Problems with 1999 Dodge Durango SUSPENSION

Consumer stated the front tires were unable to be aligned because the upper ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak the front end was unable to be aligned due to premature wear of the front ball joints. *scc *jb

While driving 40 mph down a hill front end made a grinding noise, and it became difficult to stop. consumer had front ball joints replaced. *ak

Ball joints failed inspection, dealership was aware of the problem.*ak *slc

Recommendations replace both lower ball joints they said it had worn loose but in order for that to happen it would have had to be loose. and another thing is there a cotter pin to hold the nut on there so ether there was no pin or the pin was not folded or bend correct and i don't think i should have to paid because steering linking on leet side broke cause both lower ball joint to wear .and they also said that i need 4wheel alignment i don't mind paying for that.but i do know that the front tire worn on even because of steering linkage .end closing hope you can help me out.god bless you and have a nice day.*ak

upper ball joint wear prematurely. dealer notified. *ak

We purchased a brand new 1999 dodge durango in october 1998. in november 2001 while the vehicle was being serviced the technician informed me that the ball joints were bad and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was just out of warranty so i had an out of pocket expense of $964.00. the technician said that not to replace the ball joints at that time would make the vehicle unsafe, therefore i had little choice but to spend the money. shortly after that news of durangos having defective ball joints began surface. these reported incidents lead to a recall involving durangos beginning in 2000. we believe that the recall should involve all dodge durangos. the fact that the models previous to 2000 were using the same defective ball joints is apparent by what happened to us. the fact that we had no serious incidents is due to an alert service technician and the grace of god. there is no reason dodge should not replace the ball joints in previous models of durangos or refund the expenses of those who sought to protect their families by replacing the faulty parts. we have proof of expenses. we contacted dodge and they stated that because our vehicle wasn't covered by the official recall that they had no obligation to rectify our losses. *nm

Suspension problems, multiple repairs. *ak

While driving under normal conditions steering control would be difficult, and there was a noise coming from front end. dealership examined vehicle, and determined that front/left hub had disintegrated, causing damage to brake and suspension systems. please provide any additional information / attachments. *ak

The front end is misalignedand squaeks causing the tire to wear prematurely, the bushings to the control arms (unknown upper or lower) are seperating. the dealer indicated the problem is due to no shield to deflect heat from the engine. the dealer was notified. nlm

Failed vehicle inspection 9/20/01 for low ball joints, (mileage=15,730), vehicle to harr dodge 9/22/01 to 9/28/01 for repair, harr dodge stated repair not needed because "ball joint play with-in specs" per service manual (mileage=15,746). vehicle failed inspection (retest) 10/11/01 for "bad ball joints" (mileage=15,953). vehicle to sumner's getty/auto repair station, leicester, ma. on 11/18/01 (mileage=16,614) stated "needs two tires (feathering), and ball joints, upper and lower".. *ak

The consumer went to have an alignment performes but the dealer would not align the vehicle because of badly worn from lower ball joints. nlm

There's a snapping noise whenever vehicle is being driven at low speeds. took vehicle to dealer and they realigned and replaced bearings, hubs, and rotors. *ak consumer states vehicle continues to make the noises under the front end, dealer has attempted to fix this problem 8 times. *slc

Pe 03-032. front suspension upper ball joint failure. two sets of upper ball joints were replaced due to premature wear.*ak when the vehicle was at the dealer for the first repair, they replaced the lower control arm and not the lower ball joint. this was covered under warranty. after the second failure, both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. the vehicle was then out of warranty. mepco refused to cover the work under warranty because they felt the upper joints were excessively worn. they believe they were bad before the warranty was purchased. *ph *jb

Failure of ball joints on our 1999 dodge durango. we repaired the truck at the dodge dealer. we have been advised the recall only covers durangos from year 2000 and on. the dealer advised there is no recourse for 1999 durangos under the recall despite having the exact same problem covered by the recall. *ak

After seeing information on internet concerning defective ball joints that could cause tires to wear out, consumer took vehicle to a local repair shop, technician indicated that ball joints had to be replaced due to worn tires. consumer had contacted dealer, but vehicle could not be fixed because of expired warranty. *ak the tires wore out due to the ball joints being worn, joints were worn out to a point of vehicle being unsafe to drive, dodge would not do anything about the faulty ball joints. *slc

When driving and without prior warning front bearings malfunctioned. consumer has contacted dealer. please provide any further details.*ak

On 7/24/01, while travelling on a major interstate, approximately ten miles north of galveston island, texas, we entered a section of roadway where it had been raining. our vehicle pulled hard right, across several other lanes of traffic. at first i turned into the "skid" i perceived this to be, but i was about to go off the highway, so i tried to correct slightly back to the left, at which time our vehicle began spinning down the interstate. we spun approximately three turns before finally hitting the concrete barrier between lanes. i just assumed that we had hydroplaned but have since heard of other durangos having similiar type problems. i had absolutely no control of the vehicle and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened. we have driven it in thunderstorms, snow and even ice and never had any steering problems until this one incident.*ak

