Problems with 1999 Dodge Durango SUSPENSION

Our 1999 dodge durango slt plus with 68,000 miles failed virginia safety inspection because the ball-joints were worn out.*ak

1999 dodge durango - lost both upper balls joints @ 55, 870 miles. had numerous repairs on rear abs system, replaced 2 abs sensors and control module.*ak

While driving, the consumer heard a strange noise. the dealer determined that upper ball joints had to be replaced. *ak the seal between the transfer case was leaking*jb

While making a right turn a grinding noise was coming from the front driver side wheel. vehicle was taken to the dealer, and mechanic replaced the lower ball joint on the driver's side front wheel.*ak

To much play in the upper ball joints. *ak

Ball joint noise. appears to need replacement at 50,000 miles.*ak

I have a dodge durango (1999) and was amazed when i was having trouble steeringit so i took it to have an alignment when they told me i have to have ball joints replaced. i only have 60,000 miles and was amazed. then i found out about the investigation. i'm wondering why jeep liberty was recalled with 10 complaints but durango has 81 now 82 and nothing has been done.*ak

Had to replace both upper and lower ball joints on my 1999 dodge durango along with worn out tie rods on both sides. the truck ate through my tires in less then 26,000 miles and when i went to get an alignment done they told me not to drive the vehicle until the repair has been replaced. this was my family vehicle with two kids and my wife who typically drives it. know after 909 dollars for the repair i saw a report on cbs concerning this issue. i want to know how to get involved with this suit. this is not acceptable from my professional opinion.*ak

Took my 1999 durango in for an alignment at 63000 miles and was told that both upper and lower ball joints and tie rods needed to be replaced. the technician told me that it was a very common problem on durangos and that dodge is aware of the problem. i took it to the dealer for a second opinion and he passed the lower ball joints but admitted the tie rods needed replacement. took the car for a 3rd opinion today. he agreed with the first one , that the ball joints were real bad and needed immediate replacement. how did the dealer miss that???? was it intentional? the other two were not dodge affiliated garages. total cost of repairs needed--$1000. *ak

Lower ball joint failed while driving. front end collapsed to ground. *la

Have a 1999 durango with 33,000 miles upper ball joints are badly worn, and need of replacement. is there going to be a recall. *ak

With 35000 miles on my 1999 dodge durango i was told by the dealer that my upper ball joints are bad. front end making all kinds of bad noises. dealer told me to hold off with the repairs because there was word that a recall was coming out to address the problem. that was 2 months ago,no word of a recall yet. after reading some other complaints sounds like my problem could be more than just ball joints. *la

Consumer took vehicle to the dealership for inspection. mechanic informed consumer that front upper ball joints were wearing prematurely. consumer paid the mechanic to install the new ball joints. *ak

My 1999 dodge durango after 50,000 miles must have all the ball joint and tie rods replaced. they could break any time and need to be replaced. *la

Upper ball joints are worn out on my '99 durango. i was told this by a tire shop when i went to buy new tires. the front end noise and handling difficulty are on the increase since this problem was diagnosed in october of '03. i took my car to tire discounters in centerville, ohio.

The dodge durango we bought new had to have new upper ball joints replaced along with new tie rods in order to have the front end aligned properly. it had been wearing the tires out on the outer edge too fast since new. these parts should not have worn out that fast; instead they were defective from the beginning. i believe this is a design defect in all the dodge durnago. if you do a recall you should not start with just the 2000 year models; you should start with the1998, the first year, and do every year up until the new 2005 models. the earlier durangos are just as bad as the later ones on this item. i hope you take this into consideration when you issue your recall notice in the future. we had to have these replaced at our own expense..

