Problems with 2000 Dodge Durango SUSPENSION

My 2000 dodge durango has bad ball joints. i was told they are not bad enough. however, now i am seeing reports of durangos crashing because wheels are coming off. how do i know it is safe to drive my durango? do i have to wreck to get my vehicle fixed properly? there is also noise and now i am concerned about my safety and my family's safety.*ak

2000 dodge durango slt--when driving and hit a small crack or bad road the suv gives a jerk in the front like it is pulling to either side real fast causing loosing of control quickly--it is very noticable--i just got this suv last month and there is something wrong with why the car jumps out of control when you hit a bad spot in the road--try to dodge the bad roads but is impossible!*ak

Took my 2000 dodge durango in to have abs sensor replaced and was told by the customer service representative that the front ball joints needed to be replaced, and that i was taking the chance of having a tire fall off while driving if not done soon. i inquired if it wasn't unusual to have to replace upper ball joints at 40,000 miles and was told that it was not. i also asked if dodge was selling vehicles that have tires falling off while driving after 40,000 miles and was told that they were not. *ak

Consume states upper ball joints are wearing out prematurely. dealer notified. *ak

Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak

Pe 03-032, front suspension upper ball joint failure: the upper ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak *scc *jb

When i had front brakes put on my 2000 durango last month, it was noted that the ball joints need to be replaced. i have 48,000 miles on this truck.

The upper ball joints wore out and was replace by an independent mechanic. the two front tires were replaced. please provide details.

I cannot align the front end of my 2000 dodge durango due to excessive ball joint wear at 44000 (+/-) miles. i was told this by dodge.*ak

While traveling at highway speed, the truck suddenly veered to the right and struck a retaining wall and went into a spin. there were no other cars on the road and the weather was clear. upon exiting the vehicle the passenger side front wheel and suspension were separated form the truck. had the tire or wheel or suspension failed prior to the accident or were they damaged after impact with the barrier, i am unable to tell. we have no explanation for the sudden loss of control of the vehicle. the truck is currently in possession of allstate insurance agency and vin is [xxx]. *nlm ea03-023 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Driving down the road about 30 mph, i hit a dip in the road and the whole passenger side front wheel assembly (tire/wheel/steering knuckle/brake components) flew off. the upper ball joint broke. ea03-023

When going over ripples or bumps in the road at around 15 to 35 mph, you can hear a strange knocking noise coming from the right front suspension. also, you can notice the looseness in the suspension when going over ripples when making a sharp right turn. a total of 3 times vehicle has been in shop (kims of laurel). the 1st time i took to be service, the dealer made a false statement that the rotors needed turning (i was charge for turning rotors when that wasn't the problem. after complaining, charges were waived). i was without out vehicle the 2nd time for a total of 18 days and the problem still wasn't solved. had to take vehicle back the 3rd time and as soon as i drove off lot, the looseness and knocking noise was very noticeable when going over bumbs. problem still exists. very unhappy with service.*ak

Defective upper front ball joint - chrysler has failed to provide repacement parts for over 1 1/2 months. truck is unsafe to drive. has been sitting at my work in the back parking lot for over a month. left upper ball joint is ready to break. i am lucky that i work for a car dealership and was made aware of the problem before i got hurt.

Front end bad noticed uneven front tire wear and replaced tires also replaced front rotors and brakes also shocks front end still has shaking problems. ball joints are suspected due to the abnormal tire wear also had a 4 wheel allignment and balance done all said to be correct. still having the same problem after spending alot of time and money.*ak

Had read about the complaints on dodge durango 1998-2003 models with premature wear on the ball joints. have just had to replace both joints because the car was shaking terribly on the highway, and it is only 3 and 1/2 years old. thought that this was a little too soon, but have never owned an suv and am only familiar with normal cars. do not use my durango off road, and only tow a boat twice a year. *ph

At approximately 55k (5/03) miles i had to spend $1662 for work on my dodge durango's differential. it has been my experience that these types of problems don't come up until way over 100k+ miles. then 11/03 it was mandatory that i replace all 4 ball joints. this also doesn't seem right since the car only had approximately 65k miles on it at that time. you would think when you take your auto to the dealer for all its scheduled maintenance and having spent $35k on it new, one wouldn't be having these sorts of expensive problems.