Ball joints replaced at 21000 and 43000 miles. new part was redesigned to include a grease fitting. dodge paid for parts not for labor.*ak

The ball joints failed, causing all 4 tires to wear improperly, twice.*ak

My 1999 durango went through a whole front end at 50,000 miles and at 100,000 miles the same simtoms are present, why did'nt the 1999 year modle get recalled? y friend has a 1999 and just hit 60,000 miles and had to rebuild the front end, the shop said there was 3/4 inch play in the ball joint.*ak

Right upper ball joint and both tie rod assemblies had excessive play. parts replaced under extended warranty on 7/6/2001 at 42,000 miles. vehicle is driven by mature adults and no off roading done.

Re recall issued on dodge durangos for defective ball joints, has replaced ball joints twice on 1999 durango. *bf the first replacement was made at 44701 mile the second one was at 86869 miles. *nm

Consumer took vehicle to dealer for a front end alignment. consumer was told that the front end alignment could not be performed because the ball joints were bad. later, consumer took the vehicle to a chrysler dealership, and was told that the ball joints were within specifications, and would not replace them. consumer contacted a few other after market alignment shops, and was told that the ball joints were bad and an alignment could not be performed. *ak

When the vehicle goes in reverse it makes a clunk. it feeels like it's engaging in 4- wheel. dealer put in a rear carrier, and new rear end gears. problem was not remedied, but dealer has order for another part involving linkage for rear end.*ak

Ball joints went bad after 38,000 miles. brought front end problems to the dealers attention prior to it going out of warranty. chrysler told me too bad, the truck was out of warranty. i was eventually able to have them replace all four and share the cost, my share $500 plus. they denied there was any issue on the durango models. after 30,000 more miles they are bad again. chrysler recalled 2000 and up models, mine is a "99". i purchased it new. they should have recalled all production years. *nm

Problems with premature ball joint failure.*ak

1. ball joints wore out prematurely at less than 30k000miles. 2. air conditioning unit failed at less than 30000 miles and dealer was not able to fix over the course of 1+ year.*ak

Current problem: ball joints and tie rods need to be replaced, although i complained several times about feeling there was a problem with the arms or something in that area, nothing was ever looked at because they could not produce same bump i felt, so they repeatedly told me there was no problem. when i took my durango for new tires on may 1, 2001; the tire place robertson tire in tulsa, said the ball joints all needed to be replaced and the left front brake was toast. since i did not put my concerns of the arms or ball joints in writing i have no proof that i had mentioned it to them the several times before when they performed other work on my vehicle. also, we had numerous problems with the abs brakes. we had to take it to the dealer 5 times before the problem was corrected, also i was told my brakes were fine on febrary 23, 2001 only to find out on may 2 they were not fine. the engine is using oil, which the dealer said is a gasket problem. the 4 wheel drive stays in 4 wheel drive even after taking it out. the left front window power window had to be replace early on because it was defective. transmission seems to start in 2 at times but then goes away. east tulsa dodge has fixed most of our past problems because it was still under factory warrenty. the ball joints and tyrods are not even under our extended warrenty we purchased. after reading your customer complaints, i am very concerned with the drive shaft problem, the air bag and seat belt problems and engine stalling problem. *ak

My durango lost control for no reason on a suuny, cloudless day 4-24-01. i was turning the vehicle left and it suddenly went right throwing me into a guard rail and down a bluff, breaking my back. after watching cbs news two weeks ago, i realized it was suspension failure complained about by hundreds of other owners.*ak

For overseas cars wthout a warranty transfer certificate from the time of export, chrysler europe will not honour the 3yr/36mo warrany or factory callbacks. no safety defec tmentioned. *ak

Factory installed upper & lower ball joints, upper control arms failed at 31,797 miles. dealer technician "drilled & tapped fittings on the right joint" when replacing under 3yr. 36,000 mile warranty.*ak

Pe 03-032, front suspension upper ball joints: front upper ball joints have completely worn out. also, the brakes did not engage properly. *ak *scc *jb

Upper ball joint wear, misdiagnosed and not fixed under warrenty. dodge has redesinged replacement parts to compensate for the defect, however, no recall has been issued. i believe this constitutes a significant safety hazard to the 1999 dodge durango. possibly could lead to steering failure and roll-over risk.*ak

Right lower ball joint needed to be replaced under 30,000 mile of wear. dealer notified, and unable to help in this matter at this time. feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

While driving 45 mph consumer heard a loud knocking noise coming from the front. suddenly, vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that both frontal upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak

