1999 DODGE DURANGO Suspensionfront Problems

CONSUMER NOTICED AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE WHILE VEHICLE SWAYED SIDE TO SIDE. DEALER HAS CONTACTED AND REPLACED FRONT END. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *PH

RE: 1999 DODGE DURANGO FRONT SUSPENSION I JUST HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS, AND BOTH TIE ROD ENDS ON THIS VEHICLE AT 59,000 MILES OF LIGHT ON ROAD USAGE. I HAVE RUN PREVIOUS VEHICLES TO OVER 200,000 MILES WITHOUT ANY FRONT WORK REQUIRED. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A DEFECT IN DESIGN.*AK

I PURCHASED NEW TIRES AND ASKED THE TIRE DEALER TO CHECK THE ALIGNMENT ON MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DO IT DUE TO THE FACT THE FRONT END BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH ONLY 52,000 MILES. CHRYSLER SAID AT THE TIME THIS WAS UNHEARD OF AND SAW NO REASON FOR PREMATURE FAILURE. THEY WOULD NOT COVER THIS UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. THEY MADE ME PAY FOR THIS WITH MY CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY, CHARGING ME $50 DEDUCTIBLE AND I HAD TO PAY FOR A FRONT END ALIGNMENT THAT WAS NOT REQUIRED EXCEPT FOR THE CHANGING OF THE PARTS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED ON A VEHICLE WITH THIS AGE AND MILEAGE. CARS RUN FOR YEARS AND OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES AND DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER. LUCKILY, THIS WAS CAUGHT...

WHILE HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WORK PERFORMED ON OUR CAR, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINTS ON OUR '99 DURANGO ARE "DANGEROUSLY" WORN OUT. THE REPAIR FACILITY MENTIONED THAT THE SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED ON ALL DURANGOS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THEIR SHOP AND THAT SUCH PREMATURE WEAR IS NOT COMMON.*AK

THERE WAS A TICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE WHEELS WERE TURNED. *AK THE CONSUMER READ NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST SIGN OF A MAJOR FRONT END PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

WHILE HAVING A FRONT ALIGNMENT DONE DEALERSHIP NOTICED THAT TIE RODS HAD GONE BAD AND NEEDED A FRONT END OVERHAUL.*AK

I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT A DEFECT IN THE DODGE DURANGO BALL JOINTS. IN USA TODAY, DATED: JULY 22, 2003, THERE WAS A ARTICLE INDICATING THAT FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE INVESTIGATING THE DODGE DURANGO SUV FOR A DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE THE FRONT WHEELS TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE BALL JOINTS HAD WORN OUT AND THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE. I HAVE AN 1999 DURANGO WITH ROUGHLY 30K MILES. IN MAY 03, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR 30K MILE MAINTENANCE AND BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH. I ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE THE BALL JOINT AND SUSPENSION FOR THE FRONT WHEEL REPLACED BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD DISINTEGRATED AND THE SUSPENSION HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN DAMAGED. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN MY DURANGO ON THE HIGHWAY AND I HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT OFF THE ROAD. THEREFORE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WAS...

VEHICLE'S PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE CAME COMPLETED OFF WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FRONT END FAILURE.

AFTER MY FIRST WEEK OF BUYING THIS DODGE DURANGO I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE, IT SEEMS THE FRONT END TWO WHEELS KEPT ON JUMPING AND I COULD NOT STOP IT. IT WAS NOT IVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BUT I HAD TO JUMP IN ANOTHER LANE WHICH I COULD HAVE HURT SOMEONE. I DID JERK MY NECK AND HAD TO TAKE SOME IBURFROFEN FOR AWHILE. IT ALSO SEEMS THE BRAKES ARE REAL TOUCHY. I HAD MY DURANGO FOR TWO YEARS AND STILL AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE ITS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. I ALSO WITNESS ANOTHER PERSON THIS WEEK DRIVING HER DURANGO WELL AS SHE TURNED THE CORNER SHE LOST CONTROLL OF HERS ALSO AND I TOLD MY DAUGHTER THATS WHAT HAPPEN TO ME MY FIRST TIME DRIVING MINE, IM GLAD I HAD A WITNESS BECAUSE NO ONE BELEIVED ME WHEN I TOLD THEM MY STORY. ANYWAY I BELEAVE ITS THE...

FRONT END SUSPENSION SQUEAKS HORRIBLY. EMBARRASSING TO DRIVE AT TIMES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I NEED TO HAVE BOTH UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS/ BALL JOINTS REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. BY VIEWING THE COMPLAINTS FILE I SEE THIS IS COMMON AND DON'T SEE THE SENSE IN REPLACING THEM ONLY TO HAVE THEM GO BAD AGAIN. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS SUV AND STOP GIVING THEIR CONSUMERS GRIEF. WHY WAIT FOR FATALITIES!!

9/19/02 HAD TO REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER BUSHINGS ON MY 99 DODGE DURANGO WITH 59,339 MILES. CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THEN ON MARCH 8, 2003 I HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT BALL JOINT WITH 65,577 MILES. ONCE AGAIN CALL DAIMER CHRYSLER AND AGAIN WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY SUSPENSION PROBLEMS.

