Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT
04V596000DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATIONfrom 01/07/1999 to 12/31/2002V (Vehicle)59270712/21/2004ODICHRYSLER GROUP LLC12/21/200412/21/2004
Defect SummaryOn certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive (4x4), if moisture leaks into the front suspension upper ball joint, evacuation of the lubricant and corrosion of the joint may cause the joint to wear over an extended period of time. this could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
Consequence SummaryExcessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
Corrective SummaryDealers will replace the front suspension upper ball joints. this safety improvement campaign began on december 21, 2004. owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NotesThis action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB
08E064000SKF USA, INC. E (Equipment)280511/05/2008MFRCHRYSLER GROUP LLC10/20/200810/20/2008
Defect SummarySkf is recalling 2,805 hub units, part no. br930361, sold as a service part for 1997-2004 dodge dakota vehicles and 1999-2003 dodge durango vehicles equipped with 2-wheel drive & rear axle abs. due to a specification error, the rotor pilot for the hub unit may be too long. this results in the wheel to not be seated fully against the hub flange face during mounting.
Consequence SummaryImproper seating of the wheel can result in excessive vibration, brake rotor noise, difficulty removing the wheel after installation and operation of the vehicle, and possibly wheel-end separation during vehicle operation. should wheel-end separation occur, the driver could loose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash.
Corrective SummarySkf will notify owners and replace the defective hub units free of charge. the recall began on november 5, 2008. owners may contact skf vsm north america customer service at 1-800-644-8999.
NotesSkf's recall no. skf pro 08-029us/ca.this recall only pertains to aftermarket skf hub units and has no relation to any original equipment installed on dodge dakota or durango vehicles manufactured by chrysler.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SUSPENSION
020100412/16/200410011940Upper ball joint extended warranty. *tt02/07/2005
1300100B10/27/2000130100A618863Experiencing a snapping, popping or clunking sound while driving and braking over washboard roads, during a moderately hard stop at low speeds, and / or while slowly driving over moderate bumps such as a driveway approach. *tt05/03/2001
13010001/21/2000610019Some vehicles may exhibit a condition where a snapping, popping or clunking noise may be heard while driving over bumps. *tt04/14/2000
02159911/05/19996089809Experiencing a squeak noise coming from rear leaf spring. *tt02/25/2000
02149911/05/19996089816Experiencing vibration or grinding noise from front wheel area. *tt02/25/2000
020699A12/17/19990206996089735This bulletin mentions that the front wheel bearing grease is evident on the bearing seal area. *tt02/24/2000
021499A12/22/19996089709Exhibiting vibration or grinding noise from front wheel area. *tt02/24/2000
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM
020060010/27/2000618857Subject regarding upper control arm bushing service. *tt05/03/2001
SUSPENSION - REAR
03020003/03/2000610618Subject pertains to 9.25 axle gear marking compound causing a milky-life appearance to the axle fluid. *tt05/08/2000
SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY
02050005/17/2000610617Some customers may comment about a squeaking / clicking noise from rear leaf springs. *tt05/08/2000

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
SUSPENSION
EA03023CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/19/200302/11/2005UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION04V596000
 Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) is recalling the target population of approximately 600,000 my 2000 through 2003 durango and dakota vehicles with four-wheel drive to replace the front suspension upper ball joints with redesigned parts that do not have the joint integrity concerns and have substantially improved joint retention capacity (nhtsa recall no. 04v-596).though dcc does not admit to a safety-defect in the subject components, odi believes that the facts in this investigation show otherwise.because of the low rates of separation incidents in the remaining subject vehicles, a safety-related defect has not been identified in those populations and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists in those vehicles.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.
SUSPENSION - FRONT
PE03032CHRYSLER GROUP LLC07/16/200311/19/2003FRONT SUSP. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE
 In july 2003, odi opened pe03-032 based on 4 consumer complaints alleging separation of an upper ball joint.complaints alleged an unexpected collapse in the front end and in some occasions the ball joint separation is alleged to have resulted in the wheel, brake rotor, and steering knuckle separating from the vehicle.since opening the pe, odi has received 23 additional complaints related to ball joint separation. daimlerchrysler has identified a wearout concern in the subject ball joints that is believed to occur after water intrusion evacuates the joint lubricant.daimlerchrysler does not believe the condition poses an unreasonable risk to safety because the suspension design in the subject vehicles significantly reduces the likelihood of joint separation.over 99 percent of the failures are related to worn ball joints (e.g., noise complaints).daimlerchrysler revised the repair procedure in august 2003 to allow the upper ball joints to be serviced separately from the upper control arm and reduce repair costs. daimlerchrysler changed the supplier of the subject ball joints from trw to new castle machining & forge for my 2000 vehicles.my 2000 durango vehicles account for 25 of the 37 separation complaints.the upper ball joint was redesigned in my 2003.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the alleged defect in my 2000-02 durango vehicles.
EA03023CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/19/200302/11/2005UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION04V596000
 Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) is recalling the target population of approximately 600,000 my 2000 through 2003 durango and dakota vehicles with four-wheel drive to replace the front suspension upper ball joints with redesigned parts that do not have the joint integrity concerns and have substantially improved joint retention capacity (nhtsa recall no. 04v-596).though dcc does not admit to a safety-defect in the subject components, odi believes that the facts in this investigation show otherwise.because of the low rates of separation incidents in the remaining subject vehicles, a safety-related defect has not been identified in those populations and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists in those vehicles.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM
EA03023CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/19/200302/11/2005UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION04V596000
 Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) is recalling the target population of approximately 600,000 my 2000 through 2003 durango and dakota vehicles with four-wheel drive to replace the front suspension upper ball joints with redesigned parts that do not have the joint integrity concerns and have substantially improved joint retention capacity (nhtsa recall no. 04v-596).though dcc does not admit to a safety-defect in the subject components, odi believes that the facts in this investigation show otherwise.because of the low rates of separation incidents in the remaining subject vehicles, a safety-related defect has not been identified in those populations and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists in those vehicles.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.
PE03032CHRYSLER GROUP LLC07/16/200311/19/2003FRONT SUSP. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE
 In july 2003, odi opened pe03-032 based on 4 consumer complaints alleging separation of an upper ball joint.complaints alleged an unexpected collapse in the front end and in some occasions the ball joint separation is alleged to have resulted in the wheel, brake rotor, and steering knuckle separating from the vehicle.since opening the pe, odi has received 23 additional complaints related to ball joint separation. daimlerchrysler has identified a wearout concern in the subject ball joints that is believed to occur after water intrusion evacuates the joint lubricant.daimlerchrysler does not believe the condition poses an unreasonable risk to safety because the suspension design in the subject vehicles significantly reduces the likelihood of joint separation.over 99 percent of the failures are related to worn ball joints (e.g., noise complaints).daimlerchrysler revised the repair procedure in august 2003 to allow the upper ball joints to be serviced separately from the upper control arm and reduce repair costs. daimlerchrysler changed the supplier of the subject ball joints from trw to new castle machining & forge for my 2000 vehicles.my 2000 durango vehicles account for 25 of the 37 separation complaints.the upper ball joint was redesigned in my 2003.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the alleged defect in my 2000-02 durango vehicles.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM
EA03023CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/19/200302/11/2005UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION04V596000
 Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) is recalling the target population of approximately 600,000 my 2000 through 2003 durango and dakota vehicles with four-wheel drive to replace the front suspension upper ball joints with redesigned parts that do not have the joint integrity concerns and have substantially improved joint retention capacity (nhtsa recall no. 04v-596).though dcc does not admit to a safety-defect in the subject components, odi believes that the facts in this investigation show otherwise.because of the low rates of separation incidents in the remaining subject vehicles, a safety-related defect has not been identified in those populations and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists in those vehicles.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.
PE03032CHRYSLER GROUP LLC07/16/200311/19/2003FRONT SUSP. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE
 In july 2003, odi opened pe03-032 based on 4 consumer complaints alleging separation of an upper ball joint.complaints alleged an unexpected collapse in the front end and in some occasions the ball joint separation is alleged to have resulted in the wheel, brake rotor, and steering knuckle separating from the vehicle.since opening the pe, odi has received 23 additional complaints related to ball joint separation. daimlerchrysler has identified a wearout concern in the subject ball joints that is believed to occur after water intrusion evacuates the joint lubricant.daimlerchrysler does not believe the condition poses an unreasonable risk to safety because the suspension design in the subject vehicles significantly reduces the likelihood of joint separation.over 99 percent of the failures are related to worn ball joints (e.g., noise complaints).daimlerchrysler revised the repair procedure in august 2003 to allow the upper ball joints to be serviced separately from the upper control arm and reduce repair costs. daimlerchrysler changed the supplier of the subject ball joints from trw to new castle machining & forge for my 2000 vehicles.my 2000 durango vehicles account for 25 of the 37 separation complaints.the upper ball joint was redesigned in my 2003.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the alleged defect in my 2000-02 durango vehicles.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT
EA03023CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/19/200302/11/2005UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION04V596000
 Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) is recalling the target population of approximately 600,000 my 2000 through 2003 durango and dakota vehicles with four-wheel drive to replace the front suspension upper ball joints with redesigned parts that do not have the joint integrity concerns and have substantially improved joint retention capacity (nhtsa recall no. 04v-596).though dcc does not admit to a safety-defect in the subject components, odi believes that the facts in this investigation show otherwise.because of the low rates of separation incidents in the remaining subject vehicles, a safety-related defect has not been identified in those populations and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists in those vehicles.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.
PE03032CHRYSLER GROUP LLC07/16/200311/19/2003FRONT SUSP. UPPER BALL JOINT FAILURE
 In july 2003, odi opened pe03-032 based on 4 consumer complaints alleging separation of an upper ball joint.complaints alleged an unexpected collapse in the front end and in some occasions the ball joint separation is alleged to have resulted in the wheel, brake rotor, and steering knuckle separating from the vehicle.since opening the pe, odi has received 23 additional complaints related to ball joint separation. daimlerchrysler has identified a wearout concern in the subject ball joints that is believed to occur after water intrusion evacuates the joint lubricant.daimlerchrysler does not believe the condition poses an unreasonable risk to safety because the suspension design in the subject vehicles significantly reduces the likelihood of joint separation.over 99 percent of the failures are related to worn ball joints (e.g., noise complaints).daimlerchrysler revised the repair procedure in august 2003 to allow the upper ball joints to be serviced separately from the upper control arm and reduce repair costs. daimlerchrysler changed the supplier of the subject ball joints from trw to new castle machining & forge for my 2000 vehicles.my 2000 durango vehicles account for 25 of the 37 separation complaints.the upper ball joint was redesigned in my 2003.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the alleged defect in my 2000-02 durango vehicles.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SUSPENSION
06/01/2011120000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle would vibrate while driving approximately 60 mph. the contact also stated that the inner and outer edges of the tires were wearing unevenly. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the failure mileage was 120,000.
06/01/2011120000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle would vibrate while driving approximately 60 mph. the contact also stated that the inner and outer edges of the tires were wearing unevenly. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the failure mileage was 120,000. sm.
10/10/2011185000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the hub unit fractured in half. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vin was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 08e064000 (suspension:front:hub). the dealer denied any assistance with repaired to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 185,000.
10/10/2011185000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the hub unit fractured in half. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vin was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 08e064000 (suspension:front:hub). the dealer denied any assistance with repaired to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 185,000. kmj
10/10/2011185000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. while driving 60 mph, the contact stated that the hub unit broke in half. the manufacturer told the contact that the vin was not included in the nhtsa campaign id number 08e064000 (suspension:front:hub) recall. the dealer denied any assistance with repair to the defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 185,000. nw
10/28/200329000110/28/2003
 I bought my truck used and had them do a complete work up on it when i purchased it. everything was fine for 1 week. after that week my engine light came on. i took it back to the dealer and had them replace the canister because that's what they said was the problem. 1 week later it returned. i have had it cleared out about 100 times. it now keeps telling me i have a gas leak. my mechanic has looked at this truck more than the average time. now i am at 130,000 miles and my suspension is completely shot, power steering pump, automatic locks are slowly malfunctioning (they make a loud noise on 2 of the doors), and the drivers side window doesn't roll down. *jb
01/28/2007730001
 Tl* - the contact called regarding a 2000 dodge durango. the contact stated that the right front wheel came off the vehicle. while traveling at 25 mph. the road conditions were dry. the failure mileage was 73,000. there were no injuries. the tire on the vehicle rolled out into the highway and struck another vehicle causing damage to that vehicle. a police report filed. the vehicle was towed to a chrysler dodge dealer, who was unable to diagnose the problem. also, there was also minor damage to the front bumper .
08/13/2001551
 September 13, 2001 my husband curtis joyner was killed in a crash in hernando, ms due to poor wheel base structure and poor wheel balance structure of durango's of handling curves, was stated by accident reconstructing crew that's what caused the vehicle to rollover in curves. i hired attorney mcgraw of olivebranch, ms; who later stated he did not have the time to put into this matter, but was certainly a good case. i emailed dateline regarding this matter also. i say one night on their show where they showed how the durango's did not pass the crash in curves or on the road. *nm
01/25/20021
 Fatal one vehicle accident occurred on january 25, 2002 involving the 2000 dodge durango rt. consumer lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree.*mr the mother of the deceased received a recall almost three years after the accident on the upper ball joints. she believes that the ball joints in her son's vehicle may have been defected and caused him to lose control of his vehicle. *nm
08/17/200583050210/04/2004
 Dt: the contact bought a used truck 10 months ago. she had a lot of problems with the vehicle. on 8-15-05 she hit some speed bumps going over a bridge and she could not steer the vehicle. a mechanic told her the left leaf spring broke. she brought it back to the dealer because of electrical problems, and the whole front end squeaked. she went to a dodge dealer, and they told her there was a recall on the ball joints. she did have the ball joints fixed. *ak while doing research the consuemr noticed that there have been numerous recalls for the 2000 dodge durango 5.9l engine. the cosnuerm has experienced problem with her vehicle similar to those recalled on the 5.9l engine durango. the consumer has experienced problem like the suspension making noise, antitheft system cannot be shut off once activated. front a/c fan makes noise, the driver's side power seat seat rattles/clicks in upright position, front axle noise during acceleration, the battery died three times, rear leaf springs made noise. front headlight didn't work due to a corroded 12v wire to the right of the headlight. the brakes, rotos, belt and tensioner had to be replaced. *nm
03/01/2005102/27/2004
 While driving the consumer's 2000 dodge was unstable in the rear. *nm while making a turn the vehicle felt as if it were going to turn 360 degrees. *nm
12/17/2004103009102/29/2000
 Tihs complaint is about chrysler's handling of recall d47 on the dodge durango. my vehicle was exhibiting the symptoms, and i needed to drive it cross country. the local dealer and the 800 line were not willing or able to make a timely repair. i was told i could have it repaired at a local shop and they'd reimburse. i did that, incurring $1,290.75 in repair costs for the ball joints and the tires that had been prematurely worn due to the ball joint problem. chrysler only reimbursed me $449.81, saying that's all that's covered. they said the dealer couldn't make the determination if the other items were required, despite the fact that the dealer was unable to due the repair. i would like assistance in getting chrysler to fully reimburse me for these repairs and hope that they can be encouraged to not skimp on other reimbursements they need to make.*ak
12/28/20042
 A loud banging noise was coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle would shake uncontrollably. the consumer has contacted the dealer for an appointment. please provide additional information. *jb
02/27/200127000502/27/2001
 Winding sound in steering when tuning wheel,horible sound while turning wheels and backing up,door locks are in locked position (can't open to get out of car and loud sound going off when door locks are supposed to self lock at 25 mph)bought car in 2001, after 6 mo took car to dearership to report problems while still under warranty and they said nothing was wrong. still have paperwork to show of the complaints.i have 3 small grandchildren i take care of and transport in the vehicle. hope you people do something about this before someone dies or you will really be out of pocket. i have less that 60,000 miles on suv so this can't be due to wear and tear. ( i marked oem yes if that pertains to original parts on suv). *ak
12/05/20041
 While driving on the highway 65 mph car stalled. consumer lost control of steering and brakes as well. she then veered to the right side of the road coming to a stop.*ak
08/26/200060001008/20/2000
 Since day one this vehicle has been in and out of dealership, from transmisson problems, steering , noises. i stopped bringing in truck at 30,000 miles when my warranty expired, and know i just have live with it.*ak
08/25/20043
 While driving at any speed, the vehicle vibrated and jerked uncontrollably. the consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the cause has not been determined at this time. please provide further details. this information was provided by jacqueline jufton. *jb
09/15/200355918
 Front end of vehicle making a creaking sound. greenville chrysler dodge jeep in greenville, texas replaced right lower, left upper and left lower control arms and performed front end alignment. total cost $1492.30.
04/04/2004105/10/2003
 Bad squeaking in suspension of my 2000 dodge durango and in the steering only when turning to the right a noise in the steering shaft. *jb
09/11/200364000208/15/2003
 Left upper ball joint failure, rear suspension failure. * nm
03/25/20041
 The consumer heard a noise in the front of the truck. the consumer believed that the problem may have been the ball joints. after the consumer had been looking on the web to find a possible source of noise and researched the ball joints which he unexpectedly found to be sealed and unable to lubricate. the consumer spoke with a dealer about the noise. the consumer had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. *jb the vehicle experienced uneven tire wear. *sc *jb
107/07/2003
 While traveling at any speed consumer noticed a loud noise coming from the front end. vehicle was serviced three times, but the technician was unable to duplicate the problem.*ak *mr
108/01/2001
 When making a left or right turns, there would be a loud popping noise coming from the steering wheel. *ak *sc *jb
05/20/200355000205/30/2000
 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.
