1998 Dodge Durango problems

“BOUGHT MY DURANGO NEW IN MAY 1998. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING IMPROPERLY IN JULY 2000. TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY (31,418 MILES). THEY DROPPED THE TRANSMISSION PAN AND PRONOUNCED IT DOA (PAN WAS FULL OF METAL SHAVINGS). SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE WRITING ON THE WALL BUT I LOVED THIS VEHICLE. TOOK IT TO AN INSPECTION STATION FOR SAFETY & EMISSIONS TESTS IN MAY OF 2006. IT FAILED FOR BAD BALL JOINTS. I ASKED THE MANAGER WHY HIS MECHANICS SEEMED TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE FRONT END DURING INSPECTION AND HIS REPLY WAS IT WAS VERY COMMON TO FIND BAD BALL JOINTS ON APPROX. 50% OF ALL 1998-2000 DURANGOS. HAD MY MECHANIC REPLACE UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINTS, BOTH SIDES, AT 74,064 MILES, TO THE TUNE OF $701 PLUS TAX. I THEN STARTED HEARING ABOUT OTHER DURANGO OWNERS WITH SIMILAR BALL JOINT WOES. I WENT ONLINE AND STARTED RESEARCHING. FOUND A SITE WHERE FOLKS LIKE MYSELF WITH THE SAME BALL JOINT PROBLEMS, SOME WITH ACCIDENTS, WERE TRYING TO GET NHTSA TO DO SOMETHING. I GUESS PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE TO DIE FIRST BEFORE NHTSA WILL STEP IN AND TELL AN AUTO MANUFACTURER THEY NEED TO FIX THEIR FAULTY PRODUCTS. I ALSO LEARNED THAT…”

“DUE TO TO UNEVEN DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE STALLED, OR TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SPIN AND NOT MOVE, AT WHICH THE VEHICLE IGNITION WAS SHUT-OFF. IT WAS ATTEMPTED TO PUSH THE VEHICLE ABOUT 50 FEET TO A PARKING PLACE. ANOTHER PERSON OFFERS TO HELP, THEN PUSHES VEHICLE 25/50 FEET...ADVISES TO TURN THE WHEEL. THE WHEEL DOES NOT WANT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE HAS USED A LOT OF POWER STEERING FLUID ALMOST DAILY(HAS A HISTORY OF SQUEALING AND HARD TURNING AT START UNLESS LUBRICATED). SO ADVICE TO PLACE VEHICLE IN REVERSE CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE EVEN HARDER TO TURN, IF AT ALL. I REQUESTED HELP FROM THE BYSTANDER, WHO AT WHICH POINT COMES TO THE DRIVER SIDE WHERE I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ALSO. IT'S UNKNOWN IF THE BYSTANDER HELP TURNED THE IGNITION ON, OR IF THE IGNITION SOMEHOW TURNED ON BY ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS OCCUPIED BY ONE ADDITION PASSENGER AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED IN REVERSE GEAR, WITHOUT ANYONE PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR. THERE WERE MINOR TO SEVERE INJURIES, AND DAMAGE TO 2 VEHICLES AND ONE STRUCTURE.”

“BUSHINGS ON STEERING SHAFT BEARING MADE FROM CHEAP MATERIALS WEAR QUICKLY CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CHRYSLER DOES NOT CURRENTLY PRODUCE A PART TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND NO AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL REQUIRED GREATER FORCE IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. SUDDENLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASED WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V341000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES). THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL; HOWEVER, IT WAS INSUFFICIENT IN REMEDYING THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000.”

“62K MILES DOING THE SPEED LIMIT ON I/70 EAST OF MT COMFORT EXIT. OIL PRESSURE WENT TO 0 BEFORE I COULD SLOW AND GET TO THE SHOULDER THE ENGINE BLEW A ROD THREW THE OIL PAN. HAD IT TOWED TO MY REPAIR SHOP. HE TOOK THE PAN OFF AND SAID HE THOUGHT THE OIL PUMP HAD FAILED FROM WHAT HE COULD SEE. LOCAL DEALER DID NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOLD HIM OF THE FAILURES I HAD FOUND ON THE INTERNET AND HE REFERRED ME TO DODGE AND HUNG UP. DODGE REPLIED TO MY INQUIRY BY TELLING ME TO TALK WITH MY LOCAL DEALER. *TR”

“WINDOW REGULATORS ON 3 DOORS HAVE FAILED SINCE STATED DATE. NORMAL SHUTTING OF DOORS CAUSES A PLASTIC PIECE WERE THE CABLES MEET TO FAIL. THIS PLASTIC PIECE IS NOT A STAND ALONE PART. COMPETE REGULATOR MUST BE PURCHASED AT $100+. *TR”