Problems with 1999 Dodge Durango ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I have a 1999 dodge durango with 39000 and the ball joints are bad. also the braking system seems to be failing, it grabs unatrally hard. i have also experienced an engine oil pressure problem.*ak

Bought this vehicle with 44,490 mi, check engine light came on within one mile of the dealers lot. it was fixed at no cost to me, but it came on three more times on different days. now there is some kind of noise in the rear end or brakes, not all the time though. the front tires were bad, but had good tread, those are my expense according to the dealer. i have to live with it, but i made a bad mistake buying this vehicle. the dealer did not tell me that these vehicles were under investgation by nhtsa

While driving at 55 mph oil pressure dropped. engine started knocking and shut down. vehicle was taken to the mechanic, who replaced the oil pump and the piston rod bearings. also, there was a considerable slack in the steering column which would suggest that upper ball joint wore out. *ak

My 99 durango has a defective engine! my oil pressure gauge dropped to zero while driving on the expressway so i pulled off and let the motor cool down and checked the oil. after letting the engine cool off for a while i preceded home. after about 10 miles back on the road the check gauges light came on, the oil pressure had dropped to zero again, and i could feel the truck slowing down without letting off the gas. i pulled off the next exit and the motor knocking like someone was slamming a hammer on the heads. the dealer said to have it towed in so they could look at it. after 2 days the dealer called me back and said i needed a new long block. i and asked how a motor with only 50,000 miles on it could need a new block. the dealer's response was the engine had some sludge in the oil and in his opinion thought it was due to lack of maintenance. it took everything i had to keep from going off on this guy for accusing me of not maintaining my $30,000 truck! i do the oil changes, air filter, and fluid level maintenance myself because i don't trust some of these guys that work at these dealers. it's my $30,000 that's why i do my own maintenance! i called chrysler's 800 help line and explained what happened to the guy who took my call. he listened, but sounded very un-interested as he asked a few questions, put me on hold as he called the dealer where my vehicle was. after 15-20 minutes he came back on the line and said he was sorry, but there was nothing he, nor chrysler could do to help me because the dealer told him that he thought it was due to lack of maintenance. my wife called chrysler later and she explained the story to the lady that took her call. her response to my wife was this: "if you can produce receipts for all the maintenance maybe we will change our minds." my wife told the lady i do all the maintenance, no other service shop, and she told my wife that owners that do their own oil changes are not dodge certified mechanics. *la

My husband and i purchased our 99 dodge durango in september 2002, used from a honda dealership. a few days after we drove it off the lot, the oil pressure gauge began to drop to "0" rapidly, then back up to "40", then it started stalling and hesitating after restart. we called the dealer, they said to bring it in, so we winged it 20 miles to the shop, where they had it in service for a few days. they said it was the oil sending unit and oil pump, so they replaced it at no charge to us because it was within the 30 days. so a few weeks later the truck did the same thing, so we took it back, the dealer called the manufacturer and had the truck towed to the nearest chrysler dealer. this is where they replaced the engine at 65,500 miles, which the honda dealer paid for. i had the vehicle less than 1 month, and had to have a new motor, well that was 10/28/02 that they installed the motor, and now my truck is back in the shop 10/25/03 for another motor. this is because the dodge dealer says sludge caused malfunction in the engines ability to suck oil into the screen. of course they blamed me, saying that i did not change the oil enough, i provided them with some of my receipts, and my log of oil changes i did myself every 3 to 5,000 miles. they are refusing to cover the cost and said i have to get an attorney. i told them i was aware that durangos with 5.2 and 5.9 liter engines have oil pump and screen problems, again they refused to acknowledge and turned me away. now they are threatening to charge other charges like storage of the vehicle until my attorney decides what to do. *la

While driving about 5 mph and pulling out of a parking lot rear rim fell off and vehicle stalled. driver had vehicle towed to the dealership for analysis. *ak

Ball joints are all defective and the freeze-out plug rusted causing fluid leakage.

Several issues. 1) electrical failure in switch box causing all vehicle lights to turn off when switching to brights during night-time driving. ) cracked heads (both) somewhere between 30,000 & 70,000 miles.*ak 3) ball joints need replacing - no parts available to complete the job in a reasonable time.