I own a 1999 dodge durango which i used mainly for commuting to and from work. at around 70k miles i noticed abnormal tire wear on the right front tire and broought the vehicle in to a dodge dealership for service. the service manager stated i needed replacement of both the upper and lower balls joints. the quote was just under $1000. i had just the upper ball joibts replaced. for the type of use and mileage on my vehicle i don't consider this anywhere near "normal" wear. there is a problem. i brought the vehicle in 14 months later and the dealership stated i need the upper ball joints replaced again. for "normal" wear this is getting to be quite expensive.*ak

1999 dodge durango, same problem as the 2000 up. the recall was done on those but dodge has not been forced to recall the 1999's. we purchased our vehicle in august 1999, it never did drive good, wandering, we thought it might be the tires, and continued to drive until unable to go anywhere in safety. took the vehicle to larry miller 12/22/2003 they recommended replacing both inner tie rods, idler arms, alignment etc. cost of $796.00 this was approx 55,000 miles. since they would not warrant the car, we took it to a private shop russ' alignment in salt lake. and paid $779.00 2/4/2004. we replaced all 4 tires. we had this vehicle into alignment shops constantly, tire repair, balancing etc the tires were so badly worn in directions that should never have been on a vehicle. these things should have been done 30,000 miles sooner. i contacted chrysler and submitted the receipts the file # 13542683, phone # 1-800-992-1997 option #5. i spoke with "brandy" brandy instructed the durango was out of warranty and they had no requirement to compensation. when asked to put that in a written statement they refused and said it was in my file and they did not have to submit that information nor could i speak with a superviser. but that i would receive my original bills back in 7-10 days. this is a recent claim and have not received my original receipts yet. 5/18/2005

My wife and i purchased a new 1999 dodge durango in june of 1999. within the first 20,000 miles, we both noticed a "clicking" noise from the front end of the vehicle, along with vehicle shimmy. the vehicle was properly diagnosed with faulty ball joints. we the upper ball joints replaced. within another 20,000 miles, the same problem again. again we had them replaced. now we are on our third set of ball joints in our dodge durango. the vehicle now has only 67,000 miles on it. (02-28-2007) i know that there is a recall notice for model years 2000-2004 with the same problem. may this problem also exist in the 1999 model? *jb

Upper and lower ball joints on 1999 durango and inner tie rod end wear. *ak

While driving could lose control of vehicle when keep steering wheel straight. vehicle will pull to the sides. a technician said that problem was with the front end ball joints. *ak

Rear and front power windows have failed to operate twice. the front end makes a romping noise that has been verified not to be tire noise. sounds like the front end may fall off. dealer keeps saying that they can't duplicate the noise. *ak

Controlarm, upper and lower ball joint were replaced. within a year ,they needed to be replaced again. consumer covered cost for first replacement. dealer has advised that second replacement will also be charged to consumer. *ak consumer replaced upper and lower ball joints and control arms at her cost. *slc

Went to get inspected and failed because both lower ball joints were worn. *ak

Ball joints wore out and ruined front tires. dealer will not replace tires or ball joints!( dot number: tire size: 31x10.5r15 )

Front left wheel makes constant clicking noise. have taken it into numerous dealerships for service (over 10 times) for the same problem with no resolution. i have had this problem since 2000. *nlm

Dodge currently has nation wide back order of over 1100 2x4 ball joint assymbles.my truck is not repaired due to parts avalability.b/o promptted my request.dealer found problem at 18 mos. of service during routine alignment service. *ak

I purchased a 1999 dodge durango at bertera dodge in westfield, ma in june 1999. a year after, the vehicle failed the ma. state safety inspection due to loose upper ball joints. bertera dodge replaced them under warranty. in june 2001, the vehicle again failed the ma. state safety inspection. bertera dodge and chrysler corp. both refused to replace the faulty upper ball joints, and i was forced to pay for the repairs myself. in sept. 2003, the vehicle failed the ma state safety inspection for a third time for the same reason - faulty upper ball joints. again both bertera dodge and chrysler customer service refused to help me. by this time, i had seen an article in my local paper about the nhtsa investigation, which i showed to the dealer, and asked customer service about. they told me that it was my problem and there was nothing they would do about it unless there was a recall. so again i was forced to pay for the repairs myself in order to pass the ma state safety inspection, so the vehicle could remain on the road. the only restitution i requested from chrysler was to be reimbursed for my costs. i was told i would get nothing. *la

The original upper & lower ball joints were replaced at 37,838 on 7/6/00. less than 11 months later we have failed inspection test due to faulty upper and lower ball joints. *ak

Had noise in the left front of vehicle around 20,000 miles return vehicle to dealer they said it was in the tires. took vehicle to tire dealer they said it was not in the tires. after going back and forth dealer to tire company wore out a set of tires. bought new tires and took vehicle to shop for wheel alignment discovered ball joints was bad. wrote a letter to daimler chrysler costumer service explaining my problems, and that i had seek help before warranty expired. they said sorry we cant help you. *la

Vehicle wandered if it hit a bump. vehicle slid enough to lose control. dealer stated that ball joints were bad, but under chryslers guidelines they were not.*ak