING A NOTICEABLE SOUND. IT SOUNDED LIKE I HAD FLAT TIRE OR SOMETHING WAS STUCK IN THE WHEEL AREA. I LOOKED AND SEARCHED UNDER THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. MY FIANCEE, SISTER AND FRIEND WERE IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WAS WRONG. WE WERE QUITE SCARED AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. FOR THREE DAYS MY CAR MADE THE SAME UNTIL MY MECHANIC WAS AVAILABLE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 29TH. THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM A BUSTED BALL JOINT/BEARING. IT WAS VERY NEAR OFF COLLAPSING THE WHEEL AND FRONT END. WHAT STUCK IN MY MIND WAS THE MECHANIC AT THE TIME SAID, THAT I WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT I BROUGHT MY CAR IN WHEN I DID BECAUSE THE "WHOLE AXLE COULD HAVE BROKEN AND FALLEN OFF." I WAS QUITE SCARED AND RELIEVED, OBVIOUSLY. WELL, ALMOST $600 LATER AND I FIND OUT THAT THIS ALL COULC HAVE BEEN AVERTED BY DODGE NOTIFYING CAR OWNERS.