107/15/2003
 While driving, the consumer heard a loud knocking sound in the front end. the driver also stated the brake pressure was not normal. the driver pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. the dealer replaced the ball joints, bearings, rotors, knuckles, hubs and axle. please describe further. *jb
1
 Fax fwd on behalf of barbara edens (tx) re defective suspension on a 2000 dodge durango slt w/5.9 engine, requesting immediate action by nhtsa re recall investigation on this issue.*mr the consumer stated the manufacturer put a dodge dakota v6 engine suspension on the dodge durango when they should have put the dodge ram pickup suspension on instead. the control arms had to be replaced three times in the three years the consumer owned the vehicle. the manufacturer realized the error they made and is now correcting the problem, the consumer believed a recall should be enforced. *cb *jb
12/03/200331000107/15/2000
 Purchased my durango new in 2000. i drive less than 12,000 miles a year and currently i am at 31,000 miles and my warranty is up. i find out that the upper and lower ball joints and control arm need replacing because they are wearing prematurely. this was all under normal driving conditions, no off-road or erratic maneuvering. i feel these parts are defective and should be covered by daimler. the ball joints should not be replaced at 30,000 miles. i have never had to replace ball joints on any other vehicles i have owned in the past 19 years. *nlm
12/01/20031
 Without warning the front suspension collapsed. this occurred while the driver was driving 25 mph, causing the consumer to loose control of the vehicle and hit an embankment. the owner had the vehicle towed to the dealer. please add any additional information. *ph ea03-023
10/03/200356000111/01/2000
 The ball joint holding wheel on vertical axle failed causing wheel to tilt 45 degrees from a straight angle. luckily this happened when my wife was leaving the grocery parking lot and was not on main road driving higher speed, otherwise could have been fatal. *jb ea03-023
03/01/2000100000103/01/2000
 When turning in either direction with minor road imperfections, vehicle jumps and pulls to the opposite direction. also a noise can be heard coming from the rear of vehicle. cause of the problem has not been determined. *ak vehicle would drift dangerously into opposite lanes when slight road bumps are present. consumer stated tire and suspension seem to be bouncing more than normal. tire pressure was changed from 31 psi to 40 psi with no improvement to wheel bounce. *ph *nlm
08/24/200339872106/03/2003
 While driving, the upper ball joint failed, which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. *jb the upper and lower ball joints on both sides were replaced. *ts *nlm
08/22/200388000208/19/2003
 Bad ball joints (upper and lower) on 2000 durango. ref investigation pe03032. *nlm
07/20/200310/19/2000
 Trouble with steering, suspension. when going over bumps, can loose control of the vehicle, jumps all over the road. also on slippery roads hard to control as well.
07/15/2000103/06/2003
 I purchased a used 2000 dodge durango at lee automall, saco, maine, on 03-06-03. i was informed a 150 point check had been performed and the brakes were new on used vehicles on their lot. my first maintenance/oil change was 04/03 at lee automall, auburn, me. i provided a concern that the front brakes had been scwell'g at each slow down or stop and that brake dust was accumulat'g on the tire rims. the brakes were checked and i was informed that they were in excellent condition and that the scwell'g sound i was hearing is normal performance due to a new kind of brake pads that used car dealerships install on used vehicles. 2 days after the front brakes began to scwell again and brake dust was appear'g on the tire rims. 2 wks after svc/maintenance i noticed that each time i drove across a bump or cement bridge the durango would jolt from one side to the other. whereby, i had a difficult time control'g the steer'g. i brought the durango in for svc/maintenance on 07/09/03 to lee automall in auburn, me for f/u care. i explained to the service rep that the front brakes cont'd to scwell and that the suspension was not perform'g well. i expressed that it was difficult to maintain control of the steer'g each instance that i drove over a bump or cement bridge. i phoned the service rep on 07/10/03 to receive a status on the vehicle. i was told that all 4 shocks (no good), 2 tires (worn-no tread), and a serpetine belt (cracked) had to be replaced. i owned the durango for 3 months and i'm being told that all 4 shocks have to be replaced. i picked the durango up on 07/12/03 and all was well until 07/13/03. the shocks were replaced, two new tires, and the brakes--i was told that the brakes are in excellent condition, a great amount of padd'g remained and that it is just a character flaw. as of 07/15/03 the front brakes continue to scwell, brake dust collects on the rims and i continue to have a difficult time handl'g the steer'g when i drive over a bump or a cement bridge.*ak
07/02/200361
 I have a problem with a grinding noise, and turning radius problem that just started with regard to the 2000 dodge durango. my vehicle is obviously out of warranty, but have been told by quick inspection of non-dealer mechanic that this may be related to the ball joint problem that is being currently investigated and was urged to file complaint and get the vehicle inspected by a dealer asap. *ak
11/01/200245000206/01/2000
 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
03/19/200327641203/02/2000
 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
02/22/2003600001
 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
07/01/2001
 While driving vehicle goes over a small bump and it will slide left or right. consumer has a hard time keeping control of vehicle when this happens. consumer has verified that tires were rotated/ balanced and pressured correctly.*ak
03/13/20010
 While driving at highway speeds and going over a bump vehicle loses control. it feels very unsafe to drive, it feels like vehicle is going to crash into next vehicle. took to dealer, and they said its one of the characteristics of the truck. please provide any further information.*ak
07/10/2001
 While consumer was driving on highway and without any notice vehicle started to do 180 degree turn, and then brakes would stop working. has not contacted dealer. *ak
12/27/1999511/01/1999
 The vehicle constantly drifts to the left and right while driving, the dealer performed a front wheel alignment but the consumer stated that the problem persisted, the dealer stated that the vehicle is operating as designed. nlm
 Vehicle pulls to right when driving at any speed. also, when a bump is hit steering wheel feels free from driver's hand. dodge has been contacted. *ak
05/18/2000505/01/2000
 Rattle under dash that can be heard in backseats. dealer unable to fix problem after 5 tries. *ak
04/15/200011/01/1999
 When driving on irregular roads, bumps, groves etc. we loose control of the stearing, the vehicle is swirving all over the road. we have had it to the dealer many times. they say that this is characteristic of the durango.
04/15/200011/01/1999
 Lose control of the steering, the vehicle is swerving all over the road. we have had it to the dealer many times. they say that this is characteristic of the durango.*ak
SUSPENSION - AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL (ASC)
05/22/200340000305/30/2002
 We bought a used 2000 durango sport approximately 5/2002 from the jeep dealer in ontario, california. they said it would haul our 19 feet travel trailer. we had sloopy steering issues. when going over a bump while traveling on the freeway the steering would wobble as if to almost lose control. when traveling on all over passes with the steering wheel turned, it will lose traction for a short period causing the steering wheel to turn by itself which results in almost lose control. when you are turning freeway corners at higher speeds it feels top heavy as if you could roll over due to instability of suspension & steering. it makes clicking noises from the rear end. we have bought 2 complete sets of tires new tires and 3 front end alignments since we have had this durango. sears said the alignment was completed as best as possible, it was almost out of scope as it was, the caster and camber bearly meets the specifications. while towing our we flipped and rolled our 19ft travel trailer over, just about a half mile from our home. my husband and 12 year old daughter were not physically injured in the roll over crash, but have been tramatized to this day. the trailer jacknifed and disconnected itself off the ball and anti-sway arms; resulting in no damage to the drango. however, the trailer and personal items inside were a complete loss, not to mention the crane and the flatbed towing. my husband took this durango into a private mechanic shop for an estimate of the steering/suspension issues and was advised to have the rack & pinion knuckles replaced. we took the durango into moss brothers dodge in san bernardino, california and had them check the front suspension and specifically asked them to check the rack & pinion knuckles all due to steering issues as described above. the cost was about $800 for replacment of hubs, break master cylinder and front end alignment. most of our complaints still exist while driving this 2000 durango today.*ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT
09/04/20091150001
 Vehicles has been making front noise of axel is about to come off - sometime in the summer i had the bearing replaced as they had cracked then the noise in front of vehicle suspension started again. i think that this may be a recall problem. *tr
07/04/200050001
 Front left bushing repaired 6 times and still squeaks at every suspension compression. *tr
02/18/20091
 2/18/2009 mechanic fixed wheel bearing-front suspension hub and bearing left side 1 yr ago same thing was done to right side. i paid out of pocket both times. he told me to check into recall on dodge durango. *tr
09/23/200890000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. while driving various speeds over hills or bumps, the vehicle would vibrate abnormally. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the technician stated that it was unsafe to drive because the ball joints were severely corroded. the contact called an authorized dealer in reference to nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint) and was informed that his vin was not included in the recall. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 90,000.
06/04/2008120882
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the contact heard a clunking noise in the front suspension while driving 5 mph. she called the dealer in reference to nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the technician stated that because her vehicle was 2 wheel drive, her vin was excluded from the recall. the contact would be responsible for the recall repair. she is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was unable to assist. the failure and current mileages were 120,882.
08/01/2007100000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. in august of 2007, the contact heard an unfamiliar noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. she noticed that the front passenger side tire was wearing faster than normal and had to be replaced twice. between september of 2007 and august of 2008, the noise intensified. the dealer stated that the front passenger side ball joint was the cause of the failure. the manufacturer stated that her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 118,000.
07/01/20081
 I was told that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. i have owned many vehicles and never have had so many front end issues on one vehicle than this one. i was wondering if there has been any recalls on the 2 wheel drive dodge durango, rear wheel drive. 5.2l engine this vehicle did have a recall issued on the rack and pinion steering. *tr
04/01/2007105/01/2005
 Front ball joints failed. *ak
01/10/200713000101/17/2000
 Make: dodge model: durango year: 2000, i always had problems with the durango since about 13,000, (now have 93,000. replacement of ball joints, brake calipers, and continuous checks for clicking and vibration feeling in the steering column. this has not been right from the start. i believe there is something defective with the steering and front end. each time i take it to the dealer for service they can never duplicate the problem. i have enjoyed the durango, except for these front end problems. the steering makes noises and has a funny response to the turning process. could you please review closer. *ak
01/04/20051
 Dodge dealership charged for recall related alignment to my vehicle. *ak
12/19/200480000111/18/2004
 April l. ray(spouse), told me of noise coming from the front end of the vehicle, around wheel wells, before i could have this looked into, today(december 19, 2004), my wife was driving down woodrow kay rd. in rockmart ga., as she drove up a slight incline that bared to the left, she noticed the driver side wheel started to wobble, before she could get over the hill, and clear of any traffic, she heard a snap or pop sound, then the driver side wheel bowed out and she lost control of the vehicle. which in an instant threw her across the opposite lane and into the embankment on the other side of the road. after hitting the embankment the vehicle came to a rest on the driver side bumper, the driver side wheel was completely bowed towards the rear of the vehicle. this is a current insurance claim, but we are waiting to hear of the results, which also resulted in two false citations for her driving ability. *jb
02/05/20015010/16/2000
 Clanking grinding noise in front end while making slow left or right turns.*ak
10/03/20041150001
 While driving 55 mph and changing lanes consumer heard a loud popping sound. consumer pulled over and found the front passenger side tire wheel was titled outward. *ak
11/26/2004500001
 While driving 30 mph front end collapsed. as a result front wheels separated. *ak
08/28/2004100000211/01/2002
 1.) separation upper ball joint - noticed a loud noise from the front driver side...sounded like rubbing. goodyear rotated the tires which didn't help. they later diagnosed it as the ball joints failing. i remembered seeing the recall investigation on the news and took it immediatley for diagnosis. estimated repair is $700.00. i also have several other issues, such as 1.) creaking noise from rear driver side - sounds like springs 2.) noise from rear a/c when front air is off. 3.) i also had to replace the speed sensor.*ak
06/15/20041000001
 While pulling out of a parking lot the front suspension broke on the driver's side. this caused the front driver's side rim to break, the wheel to turn outwards, and tire went flat. this resulted in the vehicle hitting a pole. this may have been caused by ball joint failure. *ak
05/10/2004690002
 I have had to recently replace the whole front suspension on my 2000 dodge durango not limited to the ball joints. all ball joints, both upper and lower, plus the control arms, and front shocks had to be replaced. the total repair bill was $1200.00 to repair this problem, and due to this i will probably never buy a dodge product again. *ak
03/30/200423500511/13/2000
 I watched the show on cbs about dodge durango's having a problem with the front ball joints in their vehicles and to date they have had 79 incidents relating to the front end/ball joints and chrysler has not put out a recall for the vehicle. i have been stationed in guantanamo bay, cuba for the last three years and i finally got a chance to take my 2000 durango in for some much needed work since arriving back in the states. i told them i had noise coming from the front end of my vehicle. we have heard this noise for about six months and then i saw the show in cbs about three weeks after arriving back in the states. low and behold, you can add our vehicle to the list of problems. we had to have all our front ball joints replaced along with other front end work. thank goodness i got the extended warranty, or i would have paid over $1,000 for something chrysler should be recalling. we really enjoy our durango, but we will think twice about buying another dodge when they don't care about the safety of there customers.*ak
01/15/200415
 While driving 50 mph vehicle vibrated in the front. consumer took vehicle to the dealership. *ak
02/28/2004320001
 When making a right hand turn front end produces a knocking noise. *ak
03/05/2004660001
 Front end produces a loud popping noise. *ak
34000105/16/2000
 While driving consumer heard a noise indicating that something was loose in the front end. *ak this would also occur when a bump was hit and driving on a gravel road. *sc
03/04/2004340001
 Front end produced a knocking noise. *ak
02/27/2004224541
 While driving consumer heard a loud clunking noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. als, steering wheel would intermittently jerk away from the consumer without warning. *ak
02/06/20041
 I previously complained about steering problem with 2000 dodge durango. i paid nearly $2,000.00 in october 2003 to have problem fixed. it still pulled to the left. mechanic said that it was because the tires were worn out. i just bought new tires and the car pulls to the right real bad. i went back to the tire store they replaced the front left tire and i still have problem. i am concerned for my and my families safety. when i go over a bump or train track or groove in the road my car jumps to the left. *ak
12/26/2003104/08/2000
 I have had my 2000 durango in to the dealership (when it was under warranty) for spongy, loose, pulsing braking, noise from the suspension, & a chirping/squeaking sound (alternator like) when it is cold outside. the suspension noise was corrected with new spacers in the leaf springs (which they admitted were a problem). i was told that the pulsing in the brake pedal was normal for the durango & not to worry about it. they did a balance & told me it took care of the problem. it didn't. they could not duplicate the chirping (after 2-3 visits) although it happens for me every day. now we are out of warranty after reading many of the complaints for the same problems here, i'm just waiting for something to happen. will my children be injured as a result? this vehicle has 32k miles which are 99% highway is in cherry condtion. i've decided to take it to a private mechanic (napa) & pay for his opinion on the rotors, ball joints, arms, brakes, water pump/alternator, etc. once i've paid for his opinion, how do we get dodge to pay for the repairs ...since they won't own up to any of the problems. is there going to be a recall on the rotor/brake problem or the ball joint/arm problem? my brakes usually last at least 60k miles & i have never had problems with suspension on any of my new cars. then, i'm getting rid of it.*ak
08/01/200331000111/15/2001
 2000 dodge durango. popping sound coming from somewhere around the steering column. have taken it in to dodge three times and they cannot duplicate the problem. sound occurs when steering slightly to the left or right. have mentioned ball joint issue reported on the news and i'm told that can't be it. mechanics at dodge refuse to admit there is a problem with ball joints. problem continues. *la
11/09/200372000105/23/2001
 Purchased 2000 durango w/70k miles in 5/01. compalined about front end several times, roughness. also transmission not shifting. after a few warranty repairs and several costly repairs, torque converter brakes wheel bearings brakes again, the vehicle was out of warranty and they immediately said i need control arms and upper and lower ball jouints. i cant afford to replace them at this point, i am waiting for them to go out while i am driving down the freeway. this car has had numerous probblems. door lock actuators, ac, heater,fuel pump, water pump, starter coils, the little stuff was always fixed under warranty after an argument , now i am reading about all these other complaints from people with the same problems...thought you would like to know about another party w/ the same problems, should i send you the receipts and there notes for stuff wearing out?is there yet a recall on these ball joints and bearings so maybe they will get fixed before i end up in a crash?*ak
318531
 When driving over several bumps in the road steering becomes difficult. when this occurs, a squeaking noise is heard from the front end. as a result, consumer has difficultly controlling the vehicle. *ak
300002
 There was squeaking noise in front end. also, the right wheel suspension was loose. the cause of both failures was undetermined.*ak
10/27/2003680002
 I have always had problems with my durango since about 12,000 (now have 68,000). replacement of ball joints, brake calipers, and continuous checks for clicking and vibration feeling in the steering column (mostly when turning left). now i am told that i must invest $750. for a new power steering rack. i don't mind paying for normal wear and tear, but this has not been right from the start. i believe there is something defective with the steering and front end. each time it is the left side with the problem. this just does not seem right. i have enjoyed my durango except for these front end problems. i am now to the point of selling at a loss since i do not feel safe driving my durango. the steering makes noises and has a funny response to the turning process. could you please review closer at least for those who will still be owning a durango. *la
30000109/01/2000
 When the vehicle hit a bump it jerked out of control. the vehicle was taken to the mechanic who indicated that the front end needed to be replaced. *nlm the consumer stated the vehicle pulled to the left and the right. the vehicle has worn out three tires within the last 14 months. *jb *nlm
05/12/20031
 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
08/08/200359900107/01/2000
 Consumer complained about front suspension problem. the front left tire collapsed while driving at 25 mph and caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. the driver was badly injured. the manufacturer was contacted who investigated the cause. *ak *jb
08/19/2003
 The left side wheel has vibration, and shaking inside of the wheel well. while traveling on the highway. *ak
06/06/20034470005/27/2000
 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 1b4hs28n5yf266693. *nlm ea03-023
02/14/200349145010/08/1999
 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
06/21/2003106/21/2003
 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
07/23/200340000106/01/2000
 Loud popping noise heard coming from the front end of the vehicle when turning.*ak
07/22/20031
 At 2 mph the driver's front tire fell off, causing over $2000.00 damage. vehicle was resting on the wheel. upper ball joints had failed. front end had been checked by mechanic two months prior, was within specs.*ak
07/23/200353000202/14/2003
 I have a 2000 dodge durango, and i have been experiencing, front suspension problems.when you are turning or driving at any rate of speed it makes a creeking noise, and a clicking noise. i took it to goodyear and they told me the ball joints need to be replaced, upper and lower. there is only 52000 miles on my truck, i took it to the dealer and they said they can not duplicate the problem. the cost for repair is over $1000.00 dollars. with all the complaints you are reciiveing i think there should be a recall and the dealers should be repairing the problems at there expense. *ak
1
 Consumer states while traveling over bumpy roads consumer would hear a noise coming from front end of vehicle due to suspension. *ak
07/21/200345000408/27/2002
 When the vehicle went over bumps or made turns the front suspension made loud noises. this occurred at any speed but was more noticeable at slow speeds. *scc *nlm
03/01/200350000206/01/2001
 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
07/16/2003520001
 While driving vehicle began swerving from left to right, causing consumer to lose control. consumer applied the brakes, and the truck collided into a ditch on the side of the road, resulting in consumer injury and vehicle frame damage. related pursuit pe 03-032.*ak
02/07/200320000211/08/2001
 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
06/03/200329000303/01/2002
 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
08/26/200206/01/2000
 At 32,000 we had severe shaking while applying brakes . we took our truck in to have it looked at, shop said that front brake rotors were bad and had to be replaced, they could not be turned . had them both replaced with after market rotors . a/c clutch assy replaced at 39000 , at 40000 miles we noticed a groaning and sqeaking noise coming from the drivers front wheel when exiting the vehicle ,and noticed an oily substance on driveway under truck . we had both problems looked at , found 4 bad ball joints 1 needs replacing imediately, also rack and pinion seals are bad . est. $1700.00 to repair joints and rack. ball joints are sealed and cannot be greased , they should last alot longer than 40000 miles .
