NHTSA Complaint #10060752 — 2003 DODGE DURANGO

I BOUGHT A USED 2003 DODGE DURANGO ON 2/28/2004. IT RAN FINE FOR A FEW DAYS. THE FRONT END WAS NOT PERFORMING AS IT SHOULD. THIS ONLY HAS 27,000 MILES ON IT SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT MY MECHANIC AS ALIGNMENTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DAY BEFORE I WAS TO TAKE IT TO HIM THE CBS NEWS SHOWED A STORY ON DODGE DURANGO'S AND THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. I ASKED OUR MECHANIC TO CHECK THESE ALSO. HE FOUND THE LEFT SIDE WORN AND THE RIGHT SIDE WAS TO THE POINT THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED THE DEALER SHIP THAT IT WAS PURCHASED AT AND OF COURSE THEY HEAD MECHANIC STATED THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT. AFTER MY HUSBAND MENTIONED THE NEWS STORY AND WHAT OUR MECHANIC FOUND, THEY STILL TRIED TO SAY IT MUST BE THE BEARINGS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS VERY RUDE TO HIM EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. HE INSISTED THEY BE REPLACED. MY HUSBAND WAS A MECHANIC BUY TRADE SO HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. I FEEL SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS. OUR APPOINTMENT IS ON 3-9-04. WE WILL OF COURSE TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO INSPECT THEY REPLACED WHAT WAS WRONG. WE HAVE BEEN DODGE OWNERS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND I CAN NOT BELIEVE SOMETHING THIS SERIOUS IS BEING HIDDEN BY THEM. THEY HAVE LOST MY VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN RELIABILITY. THEY DID NOT CHECK THE DURANGO PRIOR TO SELLING IT, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. I AM AFRID TO DRIVE MY OWN CAR FOR FEAR OF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER AND AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM 2002 AND ON, WHY IS THIS NOT BEING ADDRESSED WITH CHRYSTLER? WE RELY ON YOUR SERVICE AS AN INDEPENDENT AND WE NEED YOUR BACKBONE IN MAKING THIS A RECALL ISSUE. PLEASE TAKE THIS AS SERIOUS AS WE ALL DO. THANK YOU. *AK