1998 DODGE DURANGO Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

62K MILES DOING THE SPEED LIMIT ON I/70 EAST OF MT COMFORT EXIT. OIL PRESSURE WENT TO 0 BEFORE I COULD SLOW AND GET TO THE SHOULDER THE ENGINE BLEW A ROD THREW THE OIL PAN. HAD IT TOWED TO MY REPAIR SHOP. HE TOOK THE PAN OFF AND SAID HE THOUGHT THE OIL PUMP HAD FAILED FROM WHAT HE COULD SEE. LOCAL DEALER DID NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOLD HIM OF THE FAILURES I HAD FOUND ON THE INTERNET AND HE REFERRED ME TO DODGE AND HUNG UP. DODGE REPLIED TO MY INQUIRY BY TELLING ME TO TALK WITH MY LOCAL DEALER. *TR

OIL PRESSURE DROPS TO 0 WHEN RUNNING. IT HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE. *TR

I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 98 DODGE DURANGO. VEHICLE RAN FINE FOR ENTIRE TIME WE OWNED IT. MAINTENANCE WAS DONE PROPERLY, AS MY HUSBAND IS A GENERATOR MECHANIC IN THE MILITARY AND KEEPS A VERY RIGID MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR ALL OF OUR CARS. MID MAY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST OIL PRESSURE, AFTER AND OIL CHANGE VEHICLE WAS FINE FOR MONTHS. THEN MID AUGUST IT STARTS AGAIN, AGAIN OIL CHANGES WERE DONE AT LEAST EVERY 6000 MILES BY CHRYSLER'S INSTRUCTIONS. BEFORE WE CAN EVEN GET OFF OF THE INTERSTATE THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AND NOW WILL RUN BUT LOSSES OIL PRESSURE BEFORE WE GET OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND KNOCKING STARTS SOON AFTER. COMPRESSION IS LOST IN TWO HEAD GASKETS DUE TO THIS AND THE MECHANIC SAYS THE SLUDGE IS THE PROBLEM, THOUGH THE MECHANIC CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY BECAUSE HE KNOWS HOW OFTEN THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED....

OIL PRESSURE ON 1998 DURANGO KEPT DROPPING TO 0. MANY TRIPS TO DEALER WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. SEPT '01, ENGINE FAILED. REPLACED ENGINE AT COST OF $4500. SLUDGE WAS FOUND IN OLD ENGINE. CHRYSLER TRIED TO SAY IT WAS BECAUSE OF IMPROPER OIL CHANGES. NOT TRUE. MARCH, 2005 OIL PRESSURE IS DROPPING TO 0 AGAIN. CAR IS AT REPAIR FACILITY. THEY SAY IT NEEDS A NEW OIL SENDING UNIT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE WILL FAIL AGAIN DUE TO THE APPARENT DEFECT IN THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE CHRYSLER MAKES. WHAT CAN BE DONE? DEC. 2003 WE REPLACED THE BALL JOINTS FOR $1300. FIND OUT IN 2004 THAT CHRYSLER RECALLED 2000-2003 DURANGOS FOR DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS. WHY WERE THE 1998 AND 99 MODELS LEFT OUT? IS THIS NOT THE SAME PART AS THE 2000? CHRYSLER MERELY SAYS NO MORE INFORMATION OTHER THAN 98 IS NOT INCLUDED.*AK

I PURCHASED A 1998 DODGE DURANGO IN MARCH OF 1998. THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW WITH 3 MILES ON IT. THE CAR WAS EXCELLENT UNTIL ABOUT 52,000 MILES. 1ST REPAIR, WATER PUMP. AT ABOUT 56,000 TRANSMISSION REBUILD. AT ABOUT 61,000 HEATER CORE, AND POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING. AT 77,000 TRANSMISSION REBUILD AGAIN. AT ABOUT 80,000 MILES, STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO STIFFEN UP AND VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHEEL THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW RACK AND PINION. DURANGOS DO NOT HAVE RACK AND PINIONS, THEY HAVE GEAR BOXES. AT ABOUT 94,000 TRANSMISSION REBUILD. AT 106,000 TRASNMISSION REBUILD AND INSTALLED A TRANSMISSION COOLER THIS TIME AROUND ALONG WITH AN AFTERMARKET TRANSMISSION GAUGE WHICH TELLS ME THE TEMP OF THE TRANS(PRICE WAS $125.00 FOR GAUGE AND WIRING). CALLED DODGE WAS LIKE TALKING TO MY DOG, THEY SAID THAT IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. I SWORE TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES THAT...

