2012 DODGE DURANGO Suspension Problems

Has major issues …

WE PUT OUR DURANGO AWAY EACH WINTER AND DOESN'T GET DRIVEN UNTIL WE BRING IT OUT IN THE SPRING. 2 YEARS AGO I PULLED IT OUT IN THE SPRING. I FOUND 2 OIL PUDDLES WHERE THE REAR WHEELS SAT. ALL THE OIL HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE REAR SHOCKS. I HAD THEM REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC AT A COST OF $450 EACH, USING DODGE ORIGINAL PARTS. I WENT INTO OUR GARAGE A WEEK AGO (FEB 18TH 2021) AND FOUND THE LEFT REAR SHOCK HAD LET GO AGAIN, ANOTHER PUDDLE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. IF THESE LET GO WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BOUNCES VIOLENTLY. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I HAVE DRIVEN IT THAT WAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES TO OUR MECHANIC, I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO HANG ONTO IT.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD PROBABLY ABOUT 40 OR 45 MPH WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE CAR BEGAN TO HANDLE WEIRD AND MAKING ALL KINDS OF NOISE. SHE GOT IT TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT WHERE I MET HER TO LOOK AT IT. AT FIRST GLANCE I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG EXCEPT FOR THE EXHAUST APPEARED TO BE BROKE SO I HAD HER DRIVE IT HOME SINCE SHE WAS ONLY A MILE FROM THE HOUSE. WHEN I GOT IT HOME UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME FOR THE REAREND HAD RIPPED OUT OF THE UNIBODY FRAME. THERE CRACKS AND RUST IN THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DODGE DEALER FOR THE LAST MONTH AND HALF AND DODGE IS REFUSING TO TAKE FAULT FOR THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. INSURANCE HAS ALSO REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT AS THERE WAS NO SIGNS...

MY DURANGO STARTED MAKING NOISE IN THE BACK END, AND SEEMED UNSTABLE AT TIMES HANDLING, AND EVEN WORSE WHEN TOWING. THE NOISE WAS MOST PRONOUNCED GOING SLOW OVER BUMPY ROADS, LIKE A CLUNKING NOISE. UPON RESEARCHING I DISCOVERED THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE KNOWN FOR HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR SELF-LEVELING SHOCKS. THESE SHOCKS ARE NOT A CHEAP FIX, BUT KNOWING I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE SAME PROBLEMATIC SHOCKS, I REPLACED THEM. THE DURANGO WAS SILENT FOR A COUPLE DAYS, THEN A NOISE AGAIN APPEARED IN THE BACK END OF THE VEHICLE. ISSUES WITH THE REAR SHOCKS ARE DESCRIBED IN CHRYSLER TSB 17-005-13 AS WELL AS TSB 17-002-14, BUT SINCE MINE IS A 2012 DURANGO AND NOT CALLED OUT FOR THE TSB 17-002-14. THE SHOCKS THAT WERE INSTALLED ARE THE NEW SERIES AH SHOCKS (FROM AA THAT WAS ON THE VEHICLE) THE AH SERIES PURCHASED...

CHRYSLER HAS PUBLISHED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) NUMBER 17-007-14. I EXPERIENCED THE SYMPTOM OF THIS TSB AS A CLUNKING SOUND FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS CAUSED BY THE SELF LEVELING SUSPENSION (SLS) SHOCK STRUT UPPER MOUNT FAILING. THE SLS IS A COMPONENT OF THE OPTIONAL TOW PACKAGE. BEFORE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, I TOWED A 23' 4,500 LBS TRAILER OVER 1,200 MILES. I EQUIPPED MY DURANGO WITH A WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION AND ANTI-SWAY HITCH ASSEMBLY RATED AT 8,000 LBS AND ENSURED BOTH THE TOW VEHICLE AND TRAILER WERE NEAR PERFECTLY LEVEL. ADDITIONALLY I WAS REQUIRED BY THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO HAVE THE TRAILER SAFETY INSPECTED WHICH CONFIRMED THE AXLES WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED, WHEEL BEARINGS WERE SERVICEABLE, AND THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROLLER WAS FUNCTIONAL AND ADJUSTED PROPERLY. DESPITE THE FACT THE TRAILER WAS WELL WITHIN THE TOW VEHICLE OPERATING LIMITS, THE TOW VEHICLE AND TRAILER...

SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW ITS HAS HAD A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. I FOUND THE ISSUE MYSELF ONCE I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR. BOTH FRONT STRUTS ARE BLOWN, SPRAYING OIL ONTO OTHER COMPONENTS, FRAME AND LEAKING ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. THE VEHICLE SLIDSIDE WAYS ON A LEFT HAND TURN FROM A STOP LIGHT. *TR