Problems with 2001 Dodge Durango SUSPENSION

During a recent state inspection on my 2001 dodge durango it was found that one of my upper and both lower ball joints were worn extensively and that the vehicle failed inspection.*ak i was scheduled for a recall replacement for the uppers as per the recal, however after contacting dodge, i was told that the lower ball joint damage are unrelated to the recall. i feel that the failure and defect in the upper ball joints are the proximate cause of the lower ball joint failure, and that the recall should be modified to include both the upper and lower ball joints.

Safety improvement campaign 04 v 596 000/ball joint wear: the consumer stated the dealer broke one of the lug nuts on the right front wheel while performing the safety repairs and they wanted to charge the consumer for repairing the broken lug nut. *jb

No parts were available for recall campaign 04v596000 concerning upper ball joints. hanover, dodge, 717-637-1101. *ak

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle is included in the recall, but when taken in for repair, results showed that the lower ball joints need to be replaced as well. dealer will repair at owner's expense. *nm

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. owner received notification from the manufacturer about this recall. owner later notified the local dodge dealership, and was told that parts needed for the repair were on back order, and there was no estimated time for arrival. also, owner contacted the manufacturer, and was also informed of the same. *ak

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000/ball joint wear. owner received notification from the manufacturer on january 5, 2005 on the upper ball joint recall. owner has contacted the dealer and the manufacturer asking why was it taking so long to get the parts for the recall. owner was put on a waiting list for three weeks. ak the dealer told the consumer that they can not meet the demands of all the recalls. *tc

The front end wobbled/shimmied while driving. the mechanic indicated that the front wheels were completely loose because the upper ball joints were worn out. a recall was issued on this make/model and year, however, this vehicle was not included in the recall. *ak

Dealer flatly refused to service the vehicle for upper ball joints nhtsa recall 04v396000, since consumer did not purchase the vehicle there, and the parts were available only for their customers.*ak

During a routine inspection, the dealership informed the consumer of the loose upper/lower ball joints. the dealership did not resolve the problem. please provide more information. *jb

Consumer received recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. however, the dealership told consumer that the manufacturer stated that they were only to replace the ball joints, but consumer will have to pay for the alignment. *ak

The dealership is not able to perform the upper ball joint wear recall within a reasonable time. the next available appointment is 4-6 months because they are only performing 2 recall repairs per day. *ak

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but there were no appointments until may, which could be dangerous for consumer to operate the vehicle.*ak

Recall campaign: the consumer received a recall notice regarding defective front suspension and made an appointment with the dealer. the day before the scheduled appointment the rep called stating that the parts were not available. *nm *jb

Consumer received recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. however, consumer has been waiting for sometime, almost one month, and was being told there were no parts. *ak

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but when taken to the dealer for repairs results showed that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced as well. dealer will repair at consumer's expense.*ak the consumer has attempted to contact the manufacturer for four days but only gets an answering machine. *nm

Not sure exactly when the last failure was because i don't travel "all" the time... but when i do... sometimes the emergency flashers come on by themselves and cannot be turned off. this is not good while traveling down the interstate highways. the flasher switch does not work any longer and the flashers cannot be turned off. i hear clicking noises under the dash and have even tried pullling fuses... you cannot turn the emergency flashers off. my destination is about 250 miles away and when this does happens, they may continue to flash all night long resulting in the battery being dead the next day. i have a feeling this happens even when i don't travel because sometimes when i want to go somewhere the battery is dead and the truck has been sitting in my garage all night.this is obviously an electrical problem that could eventually result in a fire or death...*ak the dealer "maxwell dodge" in austin texas is "special" and does not have to adhere to any "laws". they do not want to fix the upper ball joints on my 2001 durango either unless i can leave it there "until they get around to it". they won't make an "appointment" for the 2 hour repair needed and insist that i bring it there and leave it until they ready to give it back. what a scam! i hope that you will review this matter and correct these issues with the unethical dealers that manufacturers continue to allow distribution and support of thier products.. thanks, [xxx] 2001 dodge durango r/t 4x4 5.9 liter vin: [xxx]. *ak updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The steering in my 2001 durango has been very loose and difficult to control especially over rough roads since about 30,000 miles. about a year ago when there was approximately 45,000 miles on it, there started to be very loud noises coming from the front wheels. i took it to the dealership and was told i needed new brake pads but nothing was mentioned about the ball joints. i had a mechanic look at the brakes and was told they were fine, but that the upper and lower ball joints seemed unusually worn. when i heard of the recall december 10, 2004 for the upper ball joints, i took my vehicle in to be checked. they verified that the upper ball joints were "almost gone" and replaced them according to the recall. however, they then informed me that the lower ball joints were just as bad and needed to be replaced "very soon". i asked if the vehicle was still just as unsafe as when i brought it in, and was told "yes". my concern and question then is why are the lower ball joints not included in the recall? does it not make sense that when one half of a suspension's moving part fails, that it puts undue stress on the opposing part, causing it to fail as well? also, if the repair of the upper ball joint did not make my vehicle safe, then what is the purpose of the recall?*ak