While driving at highway speed, the vehicle experienced engine failure. two pistons malfunctioned and there was a hole in the block. *ak without warning the check engine light had come on for a few seconds before a loud bang was heard and complete engine failure occurred. *scc *jb

Oil consumption was in excess after oil change. changed oil and checked it after approximately 400 miles and found it was a quart low. watched it close and it was consuming oil fast. took it to dealer and was told the intake manifold seal/gasket would need to be replaced. called a mechanic and he told me that this was a common occurrence with the durango, he did one every couple of months! even the dealer mechanics says they saw this quiet often. one mechanic told me that the seals were made out of a paper like material but now used metal type so the problem will not recur! this is a know defect in this engine. there are several complaints of this nature when i searched on line. the cost is $675.00 + tax. i feel i should be helped with this know engineering defect. this is a very costly repair! *jb

Vehicle began to spontaneously lose oil at around 78,000 miles, causing oil pressure to drop and spark knock on acceleration. chrysler admits to intake manifold pan gasket oil leak in their technical service bulletin 09-05-00 but will not assist this consumer with the steep price of repair. out of warranty - too bad - a defect of this magnitude should be considered as a recall item! honda, here i come. *jb

Without any warning, and on 3 separate occasions my 1999 dodge 4x4, durango completely shutdown while driving. after the first incident, w/the abs and engine light on the vehicle was taken to a dodge dealer for service. it was found that a speed sensor needed replacing, this was done. approximately 4 days later while driving on new york ave. in washington dc, the durango again completely shut down, on this occasion and subsequent ones, no warning lights were shown, no evidence was given that vehicle was about to shut down. on the last occasion sept 17, 2003 it again shutdown while driving approximately 45 mph on leesburg pike in falls church va. unlike the other 2 occasions this time it would not restart, although the engine attempted to turnover. it had to be towed, where it is currently undergoing another diagnosic, currently i am awaiting a call from the service technician. additionally the car has 87,256 miles and 3 years old, the back windows are not working due to a failed power housing unit for the windows. the approximate cost is $500 for repairs.

Purchased my 1999 dodge durango in july 1999. this vehicle has always been serviced at the local dodge dealership in little rock at the service intervals that chrysler recommends in their service manual. i started having problems with my durango at 51,492 miles with the check engine light coming on. i immediately took it in for service. the service dept. told me that the vehicle's computer said i had a blown head gasket along with #7 injector being bad. so a new platinum gasket, #7 injector and injector service was done at a cost to me of $814.72. at 52,085 miles the check engine light came on again. again into the dodge service dept. only to find out that now the engine computer is bad (pcm213) and will be replaced under dodge's 80,000 mile warranty. my thinking at this point was that if the computer was giving out false information at 51,492 miles then perhaps my $814.72 bill for a new platinum gasket wasn't justified. of course, the service dept. assured me that these repairs were indeed necessary at the time. at 53,628 miles i grew concerned about upper/lower ball joints being bad on my durango after watching a cbs news report. as i was planning a cross country trip for the holidays, i had the service dept. evaluate the balls joints before i left, and sure enough, my durango needed upper and lower ball joints and a right tie rod. because this problem can be so dangerous i was instructed not to drive the vehicle and had to take alternate transportation on my trip. new parts were ordered and the dodge service dept. replaced the upper and lower ball joints on both sides and a right tie rod arm at a cost to me of $952.10 plus a $57.82 diagnostic test to tell us these parts were bad in the first place. i feel that my vehicle is unreliable and not one that i can depend on in the future. these are safety defects that chrysler should have fixed at no cost to me. i cannot afford to repair this vehicle anymore. *la

We have a 1999 dodge durango. this vehicle has always been properly maintained, however, it recently died! we were 150 miles from our home with 3 young children when the oil pressure dropped, the motor started knocking and the truck just died. now we have to get a new engine. there are many cases just like mine and dodge refuses to do anything. *ak

My engine blew last summer due to low oil pressure. the service mechanic knew it was bad and did not tell me about it until it blew. it cost me $6000.00 for a new engine. now my sterring is rocky and virbrating and clicky when i turn. *ak

Oil pressure guage would read normal then drop to 0 and bounced back and forth,sometimes not coming back up for awhile, had checked out and found no problems,about 4 months and only 4000 miles later i have a 57,000 mile blown engine...*ak

Our vehicle has approximately 45000 miles on it at around 36000 miles the vehicle experienced a oil pressure and engine failure. we were told by dealer that it was due to lack of maintenance, untrue. we had changed oil properly. we replaced the oil pump not a couple of months later the same problem we had to have a overhaul of the engine but were told the problem would probably still exist and to get rid of the vehicle around 4000.00 later we are looking at a whole new engine and possible transmission at around 4000. plus labor. there are too many complaints about this vehilce and it's engine to ignore. what wrong with dodge? someone must need to die in a accident for this to be recalled. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge durango. while driving 50 mph, the abs and brake lights illuminated. the dealer stated that the control module failed and they replaced it on two occasions. approximately six months later, the check engine light illuminated and the dealer stated that the transmission output sensor failed. they made the replacement. approximately one year later, the reverse light and rear power windows were inoperative. the dealer installed a neutral safety switch. the failure mileage was 30,840 and current mileage was 72,000. the consumer stated when spoke with mechanic at superstition they informed her that the problem was the emission coil which controls the spark plugs. updated 10/24/07 *tr updated 12/12/07 *tr

