Problems with 1999 Dodge Durango SUSPENSION

19 99 dodge durango ball joints noise in the front end of vehicle dodge refuses to correct the problem, from the substanderd parts hey built the durango with.*ak

Premature failure of upper ball joints on 1999 dodge durango. *ak

On two separate occasions upper and the lower ball joints needed replacement because they were bad. this resulted in front end assembly separating from underneath of the vehicle.*ak

After only 55,000 miles the entire front suspension system failed. both upper control arms, ball joints,tie rods needed replacement. $1700 repair on a $30000 truck!*jb

While driving at 60 mph there was vibration in the front end. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic determined the ball joints needed to be replaced. . *ak *sc *jb

After seeing a report on cbsnews.com regarding premature ball joint failures on dodge durangos i thought i'd also add my information to your database. i had to have all 4 ball joints replaced on my 1999 dodge durango at approx 53,000 miles. i consider this to be premature. i've never replaced ball joints on any vehicle i own until "well" after 100k miles. (please note that the "day" listed is my best guess, it was at the end of the month of february and the vehicle failed the massachusetts saftey inspection. (my mechanic said he sees durango ball joint failures "all the time".)*ak i should also mention that less than 2 years after i purchased the vehicle (brand new with only 91 miles on it), that i had to replace front rotors and disc brake pads due to excessive rotor warpping. i don't have the specific dates but i do know it wasn't covered under warranty even though the warranty was still in effect, (approx 30k miles as i recall). the vehicle only has highway miles on it and was used daily by my wife for her commute to work, (a middle school in worcester ma).

On feb 20, 2003 when i brought my dodge durango in for routine service (49,070 miles) i was informed that, "the upper ball joints and tie rods were worn out and needed replacement or the steering could suddenly fail." i was charge $865.28 for this repair which was not covered by the warranty. i protested that it was premature for this sort of wear after only 49000 miles but the mechanic insisted the work needed to be done for "safely reasons" and that chrysler would not cover the cost. i have the receipt for the work.*ak

Bearings in upper and lower control arms had to be replaced due to deterioration. dealer stated that they could not find problem on several visits while under warranty. finally, after numerous alignments and tire replacements a friend mechanic noticed bearings which caused noise from original purchase date. clicking noise at low speeds and turns turned into loud grind, which is when personal mechanic found problem. one dealership said the problem was front shocks. replaced them but did not solve problem. dealerships are avoiding problem hoping warranties run out. i equate car dealerships/service departments with carnival workers. this is their cash cow!!!!!

I am the original owner of a 1999 dodge durango. it currently has 77,000 miles on it. i just watched a report on cbs eye on america about the nhtsa's investigation into faulty upper ball joints on the dodge durangos. *ak i'm writing because in the report a gentleman described the symptoms he found, that when checked confirmed the ball join failure. i have been chasing those exact symptoms for the better part of 2003. no one has been able to diagnose the problem. i want to know how i can follow this issue and the best course of action for me to take immediately. i am one of those who lost a tech job 21 months ago, i am fighting to keep my family afloat financially while i secure another job - i cannot afford to perform preventively maintenance on my durango - and it is not normal wear and tear, nor is it my fault. if dodge should be held accountable, i need them to do so quickly...my family's safety is now at risk.*ak

Our engine ceased after having repeated problems with the oil pump, we were called liars by the dealership and diamler chrysler. they don't seem to want to take responsibility for anything. when i took our durango in because the front end kept pulling to the right after we paid $5200. for our motor to be replaced, i was told we needed new tires and a front end alignment. so i took it to another place to have the work done, since my confidence in the dealership was gone. only to be told they could not allow me to take the car back out on the road with my children in the car, do to the ball joint. he said it would take one pothole and i'd probably roll my car, another $1200. later and i could have my car back. what is up with this? they allowed us to risk our lives driving this vehicle, and diamler chrysler seems to care less about all the problems with this suv, how many people out there are spending money to keep fixing this vehicle and trying to make the payments. we got rid of a car so we wouldn't have to make repair payments and right into a nightmare. when is someone going to do something about the problems with this vehicle, and i think we should be reimbursed for all the repairs that they knew about and did nothing to fix. it's not fair to the public to have to dig in their pockets to fix a mistake that diamler has known about and refuses to do anything to make it right for the consumers! we are the people that purchase your product, you should be more supportive rather than calling people liars!! you well knew that the problems with this vehicle and yet you continue to sell them, with no regard to the consumers that drive their families in these cars, we could have been killed, what would have happened then, or would that have been our fault as well.

My 1999 dodge durango, purchased new, has worn out major components in the front suspension, particularly the ball joints and control arms, after just 4 years and 60,000 miles. after talking to the local dealership and several other durango owners, this is a common issue with this vehicle.