09/01/200102/01/2000
 Around 30,000 miles, noticed inner treads of front tires were getting low. had alignment done around 20,000 miles and they said it wasn't neccessary. went for another alignment at 44,000 because inner treads were now bald. replaced tires and had alignment done. problem, right ball joint is just about hanging off. boot cover is fully stretched. mechanic can't do alignment. dodge says normal wear and tear (out of warranty). i don't think so, noticed alignment problem from start. seems dodge feels pulling is normal when driving.*ak
05/01/2000
 Vehicle fishtails when riding over ripples and bad roads. dealer rotated/balanced tires and aligned car. still makes you feel you are going to loose control on bad roads. tv program showed an account of a problem similiar to mine which dealt with a steering and stabilization defect. we nearly lost control when pulling an rv recently. dealer didn't know what else to do about problem at the time. *ak
07/01/200007/01/2000
 Problems controlling steering, when hitting very small bumps on the highway. car tends to jump and skip hard to the left or right, causing the driver to be forced to compensate hard on the steering wheel to keep the back end of the car from fishtailing. problem keeps knocking car out of alignment & has now caused damage to both front tires. have been advised by independant mechanics, that the wrong road conditions (rain, snow etc...) could very likely create a fatal outcome if this problem is not corrected.*ak
08/11/200005/01/2000
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
04/01/200108/01/2000
 When car goes over any bump it make a groaning noise. sounds like my 10 year old pickup. in the shop 2 time. not fixed. *ak
405/05/2000
 When driving between 60-70mph vehicle would vibrate. rear window was not sealed properly after replacement due to a scratch. driver's window replaced due to regulator dragging. electrical wires for air conditioner were pinched and failed to work.*ak vehicle sounds to have an electrical problem, windows have failed, door regulators failed, battery failed, and while driving the rpm, odometer, and trip meter all went to zero. consumer had to replace goodyear tires, no other tire information provided. *slc
12/09/1999412/01/1999
 Vehicle has been in to the shop repeatedly for front end alignment problems. currently working with attorney under california lemon law. vehicle had two front defective tires that were replaced by goodyear. the front end has been confirmed by two different dealerships as being out of aligment five times now. vehicle initially pulled hard to the right at freeway speeds. after supposedly being repaired by the dealership, the vehicle started pulling hard to the left at freeway speeds. i feel that there is a safety issue because you have to significantly compensate the pull by holding the steering wheel at an angle. the pull of the vehicle is damaging the front tire that are currently on the vehicle.*ak (tiresize: 31-1050r15)( dot number: tire size: 31-1050r15 )
05/01/20001
 Consumer was traveling 75mph, almost hit another vehicle on the side of bridge. vehicle felt like someone was pulling it left to right. problem was intermittent, but happened alot. manufacturer didn't see it as a problem.*ak
11/30/19994
 While driving vehicle would make funny noises in the front differential. also, would pull to the right if steering wheel was let go & brakes not applied. took vehicle to dealership & informed consumer it was a caster adjustment & it was already done. however, problem still existed. took to dealership in arizona, and informed consumer that it was a design flaw, and manufacturer knew about it*ak.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM
02/12/20051
 Consumer stated that the ball joint problem has damaged all four tie rods. the front end alignment is completely off. also, was told by the dealer that rack and pinion and control arm had to be replaced. consumer is included in the recall 04v596000 concerning lower ball joint wear. *ak
03/18/200234000203/07/2000
 Safety problems with dodge durango including replacing ball joint twice in 4 years, repalcing front roters twice in 4 years, complaining about problems with brakes and the transmission. this vehicle failed two safety inspections for these problems. these are serious safety concerns and have been down played when i have taken my car in and i have not been notified of the seriousness and that these are reoccuring problems with the durango . yet the dealership and chrysler want to claim no responsibility.*ak
03/24/2001340006
 Since ownership of the vehicle two engines were replaced. front end had been realigned on at least two occasions due to excessive wear on the tires. also, fuel pump had been replaced twice. *ak
01/01/19013
 E-mail fm barbara edens (rx) reporting defective suspension on vehicle a 2000 dodge durango slt/ control arms have been replaced three times since purchase of vehicle. request nhtsa recall vehicle reply to the austin, tx ofc dot #. *ph *mr *jb
07/23/200341799107/22/2000
 I was told in may 2003 that my 2000 dodge durango needed upper ball joints replaced. i then took it to the dealership where i purchased it and they told me the same thing. they told me they couldn't get the replacement parts for at least a month. when i took the durango to them in july, they then told me i need the control arms replaced as well. i was very upset because my vehicle only had 41,799 miles on it. i researched this and found that ball joints should last at least 100,000 miles. i expressed my anger toward the dealership and the manager then told me i wouldn't have to pay for the control arm, that chrysler would eat that cost for me. at that point i had no choice but to have the work done, for fear that i might get into an accident. i spent 2 1/2 long months trying to resolve this issue and spent $490.00 to replace the ball joints. i hope this reaches you and you can get this resolved for everyone involved with these similar problems. thank you. elaina dow. *la
04/01/2002307/01/2000
 The upper/lower control arms would squeak while in motion. upon the inspection of the control arm(s) by the dealership, it was determined that the parts were bad and needed replacement. prior to this incident, the upper control arms were replaced 3 times due to the failure. *ak the consumer felt that the control arms would last longer if they were able to be lubricated and that the tires need to be replaced every 7-10 thousand miles due to he control arm failure. the dealership did not complete the alignment when the control arms were replaced. *scc *jb
08/08/200391001103/20/2000
 The front ball joints are loose causing the tires to wear out unreasonalbe sooner. the front upper ball joints need to be replaced and can become dangerous. the front end makes noises and feels unsecured at times.*ak i have asked the dealer to exam the front end after purchasing the vehicle. the machanic said everything was normal.
04/18/200345390306/28/2001
 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
 While driving steering wheel was pulling to the left. steering was also a little loose. took vehicle to mechanic for brake work, and mechanic indicated ball joints were bad. took vehicle to dealer, and had ball joints repaired.*ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM
10/26/20046700110/26/2004
 On october 26th at approximately 3:40pm my wife, carrying our six children, was driving our 2000 dodge durango on chicago's lake shore drive when the right front wheel popped off. fortunately there wher no injuries related to this potentially fatal mechanical breakdown. our durango has less than 75,000 miles on it. it is our understanding that many dodge durangos have experienced this problem however, neither dodge nor the nhtsa has done anything about it. *ak
03/30/200423500511/13/2000
 I watched the show on cbs about dodge durango's having a problem with the front ball joints in their vehicles and to date they have had 79 incidents relating to the front end/ball joints and chrysler has not put out a recall for the vehicle. i have been stationed in guantanamo bay, cuba for the last three years and i finally got a chance to take my 2000 durango in for some much needed work since arriving back in the states. i told them i had noise coming from the front end of my vehicle. we have heard this noise for about six months and then i saw the show in cbs about three weeks after arriving back in the states. low and behold, you can add our vehicle to the list of problems. we had to have all our front ball joints replaced along with other front end work. thank goodness i got the extended warranty, or i would have paid over $1,000 for something chrysler should be recalling. we really enjoy our durango, but we will think twice about buying another dodge when they don't care about the safety of there customers.*ak
03/28/200351953404/22/2000
 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
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT
02/15/200680000102/24/2003
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the vehicle was brought to the dealer to perform recall 04v596000 repairs. immediately after the vehicle was repaired the steering assembly shifted and the contact was unable to drive the vehicle forward. the vehicle was involved in collisions prior to it being purchased by the contact, w3hich may have contributed to the failure. the dealer did not correct the failure, and the vehicle has not been driven for a year. the vehicle was towed from the dealer to a relative's home. the contact had not experienced any failures with the vehicle prior to the recall repair. the current and failure mileage were 80,000.*ak
03/30/200623000110/08/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph on normal road conditions, there were problems with the front suspension. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who indicated the recall #04v596000 was performed on one of the ball joints. the recall indicated a remedy repair for both ball joints. the contact expected the dealership to perform the replacement of the affected ball joint.
06/01/200634000307/20/2002
 Lower ball joint failure/wheel bearing failure for 2000 dodge durango. they were replaced in oct 2002 also. the upper ball joints were replaced in dec 04. on june 1 the lowers have to be replaced again and dodge will not do anything. there is only 83k on this car. *jb
11/10/2004105/07/2000
 Faulty ball joints put on vehicle, by manufacturer, after wear suv tires lean, also causes where on control arms. *nm
08/09/200543000107/01/2004
 Dt: contact stated on 8-9-05 received a recall concerning the ball joints on 2000 dodge durango. eight months ago when she heard about the recall she called the garage, and they told her they were out of the parts and would call her back in a few weeks. they went on to say it was not serious and she did not need to be concerned. after one month she called them back, and they said they had the parts but missed consumer's name, and were currently out of the parts again. they would call consumer back when the parts came in. they never called consumer back. consumer called the manufacturer on 8-9-05, and they said to use a different dealership. *ak
06/23/2005305/08/2000
 Daimler/chrysler did a recall on the upper ball joints on some dodge durangos. i have had my ball joints replaced two times, the first time was the summer of 2004, before the recall happened, then again in dec 2004 when the recall was announced. to my understanding when you replace ball joints upper & lower should be replace together because they are one component as with the control arms also. as an result of not being replaced at the same time it caused damage to my suv. i am going to dispute this with the makers of the dodge durango, because these components work together,one going bad causes the other ones to go bad also, they should have repaired the unit correctly instead of taking the cheap way out. i was told by an repair shop that when the dealer replaced the ball joints they also should repaired the control arms, which did not happen. the dealer wants to charge me for something that they should have done i the first place. i am very disappointed with the makers of this suv. *jb
07/01/2005327431
 2000 dodge durango developed problems with the upper ball joints.***no answer required***. *mr the consumer was told the lower ball joints were bad and beyond local safety inspection specifications. the mechanic stated the lower ball joints were caused by the upper ball joints being out so badly that the vibration caused excessive wear. *jb
05/26/200562000005/24/2003
 Excessive lower ball joint wear i recently had the upper ball joint replaced through a recall with dodge. during the states annual inspection the lower ball joint showed excessive wear and failed the state inspection. the truck only has 62,000 miles on it and nearly all on paved roads. the condition that supposedly caused the recall for the upper ball joint is the same found in the lower ball joint. additionally, there is no grease fitting to allow for grease to be added as necessary.
12/13/200465155209/25/2000
 Ball joints wore out leading to stress and subsequent break of tie rod, ball joints were replaced due to recall, tie rod repaired at owners expense, was told one did not relate to the other . *ak
01/12/2005500001
 No parts for recall 04v596000 concerning ball joints. vancover, dodge, 360-574-1131. *ak
02/28/20052
 Driver took vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, and mechanic determined that the left front side lower ball joint needed to be replaced due to corrosion. however, the right front side did not need replacement at this time. *ak
01/01/20051
 Consumer received recall notice in january 2005 on ball joint failure however, it has been two months and recall repair were still not done. *ak
01/01/20051
 Consumer stated that his vehicle was included in recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. however, consumer was told that the repairs would not be done in a timely manner. *ak
02/12/20051
 Consumer stated that the ball joint problem has damaged all four tie rods. the front end alignment is completely off. also, was told by the dealer that rack and pinion and control arm had to be replaced. consumer is included in the recall 04v596000 concerning lower ball joint wear. *ak
12/27/20041
 Consumer's vehicle is a part of a recall regarding the ball joints on the chrysler/dodge durango. however, consumer has been waiting for the parts which has not come in as of yet. she has continuously called, and still nothing has been done. *ak the consumer stated that the problem was taken care of. *tc
01/03/2005380001
 Dodge durango 2000 replaced upper and lower ball joints. consumer wants to know how they can get reimbursed through chrysler. *bf *jb
12/06/2004108000111/16/2002
 The right front wheel separated from the vehicle while driving 20 mph. vehicle was towed to the dealer. dealer replaced both the lower and the upper ball joints.*ak
12/02/200478000201/08/2002
 While getting an oil change mechanic informed the consumer that both lower ball joints and the tie rod needed to be replaced. *ak
12/03/200478000108/15/2003
 (1) driving vehicle, normal speed, crossing railroad tracks (2) upper ball joint separated, allowing right front wheel assembly to come fall ouside the vehicle. failure caused lack of steering control of vehicle until stopped. damage affected all related parts outside of frame including abs sensor, upper and lower control arms, tire wheel, wheel berrings, axel, drive shaft, brake line, lower ball joint, steering arm, etc. (3) all components replaced. *ak
11/16/200470000106/15/2000
 Consumer replaced the ball joints in august 2003. as of today passeneger's side ball joints need to be replaced. consumer was frustrated. *ak *tt
10/26/20046700110/26/2004
 On october 26th at approximately 3:40pm my wife, carrying our six children, was driving our 2000 dodge durango on chicago's lake shore drive when the right front wheel popped off. fortunately there wher no injuries related to this potentially fatal mechanical breakdown. our durango has less than 75,000 miles on it. it is our understanding that many dodge durangos have experienced this problem however, neither dodge nor the nhtsa has done anything about it. *ak
07/26/2004532301
 2000 dodge durango in which the ball joint had to be replaced at 53230 miles. they were so far gone that the mechanic doing the inspection stated the durango could not be driven until the necessary repairs were made because it was to dangreous to drive. i feel luckly that this was caught by the mechanic during a oil change, for we were using it for a 1000 mile vacation the following week . the cost of repair $760.57 ball joints wer r&r
10/06/20041
 My complaint is simply that i cannot understand why your agency hasn't ordered a recall concerning defective ball joints on 2000 dodge durangos, and durangos of other model years so affected. these defects are highly dangerous, and highly costly to owners. your inaction is simply facilitating daimler chrysler's cynical policy of ignoring the issue and hoping that it blows over. in the absence of a recall order, i fail to see how your agency is protecting american taxpayers. *nm
03/18/2004
 I have a 2000 dodge durango and i have had problems with my balljoints. i've had my car in for numerous problems but none as scary as the near loosing control of my car everytime i go over a pothole or uneven pavement. finally in march 2004 i had all four of the balljoints replaced because they were found to have excessive radial free play, over .250 inch. after having them replaced in march there is still a problem. i brought the car back for the same problem but was told that everything was tight but that i needed new shocks. i've replaced the shocks and the problem still persists. i asked the dealer if i could have the old parts but they said since it was a warranty issue that i wouldn't be able to have them becasuse they would have to send them back to mopar. i also asked if the balljoints that were replaced were the same as the old ones, the same type, same manufacture and the dealer told me there was no way for him to know. because if they were the old type then i would like the new type put one. i feel lucky that i purchased an extended warranty because i haven't had to pay for the replacement of the balljoints, but i did have to pay 500 dollars for replacing the shocks. i just hope i really needed them.
