Problems with 2001 Dodge Durango SUSPENSION

While i love my 2001 dodge durango rt, there are a couple of serious problems / safety issues the vehicle has. number one is the passenger front seat is very loose and rocks back and forth during acceleration and braking which could cause severe injuries if the vehicle was in a wreck, whiplash etc. in doing my research the average fix that the dealers will do costs between 600-800.00 which is to replace the motor assembly. there are links on various forum for instructions to fix yourself for about 40.00 orovoodmg a better fix that the dealers will not provide, but it is complicated and very labor intensive. my number one concern is to be safe and have safe passengers! to be able to bring this into dodge and get this permanently fixed at no cost to me. there are untold amounts of dodge durango owners out there with this same issue, which dodge currently will not recall. the other two issues are incredibly defective ball joints. since dodge recalled these trucks for the ball joints many including mine previous to me buying it, we're brought in for recall repair in 2006. please note the suspension components company called "moog" fixed this dodge engineering problem for this year make and model with their own specially designed ball joint. as far as the brakes go this a very heavy suv, in which if one needs to stop quickly and the brakes fail or skid the wheels due to lock up this again like the seats is a very important safety issue that dodge needs to correct. i have faith that dodge will take care of more consumer issues than ford ever will.

2001 dodge durango. consumer writes in regards to ball joint failure during an auto accident. *ld the consumer requested information concerning recalled ball joint failure that may have been the cause of an accident.*js

My whole tire came off, literally separated from axle.. does not pick up speed.. been in the shop several times. and shakes. i had my 2 year old grandson with me when this happened coming out of drive thru.. after i paid the truck off it was downhill from there.

I purchaced a 2001 d0dge durango used about a mpnth ago and already i was driving to town and the driver side wheel felt like it was wobling and had a roar. pulled over didnt see anything , so went on home took it to gateway and was told it was the ball joint. now im paying payment on a vehicle i cant drive.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving various speeds and making a right turn, the vehicle pulled to the right and a cracking sound was heard from the front suspension. the contact indicated that the cracking noise was caused by faulty ball joints. in addition, the brake lights would not illuminate and the light bulb and socket was replaced on several different occasions. also, the plenum gasket leaked oil from the engine, which caused the engine to lose power. the cause of the failures was not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 134,000.

I purchased the vehicle on 7/11/16 and the same day the tire blew due to the upper ball joint which does have a recall. mine was completely disintegrated, but supposedly the recall was closed as it was to have been serviced already. either it wasn't serviced or there is still an issue. i contacted nhtsa and they put me through to dodge who spoke with me about there only being one open recall on it and i told her about the ball joint and she told me they would cover the repair and tow and sent a tow truck and towed it to motor village but did not tell them that they would be covering the ball joint work so they told me to have dodge contact them in the morning. when i did contact dodge, the first rep couldn't get through and so she opened a case. i then called motor village to get the service admin's phone number to give to dodge and when i contacted dodge the 2nd time, i was informed that now they would not be covering it and that they are sorry for the misunderstanding. they also won't be towing it back either and i do not have money to do so as i am facing eviction and just purchased that car to get ready to move and now i have no idea what to do. i would not have sent it to dodge if they didn't represent they would fix the ball joint and now all i have from them is an apology for the misunderstanding and no way to fix or get my car that i just purchased out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, an abnormal noise was present coming from the front drivers side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the driver side ball joints needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving at approximately 40 mph, the vehicle shook. when the steering wheel was turned in either direction, there was an abnormal grinding noise coming from the front wheels. the failure recurred continuously. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front ball joints failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v596000 (suspension). the approximate failure mileage was 195,000.