The front end control arm was replaced after inspection due to wear when new tires were installed. *ak

Premature ball joint failure. the ball joints on my 2000 dodge durango failed after only 54,445 miles. *jb

Consumer states that the vehicle upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. *ph

Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing out prematurely. dealer notified.*ak when making a left turn front end locked causing consumer to drive into a ditch.*ts

While driving at 25 mph, and with no warning front suspension collapsed, causing the driver to lose control. vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. *ak. ea03-023

The vehicle driver's side front upper control arm was loose. the consumer had it repaired ($106.00) after finding out that there was no recall. *ak the vehicle's rocker arm failed. *nm

This complaint is related to the dodge durango front suspension upper ball joints and control arms wearing out prematurely. at 28,433 miles i experienced front suspension problems. the local chrysler dealership could not find anything wrong. at 38,801 miles "they" were able to pinpoint the problem and replaced the front and rear sway bar bushings and inner and outer tie rods. at 45,390 miles the problem reocurred and the tie rods, upper ball joints and control arms were replaced again! after reading the related article on your website, i wanted to express my concern and encourage you to further your investigation.*ak

The upper and lower ball joints failed at 80,000 miles. *ak *sc *jb

Dealer replaced both upper and lower ball joints and associate control arms on 2000 dodge durango r/t at what i think is premature mileage.*ak

Driver's side upper ball joint and the steering sector broke. as a result, consumer lost control of the vehicle. it then jumped a curb and went into a ditch. this occurred while the consumer was reversing out of the driveway. dealership replaced both broken parts. *ak ea03-023

At my 30,000 servicing i complained of a lot of creaking noises coming from front/back especially when going over bumps, or accelerating/turning up/down slight inclines. dealer "loosened and re-torqued leaf spring mounting bolts". noise went away. about 7 months later, the noise returned and has worsened (now i am off warranty). took it to a different dealer, who said that the original dealer should have replaced not just tightened leaf springs due to existing service bulletin. also, new dealer charged me to test drive/diagnosis my car. now they say "sway bar bushings" need to be replaced. they have ordered parts, but at my expense. i am only a few weeks off of warranty...the noise is much worse, happens front/back, stop/go, up/down-hill, going over bumps. *jb

2000 dodge durango - upper and lower ball joints failed in the front suspension and had to be replaced with only 40,500 miles. after many comunications with the area man for daimler chrysler they finally paid for the repairs. cost on this repair was estimated at $1000. costly repair with this few miles.*ak

I own a 2000 dodge durango,[xxx] this vehicle has both upper ball-joints severely worn. *nm updated 07/26/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Pe 03-032, front suspension/lowerball joint failure: the lower ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak *jb

In march of 2003 i took my 2000 dodge durango into goodyear to have new tires put on and alignment done. i was told that alignment could not be done because all four control arms were worn and needed to be replaced and the cost would be $2000. i then took the durango to marshall motors in salina, ks, who is the dodge dealer for an alignment and they said the upper left control arm was beyond tolerance and must be replaced and advised the other control arms were beginning to show wear and should be replaced in the near future. i had the upper left control arm replaced at the cost of $435.05 on march 25, 2003. if the present control are replaced will the replacement parts be a revised part or will it be replaced with the same faulty part that was originally on the vehicle when manufactured? also, has this part been perfected so the danger of this happening again, as occurred on the original equipment? if replacement of faulty parts is done and there should be a recall on the dodge durango, will i be reimbursed for the expenses that i've incurred in order to make this vehicle safe? thank you. *ak

Consumer states ball joints wore out prematurely. dealer notified. *ak the upper ball joint on the passenger side had worn out. the upper ball joint and arm was replaced. *scc *jb

2000 durango with 80,000 miles. upper ball joint failed causing the upper control arm (and drivers side wheel) to separate from the vehicle. the truck violently veered and skidded until it came to rest on the side of the road. luckily this occurred at only about 25 mph, two minutes before, the vehicle was at highway speeds!*ak *nm ea03-023. updated *jb