We received a recall notice concerning the front end problems on the dodge durango but it does not include the 2 wheel drive after 100,000 miles. we are 11,000 outside this notice but have not been able to drive our vehicle due to this problem. there are no restrictions on the 4x4. this seems pretty biased on the part of the dodge corporation. why the descrepencyi????????? *ak

A recall for the upper ball joints was issued, however, dealer stated that the parts were not available this had been going on for two months. *ak recall campaign; the consumer stated that she has had lifetime brakes installed on her vehicle twice. 4wd shaft was replaced twice. *tc

Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle is included in the recall, but there are no parts available in order to make the repair. *jb

I recently had new tires put on my durango and was going to have a alignment done. at that time i was informed that my right upper ball joint and right tie rod needed to be replaced due to excessive wear. this seems to be happening to most of the dodge light trucks and suv's and is obviously a defect in the product. i did not have the repair done at the time. it is to costly to buy both tires and have to do the repairs at the same time especially around christmas. i feel that this is the responsibility of dodge to correct the obviously defective equipment.*ak

A recall for the upper ball joints was issued. however, the dealer stated the part was on national back order. consumer has been waiting since december 2004.*ak

The consumer was involved in two frontal collisions. upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. the cause had not been determined at this time. *ak the first incident occured on a slight snow covered road. the consumer lost control of the vehicle which resulted in front and side damage and the vehicle was backed against the concrete barrier. the second incident occured while the vehicle was in motion and the consumer lost control whenthe vehicle was driven over a small ice patch. the consumer had run into a light pole and completely damaged the middle front of the vehicle. the consumer was informed of recall# 04v596000, which may have been the cause of both incidents. *sc

I have been hearing about dodge durrango recalls for years 00-03 and i have a 2001. i have recently on december 2 went to get new tires and an alignment when i was notified that my ball joints on all 4 wheels were bad, along with a lower ball joint on the front passenger side. i don't feel that customers of daimler chrysler should have to pay for this. i, for one don't have the money to give out to replace this problem right away especially around christmas. daimler chrysler should replace them because they have a defective product.

Vehicle kept pulling to the right, and the tires kept wearing from the outside. the ball joints had to be replaced.*ak....consumer claimed dealer mever checked the alignment. insisted that consume rhad to buy new tires before dealer would align the vehicle. *ak

Dodge durango 2001 upper ball joints and air bag defect. vehicle involved in an accident. *bf the consumer received the ball joint recall notice after the ball joint failed resulting in an accident. the front end of the consumer's vehicle crashing into a concrete protection barrier. the driver's air bag did not deploy and as a result he hit his head against the windshield. the consumer contacted the dealer about the ball joint recall but was told that the part was not available. the day of the consumer's appoint to have the ball joint replaced the consumer lost control of the vehicle and hit a light pole. once again the air bags did not deploy which caused the driver to hit her chest on the steering wheel and head against the windshield. *nm

>ball joint failure. *bf the consumer was informed that the front wheel was dangerously loose and was unsafe to drive. the hub nut was loose. *tc letr n n n n v n n

When we purchased new tires on 11/29/04, we were informed that the front lower ball joints are worn out and ready to break. we were told that these need to be replaced asap.*ak

Consumer received a recall notice for the ball joints on the dodge durango. however, consumer has contacted the dealer a total of three times, and they have yet to repair the vehicle due to lack of parts. *ak

Dodge dealer indicated that both upper and lower ball joints on both front tires needed to be replaced due to premature wear. he stated the car is dangerous to drive because the wheels could fall off. my car has always had problems with its wheels. i have replaced the rotors twice and had to by tires sooner than i should have due to premature and uneven wear even though i had my tires rotated and realigned frequently. when we first purchased the car in made really strange noises at the front wheels. we took it in to the dealership to get fixed. the car jumpy when i go over rough areas of a road. it seems to bounce in all different directions. i have to be very conscious when going over uneven roads or i might loss control of the steering. i feel that dodge should cover the cost of repairing the ball joints. i feel it is a manufacturers defect. none of my other cars have ever had this problem and i have a ford ranger with 210,000 miles on it and it is used for off road driving.*ak