I was driving down the road with 2 of my kids.. i started to smell antifreeze going into my car, all of a sudden there was smoke bursting out of my car. we replaced the thermostat 3 different times with in 3 months, the radiator house burst. and no lights came on.. the oil pressure also dropped. took it to shop to have it fixed, cracked head gaskets and blown motor, now we are with out a car.... sad because i will never buy another dodge. we were also never notifies about the recall about the ball joints and paid cash for them to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the front passenger's side tire was becoming prematurely worn due to defective tie rods. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic, who inspected the vehicle and advised that there was excessive wear in the upper and lower ball joints that had separated from the tie rod. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue, who stated there was a recall for the failure but the contact's the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v596000 (suspension). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 124,127. updated 3/13/13 *cn

Going to a friends house & as i turned on her street i noticed her driving past me going the opposite way. we both put on our brakes and came to a complete stop. i put the vehicle in reverse & started to back up a few feet so i would have enough room to turn around. i heard a giant "clung" & thought "what the heck was that..?" i put the car back into drive and turned my wheels to the left to complete the maneuver. the car was in forward motion traveling 1-2 mph for appx. 3 seconds when suddenly the nose dipped down & tilted to the left. this brought the vehicle to an instant & abrupt stop. i looked over at my friend & she shrugged her shoulders like "what's going on?" i tried again to go forward but the car wouldn't move. my friend started honked her horn at me- put her hand up indicating "stop" & was shaking her head no no no... i put the car in park & got out to take a look. the right front wheel was normal but the one on the driver's side was completely sideways sitting at an appx. 45 degree angle. (instead of @12 it was like 8 o'clock)the left front "nose" of the vehicle was almost sitting on the ground. it was clear the vehicle could not be driven. called for a tow truck. when it got there, the tow truck driver said that he has been towing for many years & he had never seen this happen- nor should it have ever happened. he expressed concern stating that had i been traveling at a high rate of speed (i.e., on the freeway) the vehicle would have undoubtedly flipped & rolled and i probably wouldn't be standing there talking to him... it took him quite some time to figure out how to pull the car up onto the car carrier (using the wench) without the wheel snapping off. he ended up using a sledge hammer & wedge to pound this "pizza pan" looking thing under the tire to slide on. it resembled one of those casters you place under the legs to move furniture on. *tr

Clunking when turning. *tr

Upper ball joints clunking noise over every bump. *tr

Prior to the hub freezing up the suv was making a squeaky noise in the front end this later turned into a clunking noise and the car would sway when ever there were lane changes especially noticeable at hwy speeds 55 to 65 mph and driving over the lane marker caps on the freeway. this then developed into a metal to metal grinding noise from the front end prior to the wheel assembly right front passenger side separating inverting underside car chassis. *tr

Multiple replacement needed of upper & lower ball joints, sway bar, currently experiencing front end bed spring noise - sounds like junk, told the front lower ball joint is lose again. also the heating elements in the front driver;s seat went out -cost to repair over 700.00! vehicle is a 2001 dodge durango 4 x 4. only 86,000 miles original owner. this vehicle meticulously maintained and serviced, but despite that constantly having front suspension repairs and brakes. *tr

I had my 2001 dodge durango inspected to get my license plates renewed and was told the ball joints were bad and needed to be replaced. *tr

I bought a 2001 dodge durango at haar toyota. when i went to get a sticker there i watched and the guy didn't check the vehicle thoroughlythat night the passenger tire looked low i kicked the tire and it moved. brought vehicle to dealer two days later they put a new steering rack and drivers ball joint in vehicle. 5days later i had vehicle checked by my mechanic he said passenger side ball joint was bad. brought vehicle back to dealer they say it is fine will not fix because nothing wrong. what should i do my warranty is only 30 days of which i have about 1 week left. my contention is that the original sticker should never have passed if performed correctly. *tr

Every year when i go to get my 2001 dodge durango inspected i first have to replace two front tires due to excessive inside wear. then i get told all 4 ball joints are no good. i have had to replace all 4 ball joints three times in three years while putting only about 20000 miles on this vehicle yearly. it is a 500.00 a month car payment that i am afraid to take my three children in. why has this vehicle not been dealt with in a harsher manner. the complaints online are numerous and extremely serious in nature. how many people have to die from poor engineering. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving at any speed, but mostly during take off, the vehicle makes popping and clunking noises. the dealer stated that the vehicle had been previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint); however, the contact disagrees. the current mileage was 167,230 and failure mileage was 167,030.

