1998 Dodge Durango power train problems

“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.”

“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…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND BEYOND 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE DURANGO. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN MOVING IN REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE MANUAL SHIFTER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE FOR A TUNE UP AND CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE AT ALL TIMES TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 71,109.”

“TL* - ON 3/13/06 THE CONTACT TOOK 1998 DODGE DURANGO TO COTTMAN TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING INTO FIRST GEAR. AT THAT TIME, COTTMAN REPLACED THE VALVE BODY. ON 3/31/06 THE CONTACT TOOK IT BACK TO COTTMAN FOR THE SAME REASON, AND COTTMAN STATED THAT THEY WOULD REBUILD THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. WHEN CONTACT PICKED UP THE VEHICLE IT WAS MAKING A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE, AND COTTMAN TOLD HIM TO DRIVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS AND THE NOISE WOULD GO AWAY. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR A FEW DAYS CONTACT CONTINUED TO HEAR THE SAME SQUEAKING NOISE, SO COTTMAN REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. AT WHICH POINT THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO HEAR THE SAME NOISE, HE TOOK VEHICLE TO AT PRO TRANSMISSION AND THEY STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY INTERNAL BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. ON 6/16/06 CONTACT TOOK IT BACK TO COTTMAN, AND COTTMAN STATED THAT THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION; AFTER CONTACT PICKED IT UP HE CONTINUED TO HEAR THE SAME SQUEAKING NOISE, SO CONTACT BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK TO COTTMAN ON 12/11/06. COTTMAN ONCE AGAIN REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS POURING FLUID FROM THE PUMP. CONTACT WILL…”

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE SALES DEALER FOR SERVICE, WHO DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER SENT THE VEHICLE TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. THE KNOCKING CONTINUED EACH TIME AFTER 5 MORE VISITS TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP, SO THE SALES DEALER SENT THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE DEALER. THE KNOCKING CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.”