I have had to replace the rotors three times and also had them resurfaced 3 times in 3 years. now i have been told the ball joints are in very bad shape and must be replaced right away. i have owned other dodge vehicles through-out the years and i'm very disappointed with this one. *nm

At 55,000 miles i had to replace my rack and pinion and ball joints. i replaced my brake pads and rotors last year and have just been told that i need to replace them again. my vehicle is used for local highway driving.*ak

My 2001 dodge durango has had a popping noise on the front end for some time. i recently had time to disassemble the front end and found that my upper ball joints were excessively worn. i researched the internet to see if dodge had a recall. i also e-mailed dodge and they responded that it is under investigation. upper ball joints, if engineered correctly, should last over 100,000 miles. the popping noise has been active since ~ 50,000 miles and i currently have 89,000 miles. i called a local dodge service department and they quoted me $390.00 to repair one upper ball joint, which will require an alignment as well. upper ball joints cost ~ $45.00 at any parts dealer and alignments ~ $60.00. i do not think that dodge should charge consumers for their faulty engineering. a recall should be in effect, before someone gets hurt or killed caused by a faulty engineered ball joint.*ak

2nd alignement in 6 months. mechanic showed deteriorated ball joints and play. unable to correct alignement issues due to severly worn ball joint components. worn tires due to condition.*ak

The vehicle vibrated and pulled to the left when driving 50-60 mph. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop. the mechanic informed the consumer that the front wheel bearing needed to be replaced. *jb the consumer stated that the whole left hub assembly needed to be replaced. the consumer was told that the whole front tire almost fell off due to a faulty wheel bearing. *tc

Consumer heard a clicking noise and experienced a shaking steering wheel at low speeds and turns, making the ability to control vehicle uneasy. took vehicle to dealer for check up, and results showed that the vehicle needed the upper ball joints replaced.*ak

The vehicle rear differential was replaced at 60000 miles because it made noise. *nm while the rear differential was being replaced the dealer informed the consumer that both the upper and lower ball joints were bad. the consuemr requested reimbursement for the ball joints since they were recalled. *nm

While driving 25 mph, the vehicle would makes a humming noise and the vehicle would pull to the right when braking. vehicle was taken to a repair shop. the mechanic informed the consumer that both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. the dealer was notified. the dealer informed that their vehicle did not fall under the recall. *nm

I was attempting to make a left turn to enter a parking ramp at work when unexpectedly i was unable to control my vehicle, as a result i collided with a concrete wall.*ak i had some digital pictures taken as the police would not come to file a report on private propery. the vehicle sustained major damage and i'm convinced this is related to a poor design/weak parts used in the steering linkage/suspension system.

Ball joints defective. *ak

I was turning a corner going less 10 miles an hour,when i heard a pop, like a flat tire would make ,and then the car shifted to the left driver side. the wheel had broke off where the ball joints meet. the tire was sitting under the left side of the frame. the complete damage and repaired parts to the vehicle, was the upper and lower ball joints, two boots and an alignment was done. the vehicle was towed back to the dealership(spradley motors),where they got approval from the warranty to fix and replace. i don't know if part is available. *jb

When the consumer took the vehicle for a routine maintenance, the mechanic informed the consumer that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. please fill in additional information. *jb

While driving 70 mph front end shook violently. dealer stated that upper ball joints wore out completely. *ak *ts

Front upper ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak *sc

Pe 03-032, front suspension/upper ball joints: while getting a front end alignment consumer found that the upper and lower ball joints wore out. *ak *nm

While driving 10 mph, the right front wheel fell off the vehicle. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership for inspection. the mechanic informed the owner that the upper ball joint had failed. the consumer will have the mechanic fix the upper ball joint. *jb *sc *jb

Consumer heard a noise coming from the front while driving at any speed. upon inspection by the dealership consumer was informed that lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak

Pe 03 032/ front suspension upper ball joint failure: while driving 20-25 mph the upper and lower ball joints on the right side broke. the condition caused a vehicle accident in which the vehicle struck a speed sign and a telephone pole. the consumer was transported by ambulance to the local hospital for a concussion and minor bruises. the manufacturer was notified.the manufacturer informed consumer that they were going to send out an investigator concerning these issues. *jb *sc *jb

My 2001 durango has had the rotors go bad and the ball joints (both of which cost me money). the vehicle has 55000 miles on it and is driven 95% of the time on the interstate system. although i like the vehicle, i think the mft should pay for the replacement. i also, think it is time for a recall. i am hard pressed to buy another dodge ( i own two) knowing that they don't care about my safety!*ak

The upper ball joints wore prematurely. the consumer was concerned that the vehicle's wheel would separate while driving. *nm *sc *jb