09/24/20041
 While driving a loud noise was heard coming from the underneath the vehicle. the noise escalated louder and louder. consumer took vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
09/16/20041
 The ball joints on my 2000 durango are showing premature wear. the mechanic says the vehicle will soon be unsafe to drive without fixing this. dodge knows about this problem and the fact that it puts me and my family in danger by driving it, but they have not warned me of this problem, nor does their maintenance schedule indicate that these parts need inspection at any given interval. *jb
08/31/200466000211/01/1999
 Basic auto checkup desovered issue. when the vehicle was lifted in the air the front end fell apart. both ball joints for the 2000 durango i own had to be replaced which end up costing close to $500. i had heard 1 year ago about possible problem but didn't think anything of it until now which lead me to research it. it would seem this is a very common issue, and it could have possiblity been worse by it falling off while i was driving, which could have resulting is serious injury.*ak
08/31/200480000110/02/2000
 My 2000 dodge durango 4.7 upper ball joint failed and has unusal rusted wear and tear for this vehicle. after an inspection i was alerted that this ball joint was unually worn and that it would need replacing. there was no indication that it had worn to the extent it had . i consider my self lucky but it seems that there is a definte issue here as not only that it was warn on my vehicle but the part is almost impossible to find as many other are experincing the same issue. yet there has been no recall on this part i think some poeple are going to get hurt here and before they do please ask diamer chrysler to look into this issue.*ak
08/05/2004114000106/07/2000
 Consumer complained about a ball joint'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joint problem. while driving vehicle was shaking violently. consumer to vehicvle to dealer for an alignment. consumer was then told that an alignment could not be done unless the ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joints were replaced.*ak the vehicle shakes when driving speeds of 40 mph and higher. *tc *jb
08/19/200441132104/25/2003
 While driving left front tire fell off after crossing a rail road track. the ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joints were defective. dealer stated this was not under warranty.*ak *tc
08/09/20040
 My 2000 dodge durango with only 40000 miles on it, has to have 4 new ball joints and a completely new steering rack system installed, at a cost of over $2000. i have seen several reports on cbs and read several articles on the extremely high rate of incidence of this type of problem with the durango, and was prompted to see my dodge dealer mechanic as a precautionary measure. sure enough, all three of the problems were found (by dodge mechanics!) in my car.
07/29/200459000111/28/2000
 Consumer was informed by the dealer that both lower ball joints needed to be replaced while getting a front wheels alignment. *ak
07/19/2004106/05/2001
 After driving over 100 miles on interstate i-79 i pulled into a parking lot and my right front tire broke off leaving the vehicle unable to move. upper ball joint broke which in turn broke the axel which broke the tie rod. when the lower ball joint was removed it also fell apart. i was terified by what had happened. i was told by the service department making the repairs that a part in the tie rod was broken but no replacement part was made so the entire tie rod must be replaced. also the tie rod needed was on back order so a used tie rod will have to be used. i have been told that the used tie rod should be okay with no defects. the cost to repair has gone well over $1,000.00. i can not stress to you how upset i have been since this happened. if i had lost that tire out on the interstate myself and others could have been killed. *la
07/18/2001150002
 While driving at any speed, consumer can hear a clicking sound coming from the front wheels. a mechanic examined the vehicle and found that the ball joints were worn on both sides. the consumer also found out that the clock spring is defective in the vehicle. *la *ts
07/08/2004106/07/2000
 Upper and lower ball joints failed inspection. my car has only 36,000 miles. there has never been any indication that there was a problem with my car(in oppositon to chrysler's claim that owners will be able to tell). *ak
06/29/20041
 While vehicle was going through state inspection technician noticed that one of the wheels was wobbly, and technician determined that the ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
06/26/2004303001
 While driving between 60 anf 70 mph, the left driver's side tire separated from the vehicle. the consumer previously heard a noise coming from the rear. the vehicle was towed to an independent shop and the mechanic determined the lower ball joint failed. *ak the consumer felt a sudden pull to the left when he saw that the tire and wheel separated from the vehicle. *sc *jb
06/23/20041
 While having vehicle serviced technician determined that upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
05/15/200431077106/13/2003
 Purchased my slightly used durango in june 2003. immediately felt the steering was loose. took it to the dealership on several occasions and they said there were no problems they could see. had my car inspected 11 months later and it failed b/c the left ball joint was bad. luckily, i had purchased the extended warranty or it would've been a hefty fee to replace. it's been 1 month since that replacement and still can't control the steering when going over bumps in the road or turning. i'm taking my durango back to the dealership on saturday for them to take another look to see if maybe there are more ball joints or something else wrong with the steering. *jb
06/14/20041
 While driving at any speed consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front end. independent mechanic informed consumer that front lower arm ball joint and upper arm ball joint wore out, and needed to be replaced. *ak
06/13/2004499001
 2000 dodge durango ball joint failure. 49,000 miles on it and the ball joints need replacing. chrysler needs to recall these and fix them. *ak
06/03/2004380001
 At 38000 miles consumer replaced passenger and driver side upper and lower ball joints. at 84000 miles technician indicated needed to be replace all four ball joints. *nm
06/01/200414111/08/2003
 Ball joints. upon routine maintenance and reports of failures on the dodge durangos i recently check the front suspension on my personal vehicle to find three of the four ball joints with extensive wear. one to the point where separation is possible. being in the repair and maintenance industry for over 25 years i find dodges response to this matter not to be completely correct. dodge claims a front end noise should be heard and that separation will only occur with sharp hard turns is not always the case. they claim the design of the control arms make it almost impossible to separate would only hold true if spring pressure was applied on the upper control arm, which it has none. they claim that water washes the lubricant out of the joint. if the joint had been produced properly water should not be able to enter the joint, if the joint was able to be lubricated it would reduce this problem, as wear is from lack of lubricant more than water. i feel like the cost of repairs to these vehicles should not be the consumers, but the manufactures responsibilitys as it is apparent they have the problem and is holding the blind eye to it. once the joints are replaced they will be available. *ak
05/24/20041
 While driving a popping noise was heard coming from the front. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined both frontal upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
05/10/2004101/23/2004
 Shaking when driving at all speeds. took vehicle into dealership. upper and lower ball joints bad, loose tie rod ends,sway bar busings gone bad. paid to have dealership fix vehicle due to no recall issued. *la
04/03/200458000108/01/2001
 I was making a left hand turn across 2 lanes of traffic into a parking lot. there was a small dip at the entrance and then the area leveled off. i was going about 10mph and as my front end came out of the dip, the front right side of my vehicle collapsed. i was towed to the dealer. after the damage survey was complete, i was told the ball joint had failed. there was extensive damage to the wheel, axel, brakes and ball joint. the ball joints were previously inspected in jan 2004. i was told by the dealer that they were fine. *la
03/30/200423500511/13/2000
 I watched the show on cbs about dodge durango's having a problem with the front ball joints in their vehicles and to date they have had 79 incidents relating to the front end/ball joints and chrysler has not put out a recall for the vehicle. i have been stationed in guantanamo bay, cuba for the last three years and i finally got a chance to take my 2000 durango in for some much needed work since arriving back in the states. i told them i had noise coming from the front end of my vehicle. we have heard this noise for about six months and then i saw the show in cbs about three weeks after arriving back in the states. low and behold, you can add our vehicle to the list of problems. we had to have all our front ball joints replaced along with other front end work. thank goodness i got the extended warranty, or i would have paid over $1,000 for something chrysler should be recalling. we really enjoy our durango, but we will think twice about buying another dodge when they don't care about the safety of there customers.*ak
04/22/20042
 Ball joints have failed and vehicle handles erratically. does not maintain a strait line while driving.*ak
04/20/2004800001
 While driving at 20 mph, the consumer stopped at a stop sign. the consumer made a left turn and the right front wheel separated from the axle. a mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak *sc *jb
04/07/2004830001
 During a vehicle inspection, the inspector found that the upper and lower ball joints were worn out. the upper and lower ball joints were replaced. *ak *sc *jb
04/05/200444000112/15/1999
 2000 dodge durango vin#yf159461 is in for brake repairs. the dealer manhattan dodge 711 eleventh ave ny ny 10019 212-765-6633 claims i need a new master cylinder. they claim that my ball joints on both sides front need to be replaced. i have heard about the investigation. as i am choosing to replace them for my personal safety, i will collect the old ones if the nhtsa would like them, please let me know. *la
04/03/200434000104/12/2000
 Took my 2000 dodge durango into shop to check front suspension due to cracking noise and grinding in wheels. was told that the ball joints were bad and would have to be replaced. the vehicle has 34,000 miles on it these ball joints should not need replacing at 34,000 miles. the mechanic stated there is a defect in dodge ball joints on the durangos and that it is not safe to drive as is. it is just a matter of time before someone is killed by these defective ball joints. *la
03/21/20044700207/01/2003
 The vehicle's lower ball joints fail without warning. please provide any additional information. *nm the consumer had replaced the upper and lower ball joint 6 months prior to the second failure. the lower ball joints were so bad that the one on the driver's side was about to fall off. the consumer feels these need to be recalled. *nm
03/24/20041
 While driving at any speed, the consumer heard a noise coming from the front end. an independent mechanic, informed the consumer, it could be a ball joint problem. please provide further information. *jb
03/23/20041
 Worn upper and lower ball joints in my dodge durango (2000) 4x4 with 49,600 miles on it. *ak
03/06/200454500411/01/1999
 Odd steering feel and intermitin noise was coming from the front end. after taking the vehicle to my local mechanic it was ound that the lower ball joints on the vehicle (2000 dodge durango) were completely worn out ready to separate. also the upper ball joints had worn to the point of replacement. vehicle was unsafe to drive without the necessary repairs made. *ak
04/11/2003800001
 The upper and lower ball joints failed at 80,000 miles. *ak *sc *jb
500001
 Consumer took vehicle to for a tire check, and it was determined that the ball joints were defective. *ak
50000110/10/2000
 Consumer complained about a ball joint problem. consumer took vehicle to dealer for a wheel alignment, and mechaniic determined that ball joints needed replacing. *ak *nm
03/18/200234000203/07/2000
 Safety problems with dodge durango including replacing ball joint twice in 4 years, repalcing front roters twice in 4 years, complaining about problems with brakes and the transmission. this vehicle failed two safety inspections for these problems. these are serious safety concerns and have been down played when i have taken my car in and i have not been notified of the seriousness and that these are reoccuring problems with the durango . yet the dealership and chrysler want to claim no responsibility.*ak
03/11/2004100014209/07/2001
 The upper and lower ball joints on the left side of my 2000 dodge durango were worn and had play. i had to have them replaced at my expense since there is not a recall on them at this time.*ak
03/08/2004
 When i heard on tv that the 2000 durango could have defective ball joints, i had my durango checked. the left ball joint had a chunk missing, and in the words of a repairman, the wheel could come off if i hit a hole or bump on a highway. the right ball joint was also damaged. i had both ball joints replaced at the dealership where i purchased the car. my car has 59,000 miles on it; it has been driven on highways, paved roads, and streets--never off road. i believe these ball joints were defective when installed and am concerned for my own and others safety, particularly since my car gave no warning signs such as noise of difficulty in steering to indicate something was wrong.*ak
1
 While state inspection was being conducted technician noticed that a one of the wheels was wobbly. then, technician determined that ball joints needed replacement.*ak
690001
 Consume rcomplained about ta ball joint problem. while driving at 25 mph right front wheel assembly detached, and rolled away into a river. *ak
900001
 While traveling 40 mph consumer noticed looseness in steering and handling roughly in a situation, consumer tried to avoid hitting an elk, but couldn't due to erratic operation of the steering. driver lost control and ran off the road, crashing. after the truck was serviced consumer was told the ball bearings needed replacement.*ak
3
 While traveling over potholes or rough pavement consumer heard front end noise. the consumer had vehicle serviced, and was informed that two upper and one lower ball joint needed replacement.*ak
03/10/2004706001
 Dealership refused to perform a front end alignment because the upper and lower ball joints were bad. *ak
02/19/20041
 Driver heard a squeaking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. upon inspection of vehicle mechanic determined that front upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
01/02/20041
 Driver heard noise coming from the front passenger side. dealer suggested that ball joints need to be replaced. *ak
03/02/20041000001
 While turning vehicle lost power steering. consumer was informed that the problem pertained to the front ball joints failure. *ak
03/09/20045
 While consumer was traveling 60-65 mph wheel shook violently. consumer was close to the right side of the road, and when he came upon an exit he took it and pulled to the side. when he got out and looked at wheel it had turned toe-in. consumer immediately called dealer, and had the vehicle towed. vehicle was repaired at cost of $2100.00. there was no mention of a recall or investigation. dealer replaced the wheel bearings, tie rods, steering column, and the steering rack. all those parts had to be replaced because of ball joint failure, and the wheel coming almost off vehicle.*ak
03/09/2004111/15/2003
 I have a 2000 dodge durango that we purchased from a certified dodge dealer in november 2003. right after we bought it we noticed a popping sound in the front end and had them check it out on at least two occasions. i just took my vehicle in for service for a front-end alignment and they tell me that both front ball joints are bad and must be replaced, and the job will cost $500. there is no way ball joints should go bad so quickly and the dealer should have recognized the problem when they sold it. we've only had the vehicle 15 months. there is an investiagation on this by dodge and other agencies but there has yet to be a recall and this is a serious safety issue.
2
 There was excessive shaking in the steering column. vehicle was pulling to the right, consumer thought it was the brakes. took vehicle to mechanic, and they replaced the brakes, but the problem still existed. another mechanic determined that ball joints were prematurely failing. *ak
600003
 While driving consumer heard a knocking noise on the driver's side front end of the vehicle. dealership replaced the upper and lower ball joints. *ak
02/23/200423000109/22/2000
 While having the vehicle serviced the mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak *sc *jb
03/05/20041
 While driving and turning to the left or right consumer heard loud noise coming from the front end. vehicle was taken to the dealer, they indicated that it sounded like the ball joints. *ak
9000107/12/2001
 While driving and turning the was a clanking noise in front of vehicle. dealer indicated that ball joints were loose. *ak
03/02/200463000210/19/1999
 There was a loud squeaking noise when driving the vehicle. took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced the ball joints.*ak *la
01/05/2004990006
 While driving entire front end vibrated. the vibration was worse when speed increased. dealership indicated that upper/lower ball joints had disintegrated and needed replacement. *ak
300001
 Ball joints were replaced in the past two weeks.*ak
03/04/20041
 While driving 60 mph a banging noise was heard coming from the rear. consumer took vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
01/01/200460000212/19/1999
 The ball joints wore out prematurely. sometimes, the steering wheel jerked out of the driver's hand, and there was a clanking noise in the front end. also, power door locks worked intermittently.*ak *la
400005
 When turning the vehicle in either direction a noise was heard coming from the front. vehicle was taken to dealer five times, but dealer could not determine the cause of the problem. consumer suspected that ball joints caused the noise. *ak
10/04/200357898112/02/2000
 2000 dodge durango. both front ball joints and right front wheel bearing and u joint have all had to be replaced. this is owned by our business, myers insurance, inc. mileage was 57898 work on u joint was done 11-24-03 at roy's dodge
03/04/2004
 Consumer will provide information on the ball joints.
6000015
 When driving over bumps a squeaking noise was heard coming from the front end of vehicle. consumer suspected the problem related to ball joints, based on a tv report. *ak
250001003/01/2000
 When turning in either direction a grinding noise was heard. the cause of the problem had not been determined, but the consumer suspected defective ball joints could be the cause. *ak *jb
02/27/2004580001
 Dealership informed consumer that front upper ball joints were worn out. consumer was not having any problems at this time. *ak
01/01/20044959208/05/2002
 I have a 2000 dodge durango and i am having an annoying squeaking sound from the front end and thought it was my shocks, so i had new shocks installed and it didn't fix the problem. i heard on the news where alot of other people are having the same problem and that it has to do with the ball joints going bad. i do not feel that i should have to pay to have this repaired due to apparently there is a defect or there wouldn't be so many people having the same problem.