Our dodge durango had to have new upper ball joints replaced along with new tie rods in order to have the front end aligned properly. these parts were defective on this vehicle since it was bought new by us in oct. 1998.*ak

Upper and lower ball joints/all power windows all have failed. *ak

I owned a 1999 durango that had to have the upper front ball joints replaced. according to my mechanic i was lucky and that the front tire was ready to come off. i got to him in time. of course the only kind he could replace them with ,that were available to him were the non-greaseable kind. the same kind that came with the suv. i am not looking forward to this problem again. i should not have to. *ak

I have owned my dodge durango (1999) for 4 and a half years my mechanic is in the process of replacing the ball joints for the second time in 2 years. i have talked to a number of durango owners who have had the same problem. there surely must be a defect in the ball joints are something to have to go through this twice in two years. i have never owned a vehicle that the ball joints have given me this much trouble. *la

upper ball joints were replaced twice at 50,000 miles. currently, upper ball joints failed again at 70,300 miles. *ak

We just had the right hub bearing changed in may 2003. now the same bearing is bad again and the tie rod ends are going bad and the upper and lower ball joints (these problems are on both the left and right side) it just seems to me that this is an awful lot of problems for a truck that is only 4 yrs old. the extended warrenty i bought on it doesn't cover any thing but the hub bearings. we bought this because we needed a family size vehichle, now i'm afraid to put my kids in it.

Right upper control arm came loose causing popping, binding and steering control problems. also, upper and lower right ball joints were worn out. had to have the right front suspension repaired at 73,600 miles. now two weeks after, the left front is doing the same and needs repairing. also, having other squeaking and grinding somewhere in the suspension that has not yet been determined what is causing it. it is a dangerous situation and it sounds like a wreck. *la

1999 dodge durango owner - upper and lower ball joint replacement - noticed tire wearing on the inside of both front tires (tires only had 17,000 miles on them). local mechanic notice alot of play in ball joints. replaced upper and lower ball joints and cost $750.00. *nlm

Premature wear of ball joints, upper and lower. *la

The consumer stated that the upper ball joints were on the verge of falling out. *ak the consumer had numerous front end alignments which did not help the tire wear. *sc the lower ball joints failed as well. *jb

I had to replace all ball joints on a 1999 durango that had only 73,000. miles on it. the mechanic said he sees this frequently on durangos. he thought there was a problem because this usually does not happen at such low mileage. th hub and the bearing one one side had to be replced also. the mechanic said the wheel possibly could have come off had i not spotted the problem and had it fixed. i have heard of many complaints similiar to this, so i decided to let you know about it.*ak

I have a 1999 dodge durango which just turned 30,000 miles and brought it to the dealer on approximately october 9th, 2003, to have it checked over, because warranty is up november 1. i was astounded when the dealership told me the ball joints were wearing, and would eventually need replacing. i saw the broadcast on "eye on america" on 10/26/2003. i am in the dilemma of weather or not to get the extended warranty or wait to see if there is a recall. *la

Front ball joints are prematurely wearing. dealer states vehicle will not pass state inspection with this defect.*ak

Upper and lower ball joints failed.*ak

The ball joint failed on my 1999 dodge durango resulting in $2000.00 worth of repairs. *la

I purchased a 99 dodge durango in august of 2003 with 59,000 miles on it. the vehicle was said to have been through a thorough inspection and nothing was wrong with it. a month after owning it, i took it in because the speed sensor stopped working along with the headlight switch. while checking these things out, the dealership said the the ball joints and bushings were also in need of replacing. how can a vehicle that was fine need $1200 in repairs after one month?*ak

Had to replace left rear leaf spring due to structural failure; could have caused rear axle to disengage resulting in a possible serious accident. *la

My 1999 durango slt 4 x 4 has serious front end problems. i had to have the ball joints in addition to other front end components replaced in order to make the vehicle safe to drive. everybody seems to know, "everyone but me," that this suv is a rolling death trap. i have read so many complaints on the web that i felt like a sucker for re-entering the american car market. chrysler knows that the ball joints on this vehicle are undersized and yet they have not recalled the vehicle. i am registering this complaint so that there is a record that yet another dodge customer is out money due to their lack of quality control. *la *tr

I own a 1999 dodge durango slt. it has a 5.9l engine and is 4x4. my complaint is among the many who have filed to report the front upper and lower ball joints where going bad prematurely. i have replaced them approximately 30,000 miles due to premature wear. went off again at 80,000 miles, and now at 92,000 miles i have to replace them again. i am going to use after market parts this time because the factory ones simply will not last long enough. this problem coupled with many other smaller problems has made the overall value of the vehicle go down and the re-sale value is among the lowest of all the suv's on the market. i appreciate any attempts to remedy this problem and thank you for your time. if there is any way i can assist, please do not hesitate to notify me. thank you. *la