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK INTO POSITION. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *TS. BALL JOINTS AND RACK "WORE" OUT AT 45,000 MILES. *PH *JB

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL WILL MANEUVER IN ANY DIRECTION. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. MECHANIC STATED THAT TIRES NEEDED ALIGNMENT, SERVICES WERE RENDERED TO VEHICLE, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. CURRENTLY, WARRANTY EXPIRED. MECHANIC STATED STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

GRINDING NOISES AND UNCONTROLLABLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT MADE THE VEHICLE HARD TO CONTROL, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY - THIS CAUSES AN EXTREME SAFETY PROBLEM. BROUGHT THE DURANGO TO AUTO MECHANIC, HE TOLD US THE LEFT FRONT TIE ROD NEEDED REPLACEMENT. REPLACED TIE ROD END AND FOUND OUT LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING IS GONE AND IS SUBJECT TO SEIZURE AT ANY TIME. IF THIS IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS BECAUSE THIS FRONT END SUSPENSION PROBLEM HAS THE PROPENSITY TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER WHEN TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY OR TO TIP ON ITS SIDE WHEN DRIVING UPON BACK, CITY OR SUBURBAN STREETS.

INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER HOLD AN ALIGNMENT UNDER PROPER SPECS. THE RIGHT CAMBER IS AT -0.5 DEGREES & THE RIGHT CASTOR IS AT -1.0 DEGREES MAKING THE DURANGO HARD TO STEER AND BRAKE, AS IT ALWAYS WANTS TO SHARPLY TRAVEL TO THE RIGHT. TRAVEL UPON A HIGHWAY IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF THE CONTROL ISSUE AND THESE SUV'S SHOULD NOT BE SHOWING OLDER VEHICLE WEAR WHEN THEY ONLY HAVE THOUSANDS OF MILES UPON THEM.*AK

THE FRONT END IS MISALIGNEDAND SQUAEKS CAUSING THE TIRE TO WEAR PREMATURELY, THE BUSHINGS TO THE CONTROL ARMS (UNKNOWN UPPER OR LOWER) ARE SEPERATING. THE DEALER INDICATED THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO NO SHIELD TO DEFLECT HEAT FROM THE ENGINE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. NLM

FOR OVERSEAS CARS WTHOUT A WARRANTY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE FROM THE TIME OF EXPORT, CHRYSLER EUROPE WILL NOT HONOUR THE 3YR/36MO WARRANY OR FACTORY CALLBACKS. NO SAFETY DEFEC TMENTIONED. *AK

VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING UNKNOWN GRINDING/ CLICKING/THUMPING AND SEVERE VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING. VEHICLE BEEN IN THE DEALER'S SHOP ON SIX OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ON 7/24/01, WHILE TRAVELLING ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES NORTH OF GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS, WE ENTERED A SECTION OF ROADWAY WHERE IT HAD BEEN RAINING. OUR VEHICLE PULLED HARD RIGHT, ACROSS SEVERAL OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC. AT FIRST I TURNED INTO THE "SKID" I PERCEIVED THIS TO BE, BUT I WAS ABOUT TO GO OFF THE HIGHWAY, SO I TRIED TO CORRECT SLIGHTLY BACK TO THE LEFT, AT WHICH TIME OUR VEHICLE BEGAN SPINNING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. WE SPUN APPROXIMATELY THREE TURNS BEFORE FINALLY HITTING THE CONCRETE BARRIER BETWEEN LANES. I JUST ASSUMED THAT WE HAD HYDROPLANED BUT HAVE SINCE HEARD OF OTHER DURANGOS HAVING SIMILIAR TYPE PROBLEMS. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE DRIVEN IT IN THUNDERSTORMS, SNOW AND EVEN ICE AND NEVER HAD ANY STEERING PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS ONE INCIDENT.*AK

ON 7/24/01, WHILE TRAVELLING ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES NORTH OF GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS, WE ENTERED A SECTION OF ROADWAY WHERE IT HAD BEEN RAINING. OUR VEHICLE PULLED HARD RIGHT, ACROSS SEVERAL OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC. AT FIRST I TURNED INTO THE "SKID" I PERCEIVED THIS TO BE, BUT I WAS ABOUT TO GO OFF THE HIGHWAY, SO I TRIED TO CORRECT SLIGHTLY BACK TO THE LEFT, AT WHICH TIME OUR VEHICLE BEGAN SPINNING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. WE SPUN APPROXIMATELY THREE TURNS BEFORE FINALLY HITTING THE CONCRETE BARRIER BETWEEN LANES. I JUST ASSUMED THAT WE HAD HYDROPLANED BUT HAVE SINCE HEARD OF OTHER DURANGOS HAVING SIMILIAR TYPE PROBLEMS. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE DRIVEN IT IN THUNDERSTORMS, SNOW AND EVEN ICE AND NEVER HAD ANY STEERING PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS ONE INCIDENT.*AK

3RD SET OF TIRES (TWO GOODYEAR ONE MICHELIN). DODGE CLAIMS BAD TIRES, GOODYEAR CLAIMED BAD SCHOCKS. I'VE REPLACED TIRES AND SHOCKS AND STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. FRUSTRATED AT CHRYSLER FOR THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO HELP. (TIRESIZE: P235 75 R)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235 75 R )

REAR AND FRONT POWER WINDOWS HAVE FAILED TO OPERATE TWICE. THE FRONT END MAKES A ROMPING NOISE THAT HAS BEEN VERIFIED NOT TO BE TIRE NOISE. SOUNDS LIKE THE FRONT END MAY FALL OFF. DEALER KEEPS SAYING THAT THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE NOISE. *AK