Vehicle is 2001 dodge durango r/t 5.9. 26,000 miles. front end ball joints needed replacing. calipers froze/locked on both front wheels. overheating occurred twice on front calipers. needed out of pocket money for repairs. air conditioning broken. *tr

My car was squeaking for a couple of weeks and then the wheel fell off and the repair shop had to fix the ball joint and said i needed the other side done too. 2 weeks later i had the other side fixed. *tr

Electric fan,steering;rack and pinion; control arm; lower ball joints, front drive shaft, front bearings. replaced drive shaft,left wheel bearing. i bought it in 2006 w/125,000 miles. drive shaft went out at 135,000 and steering at 146,000. i still owe money on it and it sits parked because i cant afford the rest of the repairs. *tr

Brake line broke/air bag clock spring/power steering rack/rear suspension,leaf springs/rust. *tr

My vehicle is 6 years old, about 2 months ago i noticed my car began vibrating really badly and my tires were wearing flat on the drivers side. i took my durango to the 76 service station and they inspected my vehicle and i was told that my right front wheel bearing was worn, my front ball joints were worn and the sway bar bushings were worn very badly as well as the upper control arms were bad. i have only seen recalls on the vehicles with 4x4 but i think the 4x2 models need to also be inspected. this is not normal wear for a vehicle only being 6 years old and driven only 14,280 a year. i cant afford to pay the 1500 dollars that was quoted to have it fixed, so now it sits unless it has to be used, because i am afraid that my front tire is going to fall off. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. an independent mechanic informed the contact that the upper ball joints and swing arms failed and needed to be replaced. the dealer replaced the upper ball joints according to nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint); however, it was discovered that the lower ball joints were also faulty. the failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 130,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact received a recall notice in march of 2007 for the front ball joints. she immediately had the vehicle repaired. when she took her vehicle to the dealer for an alignment, they stated that the upper and lower ball joints (which were repaired less than a year ago under recall) needed to be repaired again. she feels that her vehicle was repaired with the same defected component. the vehicle was repaired. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 126,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.

I bought my 2001 dodge durango sport in november 2000. over the course of the past six years i have had to have so many repairs and replacements of parts, brakes, tires, electrical fuses & resistors done that i can honestly say that i will never buy another dodge vehicle again. the biggest concerns to me have been around brakes needing replacement three times, upper ball joints replaced due to recall, lower ball joints exhibiting excessive wear as well (but not being able to get daimler/chrysler to fix them because it isn't covered under my warranty or the recall notices) and abs & brake lights on the dashboard showing up intermittently. i had to have the power steering line replaced completely due to it rusting through and continuously leaking steering fluid. the dealership replaced my steering fluid and told me it would be fine to drive until the part came in. they said they would call me as soon as the part arrived. two weeks later i had to chase them down to get an answer as to whether or not the part had arrived and was told i would need to wait another week to bring the durango in for repairs. just recently my check engine light came on, i drove straight to the dealership to ask them to look at it and they asked me if the car was bucking or stalling. i said no and they told me it was nothing to worry about then. i tried to make an appointment, but couldn't even be seen for a week and a half. i asked for a loaner vehicle and they said that chrysler doesn't provide those, but they could certainly get me a rental...why bother buying from a company that doesn't offer even minimal things to their customers? *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while turning the wheel to either side regardless of speed, there was a creaking noise in the steering column. this was accompanied by a vibration in the steering wheel, and the vehicle pulling to the right. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who determined that the upper control arm needed replacement due to wear. there was a nhtsa recall # 04v596000, which pertains to the upper ball joint on the front suspension. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

