Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
18369812/18/1998603112Some vehicles may exhibit an idle undershoot or die out during engine starting and may be caused by iac lost steps. *ak02/02/1999

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
06/04/2012182000
 Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge durango. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that the odometer displayed a no bus reading. the contact also stated that she pulled to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle would not accelerate fast enough to merge in with traffic. the vehicle was then stopped and towed home. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or mechanic for diagnosis. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 182,000. the vin was not available.
01/17/2011124500
 1) events leading up to the failure? none. engine failure occurs without warning. 2) the engine failure occurs totally randomly, with no perceivable indication prior. it has happened at stop signs, in parking lots, and on roadways. were this to happen on a highway or a bridge or a steep hill, the outcome could very easily be fatal! 3) failure does not get recorded by onboard computer; hence, mechanic is unable to troubleshoot the error and fix it. to date, i have read that the car's pcm (power control module) is at fault.
07/01/20046300008/26/2002
 1999 dodge durango: troubles with oil pressure gauges dropping to 0, sludge build up, engine mysteriously stalling, speed sensor problems, air conditioning not working after several hours of driving.
04/18/2005120000608/13/2002
 Started with rebuilt transmission, then sludged in motor. had to replace motor with only 120,000 miles motor and transmission 5,000. also had to replace ball joints, tie rods and bearings cost $1,000*ak
01/01/20051
 Onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>lower ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>lower ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>lower ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>lower ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>lower ball joints on both sides of vehicle. *bf the vehicle failed inspection due to worn front upper and lower ball joints. the consumer stated that he is having the same problem with his vehicle as the later year model listed in the recall. the vehicle as a result of the failed ball joints has uneven tire wear , brake problems , oil pressure problems, sludge build up, and speed sensor issues. *tc
06/20/200362700806/23/2003
 We purchased this vehicle from v & h ford inc, marshfield, wi. in june 2003. the next day after i got it i started it & it started to squeal. my husband noticed transmission fluid leaking as well. we took it back to the dealer, we were told that the fan clutch & serpentine belt were shot, as well as a little leak in the transmission. they put some kind of sealer on it & continued to leak. (also during all of this time, our rpm's kept jumping.) after the 3rd time, they said they did a factory authorized repair & put what was referred to as a cock ring in it to seal it. this seams to have taken care of this. then when the truck was put in reverse it kept clunking, the u-joints went out next, then the latch broke on our glove box. meanwhile the rpm's keep jumping, it has been back in the shop a total of probably 7 to 8 times so far. our service engine light came on & flashed the code of fuel injector #8, when it was put through the diagnostic test, however we are learning this is still not the problem. last weekend i was going to put the truck in the garage. i put in drive, and it took off on me without me even touching the gas. it has done this several times now while on the road. now for the past week, when you leave a stop sign, it will shift once and stay at about 3000 - 3500 rpm and will not shift until you are ready to stop. when you try to stop the trottle sticks and the truck wants to go. we are at loss what to do. we have obviously purchased a lemon that it a hazard to be on the road. to trade it in or try to sell it outright seems to be a crime, because we know the horrible things wrong with it. i am certain that it is only a matter of time before my husband & i and our 2 children are seriously hurt or killed by the spuratic behavior of this dangerous vehicle. please advise us what to do. is there a lemon law or any thing that can help us. meanwhile, we are stuck making payments on this . *ak
06/22/200337000107/07/2000
 Several months ago, i took my 1999 dodge durango in for a check engine light malfunction. the dealer informed me that the speed sensor was bad, and would need to be replaced. additionally, they also informed me that the inner tie rod ends were worn and would also need replacement. i was extremely shocked to hear this. at less than 38000 miles, this suv should not be experiencing problems with such a major suspension component. i asked the technician to show me what he was talking about and he proceeded to show me the amount of play in my front suspension due to this faulty component. when i inquired as to why there was no grease fitting on much of the front end, he replied thats the way dodge designs em and left it at that. i opted to perform the work myself so as to save the outrageous labor charges here in california, and also to ensure that a higher quality part was installed that included grease fittings. shortly after i completed the repairs, i began searching the internet for similar experiences from other durango owners. also to my surprise, i found a sustantial number of complaints about the front suspension on this suv, and also for models of other years. any auto manufacturer who installs non greasable suspension components on an suv designed to go offroad is simply engaging in cost cutting measures at the expense of their customers lives. i believe that my wife,family and i were lucky that this issue was identified early and there were no accidents or fatalities. it could have been much more serious. additionally, i am curious as to why a technician would even inspect the front end on a vehicle that was brought in for a simple electrical problem. unless the technician expected the damage and noting the milage on the truck, simply inspected the components on his own, i find it hard to believe that this would occur otherwise.*ak
