NHTSA Complaint #766855 — 1999 DODGE DURANGO

AT 65,000 MILES, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MY BALL JOINTS WERE BAD. HE ALSO SAID THAT DURANGO'S APPARENTLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM SINCE HE HAD ALREADY REPLACED AT LEAST 20 OF THEM. THE FRONT END OF MY CAR HAD BEEN CREAKING FOR AWHILE WHEN I WOULD HIT A SPEEDBUMP OR BUMP IN THE ROAD. I AM A WOMAN AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND RESEARCHED THIS AND HAVE SEEN ALOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM DURANGO OWNERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. MY NIECE ALSO OWNS A DURANGO AND I TOLD HER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. SHE HAD TO BRING HER CAR IN FOR A DIFFERENT REPAIR TO HER DEALER, SO SHE ASKED THEM TO CHECK HER BALL JOINTS. THEY SAID THAT HER BALL JOINTS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHE ONLY HAS 35,000 MILES ON HER VEHICLE SO HER REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT DURANGO BALL JOINTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY 30,000 MILES. AT THE TIME THAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT MY BALL JOINTS MY FAMILY AND I WERE LEAVING THE NEXT DAY FOR A VACATION BY CAR. SO I HAD TO REPLACE MY BALL JOINTS AT A COST OF $700.00. I BELIEVE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS AND IT IS A SAFEY HAZARD. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IF THE BALL JOINT BROKE IT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MY DURANGO HAS GIVEN ME ALOT OF PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET MY TRANSMISSION FIXED SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING. NEXT WEEK I HAVE TO MAKE MY FOURTH APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO TRY AND GET MY TRANSMISSION FIXED. I DO BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BALL JOINTS AND I DO NOT THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LET THIS SERIOUS CONDITION CONTINUE.*AK