1
 While driving the tires felt as though they were going to separate from vehicle. after dealership inspected the vehicle they determined that ball joints failed. consumer immediately parked vehicle until some repairs were made. *ak
11/15/200349101/15/2000
 Ball joints have worn out prematurely. *ak
450001
 Consumer complained about a ball joint problem. consumer was getting an oil change and it was determined that ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
10/22/200323000106/15/2001
 I had to replace a ball joint on a 2000 dodge durango with 23,000 miles. i had to take it upon my self after reading the article in usa today.i have also call dodge national twice to no avail.*ak
02/01/2003712725
 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
07/23/200343000108/18/2002
 Upper and lower ball joints prematurely worn out. truck had only 40,000 miles. *la
01/21/20041
 Ball joint failure. it appears this is of epidemic proportion and potentially very dangerous for both the driver, passengers, and other vehichles. *ak
01/20/20041
 Consumer took vehicle to the dealer for replacement of tires, and mechanic noticed that all four tires were defective and worn out due to wheel alignment. also, both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
01/14/2004470001
 Ball joints on 2000 dodge durango worn out at 47,000 miles. *cb
09/17/200350000105/18/2000
 I had to have the front ball joints replaced in my 2000 dodge durango because it was difficult to control the steering. it was incredibly loose. when i had it repaired i was told there were 110 sets of these on back order because so many of them had to be replaced. *la
12/30/200335000109/02/2000
 2000 dodge durango 35,000 miles. drivers front upper & lower ball joints had to be replaced. several mechanics looked at them and stated they were dangerous and would not inspect vehicle. dodge dealership brushed it off saying they were within guidelines. we paid to have them replaced ourselves. *la
12/23/2003101/17/2003
 Purchased truck on 1/17/03 - ball joints were replaced when purchased, had durango inspected on 12/23/03 lower ball joints failed inspection and needed to be replaced. that makes twice in 1 year. both cases were for the lower ball joints.*ak
12/23/20031
 Consumer states she took her vehicle to the dealer/mechanic for the regular maintenance, and was told that the ball joints are wearing out. she states she would not have known it, had it not been for the mechanic. she thinks this is dangerous. *nlm
53000102/28/2000
 Upper ball joints failed at 53,000 miles. *ak sometime after thanksgiving the consumer was feeling something different when driving the truck. the consumer thought it was the steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on dec 1, 2003 and the consumer was told that all four of the upper and lower ball joints were out, and that they should be replaced immediately at a cost of $800.00. instead the consumer went somewhere else to have repairs. it took a little longer for the car to be repaired because the parts weren't available. the total cost for repairs were $542.82. *cb *jb
550001
 The upper ball joints and one lower ball joint wore out, and damaged the front tires. an independent mechanic replaced the ball joints. *ak
12/03/200382137305/01/2000
 Consumer stated both lower ball joints and the sway bar needed to be replaced and the warranty expired. *ak the consumer had jenkins chrysler to check these items at 41000 - 61000 and the vehicle was still under warranty. *cb *jb
11/26/20031
 Front ball joints being replaced at 63000 miles. one side wore out the other side almost as bad. no accident, just had front end noise checked by mechanic. *la
11/05/2003109/13/2003
 Was making a sharp turn consumer noticed that vehicle was not ridding smoothly. after being inspected by mechanic, consumer was told that the ball joints needed replacement. *ak *mr
08/27/2003430001
 Pe 03-032, front suspension/ball joint failure: while driving at any speed consumer heard a noise coming from the front wheel. vehicle was taken to a repair shop, mechanic informed the consumer that the ball joints were worn out.*ak
11/10/2003008/05/2003
 2000 dodge durango has bad ball joints with only 41000 miles on it. *la
09/11/2003400003
 I had brought my 2000 durango into my dealership and i had my ball joints checked, my upper and lower ball joints failed in addition to my front tires being damaged as a result. i was told by the chrysler dealer that they could not fix it, there were 40,000 miles on the vehicle. i also spoke to the district service manager and he said there was nothing they could do to help pay for the repairs.*ak
03/10/200358591101/02/2001
 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
11/07/2003109/15/2000
 Failure of a upper ball joint and fear of separation on a 2000 dodge durango with 55743 miles, also failureof lower ball joint and fear of separation. both resulting in possible personal injury. *ak
11/04/200371000303/01/2000
 Upper and lower ball joinst failed. *ak
03/13/2003113000104/01/2000
 Pe 03-032, front suspension/lowerball joint failure: the lower ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak *jb
11/03/2003001/09/2000
 2000 dodge durango, had vehicle in shop numerous times trying to track down a noise in the front end which was becoming increasingly worse. on this date found the ball joint was in dangerously bad shape and was replaced. *la
10/09/2003111/21/2000
 Premature replacement required for 2000 dodge durango upper and lower ball joints (50,000 miles). *la
11/12/2002520001
 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
08/04/20031
 It all started with a squeezing noise in the front end, one day the front right end ball joint collapsed and caused the front right wheel to completely fold underneath itself and caused the front end to collapse. there was roughly miles on the vehicle and in very good condition. luckily i was simply pulling out of my driveway and not driving down the highway. no one was hurt, but the potential for injury was astronomical. *la ea03-023
10/26/200356001
 While driving 15 mph consumer heard a loud popping noise. the consumer pulled over to check, and saw that front ball joints broke. *ak ea03-023
10/16/200350000110/13/2000
 2000 dodge durango ball joints. *ak
10/26/2003005/22/2003
 We own a 2000 dodge durango. we experienced vibration in the front and strange noises. mechanic checked front end of vehicle. said that front right upper ball joint was defective to the point where it was unsafe to operate. he showed us the abnormal play in the front and said the wheel could easily separate from the chassis. he replaced this ball joint, but warned that the other three (consisting of lower and upper ball joints on left side, and lower ball joint on right side) are also bad and will need replacing in the very near future. also said the universal joints in the rear will need to be replaced in the near future. this is all after we spent more than $200 to replace rear wheel axle bearings. *ak
08/12/2003105/08/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango with 50,000 miles on it. (bought brand new). in august i took it in for service to my dealership, and told them about a noise in the front end. they checked it out, and told me i need upper and lower ball joints, at the cost of $1500.00. i have not yet had them replaced. i feel that there is a major problem with dodge's ball joints, from the recent tv reports. i think the factory should recall these vehicles and fix what is needed. i have a statement from the dealership stating that these ball joints need replacing, if you need a copy of that, i will be glad to mail you one. thanks, joan yuenger. *ak
07/01/2003700001
 Had to replace entire front-end assembly on 2000 dodge durango due to premature wear.*ak
10/25/200359658107/20/2000
 Front ball joint failed on my durango and the tire collapsed. *la ea03-023
10/15/20031
 The lower and upper ball joints as well as the entire rack and pinion need to be replaced. *ak *nm
09/02/2003599001
 While driving 55 mph ,the lower ball joint snapped. as a result the front passenger side wheel had come off and the consumer lost control of the vehicle. the consumer was forced to pull to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the autobody but the problem has not been resolved. *ak chrysler had not contacted the consumer at this point. *scc *jb
06/01/200132000201/02/2000
 I had heard that there was a known issue with the dodge durango ball joints going out before 60,000 miles. i took the suv to the dealer and they tried to tell me there was nothing wrong. i went to a different dealer and they replaced my entire lower control arms.*ak
07/15/2003990001
 Pe 03-032, front suspension upper ball joint failure: the upper ball joints prematurely wore out and the wheel separated. *ak the front end vibrated while driving. both upper and lower ball joints were diagnosed as bad. *ph *jb ea03-023
05/29/200354000105/15/2003
 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
05/27/200346833011/17/1999
 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
07/31/200327000107/31/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango slt plus 4x4, with 27,000. miles. (original owner)the drivers side ball joints were leaking, the dealer ship replaced all 4 ball joints under warrenty. the steering had started to become unstable. how ever, the front brake rotors had to be replaced because of corrosion, at my expense.*ak
03/28/200351953404/22/2000
 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
10/05/200230000010/05/1999
 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.
01/06/200356421112/23/1999
 Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak the dealer replaced the upper and lower ball joints. *nm
03/18/200340500106/14/2000
 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
07/25/20031
 Consumer states the other day he went to have a front end alignment done, and was told that it could not be done because both the upper and lower ball joints were worn beyond limits. consumer did not have the work done because of the cost. *ak
07/16/200238755106/19/2000
 With reference to a 7/23/03 newspaper article from the nhtsa regarding 81 complaints alleging that the front suspension ball joints are wearing out prematurely on the dodge durangos, i would like to add my vehicle to that count.*ak on 7/16/02 i had the right front upper control arm replaced on my 2000 dodge durango to remedy a noise problem. this was done at the auto dealer at my expense.
1
 Consumer stated that after having vehicle serviced technician noticed passenger's side ball joint needed to be replaced. *ak
07/24/20031
 Consumer took vehicle into the dealer to inspect the front end since it felt like it was waving. dealer replaced both sides, upper and lower ball joints. *ak
07/23/200353000202/14/2003
 I have a 2000 dodge durango, and i have been experiencing, front suspension problems.when you are turning or driving at any rate of speed it makes a creeking noise, and a clicking noise. i took it to goodyear and they told me the ball joints need to be replaced, upper and lower. there is only 52000 miles on my truck, i took it to the dealer and they said they can not duplicate the problem. the cost for repair is over $1000.00 dollars. with all the complaints you are reciiveing i think there should be a recall and the dealers should be repairing the problems at there expense. *ak
108/19/2002
 When the consumer turned the vehicle left or right, there was a noise coming from the vehicle. *ak the consumer later learned the ball joints had failed. *jb
270001
 Consumer took vehicle to mechanic for tire and alignment service. mechanic advised consumer could not perform alignment service because ball joints were worn excessively and needed to be replaced.*ak
07/21/2003206/15/2000
 Backing out of driveway turning wheel to right felt like i hit something, got out and looked around vehicle, found nothing. backed into street, knew something was wrong, looked at front tire on passenger side, wheel was cocked. called tow truck and certified mechanic said ball joint was broken.*ak ea03-023
11/03/20024200006/06/2000
 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.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM
02/15/2003108/23/2002
 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
10/26/20046700110/26/2004
 On october 26th at approximately 3:40pm my wife, carrying our six children, was driving our 2000 dodge durango on chicago's lake shore drive when the right front wheel popped off. fortunately there wher no injuries related to this potentially fatal mechanical breakdown. our durango has less than 75,000 miles on it. it is our understanding that many dodge durangos have experienced this problem however, neither dodge nor the nhtsa has done anything about it. *ak
06/15/200487000108/09/2000
 Ball joint failure on passenger side. the upper control arms, along with the ball joints have been replaced 3 times in the first 24 months of operation.*ak
1
 Upper control arms needed to be replaced. *ph the consumer complained about front end noises shortly after the vehicle was purchased. *jb
03/30/200423500511/13/2000
 I watched the show on cbs about dodge durango's having a problem with the front ball joints in their vehicles and to date they have had 79 incidents relating to the front end/ball joints and chrysler has not put out a recall for the vehicle. i have been stationed in guantanamo bay, cuba for the last three years and i finally got a chance to take my 2000 durango in for some much needed work since arriving back in the states. i told them i had noise coming from the front end of my vehicle. we have heard this noise for about six months and then i saw the show in cbs about three weeks after arriving back in the states. low and behold, you can add our vehicle to the list of problems. we had to have all our front ball joints replaced along with other front end work. thank goodness i got the extended warranty, or i would have paid over $1,000 for something chrysler should be recalling. we really enjoy our durango, but we will think twice about buying another dodge when they don't care about the safety of there customers.*ak
07/12/2002212/01/1999
 While driving driver heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and mechanic determined that upper ball joint failed. *ak consumer experienced problem twice. first problem occurred 2 years after purchase the tires uneven and went bald. consumer first thought that it was an alignment problem with the wheels. consumer called dealer after hearing an announcement on tv regarding problems associated with upper ball joints on vehicle. dealer recommended consumer to replace the upper control arm. *la
03/01/20031
 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
04/29/2003434611
 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
11/20/200022397110/21/1999
 No wreck - first, complained to dodge dealership and they replaced a belt saying that's what it was in 2000 after 22397 miles, then i couldn't take the squeeking any more in 2001 and had the whole upper control arm assembly replaced by a local mechanic at 41306 since it was out of warranty by then. this mechanic was shocked that this vehicle had to have this replaced, but found it was the source of my squeek. continual squeek from about 17000 miles up to when fixed at 41306 miles. seems, it's starting to do it again somewhat (not like original problem though). now, no one will want to purchase this vehicle as a used car, plus the trade-in value will drop dramatically. *ak
1
 All four control arms on a 2000 dodge durango were worn out on the vehicle.*mr the upper left control arm was replaced and the consumer felt there should be an investigation into the matter. *ph *jb
03/28/200351953404/22/2000
 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
07/16/200238755106/19/2000
 With reference to a 7/23/03 newspaper article from the nhtsa regarding 81 complaints alleging that the front suspension ball joints are wearing out prematurely on the dodge durangos, i would like to add my vehicle to that count.*ak on 7/16/02 i had the right front upper control arm replaced on my 2000 dodge durango to remedy a noise problem. this was done at the auto dealer at my expense.
100001
 Consumer states when making a turn there is a popping noise in the front of vehicle. took to dodge, and dodge replaced the upper control arm bushingr. the popping stopped. *ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT
09/29/2007104000108/09/2000
 2000 dodge durango, when my car had 70,000 miles on it, there was a recall of the ball joints. my durango now has 100,000+ miles and it is making the same popping noise in the front end. my mechanic says that it needs new ball joints again. i feel dodge replaced the ball joints with the same defective parts as the original parts. this is a safety issue. when i contacted dodge i was told via e-mail that warranty was only until 10 years or 100,000 miles. they did not count on owners keeping this vehicle. this is a safety issue that i feel dodge should stand behind. *jb
07/30/200675000109/01/2000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. the contact received recall notice number 04v596000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). he took the vehicle to a local mechanic and they notified fresno dodge. the dealer refused to perform the recall repair because the vehicle was not experiencing any failures at the time. the dealer also informed the contact that even though he received a recall notice, he would still be responsible for the repair costs. there have been no failures to date. the current mileage was 113,000 and failure mileage was 75,000. the consumer stated does not understand why the dealer would not perform the recall and would not cover the cost of the recall. the consumer stated would like to be reimbursed for recall performed on the vehicle. the consumer provided the recall issued and the repair invoice. updated 09/10/07 *tr
07/03/2007992001004/01/2000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge durango. while driving 35 mph the vehicle pulled to the right. she stated that the vehicle has had several wheel alignments. she received a recall notice (recall#04v596000) for the front upper ball joints. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the upper ball joints did not need to be replaced; however the problem continued to occur. the current mileage was 142,000 and the failure mileage was 99,200. updated 01/07/08.*lj updated 12/12/07
04/01/2007107/14/2006
 Front upper ball joints. *ak
12/27/2006127000203/31/2006
 Tl* - the contact took the car to sears because the vehicle was making a popping noise. the noise occurred since he purchased the vehicle. there were no warning lights indicating service was needed on the vehicle . the contact stated the repair was previously done incorrectly the dealer's district manager denied the repair, although approval was given by the manufacturer . *ak
07/27/2006125000308/31/2000
 Have had several problems with ball joints and control arm on 2000 dodge durango, they have replaced them twice under warranty and now they are bad again and need changing and dodge will not cover since i am over the 100,000 miles warranty. this should be a major recall since i have had numerous problems with this since right after i purchased the car new. *jb
05/25/2006117000107/07/2005
 Dodge durango 4x2. we have had to have the upper ball joint repaired and now the steering knuckle is out on the vehicle. i have contact dodge dealers and customer care and was told the recall on this only pertained to the 4x4. i am having the same problem with the 2000 4x2 and they state it is not on the recall list. i do see that there were 400,000 4x2 with the same problem. *nm
06/01/200634000307/20/2002
 Lower ball joint failure/wheel bearing failure for 2000 dodge durango. they were replaced in oct 2002 also. the upper ball joints were replaced in dec 04. on june 1 the lowers have to be replaced again and dodge will not do anything. there is only 83k on this car. *jb
01/01/19011
 Consumer has been to dealer to have recall work done and was told that they could not help. *ts odi asked manufacturer to resolve. customer did not receive notification letter. customer paid dealer for the remedy. 1/17/06 *rw *jb
10/28/2005661501
 I took my 2000 dodge durango in for its annual state inspection. when the mechanic put the car up on the lift, the tire fell off. the failure was due to an upper ball joint issue. the mechanic replaced the upper and lower ball joints and replaced the damaged tire. dodge claims that they will only pay for the cost of the upper ball joint and will not reimburse for the lower joint, tire, or labor. all parts are available for inspection. *nm
09/01/2005112000112/01/1999
 Dt: the contact stated two weeks ago made an appointment to have recall repair work done. the dealer did not really want to make an appointment because the contact had not bought the car there, but did so. two weeks ago, she took vehicle to the dealer and spoke to an individual who told her that the parts had been there, but they ran out of them again, and the parts had been sent to the original dealer.*ak
08/09/200543000107/01/2004
 Dt: contact stated on 8-9-05 received a recall concerning the ball joints on 2000 dodge durango. eight months ago when she heard about the recall she called the garage, and they told her they were out of the parts and would call her back in a few weeks. they went on to say it was not serious and she did not need to be concerned. after one month she called them back, and they said they had the parts but missed consumer's name, and were currently out of the parts again. they would call consumer back when the parts came in. they never called consumer back. consumer called the manufacturer on 8-9-05, and they said to use a different dealership. *ak
06/23/2005305/08/2000
 Daimler/chrysler did a recall on the upper ball joints on some dodge durangos. i have had my ball joints replaced two times, the first time was the summer of 2004, before the recall happened, then again in dec 2004 when the recall was announced. to my understanding when you replace ball joints upper & lower should be replace together because they are one component as with the control arms also. as an result of not being replaced at the same time it caused damage to my suv. i am going to dispute this with the makers of the dodge durango, because these components work together,one going bad causes the other ones to go bad also, they should have repaired the unit correctly instead of taking the cheap way out. i was told by an repair shop that when the dealer replaced the ball joints they also should repaired the control arms, which did not happen. the dealer wants to charge me for something that they should have done i the first place. i am very disappointed with the makers of this suv. *jb
03/01/200535000108/30/2003
 Dt: consumer had to have left upper ball joints replaced and paid out of pocket. then, a recall notice as issued for the left and right upper ball joints. dealer reimbursed consumer for the upper ball joints but not for the wheel alignment. after getting the recall had to take it in to have the right side fixed. replaced the parts, but did not do the alignment which was included in the recall. filed a complaint previously on mar 22, 2005 and still hasn't heard anything. odi 10114468. *ak
04/01/20051
 2000 dodge durango safety recall for upper ball joints.***no answer required***. *mr the consumer sent in receipts that totaled 1,336.55, however the manufacturer sent the consumer a check for 319.32. *jb
04/15/20055
 The consumer received recall campaign notice 04v596000 in december 2004 and contacted the dealership. the dealer indicated that there were no parts available from manufacturer for repairs. the dealership was unable to tell the consumer when the parts would become available. *ak *nm
12/13/200465155209/25/2000
 Ball joints wore out leading to stress and subsequent break of tie rod, ball joints were replaced due to recall, tie rod repaired at owners expense, was told one did not relate to the other . *ak
12/06/20041350001
 Consumer received a recall for the upper ball joints, and has not been able to have the vehicle repaired since the dealer had not received the parts from the manufacturer. there was a four month waiting list. *ak
12/01/20041
 Recall campaign' dodge durango 2000 upper ball joints defect. *bf the consumer requested for nhtsa to help induce the recall repair process. *sc the consumer was told no parts were available. *jb
12/27/2004307/02/2002
 Recall campaign 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear: consumer was unable to get the dealer to honor this manufacturer's recall because the parts were on national back order.*ak
03/23/20051
 A loud knocking noise came from the front of the vehicle. the noise would escalate repeatedly while driving. driver took vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the left and right upper ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
03/22/20051
 I have a 2000 dodge durango that had a recall due to upper ball joints. i had replaced one at my own expense at the dealer, and they had charged me for an alignment, which did make sense for this type of repair. after the recall was announced i took the car back to the same dealer, and they did not align the vehicle after replacing the second ball joint (since i did not have to pay i assume they shorted this step to save money). dodge will not reimburse me for the alignment on the first repair that i had paid for. i looked up the recall notice on your website and the saftey recall d47 states that the alignment is required. customer service at dodge stated in an e-mail to me that it is not required and they will not pay for it, nor do it as part of the recall. i am hoping that you could tell me which party is correct here and additionally would ask for your advise on how i can proceed. thank you for your attention and any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. *ak
01/01/20051
 Recall campaign; problem with ball joints on 2000 durango. *bf the consumer called in the beginning of january to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle's balll joint replaced. the dealer didn't have the parts available and as of january 20 the part still wasn't available. *nm
01/12/2005500001
 No parts for recall 04v596000 concerning ball joints. vancover, dodge, 360-574-1131. *ak
02/25/2005240001
 To date the consumer has been unable to get the upper ball joints replaced, since no parts are available through the dealership. upper ball joint nhtsa recall 04v596000. *nm
01/01/20051
 Recall expansion!! 2000 dodge dakota two wheel driver truck. if the 2wd dakota has same upper ball joints why were they not included in the recall? *bf *nm *sc *tc *jb
01/01/20051
 Recall campaign: the vehicle's upper ball joints failed prior to the consumer receiving the recall notice. *nm *sc *tc *jb
01/03/20054
 2000 dodge durango front suspension upper ball joints failed. *bf the power door locks operated on their own without activation, at times the driver door lock would not operate at the same time as the passenger side the power windows will intermittently roll up. the thermostat was replaced twice. *jb
01/01/20051
 The vehicle's upper ball joints failed. *nm recall#04v596000. *sc *jb
02/14/2005400001
 Recall campaign 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. owner received notification from the manufacturer in november, 2004. owner contacted the dealer, and scheduled an appointment. since then, parts for this recall are currently unavailable, and according to the manufacturer there is no date as to when the parts needed for this recall will be made available. *ak
01/01/20051
 Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000, consumer contacted dealer to service vehicle for defect. since the first week of january dealer had not had parts.