Consumer took the vehicle into the dealer for a front end problem. the dealer stated the lower ball and the upper ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak the abs light illuminated and also the engine seemed to bog down, the dealer found excessive oil in the intake manifold. *jb *nlm

I have had the vehicle in the garage since july 28, 2003. it will work for a couple days then something else goes wrong. i am putting it back in the garage on friday due to more transmission problems. i have put way too much money into this vehicle. something needs to be done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oil gauge pressure would suddenly drop to zero and the "check gauges" light would come and and a warning signal is heard. investigated internet and find there are 100's of cases of the same problem.*ak

We purchased this vehicle from v & h ford inc, marshfield, wi. in june 2003. the next day after i got it i started it & it started to squeal. my husband noticed transmission fluid leaking as well. we took it back to the dealer, we were told that the fan clutch & serpentine belt were shot, as well as a little leak in the transmission. they put some kind of sealer on it & continued to leak. (also during all of this time, our rpm's kept jumping.) after the 3rd time, they said they did a factory authorized repair & put what was referred to as a "cock ring" in it to seal it. this seams to have taken care of this. then when the truck was put in reverse it kept clunking, the u-joints went out next, then the latch broke on our glove box. meanwhile the rpm's keep jumping, it has been back in the shop a total of probably 7 to 8 times so far. our service engine light came on & flashed the code of fuel injector #8, when it was put through the diagnostic test, however we are learning this is still not the problem. last weekend i was going to put the truck in the garage. i put in drive, and it took off on me without me even touching the gas. it has done this several times now while on the road. now for the past week, when you leave a stop sign, it will shift once and stay at about 3000 - 3500 rpm and will not shift until you are ready to stop. when you try to stop the trottle sticks and the truck wants to go. we are at loss what to do. we have obviously purchased a lemon that it a hazard to be on the road. to trade it in or try to sell it outright seems to be a crime, because we know the horrible things wrong with it. i am certain that it is only a matter of time before my husband & i and our 2 children are seriously hurt or killed by the spuratic behavior of this dangerous vehicle. please advise us what to do. is there a lemon law or any thing ...

At 70mph, on i-75 in michigan '99 durango transfer case blew apart causing vehicle to jump with smoke pouring out the back of the vehicle. was barely able to get vehicle under control and off to side of road. mechanic stated front driveshaft cracked thus maybe causing transfer case cv joint to go blowing apart transfer case. another vehicle experienced a flat tire at high speed due to running over pieces of transfer case. have spent over $4000 dollars in repairs to durango in 3 years including (front driveshaft, transfer case, water pump, pcm, upper & lower ball joints, upper control arms, sway bar bushings, front rotors, brakes, etc. only 78,000 on the vehcile when transfer case blew up. can i file a claim for lemon law regarding ball joints. uppers need replaced again.*ak

Vehicle has had several problems involving both the engine cooling and oil pressure. upon braking, the vehicle's check engine light would come on. i have taken the vehicle to two different dealers for service. on one occasion it was found that the vehicle had very little oil. this was only one week after an oil change was performed. no oil leak was found. in subsequent weeks the gauges starting dropping to zero and the check engine light would come on. took to another dealer and several parts were replaced including the water pump, thermostat, etc. i am still not convinced that the problem has been solved, especially after reading the complaints on this website. i would like this to be resolved prior to my engine blowing like many of the others that i've seen on this complaint database. *nlm