Excessive tire wear on 2000 dodge durango. new front tires cupped after 5000 miles. could this be related to a potential defect currently under investigation per a 7/22/03 news release?. *ak

All four vehicle control arms were worn and needed to be replaced. *mr the consumer was concerned about the dealership using the same control arms because they would probably experience the same wear and tear again. the consumer suggested that it may be a defect and if so, he wanted to be reimbursed for the replacement parts.*cb *jb

Consumer lost all steering, the vehicle was towed to the mechanic and indicated the front track bar and tie rod broke. *jb when the tie rods broke, the left the front wheels were without the ability to steer and was unable to slow or stop. the entire rack assembly was replaced. scc

Shortly after purchase of vehicle, the new front end tires were worn out and a squeeking noise was associated. t ires lost traction in turns can lead to rollovers. ront control arm/upper & lower were replaced with 4 new tires. squeaking in front end still noticeable and unrepaired.*ak

Front left axel collapsed while driving with my 3 children. car lost control due to lack of steering ability. right front axel needed to be replaced 5 months later

I own a 2000 dodge durango. on two differant occasions i have taken my durango to the local dodge dealer to have them investigate a popping sound in the front end of the truck. on both occasions they said there is nothing wrong and they can't find a problem with anything.*ak

Upper and lower ball joints unusual wear, replaced at 70000 miles. also dealer and oil change place said sludge in engine. i regularly change my oil, the intake maniford gasket blew and caused engine to knock and have sludge. speed sensor in rear axle went bad, causing speedometer and abs system failure. *ak

Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak the dealer replaced the upper and lower ball joints. *nm

After two weeks of purchasing our (2 years old @ that time)durango, as we were driving we heard a loud screaching noise, we found a piece that appearantly broke off, it had to do with the brakes we were told. later our transmission wasnt functioning properly, it needed new sensor. when steering it screaches (had problem right after purchasing) and its been getting worse, we took it to dealer and they flushed power steering fluid and we also had to have right ball joint replaced at the same time. when steering it still sounds bad. we had to replace the battery a year after purchasing one at the dealership and a month after that our transmission went out. dealer wanted to charge $3700.00. we took it somewhere else, hope to pick up today from shop will be paying $2570.00. *ak

While driving the vehicle. consumer states' the whole right front wheel assembly became detached from vehicle. please provide further information. ts ea03-023

While driving 5 mph and turning left into a parking space driver's side front wheel separated from the suspension. dealer stated that ball joints separated. there was no injuries. *ak ea03-023

2000 dodge durango. on two occasions i had my durango in for premature balljoints. the left upper and lower had to be replaced and then the right and left tie rods. i was told that the tierods should have been replaced when the balljoint was replaced. i only had approximately 40,000 miles on my car when they were replaced. i had to pay $150 plus a car rental for this repair which took two days because the dealer didn't have the parts in stock.

The vehicle experienced failure of the front end at 45000 miles and had to have the upper/lower ball joints and lower control arm replaced. the vehicle is currently experiencing problems with the front end again. the vehicle feels as if riding on "clouds" when driving, even on dry pavement. consumer does not have complete control of movement when driving. while driving on uneven road the suspension felt very loose. *ak *nlm

While driving at any speed, there was vibration in the front end of vehicle. an independent mechanic determined that upper ball joints were severely worn out. dealer examined upper ball joints and repaired them. *ak *la

Had to replace upperball jonts at 50k miles on my 2000 durango. after complaining of noise at 30k miles. dealer stated could not find or report problem. when taken in for new tires and wheel alignment, dealer said they had to replace ball joints on right side. i forgot about my noise complaint and wow, the noise went away with the replacemnt of the ball joints. now the left side is having the some noise at 65k miles.

There was a squeaking in the front end. 9/02 the sway bar and sway bar bushings were replaced, only 37,572 miles on it. the vehicle now squeeks again in the front end. in addition, while driving down the highway, it feels as if i'm driving down a bumpy road, the front tires are bouncing a lot. ball joints? this is a 2000 dodge durango that i bought brand new on august 28, 2000. i would like to see a recall issued by the company to fix this problem.*ak

Our 2000 dodge durango r/t - needed upper ball joint replaced, due to the damage that caused- we also had to replace all of our tires. *ak