12/27/20041
 Consumer's vehicle is a part of a recall regarding the ball joints on the chrysler/dodge durango. however, consumer has been waiting for the parts which has not come in as of yet. she has continuously called, and still nothing has been done. *ak the consumer stated that the problem was taken care of. *tc
01/03/20052
 Obvious ball joint defect/safety issue for dodge durangos. replaced cv joints due to them being worn out and need replacement again. *bf
12/10/2004600001
 When attempting to schedule a recall repair for the upper ball joints, the dealer continued to state that the parts were unavailable and they do not know when they will receive them. the consumer stated she has called on three different occasions. please provide additional information. *jb
01/03/2005380001
 Dodge durango 2000 replaced upper and lower ball joints. consumer wants to know how they can get reimbursed through chrysler. *bf *jb
01/19/2005111000010/10/2004
 Daimler chrysler has issued a recall notice for all durango 4x4's model year 2000 - 2003 but has only issued an extended warranty for all durango 4x2's models. the recall and the warranty is for the upper ball joint replacement. my complaint is that the recall should cover all durangos whether they are 4x4's or 4x2's. both types use the same exact upper ball joints. the recall covers all 4x4 vehicles regardless of the mileage, whereas the extended warranty on covers vehicles with less then 100,000 miles. i find this rather irresponsible and very frustrating because my durango was purchased with over 100,000 miles and is exhibiting the symptoms of excessive upper ball joint wear. *nm
01/12/2005450001
 04v596000/ball joint wear. the consumer received notification from the manufacturer and took the vehicle to the dealer for servicing. the consumerwas informed by the dealer that the parts needed to repair the defect were unavailable and there is no eta as to when they will become available. provide further details. *jb *tt
01/18/200511731509/24/2000
 I have been hearing a popping noise, especially when i am turning. i recently received an upper ball joint extended warranty notice so i took my vehicle to a dodge dealer to have it checked out. i was told that my ball joint and a control arm needed to be replaced badly, but the extended warranty letter that i had just received didn't apply to my vehicle since it's past the 100,000. *nm
01/12/2005450001
 04v596000/ball joint wear. owner received notification from the manufacturer and went to the dealer closes to him. owner was told that the next appointment for the recall repairs won't be until the end of february, 2005. provide further details. *jb
01/02/2005110/02/1999
 We received a recall on our dodge durango 2000 year. none of the area dodge dealers have the parts needed for the replacement of the damaged part- ball joints. they also do not know when the parts will arrive due to the company not manufacturing enough parts to cover the recall. we need this vehicle for transportation to and from work. *jb
01/15/2005
 Had my 2000 dodge durango upper ball joints inspected and they are near failure. contacted dodge and because my durango is not a 4x4 but a 4x2 it is not subject to recall. it is the same sealed ball joint that is failing on the 4x4 so why not part of recall?
01/12/20051
 Recall campaign: nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle is included in the recall, but there are no available appointments until april, which could be dangerous because the wheels can fall off. *nm
01/12/20041
 Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000 on the ball joint wear. consumer contacted the dealer, and was informed that the next available appointment is march 16, 2005. *ak
01/10/20051
 Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000 concerning upper ball joints. daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle is included in the recall, but there are no parts available in order to repair, which could dangerous because the front wheels could fall off.*ak
01/12/2005250001
 Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000 concerning upper ball joint wear. owner received notification from the manufacturer for this recall. owner took the vehicle to the dealer for service. owner was told that because the vehicle was not purchased from that dealership, he will have to wait 4 weeks to get an appointment. those who purchased their vehicles from this dealership were being serviced on a first come first serve basis. *ak
01/10/20051
 Nhtsa recall campaign 04v596000, daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. but has a clicking noise and shaking from the front of the vehicle when making turns. *ak
01/10/20051206/15/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango. it is not a 4x4 and as a result is not a part of the recent upper ball joint recall. my vehicle has 66,000 miles and i have had to replace my front tires two times due to uneven tire wear. the last time i replaced the tires, less than a year ago, i had a fron end alignment done. the third set of tires is now also wearing unevenly. i am also hearing a loud rattling noise that appears to be coming from the front end or front door passenger side area. i don't knwo if this is related. i have not contacted the dealer, because i have been told that they will only consider reparing the vehicle under recall if it is a 4x4. i would like to have the front end problem inspected and corrected and i would like to be re-imbursed for at least the last two front tires i purchased. this has been an ongoing problem since i first bought the vehicle in 2000, but i was unaware of the potential problem until i heard about the recall.*ak
01/10/20051
 Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle is not included in the recall due to vin. but there is a clicking noise and shaking while the vehicle is traveling at low speeds, and making turns. *ak
12/01/200464583
 dodge durango'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>dodge durango 4x4 ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joints failure. control arm replaced with polyurethane. *bf the consumer stated that she had the upper ball joints replaced three times. *tc *jb
01/07/20051
 Nhtsa campaign 04v596000; daimler chrysler issued an upper ball joint recall. this vehicle is included in the recall, but there are no appointments available until may in order to repair. this is dangerous because the front wheels can fall off.*ak
12/06/2004108000111/16/2002
 The right front wheel separated from the vehicle while driving 20 mph. vehicle was towed to the dealer. dealer replaced both the lower and the upper ball joints.*ak
01/05/20041
 Nhtsa recall 04v596000 concerning ball joint wear. consumer contacted the dealer for an appointment, and mechanic informed consumer that the next available appointment would be april 25, 2005. *ak
12/23/200476000109/15/2004
 Would like to know if upper ball joint faliure was cause of my wifes accident on dec23,2004. the accident totaled out our 2000 durango. please show me where to go for help. i recieved my recall leter from chrysler on jan 3, 2004. a little to late.*ak
01/03/20041
 Nhtsa recall 04v596000 concerning upper ball joint wear. dealer refused to honor the recall because vehicle was not purchased at that particular dealer. *ak the consumer stated that the recall was not completed because the dealer did not have the parts. *tc
12/29/20041
 Nhtsa recall 04v596000 on the ball joint wear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall, however the mechanic informed the consumer that she would have to pay for an alignment first before having the ball joint replaced. please provide further details. *jb
12/29/20041
 The dealership is refusing to perform the upper ball joint wear recall 04v596000 until they have performed the recall on the trucks that were brought from them. *jb
09/17/200458667111/13/1999
 On sept. 17, 2004, i took my 2000 dodge durango to the norm reeves dealership in temecula, california, for some warranty work and a 60,000 mile service. i was informed that i needed new brakes, and i authorized this service. i later got a call and was informed that the rear differential needed service. while this service was being performed, apparently the left front spindle came out when the caliper bolt was being removed. i was told that my wheels could have fallen off. these two repairs came to nearly $1,000.00. my question is: is any of this related to the ball joint moisture leak that was recently publicized by your organization? if so, how should i attempt to get reimbursement from the dealership and/or dodge? thank you for your assistance! i am a single parent, and feel i was taken advantage of because i have no automotive knowledge. *jb
09/12/2003004/10/2000
 Noise,poor handling.uneven tire ware. *ak
01/15/20001
 My 2000 dodge durango was diagnosed with undercarriage problems and in need of ball joint replacement and numerous other parts in both front tires. in addition, i have replaced the cv joints once already because they were worn out and they are in need of replacement again. the ball joints are a critical part of the suspension, steering, and safety of any vehicle, passengers, and others. if the ball joints shall fail, as many have indicated have done on dodge durango's, there would be serious injury, damage, and potential death for those involved. i have also replaced the tires to due uneven ware, which i have been told could be due to the ball joints. with the history of the ball joint problems with dodge durangos, there should be no reason dodge doesn't recall them. dodge's liability and consequence for not recalling them will be far more dramatic and financially negative after more ball joints fail causing more accidents, injuries, and deaths resulting in lawsuits. for one would hate to see anyone hurt or killed due to dodge's negligence. estimate to fix is around $1600 for the ball joints in the front end. the cv joints will also need repairing. since this is an obvious defect in the manufacturing of the durango, i do not believe i should pay for it. durango's record for inferior undercarriage should be enough for the auto industry to demand compensation to all owners of the durango. this doesn't take into account the potential property damage and physical injuries or deaths that have been or will be caused by this defect in the dodge durango ball joints.*ak
09/14/200441000111/26/1999
 I had notiice for some time that my vehicle , a 2000 durango had an unususal noise when turning to the right along with a loose feel when driving ,especially when on a curve or bumpy road. i took my vehicle to a local dealer to be checked out and their first response was that i needed to have my upper ball joints replaced. i had purchased extended warranty insurance for the vehicle so that paid for most of the replacement cost but that did not pay anything for the front end alignment required after the ball joints were replaced. it seems really unususul that ball joints which require no lubrication and can not be lubricated would deteriorate so rapidly in just 40000 miles of normal operation. at the time i also wondered why they immediately decided that the upper ball joints were defective but i see from the news now that daimler chrysler has had a good indication that they did have a problem and just hoped to keep me quiet. *ak
12/03/200478000108/15/2003
 (1) driving vehicle, normal speed, crossing railroad tracks (2) upper ball joint separated, allowing right front wheel assembly to come fall ouside the vehicle. failure caused lack of steering control of vehicle until stopped. damage affected all related parts outside of frame including abs sensor, upper and lower control arms, tire wheel, wheel berrings, axel, drive shaft, brake line, lower ball joint, steering arm, etc. (3) all components replaced. *ak
07/31/200471238103/01/2003
 Right upper ball joint was worn and very loose. *ak
07/31/200471238103/01/2003
 Right upper ball joint was loose and very worn. *ak
09/23/2003390001
 2000 dodge durango premature wear upper ball joints in september 2003 with only 39,000 miles the durango was diagnosed with early upper ball joint wear. dodge dealership ignores several requests to address the problem. *ak do we have to wait until it fails and someone is killed to solve, what i now find, is a common problem?
12/03/2004109/30/1999
 2000 dodge durango - dealer recommends replacing upper ball joints. dealers opinion is that the vehicle is unsafe to operate. for the past three years, dodge has been reviewing a product recall on the durango ball joints. this defective product issue needs to be resolved.*ak
11/16/200470000106/15/2000
 Consumer replaced the ball joints in august 2003. as of today passeneger's side ball joints need to be replaced. consumer was frustrated. *ak *tt
01/01/2003512/10/2002
 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
10/26/20046700110/26/2004
 On october 26th at approximately 3:40pm my wife, carrying our six children, was driving our 2000 dodge durango on chicago's lake shore drive when the right front wheel popped off. fortunately there wher no injuries related to this potentially fatal mechanical breakdown. our durango has less than 75,000 miles on it. it is our understanding that many dodge durangos have experienced this problem however, neither dodge nor the nhtsa has done anything about it. *ak
07/26/2004532301
 2000 dodge durango in which the ball joint had to be replaced at 53230 miles. they were so far gone that the mechanic doing the inspection stated the durango could not be driven until the necessary repairs were made because it was to dangreous to drive. i feel luckly that this was caught by the mechanic during a oil change, for we were using it for a 1000 mile vacation the following week . the cost of repair $760.57 ball joints wer r&r
10/06/20041
 My complaint is simply that i cannot understand why your agency hasn't ordered a recall concerning defective ball joints on 2000 dodge durangos, and durangos of other model years so affected. these defects are highly dangerous, and highly costly to owners. your inaction is simply facilitating daimler chrysler's cynical policy of ignoring the issue and hoping that it blows over. in the absence of a recall order, i fail to see how your agency is protecting american taxpayers. *nm
10/08/200492000112/10/2003
 10/8/04 drove vehicle for approx 4 miles today, everything normal as could be. leaving a parking spot with limited clearance, requiring a full turn-to-lock on the steering wheel, upper ball joint failed, causing separation of the front axle (4wd), and separation of the lower ball joint. there was no noise or other indication of impending failure. *nm
09/30/20047300001
 While driving driversehicle wandered from side to side. steering wheel would pull from left to right on its own. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that both frontal upper ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
03/18/2004
 I have a 2000 dodge durango and i have had problems with my balljoints. i've had my car in for numerous problems but none as scary as the near loosing control of my car everytime i go over a pothole or uneven pavement. finally in march 2004 i had all four of the balljoints replaced because they were found to have excessive radial free play, over .250 inch. after having them replaced in march there is still a problem. i brought the car back for the same problem but was told that everything was tight but that i needed new shocks. i've replaced the shocks and the problem still persists. i asked the dealer if i could have the old parts but they said since it was a warranty issue that i wouldn't be able to have them becasuse they would have to send them back to mopar. i also asked if the balljoints that were replaced were the same as the old ones, the same type, same manufacture and the dealer told me there was no way for him to know. because if they were the old type then i would like the new type put one. i feel lucky that i purchased an extended warranty because i haven't had to pay for the replacement of the balljoints, but i did have to pay 500 dollars for replacing the shocks. i just hope i really needed them.