I own a 1999 dodge durango. i have had alot of trouble with it. at first when i would call or take it by the dealership, they would tell me that nothing was wrong. the first problem was with the steering wheel making a rattling noise between 20-30 mph. they first told me nothing was wrong it was tire noise. then i brought it back a week later and they replaced the catalytic converter. when it was still doing it a week later, i took it to another dealer and the steering column was found to be bent and replaced. not long after that i had trouble with the engine, when i would stop, the engine would idle down and almost stall. i stopped at a gas station and found i had no oil. i put in two quarts and called the dealer. they found the plenum gasket had a leak. i had that replaced for over $450. shortly after that i was traveling home on the highway and it hesitated and the check engine light came on. i took it into the dealer and they ran a diagnostics test and couldn't find anything wrong. i notice that the rpm's had started revving up and down while you were driving right after this happen. i called and questioned about it and they said to change the oil. it still did it after an oil change. while on our way home to ny, we had stopped and it stalled in the middle of the road and the check engine light came on again. when we got home i took it in and had another test done on it. they replaced the output speed sensor and said that was going to fix it. it still did the rpm thing after that, and they told me that i would have to pay for another diagnostics test. i have since, gotten a tune up and oil change, and it still does it. the check engine light keeps coming on and going off. i am sorry that this is so long, but i feel like i have tried everything and no one will help. my questions are, have you heard of anything like these problems before, are there any related recalls, and is there anything you can do to help get this resolved? i would appreciate any help! ...

The consumer stated the steering was very unstable. took vehicle in for a front end alignment and the dealer noticed that the front ball joints and tie rod needed replacement. *ak the dealer also removed and replaced both control arms. *ph *nlm the engine light was on. when the vehicle was started the rpm's are high. engine control modulator and injector wire harness was replaced. *tc

The vehicle dies when coming to a stop, this has happened twice approximately 2 weeks apart. both times when it happened the gas gauge went to the empty position then after trying to restart after a few minutes the gauge started reading again and the vehicle started and ran fine. we took it to the dealer and all they did was let it sit there and idle to try to verify the complaint. they told us that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. *nlm

Check gauge light came on and went off. checked oil and it was low. the same problem happened one year and 3 months ago. the oil pressure gauge went to "0" just like last time. *jb

Plenum gasket failure which led to oil flow restriction that caused serious engine damage. *ak

Durango has had several problems. at 19000 miles i needed a new transmision, at 60,000 miles the engine needs to be replaced. doge will not assist in the repairs or replacement. this is the most frustrating situation i have been in in quite some time. i will nbever buy a dodge product again. cost of repair is $ 5,000.00

1999 dodge durango, just purchased for 13,500.00. the next day the check gauge light comes on and the oil pressure drops to zero. was fine for about 30 miles and the check gauge light comes on again and oil pressure drops to zero. this time when it happened the engine was rapping/ticking loudly. researched on what the problem could be and found many people with this same problem and dodge will not do a thing about it. most have lost there engines. my vehicle has only 65,000 miles. we should not be experiencing this sort of issue.

Oil pressure dropped. took in and everything was fine. did oil change. oil pressure continued to fail did another oil change. seemed like something was clogging oil fine. did complete oil cleaning and flush. then with no notice, blew engine..piston through block and oil pan. needed to replace engine. mechanic said he has seen 12 to 14 of this year durango do this. feels oil pump is too little for v8 engine. replaced engine and instead of placing factory oil pump, he replaced oil pump with a larger one. he said if he had an durango he would recommend and oil change every 1500 miles not the recommended 3000 miles. said this pump will ruin an engine everytime. *nlm

My 1999 durango started experiencing a spark knock and engine oil consumption due to bad intake gasket design. i have talked to a couple of other durango owners who have experienced the same problem at the same mileage. the gasket can't be properly tightened and oil leaks into the intake causing a knocking under load. the fix costs around $1,000. *nlm

The vehicles intake pan gasket is defective and caused oil to leak from the engine during vehicle operation. the consumer is concerned that leaking oil will result in engine seizure. *nlm

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.

While driving, the vehicle would shut off. dealer has been notified. ph

Oil pressure gauge indicated drop of oil pressure and loss power in the engine. dealer has to replace the engine. please provide further information. ph *tr

I own a 1999 dodge durango. last year we began having oil pressure related problems. we were driving and the pressure would drop to 0 and we would have to stop the car and have it towed in. first they changed out oil sending unit, next they couldn't duplicate the problem. the next time they claimed it was due to lack of maintenance (changing our oil every 3,000 miles). yes we did change our oil. we had our engine flushed several times. it still produces sludge even right after the oil is changed. it is now sitting in our driveway because we do not have the money for a new engine which it requires. the thing is that we began looking on the internet to try to diagnose the problem ourselves and there are literally thousands of others that own dodge durangos with the same problem. is there not something that we can do? we were even given a free extended warranty for all of our problems of course until our original warranty ran out and now they say that our warranty will not be honored due to this. this is the same story as many many others. thanks for your time. *la

Durango`s transmission went bad, dealer of no help ,50,000 mi. on vechicle also not the same problem that was complaned about. ts