1
 While driving vehicle will suddenly accelerate without warning. rpms will increase to dangerous levels. consumer's vehicle almost collided with other traveling vehicles.*ak
1
 The vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. *jb
01/27/200352510104/12/1999
 My wife was driving with my daughter when she accelerated allowing either the throttle to stick or transmission surge. she was sent out of control wildly into a road sign and some trees. no injuries, only a failure to control ticket and about 2500.00 damage. *jb
05/01/2002
 Consumer was driving approximately 60mph with cruise control engaged, and cruise control disengaged without warning, and vehicle lurched forward. also, vehicle has lurched forward several times, and problem was getting worse. tachometer will rev up, but speedometer will not function. consumer very concerned about safety while driving vehicle. *ak
 While driving at state speed limit stepped on brakes and without warning vehicle did not slowdown , vehicle continued coasting, causing consumer to use emergency brakes, and to turn vehicle off. when restarting, vehicle without warning, began to accelerate. *ak
 While driving and without warning vehicle will surge/ stall. mechanic has been notified. also, has repaired head gasket/ cleaned throttle/ power train, and timer module. however, vehicle is still having same problem. *ak
03/01/2001311/01/1998
 Three windows on my 99 dodge durango have failed. only the drivers side window still works. this is odd because it's the one which is used the most by far. i find it highly unusual that all three of the other window motors have failed. i believe there must be a defect in the window motors on my vehicle. please let me know if this problem has been reported to the manufacturer and if dodge has agreed to replace these defective parts.
09/10/2001201/01/1999
 My car engine revs and accelerates and i am not able to apply by brakes, no warning lights appear prior to incident. this happened twice driving at around 45-50mph. only way to stop the vehicle is to apply emergency brake or by turning off the engine leaving me unable to steer. escaped two major accidents because of this. dealer is unable to duplicate the problem so unable to fix it. they have there suspicions of what may be the problem, ( vacuum). but there afraid it may not be the problem and it will cost them if its not. i am afraid to drive the car. the first time this happened i took it to another mechanic and he replaced the brakes, though that did not take care of the initial problem. error codes showed up but not able to fix it. second time , took to the dealer which i told them to install a co-pilot box recommended to me by national headquarters ( chrysler, but in order for them to find out the problem i may have to get into another incident that may cause harm to others or my family. engine revs at very high rpms and accelerates fast so this may cause the car to drive into someone elses car or a pedestrian, because the brakes don't work when this happens. i will have to throw it in park, damaging the transmission or by using the emergency brakes that may not stop in time. or turning off the ignition which leaves me unable to steer the car out of harms way.*ak
03/03/2000111/01/1998
 While i was driving down interstate 20 my durango began to accelerate on its own, and i could not get it to stop. cruise controlwas not on. i had to ride brake hard to get off interstate, and i had to put on emergency brake to come to stop,. my rear wheels continued to spin, and only way i was able to stop vehicle was to shut engine off with keys. i had both my children (ages 2 and 4)with me at the time and we were lucky not to be injured or killed. we took durango in to dealership listed in this report, and they were not able to find anything wrong. i was told it was a fluke and t hat manufacturer had never heard of this problem with any other durango. since then i have heard of this happening numerous times to other drivers. one instance made the news as the police thought the driver of rthe durango was trying to out run them. please notify me if you have heard of this happening to anyone else and advise me of what my next step is. *ak
11/01/1999
 When cruise control is on rpms fluctuate. speed is not affected, it stays the same. cruise control module was no good. dealer didn't give an explaination. *ak
11/01/1999
 Vehicle accelerates/ motor makes a knocking sound. dealer replaced sparks, it caused vehicle to loose horse power and fuel economy. a new intake gasket was put in, and the computer was scanned to add a new code for more fuel. problem was not solved. *ak
04/30/2001107/01/1999
 Vehicle was parked, started vehicle to move it about 5 feet, put vehicle in gear then vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed, driver advoided truck on his left vehicle hit the sides of three trees on right, driver advioded head on with a parked car by turning left hard, entering a driveway hitting a gate, fence and fencepost, then hitting another fence and fencepost stopping at a garage wall. this all happened in a matter of about 5 seconds, vehicle accelerated at full throttle and no air bag deployment at impact.*ak