08/31/200466000211/01/1999
 Basic auto checkup desovered issue. when the vehicle was lifted in the air the front end fell apart. both ball joints for the 2000 durango i own had to be replaced which end up costing close to $500. i had heard 1 year ago about possible problem but didn't think anything of it until now which lead me to research it. it would seem this is a very common issue, and it could have possiblity been worse by it falling off while i was driving, which could have resulting is serious injury.*ak
09/03/200425000204/02/2000
 Beginning at approximately 25,000 miles a noise from the front suspension began. over time the noise continued to get worse. the source of the noise was the upper ball joints which failed with only appoximately 49,000 miles on a 2000 dodge durango. the dealer informed me that this is a common failure with durangos. both upper ball joints failed. this is a premature failure which could lead to an accident and possible loss of life. chrysler should recall and replace the defective components before someone is injured.*ak
08/31/200480000110/02/2000
 My 2000 dodge durango 4.7 upper ball joint failed and has unusal rusted wear and tear for this vehicle. after an inspection i was alerted that this ball joint was unually worn and that it would need replacing. there was no indication that it had worn to the extent it had . i consider my self lucky but it seems that there is a definte issue here as not only that it was warn on my vehicle but the part is almost impossible to find as many other are experincing the same issue. yet there has been no recall on this part i think some poeple are going to get hurt here and before they do please ask diamer chrysler to look into this issue.*ak
08/05/2004114000106/07/2000
 Consumer complained about a ball joint'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joint problem. while driving vehicle was shaking violently. consumer to vehicvle to dealer for an alignment. consumer was then told that an alignment could not be done unless the ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joints were replaced.*ak the vehicle shakes when driving speeds of 40 mph and higher. *tc *jb
08/01/20042
 The upper ball joints failed. took vehicle to the dealer, but problem recurred. *ak
06/15/200487000108/09/2000
 Ball joint failure on passenger side. the upper control arms, along with the ball joints have been replaced 3 times in the first 24 months of operation.*ak
08/19/200441132104/25/2003
 While driving left front tire fell off after crossing a rail road track. the ball joints'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>ball joints were defective. dealer stated this was not under warranty.*ak *tc
08/18/2004700001
 While driving at low speeds the steering column pulsated. dealer stated that the upper ball joints failed. *ak
06/02/20021
 Nar 06/06/2003 *mr while driving the consumer hit a dip in the road and the whole wheel assembly flew off. corroded ball joints. *cb
07/20/2004103000101/01/2004
 Ea 03 023 & pe 03 032/ ball joint failure: while driving 45-50 mph upper ball joint broke on the passenger's side. vehicle went out of control and rolled over twice into an embankment before stopping. driver and the passenger sustained minor injuries, and were transported to the local hospital by an ambulance. *ak
08/05/200337000107/15/2001
 Passenger side upper ball joint bad at 37,000 miles. could feel something wrong through the steering wheel and made several visits to dodge dealer and non-dodge dealer and all said nothing was wrong. finally insisted the dealer where the vehicle was purchased put it on the front end machine and take a look. problem was easily discovered by the mechanic prior to making it to the machine. also replaced drivers side automatic door lock assembly twice in two months. *ak
03/04/200123000209/20/2000
 2000 dodge durango 2 wheel drive. i bought the vehicle new. currently has 39,000 miles on it. ave had to replace both upper ball joints on the vehicle already (approximately 23,000 miles were on the vehicle at the time). now, i am told, i have to replace the right upper again. i also have to replace the right inner tie-rod, and the rack & pinion bushings. i have had constant front tire wear problems since the car was new. i am on my third set of tires for the front end.*ak
01/01/1901490001
 Took vehicle to mechanic to have wheels realigned. wheels weren't realigned because upper ball joint was so bad mechanic advised consumer have it replaced. (nar) *la *cb
07/12/200446500103/03/2000
 Failed upper balljoints. *ak
07/19/2004106/05/2001
 After driving over 100 miles on interstate i-79 i pulled into a parking lot and my right front tire broke off leaving the vehicle unable to move. upper ball joint broke which in turn broke the axel which broke the tie rod. when the lower ball joint was removed it also fell apart. i was terified by what had happened. i was told by the service department making the repairs that a part in the tie rod was broken but no replacement part was made so the entire tie rod must be replaced. also the tie rod needed was on back order so a used tie rod will have to be used. i have been told that the used tie rod should be okay with no defects. the cost to repair has gone well over $1,000.00. i can not stress to you how upset i have been since this happened. if i had lost that tire out on the interstate myself and others could have been killed. *la
07/18/2001150002
 While driving at any speed, consumer can hear a clicking sound coming from the front wheels. a mechanic examined the vehicle and found that the ball joints were worn on both sides. the consumer also found out that the clock spring is defective in the vehicle. *la *ts
07/08/2004106/07/2000
 Upper and lower ball joints failed inspection. my car has only 36,000 miles. there has never been any indication that there was a problem with my car(in oppositon to chrysler's claim that owners will be able to tell). *ak
06/29/20041
 Upper and lower suspension ball joints are out of specification and premature wearing. dealer informs me this is a frequent and recurring problem with durangos and can lead to serious front end loss of vehicle control. if the dealer says this is a recurring problem, how can this not be a recall item?*ak
06/29/20041
 While vehicle was going through state inspection technician noticed that one of the wheels was wobbly, and technician determined that the ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
06/02/200453001104/11/2003
 While driving 35 mph, the consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and the mechanic determined that the upper ball joints failed. *ak *sc *jb
06/23/20041
 While having vehicle serviced technician determined that upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
06/19/200441750106/01/2003
 While driving 10 mph, the consumer heard a loud popping noise coming from the front of the vehicle. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pulled over. the consumer, who was a mechanic, inspected the vehicle and noticed that the upper front ball joint needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak after the removal of the right side upper ball joints, they appeared to have never been lubed at the assembly line. *sc *jb
06/13/200461000102/01/2000
 While driving, the consumer heard noises coming from the front of the vehicle. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and tr mechanic determined that both upper ball joints failed. *ak there was no warning. the upper ball joint separated under normal conditions. there was damage in the left front suspension, steering gear, control arm, and the axle shaft were all replaced. *sc *jb
01/01/19011
 Defective upper ball joints on 2000 dodge durango. *ph *jb
06/14/20041
 While driving at any speed consumer heard a loud noise coming from the front end. independent mechanic informed consumer that front lower arm ball joint and upper arm ball joint wore out, and needed to be replaced. *ak
06/13/2004499001
 2000 dodge durango ball joint failure. 49,000 miles on it and the ball joints need replacing. chrysler needs to recall these and fix them. *ak
06/03/2004380001
 At 38000 miles consumer replaced passenger and driver side upper and lower ball joints. at 84000 miles technician indicated needed to be replace all four ball joints. *nm
06/01/200414111/08/2003
 Ball joints. upon routine maintenance and reports of failures on the dodge durangos i recently check the front suspension on my personal vehicle to find three of the four ball joints with extensive wear. one to the point where separation is possible. being in the repair and maintenance industry for over 25 years i find dodges response to this matter not to be completely correct. dodge claims a front end noise should be heard and that separation will only occur with sharp hard turns is not always the case. they claim the design of the control arms make it almost impossible to separate would only hold true if spring pressure was applied on the upper control arm, which it has none. they claim that water washes the lubricant out of the joint. if the joint had been produced properly water should not be able to enter the joint, if the joint was able to be lubricated it would reduce this problem, as wear is from lack of lubricant more than water. i feel like the cost of repairs to these vehicles should not be the consumers, but the manufactures responsibilitys as it is apparent they have the problem and is holding the blind eye to it. once the joints are replaced they will be available. *ak
05/24/20041
 While driving a popping noise was heard coming from the front. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined both frontal upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
1
 While driving consumer heard a popping noise coming from the rear, and vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and pulled over. consumer noticed that the passenger front tire felt off. vehicle was towed home. the front passenger upper ball joint broke. *ak
05/12/200410/28/2000
 Heard sqeaking in the front end for the past year. brought in vehicle to dealer today 5/12/04 for new tires and brakes. when cart was hoisted on lift fron right tire fell off due to ball joint seperation and failure. dealer staed front left was also bad
05/10/2004101/23/2004
 Shaking when driving at all speeds. took vehicle into dealership. upper and lower ball joints bad, loose tie rod ends,sway bar busings gone bad. paid to have dealership fix vehicle due to no recall issued. *la
04/03/200458000108/01/2001
 I was making a left hand turn across 2 lanes of traffic into a parking lot. there was a small dip at the entrance and then the area leveled off. i was going about 10mph and as my front end came out of the dip, the front right side of my vehicle collapsed. i was towed to the dealer. after the damage survey was complete, i was told the ball joint had failed. there was extensive damage to the wheel, axel, brakes and ball joint. the ball joints were previously inspected in jan 2004. i was told by the dealer that they were fine. *la
12/08/200365000111/10/2000
 -rattling noise started on the front of vehical. -upper ball joints where found by a machanic -new upper ball joints where replace on both left and right of vehical after 65,000 at a cost of over $450.00. *ak
03/30/200423500511/13/2000
 I watched the show on cbs about dodge durango's having a problem with the front ball joints in their vehicles and to date they have had 79 incidents relating to the front end/ball joints and chrysler has not put out a recall for the vehicle. i have been stationed in guantanamo bay, cuba for the last three years and i finally got a chance to take my 2000 durango in for some much needed work since arriving back in the states. i told them i had noise coming from the front end of my vehicle. we have heard this noise for about six months and then i saw the show in cbs about three weeks after arriving back in the states. low and behold, you can add our vehicle to the list of problems. we had to have all our front ball joints replaced along with other front end work. thank goodness i got the extended warranty, or i would have paid over $1,000 for something chrysler should be recalling. we really enjoy our durango, but we will think twice about buying another dodge when they don't care about the safety of there customers.*ak
04/22/20042
 Ball joints have failed and vehicle handles erratically. does not maintain a strait line while driving.*ak
04/20/2004800001
 While driving at 20 mph, the consumer stopped at a stop sign. the consumer made a left turn and the right front wheel separated from the axle. a mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak *sc *jb
01/10/200488358105/12/2000
 Upper ball joints failed on vechile.*ak
04/07/200438000104/17/2003
 Upon examining the tires to find cause of pull while driving noticed excessive wear on the inner tread of the right front tire. when looking under the vehicle, noticed the upper right ball joint nearly collapsed. took to dealer and they confirmed, needs replacing as it is prematurely worn. vehicle has just 50,000 miles and none of the miles are off road. they are highway and back/forth to work miles only. *ak
04/05/200454790106/30/2002
 Had to replace the upper ball joint on my 2000 dodge durango. was informed that the wheels were about to seperate from the veicle, which put me, my husband and two children in sever danger. i have the parts of the defective product that was given back to me when the veicle was serviced. *ak
1
 Consumer questioned why the upper ball joints on the durango were not being recalled, when he himself had to replace his own. *ph *jb
04/07/2004830001
 During a vehicle inspection, the inspector found that the upper and lower ball joints were worn out. the upper and lower ball joints were replaced. *ak *sc *jb
04/05/200444000112/15/1999
 2000 dodge durango vin#yf159461 is in for brake repairs. the dealer manhattan dodge 711 eleventh ave ny ny 10019 212-765-6633 claims i need a new master cylinder. they claim that my ball joints on both sides front need to be replaced. i have heard about the investigation. as i am choosing to replace them for my personal safety, i will collect the old ones if the nhtsa would like them, please let me know. *la
04/03/200434000104/12/2000
 Took my 2000 dodge durango into shop to check front suspension due to cracking noise and grinding in wheels. was told that the ball joints were bad and would have to be replaced. the vehicle has 34,000 miles on it these ball joints should not need replacing at 34,000 miles. the mechanic stated there is a defect in dodge ball joints on the durangos and that it is not safe to drive as is. it is just a matter of time before someone is killed by these defective ball joints. *la
02/28/2004460001
 While driving the vehicle's steering box broke without warning. as a result the vehicle lost control ending up in a ditch. no report of airbag deployment or injuries.*mr
11/01/200380000205/01/2002
 Ball joints failed at 80000 miles on my 2000 4x4 dodge durango. noticed the steering was exceptionally loose, so i followed chrysler's service procedure for checking ball joints. dial indicator showed .287 inch of play on the right side, .220 inch on the left side. i replaced both using moog ball joints.*ak
03/31/2004206/06/2000
 Advise chrysler again my ball joints are worn and will not pass a state safety inspection. the wheels could be vertically moved up and down. the mechanic shook the wheel and the ball joint came off. if i would have been driving this, i would have encountered a major fataility.*ak
03/17/20042
 While driving 25 mph vehicle vibrated from the front driver's side. also, consumer heard a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and mechanic determined that the upper ball joints failed. *ak
03/17/2004680000
 I had my 2000 dodge durango inspected for upper ball joint failure. the dealer found excess play in the upper ball joints and reccomended replacement at 68,000 miles. this problem needs a recall before injuries and deaths occor. dealer stated that the problem is more prone to vehicles driven in a salt environment, but there is none used where this vehicle has been driven.
03/21/20044700207/01/2003
 The vehicle's lower ball joints fail without warning. please provide any additional information. *nm the consumer had replaced the upper and lower ball joint 6 months prior to the second failure. the lower ball joints were so bad that the one on the driver's side was about to fall off. the consumer feels these need to be recalled. *nm
03/03/20041
 The vehicle was taken to the dealer to get new tires. the dealer could not align the front end due to metal fatigue of the upper ball joints. the upper ball joints were replaced. please provide the vin# along with any additional information. *nm
03/23/20041
 Worn upper and lower ball joints in my dodge durango (2000) 4x4 with 49,600 miles on it. *ak
08/01/20031
 Upper ball joint significantly and prematurely worn. caused severe tire damage to new tires. i'm afraid for my family's safety.*ak
03/22/2004110/01/2000
 Upper ball joint excessive wear reported by asi certified mechanic needs to be replaced. check with dodge for safety recall, the ball joint should not be this worn down with low mileage.*ak
03/06/200454500411/01/1999
 Odd steering feel and intermitin noise was coming from the front end. after taking the vehicle to my local mechanic it was ound that the lower ball joints on the vehicle (2000 dodge durango) were completely worn out ready to separate. also the upper ball joints had worn to the point of replacement. vehicle was unsafe to drive without the necessary repairs made. *ak
03/18/2004106/15/2003
 Ball joints were worn on my 2000 dodge durango. when going over any bumps, the front end sounded like it was coming apart. i took it to my local dealership and they told me the ball joints were worn.*ak
02/24/20041080001
 Upper ball joints broke without warning. as a result, when turning the steering wheel jerked back and forth. *ak
03/17/2003110/06/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango,(vin #1b4hs28zxyf297683). this vehicle has both upper ball-joints severely worn. *nm
04/11/2003800001
 The upper and lower ball joints failed at 80,000 miles. *ak *sc *jb
211/12/2000
 While driving steering wheel was loose, causing the vehicle to drift all over the road. dealer determined that two upper ball joints failed. *ak
500001
 Consumer took vehicle to for a tire check, and it was determined that the ball joints were defective. *ak
03/14/2004102/05/2000
 We own a 2000 dodge durango and saw several newscasts about the failing ball joints. we took our vehicle to the dealership where we purchased the car and we also have a failing ball joint. luckily, we were not in an accident but we are being charged over $400 for this defect. our car only has 50k miles on it. we know this is a chronic problem with the durango and would like chrysler to issue a recall and want our complaint noted.. *ak
50000110/10/2000
 Consumer complained about a ball joint problem. consumer took vehicle to dealer for a wheel alignment, and mechaniic determined that ball joints needed replacing. *ak *nm
03/18/200234000203/07/2000
 Safety problems with dodge durango including replacing ball joint twice in 4 years, repalcing front roters twice in 4 years, complaining about problems with brakes and the transmission. this vehicle failed two safety inspections for these problems. these are serious safety concerns and have been down played when i have taken my car in and i have not been notified of the seriousness and that these are reoccuring problems with the durango . yet the dealership and chrysler want to claim no responsibility.*ak
03/11/2004100014209/07/2001
 The upper and lower ball joints on the left side of my 2000 dodge durango were worn and had play. i had to have them replaced at my expense since there is not a recall on them at this time.*ak
03/09/200460066109/06/2003
 2000 dodge durango 4x4 5.9l engine, upper ball joints are so bad my mechanic said the vehicle is not safe to drive.*ak
1
 While state inspection was being conducted technician noticed that a one of the wheels was wobbly. then, technician determined that ball joints needed replacement.*ak
36001
 While driving at different speeds consumer heard a noise coming from the front. dealership serviced the vehicle, and informed the consumer that the upper ball joint needed replacement. *ak
690001
 Consume rcomplained about ta ball joint problem. while driving at 25 mph right front wheel assembly detached, and rolled away into a river. *ak
3
 While traveling over potholes or rough pavement consumer heard front end noise. the consumer had vehicle serviced, and was informed that two upper and one lower ball joint needed replacement.*ak
12/01/2003105/18/2003
 I purchased a used 2000 dodge durango in may of 2003. i noticed that the front of my car felt funny. we took my car to the dealer where we had purchased the vehicle, kerry chrysler/jeep, they had to replace the upper ball joint on the front suspension. this cost around $1,500 +/-. i have called dodge two times to check on the investigation and the only answer that i receive is that the investigation is ongoing and they are not sure when it will be complete. this is very disappointing to me, because i have 4 children that i drive in this car, and what would have happened if i had been driving along and the tires came off? we really did not have the money laying around to use for this but we found it because we wanted to make sure that our children were safe. i am very frustrated with this because dodge has known about this, and so far has done nothing to correct it.*ak
03/10/2004706001
 Dealership refused to perform a front end alignment because the upper and lower ball joints were bad. *ak
02/19/20041
 Driver heard a squeaking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. upon inspection of vehicle mechanic determined that front upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
03/04/20041
 When driving at an unetermined speed consumer heard a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection, and mechanic determined that right upper ball joints failed. *ak
01/02/20041
 Driver heard noise coming from the front passenger side. dealer suggested that ball joints need to be replaced. *ak
03/02/20041000001
 While turning vehicle lost power steering. consumer was informed that the problem pertained to the front ball joints failure. *ak
03/09/20045
 While consumer was traveling 60-65 mph wheel shook violently. consumer was close to the right side of the road, and when he came upon an exit he took it and pulled to the side. when he got out and looked at wheel it had turned toe-in. consumer immediately called dealer, and had the vehicle towed. vehicle was repaired at cost of $2100.00. there was no mention of a recall or investigation. dealer replaced the wheel bearings, tie rods, steering column, and the steering rack. all those parts had to be replaced because of ball joint failure, and the wheel coming almost off vehicle.*ak
03/08/200440000
 Upper balljoints are bad
03/09/2004111/15/2003
 I have a 2000 dodge durango that we purchased from a certified dodge dealer in november 2003. right after we bought it we noticed a popping sound in the front end and had them check it out on at least two occasions. i just took my vehicle in for service for a front-end alignment and they tell me that both front ball joints are bad and must be replaced, and the job will cost $500. there is no way ball joints should go bad so quickly and the dealer should have recognized the problem when they sold it. we've only had the vehicle 15 months. there is an investiagation on this by dodge and other agencies but there has yet to be a recall and this is a serious safety issue.