Had to spend 2,100 dollars to have front upper and lower ball joints replaced on both sides. after dodge dealer red tagged our vehicle as unsafe to drive.dodge failed to inform us of an ongoing problem with the 1999 dodge durango front suspensions.we had the vehicle repaired at another shop due to cost.*ak

While servicing the vehicle dealership noticed that the upper and lower ball joints were worn out and needed to be replaced. *ak

Defective parts. no summary stated. *ak

I failed inspection due to ball joints. upon taking 99 durango to the dealer, was told both upper and lower ball joints on both passanger and driver side need to be replaced. i have 60,000 miles and i don't think that all this should be wrong.

While driving the vehicle, the driver heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the owner took the vehicle to the gas station. the mechanic informed the driver that the upper ball joints are wearing prematurely. *nm

I have a 1999 dodge durango. the ball joints wre out and i had the driver's side wheel fall off while going down the road. i spent several thousand dollars in repairs at a dodge dealership. has there been a recall or other similar incidents? thanks, kenneth lowrie

The passenger side upper ball joint failed at 49000 miles. the inspection and repair was performed by a dodge dealer. luckily, there was not an accident involved but the problem was originally noticed when driving due to the front right wheel moving abnormally when making turns while driving. *la

Annual inspection of 1999 durango "failed" due to unsafe ball joints and tie-rods. ball joints and tie rods replaced at my own personal cost.*ak

Ball joints needed replacing after 45,000 miles. *ak

The vehicle was taken to the dealership for an inspection, and the mechanic informed the consumer that the upper ball joints failed. *ak *sc *jb

I read a newspaper article regarding ball joints on the 1998-2003 dodge durangos. i have a 1999 dodge durango and i had the upper and lower ball joints replaced at 54,000 miles (the vehicle was less than 4 years old). i was told at the time that the upper ball joints were in such bad condition that they were ready to snap. this is obviously not a problem that should occur at such low mileage. i had all of the ball joints replaced with aftermarket ball joints that are able to be lubed. it seems that the defective dodge ball joints are enclosed and can not be lubed.*ak

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

1999 durango, am being told by mechanic that ball joints are bad and need replacing at 60,000 miles. this vehicle gets only highway miles, no rough stuff at all. mechanic says front end shimmy (experienced for past 10,000 miles) is result of ball joint and tie rods failing. there is no way a correctly designed suspension system will fail in 50-60,000 highway miles. chrysler needs to fix their error.*ak

While traveling on highway vehicle will go from side to side and vibrate. had to replace ball joints and tie rods. please fill in additional information. ts. *ak

On december 27, 2002 i brought my dodge durango to just cruisin, inc to have my annual state inspection performed. i was notified that i failed inspection due to out of specification conditions on my front suspension. the vehicle had 62,810 miles at the time of this inspection. they notified me that they believed this to be a premature wearing of the parts. on 1/17/03, the ordered parts had been received, and i had them replaced. just cruisin removed and replaced both lower ball joints, the left upper ball joint, and both inner tie rod ends. i did not notify chrysler of this problem yet. today, i read an article regarding 4 accidents and 81 complaints of premature wear on the front suspension of dodge durangos and decided to file this complaint. i also intend to contact chrysler regarding recoupment of my expenses. because the parts were replaced w/ factory parts, i probably will still need to replace w/ the redesigned parts when they come out.

My 99 dodge durango was brought in for routine maintenance and i was then told i could not drive it home...it was too dangerous! the ball joints needed to be replaced because they were defective. i left with a $1000 ball joint replacement and was terrified to think that if i hadn't gone in for maintenance, the wheels could have broken off the car!!! i am a mother of 3 small children and the thought of what could of happened makes me sick. please encourage dodge to recall this part immediately before the "could have" turns into a tragic fatality. thank you, sherri schoenfeldt. *ak

Nhtsa action number : pe03032 nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a make : dodge model: durango manufacturer : daimlerchrysler corporation year : 1999 component : suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint the upper ball joints on my 1999 dodge durango were totally unserviceable with less than 60k miles. the right front was so bad, the service technician remarked that he was surprised that the wheel did not fall off. i had the vehicle aligned at sears twice in two days and the vehicle still wandered so i had a third alignment done (third in 8 days) and there was over 1 inch of movement from the upper ball joint.

Had taken vehicle for inspection in december 2002, and was informed upper ball joints needed replacing due to being worn out. at the next inspection, december 2003, the upper ball joints had the same problem again. in june 2004 the upper ball joints were replaced; in december 2004 the upper & lower ball joints had to be replaced after not passing inspection. there was no popping noise heard before each replacement of ball joints.*ak

Upper ball joint replacement repatedly, within 1 year.

