NHTSA Complaint #10093206 — 2000 DODGE DURANGO

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE DURANGO AND I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY BALLJOINTS. I'VE HAD MY CAR IN FOR NUMEROUS PROBLEMS BUT NONE AS SCARY AS THE NEAR LOOSING CONTROL OF MY CAR EVERYTIME I GO OVER A POTHOLE OR UNEVEN PAVEMENT. FINALLY IN MARCH 2004 I HAD ALL FOUR OF THE BALLJOINTS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE FOUND TO HAVE "EXCESSIVE RADIAL FREE PLAY, OVER .250 INCH". AFTER HAVING THEM REPLACED IN MARCH THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT WAS TOLD THAT EVERYTHING WAS TIGHT BUT THAT I NEEDED NEW SHOCKS. I'VE REPLACED THE SHOCKS AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I ASKED THE DEALER IF I COULD HAVE THE OLD PARTS BUT THEY SAID SINCE IT WAS A WARRANTY ISSUE THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM BECASUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO SEND THEM BACK TO MOPAR. I ALSO ASKED IF THE BALLJOINTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE THE SAME AS THE OLD ONES, THE SAME TYPE, SAME MANUFACTURE AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NO WAY FOR HIM TO KNOW. BECAUSE IF THEY WERE THE OLD TYPE THEN I WOULD LIKE THE NEW TYPE PUT ONE. I FEEL LUCKY THAT I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BALLJOINTS, BUT I DID HAVE TO PAY 500 DOLLARS FOR REPLACING THE SHOCKS. I JUST HOPE I REALLY NEEDED THEM.