when i bought the truck i put on a new set of tires and had the alignment done at a fire stone on 8/16-21/2008. the fire stone told me my ball joints were going out. and they said the good news is that they are under recall. i took it to the dealer they looked up the vin. # and charged me little over $60.00. in the end they told me that the service was done already and told me the miles that it was done at. at that time i still had 20,000 miles to go before i hit that amount. the shop manager told me that "someone must have put the wrong miles in because we check it and there done that is why we are charging you a fee. so i went to another dealer and asked them. they looked up the vin.# and said "this service has already been done and if they take it in it will just cost me another $60.00." i contacted chrysler and told them my story and asked them about all the wear and tear that these bad ball joints are causing. they said that the service was done and there is nothing that they can do. 1year later and 1 set of tires, on 5/20/07 i looked myself under the truck and looked for what the fire stone manager told me to look at. just to find that the service had never been done. the reason i did this, because fire stone would not replace the tires due too poor upkeep. i had moved to pineville la when all this took place. i went in to a dealer there and told them my story and asked if they would look at the pictures that i took. they said yes and they said the service had not been done ,so the check into it and the dealer (west side in illinois had it in the computer as done on there site.) they put in the wrong vin# . the dealer in la did the recall, but i am out $60.00 , 1 set of tires, cost and work of the lower ball joints (due to upper ball joints going out) and all that time running around. what should i do ? a lawyer cost too much! and now i have the recall on the ...

In the early morning hours of 5/27 the right front lower wheel bearing of my 2001 dodge durango suddenly separated without warning causing the wheel to come loose from the vehicle. the caused the durango to veer to the right and crash into two parked cars. the wheel, axle, bearing, rack and pinion and associated parts are being replaced. old part will be saved. *jb

Rear leaf springs break and cause vehicle to sway. possible roll over condition. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated a recall letter was received for the upper ball joints, #04v596000. the contact performed the recall work prior to the recall and sent in the paperwork available. the manufacturer requested the original receipt. the contact did not have a receipt and was denied reimbursement. also, since purchase, the abs jerks and the vehicle swerves when stopping at any speed. the dealership determined this was how the vehicle was manufactured and no repair was available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango suv. there was a loud clicking noise in the front end and the steering wheel pulled. the dealer stated that there was a recall on the ball joints. however, it didn't apply to this vehicle. also, the front and lower arm ball joints were worn out and could be repaired at cost to the contact. the contact was aware of the safety risk involved and observed related complaints. the current and failure mileage were 50,000. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated there was a rubbing noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. an independent repair shop determined the rear leaf spring broke. the driver side was repaired and then a year later, the passenger side broke and it was repaired.

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling out of a parking lot, the vehicle made a loud pop. the rear end locked up. the vehicle was towed to the contact's house and has not been seen by a mechanic.

Dt: the contact has been experiencing problems with the steering and front end while driving vehicle. the vehicle has been taken to the dealership three times since may 2005. while driving on a two lane road the vehicle started making a noise, then it veered to the left. this resulted in an accident. upon impact, the air bags did deploy.*ak

Dt: the contact states received a recall letter on 8-17-05 regarding the upper ball joint on 2001 dodge durango. she called and set up an appointment, and they told her they do not have any parts because there is a backorder. she thinks the recall should be fixed in a timely manner. she reported having problems with the brakes, and her husband told her this might have something to do with the recall because the front end may be wearing out the brakes. the steering wheel jumped around in her hand when she applied the brakes.*ak

Dt: the consumer was complaining that after recall #04v596000 was fixed. the vehicle had to be realigned. consumer was upset that he had to pay for alignment. the manufacturer should have paid for this, and it should be included in the recall expenses. the recall was on the upper ball joints on both sides of the front suspension. the owner had the recall fixed on 7-27-05. the consumer did not have enough money to pay the extra charge. he will have this fixed and go back to a mechanic for another realigned. the consumer was going to do this at a later date. called the manufacturer, and they said that the realignment wasn't something that they were concering. they were only concerned with the recall. *ak

