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Dodge Durango

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Dodge Durango • Engine Failure • Transmission Failure • Steering Problems • Brake Problems • Other Problems • All of the Above • What can you do? --- News • NHTSA Probes Durango Fires • NHTSA Investigating Dodge Dakota and Durango • Durango Recall to Fix Fuel Leak • Durango, Dakota Recall to Fix Suspension Problems • Feds Want Recall of Dodge Durango, Dakota • Durango Probe Drags On • Feds Probe Durango Steering Problems

Anthony of Ventura CA (2/28/03):
I leased a 2000 Dodge Durango from West Oaks Dodge in Westlake Village CA. On the day after I drove it off of the lot, the after-market leather trim on all four door panels started coming off. The dealership repaired it, no problem. Then one day as I was using the brake, the rubber pad fell off. There are plastic caps that cover screws and bolts in places such as under the seats, etc etc, they all started falling off. The after-market chrome wheels started rusting after about 6 months of use, even after parking it in the garage every night.

Now comes the good part. The lease has matured and Chrysler/Dodge is trying to make me pay for the rusted wheels to the tune of $1456.00. I am refusing to pay for them. I feel I took very good care of the vehicle and rust is something I could not prevent. I could see if I hit a pole or cracked a window and it was my fault, but rust?

The lease matured on 2-26-03. The inspection was done on 1-28-03 at my wifes salon while she was with clients. The inspector asked her if we had the original wheels, my wife told him these were the wheels that came with the vehicle. He asked if she was sure, of course she was sure. So he writes the report and wants to charge us. I started calling Chrysler on 2-7-03 to dispute the charge and have made a total of 16 phone calls so far, and only once has my account manager called me back. It is now 2-28-03, 2 days past the due date and I still have the Durango.

Miles of Eden MD (10/31/03):
In 1999 I bought a brand new Durango. Within a month or two the catch that keeps the glove compartment door shut broke in half. I thought, No big deal, this sort of stuff should be expected, so I took it back to the dealer, who replaced it at no charge. The mechanic then told me they had replaced a few others and were expecting a recall on it but I never heard anything else about it.

After it was fixed I noticed that it shut "stiff" feeling. It felt to me like it was going to break again. I studied the catch, carefully opening and shutting the glove box and have concluded that it is a poor design. Since then I have been reluctant to use it, handling it very delicately when I must go in there, expecting it to break each time, however it has not, probably because I hardly ever use it and when I do it's with kid gloves. Nice rugged SUV I've got, huh?

My right front passenger window won't work sometimes when I use the master controls from the driver's door. This started happening within two or three months of purchasing it. I'm very busy and tend to put the little stuff on a back burner, and consequently the warranty ran out and I never did take it in to have it corrected. Apparently it's a short in the driver's side master controls because when it happens all I have to do to get it working again is use the passenger side controls and it works from both sides again, for awhile.

About that same time I noticed that the cruise control would not work on any speed under 40 miles an hour, which sucks, because most of my speeding tickets have been in the city doing 30 in a 25 MPH zone. Cruise control helped me curb that before, but now I'm on my own. Petty little grievance ain't it?

About eight months into it my speedometer cable stopped working. The dealer repaired it at no charge. Three months ago it went out again, but my warranty is over now, so I'm stuck to repair it out of pocket.

After about six months every time I would go over the slightest little bump my truck would squeak & creak underneath. It sounded to me like rusted leaf springs on an old car or bad shocks. Rather than go to the dealer, I took it to my regular maintenance mechanic whom I know to be trustworthy, and he told me the shocks were in some kind of sealed unit and that I would need to replace the whole unit in order to fix the problem, but that he didn't think it was the shocks. He couldn't figure it out without costing me a lot of money in "exploratory surgery" so I said forget it, I'd go back to the dealer. Again I procrastinated and never went to the dealer.

Now, the other night on 60 Minutes (or some Dan Rather show)I find out the ball joints are defective. What can I do? Ever since my first oil change I have used synthetic oil. As a business owner I have always performed regular maintenance on all my vehicles, the Durango being no exception. But I guess I've done all that in vain because it appears as though my truck won't last long enough to benefit from the synthetic oil. If I am not compensated I will never by another dodge again and will not hesita te to advise my business associates and friends to do the same.

Calvin of Kathleen GA (10/31/03):
I've owned my 1998 Durango since December 1997. I bought it new in Arkansas. The very first week I had to return it for service. The headlight switch came out in my hand 4 times; it has been replaced. The check engine light would come on, the engine would cut off (several times on the interstate at 70 mph), 3 window regulators had to be replaced (2 out of my own pocket because the car missed the recall issuance cutoff date by 3 days). The differential has been replaced and resealed twice and still leaks like an open can of transmission fluid. There is an unusual engine noise. Bad sway in the steering and the vehicle vibrates.

2 X $114.00 for the window regulators, $400.00 for differential seals and transmission service. $210.00 for headlight switchs. Have replaced front brake rotors three times. Mentally stressed due to numerous near accidents due to engine failure. Very limited steering and brakes after engine failure.

Lisa of Pacoima CA (5/21/01):
I purchased a 1999 Dodge Durango used. It was previously leased for one year and my purchase date was 7/1/00. Approximately three months later my first fuel injector failed and had to be replaced. Not one month later another one failed and about one month later another failed. In total from October to now I have had five injectors replaced.