Pe 03-032, front suspension upper ball joint failure: both upper ball joints have worn out prematurely. manufacturer and dealer were informed of the problem.*ak *jb *nm

Dodge durango ball joint investigation please add my name to the "ball joint" roster. i have recently replaced one upper ball joint at my own expense. own a 1999 dodge durango purchased in new jersy.*ak

Excessive wear over a short period of time at approximately 30,000 miles. front structure of the vehicle was replaced. also, control arm/upper and lower ball joints, and tie rod were replaced due to corrosion. there were no major injuries nor fatalities to report at this time. *ak

There was a loud squeaking noise in the front end of the vehicle while in motion. upon inspection of vehicle by the dealership, they noticed that the sway bar bushings collapsed. *ak *scc *jb

Failure of upper ball joints. *la

Brought vehicle in for routine service and was informed that all 4 ball joints (upper and lower) had dangerously excessive play and needed to be replaced immediately. i was informed that the ball joints (and tie rods) were in such poor condition that the vehicle was not safe to be driven even a short distance.

Consumer stated that when he purchased tires in march of 2002 and wanted the tires aligned, he was told by dealer that ball joints were bad. later, took vehicle to another dealer and was told that ball joints were alright. then ,about 2-3 weeks later while putting brakes on vehicle dealer noticed that wheels were wobbly due to defective ball joints. however, since warranty expired consumer could not get help.*ak consumer stated that when he purchased tires in march of 2002 and wanted the tires aligned, he was told by dealer that ball joints were bad. later, took vehicle to another dealer and was told that ball joints were alright. then ,about 2-3 weeks later while putting brakes on vehicle dealer noticed that wheels were wobbly due to defective ball joints. vehicle was out of warranty and consumer is not orginial owner of vehicle so the manufacturer would not do anything to help. the estimate for repairs came to $1943.25. *mr

Bought a 99 dodge durango with 44,490 miles and right away discovered bad front tires and ball joints. dealer replaced ball joints and i asked dodge if it was a safe vehicle. they said you were investigating. ball joints were replaced sep 24. *la

I bought a used 99 durango in august and found bad tires, and when i replaced the left front, my tire dealer could not align the front end, due to bad ball joints. on 24 sept the dealer replaced control arm and ball joints on left front, and also the right front at no cost to me. according to my tire dealer the right front did not seem bad. new tires were my expense,and the dealer did not bother to tell me these vehicles were under investigation. i believe defects should be revealed before they can sell these dangerous suv's. *la

Vehicle failed to pass state inspection because north carolina state deemed it unsafe due to defective upper ball joints. the upper ball joints were replaced.*ak

When driving over bumps front suspension bounced. consumer contacted the dealership. mechanic informed consumerr that upper ball joints were wearing prematurely.*ak

Premature failure of upper and lower ball joints on 1999 dodge durango at 60,905 miles.

After seeing a report on the television about defective upper ball joints, i became concerned. i have noticed a squeaking noise every time i go over bumps and the noise comes from underneath the front of the car. i believe there may be a seious problem with my durango and called my mechanic to make an appointment. i am putting this in writing to establish a record if there is a problem. i will keep you informed.*ak

On 09-16-03 i took our 1999 durango to a local dealership for a grinding noise in the front end (i suspected it to be wheel bearings). the durango only had 50,000 miles on it and i learned that it needed wheel bearing/hub assemblies on both sides. that cost me nearly $900 and now only 1 month later i am faced with replacing upper ball joints and control arms on both sides. the dealership and daimler chrysler are no help with these problems. i feel these components have failed prematurely. this is not a vehicle that is driven roughly (my wife uses it to transport our two small children). i'll have to rethink future purchases of chrysler products. *la

A front wheel alignment was performed on the vehicle because the front tires were wearing on the inside. while driving over rail road tracks, the vehicle also felt as if it were going to lose control. while the alignment was being performed, the mechanic noticed that the front upper ball joints needed to be replaced. *nlm *scc *jb