Dt: consumer states: she has a dodge durango that was recalled for the ball joints. the recall number was not available. she received the recall letter around 1-05. the dealer does not have the parts. he name was put on a waiting list in 1-05 for the parts. she still has not heard anything. she has contacted the dealer again and they tell her the part has not come in yet. they could not offer her a loaner to use until the parts were in. *nm

I have a 2001 dodge durango r/t that has had severe problems with the front end. i know that the upper ball joints have been replaced at least three times. two of which are from my local dealer and i just received a notice that they want it done again. i also know that my lower ball joints are shot and is definitely a complication of the upper ball joint problems due to the fact that they are on the same pivot point. also my upper and lower control arm bushings are seizing up and causing not only a substantial amount of noise but a severe amount of wheel hop while at high rates of speed on the highway. while cornering and hitting the expansion joint of a bridge or other highway bump the truck seems to want to bounce from lane to lane. i also had a drivers side front shock break in half while on the highway last week. i contacted daimler chrysler about these problems and they didn't seem the bit least worried about it. i asked if there was any consumer complaint program or any follow up procedure that i could be involved with and he was quick to say no. he also instructed me that i could do one of two things, i could have the ball joints changed for the fourth time or get ride of the vehicle. i asked him if this was dodges since on the whole problem by off loading the vehicle onto another unsuspecting person and he didn't say anything. he just repeated himself. i am a aircraft mechanic by trade and i can tell you right now that the faa and the ntsb would have grounded every aircraft that was affected in a situation like this. i don't know why there is such a double standard with the automobile industry. i drive around my family in this vehicle to include my 5 month old son and it scares me to death just reading the stories online that other people have been involved with. i hope it hasn't happened but what is it going to take to get this resolved with dodge, (multiple deaths with this $30,000 lemon) thank you mike audas. *nm

Adhering to the recall notice we received on our 2001 dodge durango, we took it in to have the upper ball joints replaced. three months later we took the car back for its routine oil change. at that time we were told the lower ball joints were now in need of repair. given the recall on the upper ball joints and the many complaints that have been placed on this subject, we find it hard to believe that this is an unrelated problem. the recall should be modified to include the lower ball joints as well. *nm

While driving a loud clanking noise came from the rear of the vehicle. driver took vehicle to dealer, and mechanic determined that left and right rear lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak

I have a 2001 dodge durango that has prematue wearing of tie rods and bushings. i tried contacting my dealership and they will not cover this because of 60,000miles. i started noticeing problems at 7,000 miles when my tires started to wear premature. i took the car back to the dealer and they just realined the vehicle. i am on my third set of tires already. brakes plus won't realign the car because everything is so worn out. please advise me, i have to fix this and nobody will cover the costs. what do i do.???*ak

While the vehicle was being sericed for the upper ball joints on the nhtsa recall, the lower ball joints were were defective.*ak

While the upper ball joints were being replaced under a manufacturer's recall dealer informed the consumer that both lower ball joints needed to be replaced.*ak

Brought vehicle to dealer for upper ball joint recall and was informed that the lower ball joints were also bad. dealer said they could replace them at a considerable cost to vehicle owner. obviously equally as defective as the upper ball joints and should also be covered by a recall.*ak

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but when taken to dealer for inspection it was found that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced, otherwise the wheels could fall off. *ak

After taking the vehicle into the dealer, the consumer was told the ball joints were not defective and did not need to be replaced. after taking the vehicle into another dealer, they found the defect and replaced the ball joints. nhtsa ball joint recall 04v596000. *jb

The lower ball joints wear out prematurely. dealer has already replaced the upper ball joints under the recall that was issued. *ak

The hubs also became defective once the ball joints were defective. this should be brought to the manufacturer's attention.*ak recall campaign . nhtsa campaign id number : 04v596000 front:control arm:upper ball joint. *tc