I filed a complaint with Daimler-Chrysler and they said to handle it with the dealer. I went to the dealer who said talk to the service department. I spoke to Keith, who is the manager who made it seem like I had no reason to complain because it hasn't really been the injectors that were the problem. It was something else causing the injectors to fail. He said he could get me a rental car while they looked at it but I had to pay for the rental car if the problem was something the warranty didn't cover.

I went to customer service to complain about my inconvenience when in five times the problem should have been handled. She got me the rental car but my feelings are that since I'm a woman full advantage is being taken in the fact that they will keep bouncing me around until the warranty expires and becomes costly to me. I pay too much per month to be driving a rental car and still have mine not fully functioning. I am fully aware of the California Lemon Law and mine does qualify for legal action. I'd like to try to avoid it but the dealership is not cooperating with me. I need help.

Not to be hard-nosed but if it's less trouble to have a car that doesn't run than to take legal action, then Lisa is doing the right thing. If she delays much longer, though, it may be too late. The Lemon Law has strict time limits.

Ronita of Milwaukee OR (4/13/01):
Had the brakes fail on my 1998 Durango twice at 35 mph. They failed to stop the vehicle in a safe distance. Dealer said computer showed no problem with ABS. Two wrecks in one year -- sold Durango, received phone call from another women that had same problem, dealer was telling her same thing about her ABS brakes.

After 2 accidents, 1 sideswiping into drivers door and the other rear-ending 2 old ladies I had to sell the Durango, I was afraid to drive it, thought I would kill someone and that scared me. 25 years driving and had never had a wreck before.

Cindy of Cathedral City CA (3/27/01):
I have a Dodge Durango 2000. When I roll the back windows down it has a terrible fluttering noise that is very painful to the ears. I have contacted the dealership and have taken it in numerous times to be fixed. They can not fix it. It is a design flaw. They told me to live with the problem, don't roll the windows down and use the air condtioner.

I don't believe that I should be paying $30,000 for a SUV that I can't use the back windows. I would not sell or recommend this vehicle to anyone. I have asked for them to buy the lease back, they said they would not do anything about it. I have turned this in to Daimler Chrysler Corp also, but they said the same.

My ears hurt, the children complain and my friends won't ride with the windows even halfway down. It is a BIG frustration.

Brian of Conway SC (8/3/00):
We bought a $30,000.00 Dodge Durango in 1998. It is now out of warranty because of the mileage. We recently discovered that the rear-end of the vehicle including the ring and pinion, is defective. The repair was estimated at $2000.00. We also found out from our mechanic that this is a chronic defect with Dodge Durangos and that they are fixing them out of warranty but they refuse to help us. Also we have a problem with the thermostat not working properly (which our mechanic informed us has a T.S.B. or technical service bulletin on the gauges but Dodge, Chrysler didn't tell us about that, and we have a problem with the passenger rear window (which we found out from our mechanic has a recall on the windows).

We are still trying to get Chrysler to help, but they have not been helpful or even pleasant in our dealings with them. If this problem was a result of something we had done and not a defect with the vehicle we would have no dispute about paying the repair bill, but Dodge has already told us that basically it was not our fault but our warranty was up and they wouldn't do anything for us.

The only damage resulting thus far is the fact that we have to pay a $600.00 a month car payment on a car that is basically falling apart. We just want the defects repaired. Anything resulting from us we will be happy to pay for. NOTE: We have never used the vehicle for towing or hauling anything.

Anthony of Merrick NY (8/28/00):
I own a 1999 Dodge Durango. I learned the hard way that this vehicle does not have a neutral safety switch that the car should have to change its gears. The car was in the accessory poisition while the radio was on. My daughter was sitting in the front seat listening to the CD player with the drivers side door open. Also my 20-month-old son was in the car at the time too.

The car was not running (the motor was not on) and my son tripped over the console and grabbed on to shift lever and the car went into gear. I noticed that the car started to move down the driveway and I ran after the car but it was too late. The car hit the tree across the street and jumped the curb. I was only able to see my daughter fall out of the car and hear a loud crash that followed. I saw my daughter slide out underneath the car and as I held my breath running towards her to help her I could only wish that she and the baby were still alive. I found my daughter laying on the sidewalk with blood running down her face.

My 11-year-old daughter was taken down to the hospital by ambulance for abrasions and cuts to the face, possible broken foot and broken wrist. As for my son, we were lucky nothing happened to him. Lucky too that my other daughter and her friend were not behind the car either.

I almost lost two of my children, wrecked the car and have been an emotional mess for three days. I did a little check on other vehicles only to find out that some of the Dodge Dakotas have a neutral safety switch.

GM, Chevy, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and others have the safety feature. Is Chrysler exempt? I know that Honda came out with it in 1985. It's now the year 2000. Should all cars have them?

One other important fact ... the police officer gave my wife a hard time because she insisted that the car had been running. Then after checking the car, she thought the vehicle had a defect.

We believe that the "safety switch" Anthony is referring to is the safety interlock that requires the driver to press down on the brake before the car will shift out of Park. If this is not required, it certainly should be. At the same time, the old rule about not letting children play by themselves in cars is worth following -- especially when the car is parked on a hill.

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