My engine died with 44,000 miles due to sludge build-up dealership says i did'nt change my oil but i did and i have reciepts. i have all my paper work where i took it in for repairs for the guages going off and oil pressure dropping, having to put 2 qts of oil every 200 miles, knocking in motor, and now my warranty is out i have a blown engine. dealership refuses to accept any responsibility. my power windows and quit working in the summer could not roll down windows and the air condition was not blowing out cold air . gas tank strap broke with a full tank of gas & was being held on with only 1 strap, gas tank was hanging down. i have several more minor gripes but the main thing now is the engine. i have read over some consumer complaints web sites and it seems i'm not the only person having the same problem. dt

Check guages light comes on, oil pressure gauge goes to zero then back. had fuel gauge do the same. took into dealer and dealer attributed to wires and did a "wiggle"test. vehicle had no more problem with fuel gauge. several weeks later the check gauges and the oil gauges did same thing. took to dealer and they stated it may be oil pump. after removing oil pan, dealer stated to much sludge in pan and had extended warranty send an adjuster to check out. dealer then took engine apart to find that sludge was through out the engine but no damage to bearings or vital parts. warranty company "western diversified" declined repair stating that to infrequent oil changes. warranty stated that even with proof of oil changes that this is an oil breakdown problem and not their problem. dealer stated now that it was our responsibility and wanted us to pay for a new engine. consumer refused and fortunately got to trade in vehicle towards purchase of a new one. only after reviewing nhtsa website did we realize that we were in a no win situation and luckily got out from under the vehicle. this is a problem that dodge obviously knows about, i am waiting for this company to do the right thing. we have shown our commitment to the company by buying several vehicles the least they could do is pay us the same respect!!!!!!!!

Fortunately there was no accident. i attribute that to using synthetic oil instead of regular oil. the oil pressure guage dropped to 0 then would go back to normal. this happened several times. i hope i got it into the dealer in time. the dealer thinks i did. the dealer claims the problem is sludge caused by too infrequent oil changes. i changed the oil within the guidelines listed in the owners manual. plus, synthetic oils are not subject to the same sludge problems as regular oils are. dealer dropped the pan, replace the screen and oil pump and cleaned as best they could. cost $809. this is the first vehicle i've owned (33 years) that has ever had a sludge problem. there has to be something in the design of the engine that contributes to this problem. dt

Engine oil excessive sludge buildup, even after oil changes every 3000-4500miles. new engine recommended by dealer mechanics. replaced oil pump, inlet screen and did engine flush as a temporary remedy. many of these complaints can be viewed on the internet. manufacturer will not admit to the problem with these engines. dt

While driving on interstate engine lost oil pressure. seconds later smoke and noise from engine area. engine quit running oil and coolant on ground. connecting rod broken. vehicle was purchase in july with approx. 35,000 miles. now has 39,500 miles. certified used car with extended warranty. oil changed at 35,000 miles. extended warranty company sent inspector to check engine after it was torn down. inspector reports engine damage caused by lack of lubrication from a restricted oil pump screen. extended warranty excludes damages from restricted lubrication. research indicated many similar problems with low mileage dodge 5.2l engines and restricted oil pump screens. minimum of $ 4,000 to repair/replace engine. dt

Gas fast as 70 miles or as slow as 10 miles per hr. contacted chrysler corp. 2x no one at c. corp could give me answer. i was told to take vehicle to dealership and start with tsb#08-24-00 to see if this could be the problem. three attemps have been made to solve the problem. problem still exist at a high rate of speed 70 mph on i-95 10/12/02 with heavy traffic my vehicle shut down without warning if not for my daughter following behind me, and notice my vehicle was having problems i truly believe a major accident would have occurred instead of a traffic back-up the police arrive and stayed with us until vehicle started again. this problem have me very worried since the vehicle continues to do this and the auto-tects nor chrysler have any ideal why. vehicle shuts down with no warning while driving i could be going. dt

Engine blew from supposed sludge build up that had supposedly been removed 1 year ago by jerry's dodge. now there saying at safford dodge where the vehicle is currently located and has been denied the extended warrenty claim that there is really no way to remove sludge.*ak

Engine seized up while driving. vehicle checked by dealer who advised consumer he could not determine cause. . dealer replaced oil pressure switch the day prior.*ak

While driving engine light stayed illuminated. while driving 45mph all gauges dropped, and then engine shut off.*ak

While driving engine check light came on, heard a knocking noise, and engine had blown. contacted dealer.*ak

Started in december 2001 with engine oil pressure was told this is due to improper oil changes.when i provided documentation they still wouldn't honor the extended warrenty anyways .had to replace the engine myself this is the same problem i'm hearing all over your web site .*ak