11/02/20001
 After repair of cruise control brake switch the cruise control began to accelerate very quickly and would not disengage after hitting the brake pedal. nlm
03/15/1999
 Vehicle experiencing problem with cold start. dealer unable to correct problem, and vehicle experiencing problem with sudden acceleration while driving at 55 mph. cruise control was not engaged dealer notified, and informed consumer that they could not duplicate problem. please feel free to provide further detailson this matter. *ak
07/25/2000108/01/1999
 While using the a/c hot air will come out instead of cold air, and window had to be rolled down. *ak cruise control malfunctioned, suddenly jerked from 55mph to 85mph and then to 35mph. *yh
02/24/20001
 Servo/actuator assembly failed causing cruise control to loose speed after a couple of miles (won't hold vacuum). nlm
04/15/1999
 While driving up a hill the throttle stuck, causing a collision. upon impact, the driver / passenger's side airbag did not deploy. cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak *yc
07/14/1999103/01/1999
 Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration, causing vehicle to side swipe three trees and hit a large tree head on. however, no deployment of both driver and passenger air bags during collision, which resulted in minor injuries. *yc
03/01/1999111/01/1998
 Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably after the vehicle was backed out of a parking space and placed into drive. the vehicle's engine raced and the accelerator suddenly took off when touched taking the vehicle and driver 10 feet into a brick wall. the vehicle was uncontrollable and we suspect a defect in the accelerator, engine's fuel injection and computer. this accident would have been a fatality without the use of safety belts and air bags! please help me make sure this doesn't happen to others!
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL
06/27/2001201/01/1999
 1999 dodge durango 5.2. engine accelerated with throttle stuck full open i was unable to brake. i was traveling around a bend around 45mph downhill as i got to the turn in the bend my car accelerated tremendously i applied the brakes to slow down and was unable too. i checked the mat, it felt like the gas pedal was stuck to the floor the way the car sounded. i checked to see if anything else was in the way shoes, carpet. nothing! they were no check engine light on nor the cruise control on. the car started to really race. i had a cliff on one side of me and an embankment on the other. i was catching up with the cars in front of me so i needed to stop immediately. i placed two feet forcebly on the brakes and didn't notice any slowing down at all and i was nearing the embankment. i steered out of traffic only to notice my car going faster as we are now coming to a level highway. i steered off to the side and put the gear in neutral and applied the brakes no luck! i stepped on the parking brake, placed the car in park and turned off the engine. this finally stopped the car. towed the car to my mechanic couldn't find out anything because they could not duplicate the problem. 2 weeks ago this happened again, it went straight to the dealers and they can't find anything. they installed a co-pilot to pick up the error codes the next time this happens. basically a black box. i am afraid to drive it. i was lucky i didn't get into 2 accidents, though i came really close. my car is still at the dealership. i want them to really diagnose every part of this car. they still cannot find anything wrong they wanted me to pick it up, knowing what had happened. this is not driver error. i regularly maintain my car. this is a defect, and places everyone in harms way. car racing uncontrollably and unable to stop the acceleration with the brakes this is a real problem. *ak
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CABLES
 When accelerating from a stopped position vehicle over revs and does not fully accelerate until it starts to downshift the gears by themselves. dealer can't find solution. *ak
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL
12/10/200660000610/11/1999
 Over the last three years of operating the vehicle (2005-2007): 1. fire in the front wheel assembly after 1.5 hours of 4-wheel drive - 1100$ replace 2. speed sensor failure ($500 work) 3. engine failure on the highway @80 mph - $7000 replace and other costs, lucky survived 4. joint balls replace (about 400$) 5. ac failure ($960 repair) 6. now parked - transmission/engine joint oil leak, estimated $1200 repair. *jb
12/07/2006118000111/15/2004
 While maneuvering in icy conditions the cruise control because of its design on the steering wheel, inadvertently engaged resulting in a crash. it seems that wearing gloves contributes to the problem. *jb
12/07/2006118000111/15/2004
 Because of it's proximity to the steering wheel, the cruise control engaged inadvertently while maneuvering in icy conditions causing the vehicle to spin wildly out of control resulting in a collision. *jb
12/19/200380000210/06/1998
 Speedometer quit working and (subsequently) now the crusie control will not work either. speedometer began failing approx. 1 year ago and would not indicate vehicle speed until moving in excess of 30 mph. now the speedometer is completely inoperative requiring replacement of the complete instrument cluster assembly.*ak
08/03/1999
 Air conditioner unit isn't working when set at low, and the a/c unit is blowing out hot air. also, vehicle is idling at high speed. *ak
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES
 While driving at state speed limit and without warning vehicle started to accelerate faster than speed intended, resulting in brake failure.*ak