NHTSA Complaint #752296 — 1998 DODGE DURANGO

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MAJOR COMPONENT BREAKDOWNS SINCE PURCHASE. INITIALLY, IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB AND REPLACED STEERING COLUMN. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2000, SOME THREE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. WE BEGAN TO NOTICE A SIGNIFICANT PULSING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THIS TO ABS BRAKES. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER WHEN THE PULSING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER AND THE BRAKING WAS BEING AFFECTED, AN INDEPENDENT SHOP REVIEWED THE BRAKES AND INDICATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE SEVERELY WARPED AND CAUSING THE PULSING SENSATION. THIS WAS REPAIRED OUT OF POCKET. IN FEBRUARY, 2001 THE TEMPERATURE BEGAN FLUCTUATING, SPIKING HIGHER TEMPERATURES CAUSING THE CHECK GAUGE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. IT WOULD THEN RESET. HANOVER DODGE, A DIFFERENT DEALER INDICATED THAT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING SEAL WAS LEAKING AND REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND GASKET. THIS WAS PAID OUT OF POCKET. APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS LATER, THE RADIATOR HAD A MAJOR FAILURE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THIS WAS PAID OUT OF POCKET IN THE AMOUNT OF $610.33. IN MAY, 2001WE WERE ALERTED TO A PROBLEM INVOLVING THE FRONT END. IN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, A LEAK WAS NOTICED FROM THE TRANSMISSION COOLER AND ALSO AND MORE CRITICALLY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS THE INNER TIE RODS. THESE REPAIRS WERE ALSO PAID OUT OF POCKET IN THE AMOUNT OF $923.45. THE LATEST ISSUE AROSE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHEN A HOWLING SOUND WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THROUGH RESEARCH AND INDEPENDENT EVALUATION IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS A DESIGN DEFECT WHEREBY THE RING AND PINION CANNOT HANDLE THE LOAD OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTED SEVERAL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS BEING MADE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION IN THIS DATABASE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE WE HAVE IS DEFECTIVE. EACH PROBLEM HAS INVOLVED A MAJOR COMPONENT OR SYSTEM.