VEHICLE ACQUIRED IN JULY OF 2004. ALL COMPONENT SYSTEM FAILURES LISTED HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THAT TIMEFRAME. ENGINE OVERHEATED DUE TO TWO (2) FREEZE PLUGS THAT FAILED BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING. REVERSE LIGHTS NO LONGER FUNCTION AND CAUSE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. FRONT TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED AS WERE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A REPAIR FACILITY REQUIRING UPPER BALL JOINT AND TIE-ROD END REPLACEMENT.*AK

THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT BALL JOINTS AND TIE RODS DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR. *PH A FAULTY INTAKE GASKET CAUSED AN OIL LEAK. THE CONSUMER NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT. *NM *SC *JB

FRONT BRAKES (REPLACED 3X'S IN ONE YEAR) KEEP FAILING ON DODGE DURANGO CAUSING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR AND ALIGNMENT TO SHIFT. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES 4 TIMES AND THE REAR TIRES TWICE SINCE I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE JANUARY 2,2000. ALL TIRES WEAR AT AN ANGLE WITH SEVERAL BALD SPOTS IN DIFFERENT PLACES. I ALSO REPLACED THE WATER PUMP AND RADIATOR FEBRUARY 2003. NOW THE AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT WORKING. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I STILL HAD TO PAY 300.00 OUT OF POCKET FOR WHATEVER REASON.

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 98 DURANGO. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND THE VEHICLE HAS 31,000 MILES. THE CURRENT PROBLEM, AND THE ONE FOR WHICH I FILED THE COMPLAINT, DEALS WITH THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS NOT UNCTIONING. THE LEFT REAR WINDOW WENT OUT LAST YEAR. WITHIN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, THE PASSENGER WINDOW WENT OUT, AND THE RIGHT REAR HAS BEGUN TO OPERATE INCONSISTENTLY. AS FOR REPAIRS, A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER SAID THEY BELIEVE THE PROBLEM ARE THE WINDOW REGULATORS. AS TO COST, I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH CHRYSLER CORP.(NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER) AS TO WHAT THEY WILL DO TO FIX. MY OWN INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR DURANGO. JUST TODAY CHRYSLER HAS ASKED ME TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RE-DIAGNOSED AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (AT MY COST). THEY WILL THEN DETERMINE IF AND WHAT THEY WILL DO. HOWEVER, THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID HE...

WITH 40,000 MILES HAD TO INSTALL LOWER BALL JOINTS AND RIGHT SIDE INNER TIRE ROD I INSTALLED LEFT INNER TIE ROD AND UPPER BALL JOINTS WHEN VEHICLE WAS APART, ALSO INSTALLED MONO-MAX KYB SHOCKS FRONT AND REAR AND INSTALL NEW BF GOODRICH TIRES FRONT AND REAR HAD 2 DIFFERENT PEOPLE CHECK AND SET ALIGNMENT AND CAN NOT GET VEHICLE TO STOP DRIFTING RIGHT ANDHAS CHOPPED WEAR PATTEN ON RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HAS TO INSTALL NEW THERMOSTAT GASKET. *JB

ACCIDENT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, SEAT BELTS DIDN'T WORK PROPER. LOSS OF OF CONTROL FROM STEERING PROBLEMS. STEERING PROBLEMS ON WET ROADS. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, DOESN'T SHIFT PROPER, NO AIR CONDITION, CAN NOT DRIVE WITH WINDOWS DOWN IN BACK, VERY HARD TO CONTROL. CAR IS PARKED BECAUSE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. BEEN BACK TO DEALER WITH PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM. *AK

FAULTY CLOCK SPRING. $178 TO REPLACE/REPAIR. MY VEHICLE APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED BY RECALL OF 216,000 VEHICLES. CLOCK SPRING FAILURE RESULTS IN FAILURE OF AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. I GUESS I'M EXTREMELY LUCKY I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A LIFE-ALTERING ACCIDENT. *NLM REFER TO RECALL # 01V153000. PER INVOICE, THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THERE WERE RATTLES UPON ACCELERATION, THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND #5 CYLINDER MISFIRE AND REMOVED THE #5 SPARK PLUG AND VIEWED SIGNS OF COOLANT ON THE SPARK PLUG. (RECOMMENDED REMOVAL OF THE LEFT CYLINDER HEAD FOR FURTHER INSPECTION/CONSUMER DECLINED) THERE WAS ALSO A SCRAPING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED, THE CLOCKSPRING WAS FOUND FAULTY DUE TO INTERNAL DAMAGE, THE CLOCKSPRING UNIT WAS REPLACED. *SCC