I had to replace the upper/lower ball joints on my 1999 durango. my vehicle at the time of the repair had 48,672 miles on it. the repair shop told me that this was a problem that may cause wheel separation as well as more suspension trouble, if not repaired.*ak

Nhtsa action number : pe03032. i am the original owner. there was loud intermittent clicking and clunking noise from under the front end while driving normal streets and speeds. i took it to my mechanic. they said the front end, including the ball joints, looked like it had never been lubed. they lubed it, and the noise went away. i have subsequently had this shop perform the manufacturer's recommended periodic lube and there has been no further problem. prior to this, i had used quick lube service companies periodically as recommended by the manufacturer. all the quick lube shops produced computer printout documentation during the service indicating that there were no grease fittings (zerks) for the ball joints, etc., and therefore no lube was ever performed. i have some such documentation on file at home. this all leads one to believe that the problems with the durango ball joint failures may have been more of a maintenance/service system miscommunication between the manufacturer and the quick lube shops, rather than a defect of the vehicle.*ak

I had to replace the upper ball joints (both sides) on my 99 durango when it had @ 50,000 miles. brand new set of tires was wearing on the inside, took it to a mechanic and he said the ball joints were so bad he would not drive it across town. replaced both ball joints and replaced tires. then on feb. 20,2004 with 93,000 miles on it the transmission went out. spent $600.00 on ball joints, $350.00 on tires, and $3,200 on a transmission.

1999 dodge durango under carriage failure. *la

Replaced upper control arm bushings and lower right ball joint. the bushings were cracked and the ball joint was bad.

Steering problems. also, three ball joints were stripped. consumer called dealer, and they stated that there was no recall relating to ball joints. ts. *ak

1999 dodge durango - regarding suspension and steering. at 42,000 miles had to have left and right lower ball joints replaced, left and right upper control arms replaced. chrysler would not cover total cost. my out of pocket cost was $728.45. *ak also dealer replaced leaking transfer case (a defect) no cost to me.

Premature upper and lower balljoint failure on my vehicle. *ak

The consumer states that he has had to replace the upper and lower control arm bushing assembly 4 times in 1 year. the vehicle was checked by the dealer who diagnosed that the "bushing" is deteriorating on both the left and right side. *nlm *scc

Consumer states took vehicle in for routine inspection. dlr advised that ball joints had a design defect and needed to be replacement immediately. mr

Information relevan to nhtsa action number: pe03032 dodge durando ball joints 0/01/02 failed pa safety inspection due to worn lower ball joints (both right and left) at local independent inspection station. 1999 durando, 26483 miles 10/04/02 dodge dealer indicated ball joints were acceptable - "allowable play is .060"; right front is .039; left front is .042" and supplied a copy of bullitin no: 02-04-98. no repairs were made. 10/08/02 passed pa safety inspection at local independent inspection using bullitin no: 02-04-98. car has extended warranty which would cover ball joint replacement by dealer. *ak

The vehicle's ball joints failed prior to recall notification. the consumer request reimbursement for the cost of the repair. *nm the consumers vehicle was not listed in the recall. the consumer would like to be reimbursed for the cost of service. the consumer referenced # 10510673. *tc *jb

I recently had to get the front driver's side suspension of my 1999 dodge durango replaced. the vehicle had 65,000 miles and is driven primarily for highway use. i thought this was very uncommon for this short use time period. the repairs were costly and dodge claimed that this is sometimes common. is nhtsa looking into safety issues related to this?*ak

We bought our dodge durango with about 31,000 miles on it. after a few months around 49,000 miles we replaced the lower ball joints at a price of $600.00. we are now at 67,000 miles and we are need of replacing the upper ball joints. around 60,000 miles we had to get the front evaparator core replaced. this has also had us to pay out another $900.00 to fix this problem. *ak

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.

Left upper ball joint is worn out and needs to be replaced. contacted dealer. please provide further information. *ak

Upper ball joints are wearing prematurely. dealer notified. the dealer replaced the upper and lower ball joints on both side of the vehicle. *ak *nlm

In september 2002 my 1999 dodge durango failed inspection, requiring replacement of right and left and lower ball joints, and right and left upper control arms, at a significant out-of-pocket expense to me. ($1013.60 parts and labor) this vehicle has never been off-road and is regularly well maintained. i am aware of the other complaints filed with the agency as reported in the philadelphia inquirer newspaper. i did not find any recall notices on this site related to this problem. my personal opinion is that if this is a widespread problem, there should a recall issued to allow for cost- free repairs to vehicle owners. thank you.*ak

When i pushased my 1999 dodge durango the brakes was nosiy...took it back to the dealer.they charged me $90.00 to do a brake service.after the brakes was used a couple of times they started making nosie again...took it back and dealer stated that it was the pads and they could not do anything about it. well after that i was fed up with them and took it to a goodyear shop where they replaced the brakes.(stopped the nosie) and also found out the upper ball joints was bad along with the shocks...so they was replaced costing me $1,300.00. so much for the extended warenties that i purchased with the vehicle..the dealer also charged me for fliud after two sensors went out that was located inside the transmission..wich the warenty was to cover the drive train..this vehicle is a 1999 dodge durango 4x4....new tires had to be purchased because of ball joints was bad causeing tires to wear wrong

1999 dodge durango is known to have this problem with the ball joints and it needs to be addressed. this will result in accidents, which can lead to fatalities. *ak