01/26/200443167106/30/2000
 Excessive inside front tire wear, and ball joint seperation. ball joint seperated while driving. nearly caused accident. no indication of pending failure. ea03-023
08/01/2001108/25/2000
 Original owner of 2000 durango, have had the vehicle in for servicing on two separate occasions complaining of squeaking noise, neither time was the problem found or fixed, i have now learned to live with the noise as i go about my daily routine. squeak not heard constantly but is heard more than periodically. *ak
600003
 While driving consumer heard a knocking noise on the driver's side front end of the vehicle. dealership replaced the upper and lower ball joints. *ak
11/21/20030104/10/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango 4 x 4 with approximately 52,000 miles. on november 20, 2003 i purchaced new tires. on november 21, 2003 i had an appointment to have the tires balanced and aligned, however this could not be done because of a faulty ball-joint on the left front side of the vehicle. this was quite alarming to myself as well as the tire dealership service manager, because my vehicle had only approximately 48,000 miles. a new ball joint was ordered and replaced several days later. now that i have been hearing news reports related to this issue, i feel it necessary to bring my experience to your attention. my concern at this point is...what must i do to prevent a similar catastrophic failure from occuring to my vehicle? *jb
03/04/200465000106/09/2000
 I drive a 2000 dodge durango and have had many problems since i have owned it. brkaes, transmisson and upper ball joints, which they do not wish to fix and it is very serious problem. i have contacted my dealership and have had know luck on them fixing it. they told me there is no recall on the( ball joints ) but they know it has been a problem for sometime. you pay big dollars for a vehicle and expect safety but its all about the money not the consumers safety or not. nor is it about the cost we have to pay out for defects and not normal wear. i hope for myself and many others you look closely into this matter and force the manufacture to recall these defects. thank you from a very concerned consumer.*ak
06/25/2003103/08/2003
 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
02/23/200423000109/22/2000
 While having the vehicle serviced the mechanic determined that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak *sc *jb
11/18/200340000105/27/2002
 While driving at any speed and when making turns consumer heard rapid clanking sounds coming from the front wheels. vehicle was taken to dealer, and examined by a certified mechanic, who determined that upper ball joints were worn out, and needed replacement. *ak *la
9000107/12/2001
 While driving and turning the was a clanking noise in front of vehicle. dealer indicated that ball joints were loose. *ak
03/02/200463000210/19/1999
 There was a loud squeaking noise when driving the vehicle. took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced the ball joints.*ak *la
01/05/2004990006
 While driving entire front end vibrated. the vibration was worse when speed increased. dealership indicated that upper/lower ball joints had disintegrated and needed replacement. *ak
05/01/20010102/15/2000
 I have a 2000 dodge durango with the upper ball joint problem in the suspension. it has been an active problem for about the last 40,000 miles. i do not have the money to fix it, nor do i believe it's my obligation to fix it. there should be a recall, since this is a design issue, and dodge should be responsible for fixing this safety hazard. it is also a nuisance since it creates a very loud sound on turns and bumps. many people stare at my durango when they hear this noise. it doesn't help them sell cars! *jb
300001
 Ball joints were replaced in the past two weeks.*ak
01/01/200460000212/19/1999
 The ball joints wore out prematurely. sometimes, the steering wheel jerked out of the driver's hand, and there was a clanking noise in the front end. also, power door locks worked intermittently.*ak *la
400005
 When turning the vehicle in either direction a noise was heard coming from the front. vehicle was taken to dealer five times, but dealer could not determine the cause of the problem. consumer suspected that ball joints caused the noise. *ak
10/29/200225000109/15/2000
 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
6000015
 When driving over bumps a squeaking noise was heard coming from the front end of vehicle. consumer suspected the problem related to ball joints, based on a tv report. *ak
250001003/01/2000
 When turning in either direction a grinding noise was heard. the cause of the problem had not been determined, but the consumer suspected defective ball joints could be the cause. *ak *jb
02/27/2004580001
 Dealership informed consumer that front upper ball joints were worn out. consumer was not having any problems at this time. *ak
01/01/20044959208/05/2002
 I have a 2000 dodge durango and i am having an annoying squeaking sound from the front end and thought it was my shocks, so i had new shocks installed and it didn't fix the problem. i heard on the news where alot of other people are having the same problem and that it has to do with the ball joints going bad. i do not feel that i should have to pay to have this repaired due to apparently there is a defect or there wouldn't be so many people having the same problem.
1
 While driving the tires felt as though they were going to separate from vehicle. after dealership inspected the vehicle they determined that ball joints failed. consumer immediately parked vehicle until some repairs were made. *ak
11/15/200349101/15/2000
 Ball joints have worn out prematurely. *ak
450001
 Consumer complained about a ball joint problem. consumer was getting an oil change and it was determined that ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak
02/18/2004440003
 Mechanic determined that upper ball joints wore out prematurely. also, wheel bearings and the inner/outer tie rods needed to be replaced. *ak
02/29/2004460001
 While changing lanes at normal driving speed, vehicle lunged towards the shoulder of the road and nearly went out of control. upon examination of the front suspension, excessively worn upper balls joints were determined to be the cause of the problem. vehicle has only 46,000 miles on it. *jb
02/25/200460000107/23/2001
 As i was driving, the wheel of my 2000 dodge durango came off the car and caused the car to lose control and land in a ditch. my mechanic said it was the upper ball joint.*ak
02/23/200440000104/01/2000
 Without warning, the passenger side front wheel fell off of my 2000 dodge durango while making a right turn and traveling at approximately 5 mph. the vehicle has only 40,000 miles and the failure was caused by a separation of the upper ball joint. the failure caused damage to the lower ball joint, the tie rod, the front axle, the brake line, the wheel and the tire. the incident occurred while i was driving with my 4 year old daughter and 1 year old son in the car. we were 1/4 mile from taking a ramp to the right and entering a 65 mph expressway. i could have lost one or both of my children today due to chrysler's negligence.*ak *nm ea03-023
02/17/2004105/22/2000
 Wearing of ball joints in 2000 dodge durango. *jb
09/09/2003700001
 Left front ball joint wore out at 70,000 miles. started at 50,000 miles. alot of clunking when turning.*ak
01/26/20041
 2000 dodge durango 4x4 upper right ball joint severely worn, had to replace.*ak
02/11/2004700001
 While parking consumer heard a loud noise coming through the steering wheel. vehicle was taken to the dealer, and mechanic determined upper ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak *la
02/01/2003712725
 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
02/03/20041
 Consumer took vehicle to the dealership for inspection, and mechanic determined that upper ball joints failed. *ak
07/23/200343000108/18/2002
 Upper and lower ball joints prematurely worn out. truck had only 40,000 miles. *la
380001
 Front end was making noise. upon inspection of the vehicle by the dealership they determined that the upper ball joints broke. *ak
01/22/200450000
 I have a family of five and bought a durango to safely transport them. i am starting to hear the front supension creeking and popping. being no stranger to automobiles i am sure it is the balljoints. i dont have to pay a mechanic to tell me that. dodge must recall this it is not safe and it will hurt their sales if they don't
11/15/200344000006/22/2001
 During a routine vichicle inspection, it was brought to my attention by the machanic that there was excessive upper ball joint wear and that replace ment of the upper ball joints might be required. the 2000 dodge durango has approximately 45,000 miles which is too soon for upper ball joints to be wearing out.
01/21/20041
 Ball joint failure. it appears this is of epidemic proportion and potentially very dangerous for both the driver, passengers, and other vehichles. *ak
01/20/200445000107/01/2003
 While driving a knocking noise was heard coming from the front end. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that upper ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak
07/06/2002170001
 Upper ball joints failed at 17,000 miles. *ak
01/20/20041
 Consumer took vehicle to the dealer for replacement of tires, and mechanic noticed that all four tires were defective and worn out due to wheel alignment. also, both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
01/14/200436000103/15/2003
 The front end shakes real bad when the brake pedal is pressed and when the vehicle reaches high speeds. the ball joints were checked and replaced, it solved the problem, noticed the problem when i purchased the vehicle in march of last year and the dealer said that it normal for a dodge. the brake pedal was very sensitive and when it was pressed felt like the rotors where warped. *cb
03/01/200120000411/21/2000
 I have a 2000 dodge durango and have had to replace the upper ball joint four times in the past three years. there is a constant squeaking noise which becomes louder when hitting a bump or turning the wheel. a dealership had fixed it the first time and then had to replace it again only days later, stating that it was a defect from the manufacturer. it has become a repetitive problem, starting at only 20,000 miles and continuing on. * cb
01/14/2004470001
 Ball joints on 2000 dodge durango worn out at 47,000 miles. *cb
11/16/200349780102/16/2000
 Front upper ball joint failure drivers side. front power door lock drivers side. *cb
12/22/2003109/23/2000
 I was notified by concern relatives that they had watch on tv that durangos were having a problem with the ball joint. i brought my vehicle in to the dealership for them to look at. the dealer said i had exactly 6 weeks or less before it would have failed. my durango is a 2000 with 69,000 miles. it carries children every day. we live in a rural area. although the road is paved, the road is dangerous. because of your notification you saved us from having an accident that probably we would have not surrived because of the terrain. please continue to notify people. i called up chrystler and filed a complaint. they truly do not feel that there is a problem let alone that most people who drive durangos carries children. i go in on monday, 2 hours away to get my vehicle fix at approximately $500.00. but what is cost when it comes to lives. please continue this recall. thank you.
09/17/200350000105/18/2000
 I had to have the front ball joints replaced in my 2000 dodge durango because it was difficult to control the steering. it was incredibly loose. when i had it repaired i was told there were 110 sets of these on back order because so many of them had to be replaced. *la
12/30/200335000109/02/2000
 2000 dodge durango 35,000 miles. drivers front upper & lower ball joints had to be replaced. several mechanics looked at them and stated they were dangerous and would not inspect vehicle. dodge dealership brushed it off saying they were within guidelines. we paid to have them replaced ourselves. *la
12/22/20031
 Consumer took vehicle into the dealership for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer that the upper ball joints failed. *ak *mr
01/02/2004560001
 Consumer took the vehicle into the dealership for inspection, and mechanic informed the consumer that the upper ball joints failed. *ak
11/01/20033000002/08/2000
 Premature failure of upper ball joint assembly on 2000 dodge durango
11/29/200343000008/10/2000
 I have ball joint problems on my 2000 dodge durango that has only a little over 40000 miles i have read in the media that this is a wide spread problem with the 2000 durango i hope you can help me and the others of this vechiles.
12/23/200356800104/15/2003
 During safety inspection, mechanic reported upper ball joints were completely worn out and needed replacement. they were so bad that they could have failed and caused a serious accident. mileage was only 56,800 miles. poor design as there is no grease cert to grease them properly. please investigate!!!*ak
12/27/200338000112/28/2001
 My 2000 dodge durango was rejected during a va safety inspection due to the upper ball joint problem that is the subject nhtsa investigation (action pe03032). the vehicle has 38000 miles. i have been informed by my local dodge service department that chrysler is assisting in the repair cost by requiring a variable amount deductible to be paid by the consumer. the amount is determined on a case-by-case basis and myvehicle will be evaluated when it goes in for repair on 12/30/03. *ak
12/23/2003110/03/2000
 I have a 2000 dodge durango, 4wd. it has 52,818 miles. after hearing a serious of pop's and clunks from the front end of my durango i had the truck checked. the upper driver's side ball joint had failed. the passendger side ball joint showed wear but was in satisfactory conditon. i believe this ball joint failure happended far too soon. in 40 years of driving i've only replaced worn ball joints on one vehicle and it had over 100,000 miles. augusta dodge replaced the worn ball joint and could not assure me the replacement ball joint was any different than the factory installed one.*ak
03/22/2003320001
 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
11/25/200348000110/25/2003
 I recently pruchased a 2000 dodge durango. i started hearing a creeking sound from behind the steering column when turning and going over bumps. i was informed by a mechanic of wear in the upper ball joint. i am concerned that this premautre wear may result in some failure and an unexpected collapse in the front end or worse yet wheel separating from the vehicle. i am following the current nhtsa investigation into this and would hope some resolution in the form of a recall would occur before personal injury or cost is incurred by me or others.*ak
12/18/200362000111/11/2000
 2000 dodge durango. upper right ball joint on upper control arm failed prematurely.*ak
12/01/2003102/15/2000
 2000 dodge durango r and l upper ball joints (nhtsa action number ea03023). my local dodge dealer, karmart usa told me on december 1, i need new upper ball joints. i had taken my car in to have door locks fixed. i did not ask them to look at my ball joints. this is an expensive repair, they estimate $358.00 for the repair. you are investigating failure of upper ball joints. why don't you require dodge to recall and repair them? there is obviously a problem or they would not have looked at mine when i have not been having any symptoms. now, the dealership has notified me by mail that i need to have the loose r and l upper ball joints repaired. i am afraid to drive this car. are my front wheels going to fall off? do i have to have fatalities to get attention to this matter? my car is parked until i hear from you. *ak
39000108/12/2003
 While vehicle was up on the lift being serviced right upper ball joint broke. when the ball joint broke, it caused the passenger's side rear tire to hang off the vehicle. *ak ea03-023
450001
 During a scheduled maintenance appointment dealer found that the upper ball joints prematurely wore out, and replaced them. consumer sent the failed parts to a government agency for review. *ak
53000102/28/2000
 Upper ball joints failed at 53,000 miles. *ak sometime after thanksgiving the consumer was feeling something different when driving the truck. the consumer thought it was the steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on dec 1, 2003 and the consumer was told that all four of the upper and lower ball joints were out, and that they should be replaced immediately at a cost of $800.00. instead the consumer went somewhere else to have repairs. it took a little longer for the car to be repaired because the parts weren't available. the total cost for repairs were $542.82. *cb *jb
550001
 The upper ball joints and one lower ball joint wore out, and damaged the front tires. an independent mechanic replaced the ball joints. *ak
07/01/200230000203/05/2000
 Upper ball joint failure at very low mileage. looks like they are bad again at 80,000. *jb
260001
 While driving, the consumer can hear a popping noise in the front right portion of the vehicle. the consumer is a mechanic and has determined that problem is the upper ball joints. the vehicle was taken to the dealer which found no problem. please provide further details. *ph
12/24/2003400003
 Consumer stated both front upper ball joints were making noise while driving at any speed. vehicle was taken to dealer on three occasions, but no parts were available. *ak
12/02/2003600001
 Left side wheel vibrated, and shook inside of the wheel well while traveling on the highway. consumer took vehicle to independent shop. mechanic replaced both upper ball joints at owner expense of $800.00.*ak
11/26/20031
 Front ball joints being replaced at 63000 miles. one side wore out the other side almost as bad. no accident, just had front end noise checked by mechanic. *la
11/20/200367126201/24/2000
 Both upper ball joints are worn out. *la
11/03/200327000105/31/2003
 Pe 03-032, front suspension/upper ball joint failure: while the consumer was having a front end alignment the mechanic noticed the upper ball joints were showing premature wear.*ak *cb *jb
07/13/200332000109/01/2000
 The right upper ball joint failed at 32,000 miles.*ak *ph the vehicle could not retain a front end alignment. the dealer determined that the right upper ball joint failed and needed to be replaced. *nm
11/05/2003109/13/2003
 Was making a sharp turn consumer noticed that vehicle was not ridding smoothly. after being inspected by mechanic, consumer was told that the ball joints needed replacement. *ak *mr
11/13/2003111/13/2000
 2000 dodge durango...upper ball joint wore out at 38,000 miles. dealership originally requested $1100.00 to fix. called chrysler's customer care line and explained problem and that i feel i should not have to pay for this repair. they agreed to pay for the repair, less a $100 deductible. *la
11/13/200336000103/01/2000
 An independent shop replaced the upper ball joint at 36,000 miles. *ak *scc *jb
08/27/2003430001
 Pe 03-032, front suspension/ball joint failure: while driving at any speed consumer heard a noise coming from the front wheel. vehicle was taken to a repair shop, mechanic informed the consumer that the ball joints were worn out.*ak
10/22/200352000106/23/2001
 When driving over bumps would shook. consumer took vehicle to the dealership for inspection. mechanic noticed that left upper ball joints were wearing out prematurely. had the upper ball joints replaced.*ak
11/10/2003008/05/2003
 2000 dodge durango has bad ball joints with only 41000 miles on it. *la
09/11/2003400003
 I had brought my 2000 durango into my dealership and i had my ball joints checked, my upper and lower ball joints failed in addition to my front tires being damaged as a result. i was told by the chrysler dealer that they could not fix it, there were 40,000 miles on the vehicle. i also spoke to the district service manager and he said there was nothing they could do to help pay for the repairs.*ak
03/10/200358591101/02/2001
 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
11/07/2003109/15/2000
 Failure of a upper ball joint and fear of separation on a 2000 dodge durango with 55743 miles, also failureof lower ball joint and fear of separation. both resulting in possible personal injury. *ak
1
 While driving, the consumer noticed the front end rumbling when turning right or left. *ak the consumer requested that dodge cover charges. the front end remained noisy along with a rubbing sound. *scc *jb
11/04/200371000303/01/2000
 Upper and lower ball joinst failed. *ak
10/21/2003320001
 Pe 03-032, front suspension/upper ball joint failure: the upper ball joints wore out prematurely.*ak
11/03/2003001/09/2000
 2000 dodge durango, had vehicle in shop numerous times trying to track down a noise in the front end which was becoming increasingly worse. on this date found the ball joint was in dangerously bad shape and was replaced. *la
10/31/20031
 I own a 2000 dodge durango with just 42,000 miles on it and the upper ball joints are shot already! i have read many more complaints of the same problem. recall!!!! *la
08/13/200248809208/21/2000
 Had to replace rack and pinion power steering unit on 2000 dodge durango when vehicle only had 48,800 miles, also, had to replace upper ball joints, was hard to keep vehicle on the road when hitting any bumps. *la
330001
 While driving over a bump on the road at about 30 mph vehicle made a squeaking noise. consumer suspected that the upper ball joints were worn out. *ak
10/09/2003150000101/01/2002
 Pe 03-032, front suspension/upper ball joint failure: the upper ball joints failed prematurely.*ak when vehicle was serviced, consumer was always told, everything was o.k. *ph
530001
 While driving at 45 mph or higher vehicle shimmied and made noise. an independent mechanic determined that the upper ball joints were worn out, and they were replaced. *ak
07/23/200341799107/22/2000
 I was told in may 2003 that my 2000 dodge durango needed upper ball joints replaced. i then took it to the dealership where i purchased it and they told me the same thing. they told me they couldn't get the replacement parts for at least a month. when i took the durango to them in july, they then told me i need the control arms replaced as well. i was very upset because my vehicle only had 41,799 miles on it. i researched this and found that ball joints should last at least 100,000 miles. i expressed my anger toward the dealership and the manager then told me i wouldn't have to pay for the control arm, that chrysler would eat that cost for me. at that point i had no choice but to have the work done, for fear that i might get into an accident. i spent 2 1/2 long months trying to resolve this issue and spent $490.00 to replace the ball joints. i hope this reaches you and you can get this resolved for everyone involved with these similar problems. thank you. elaina dow. *la
10/09/2003111/21/2000
 Premature replacement required for 2000 dodge durango upper and lower ball joints (50,000 miles). *la
11/12/2002520001
 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
108/21/2000
 When going over a bump in the road vehicle veers to the right. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer replaced the upper ball joints.*ak
10/20/200334433109/05/2003
 Left upper ball joint had to be replaced. *ak
08/04/20031
 It all started with a squeezing noise in the front end, one day the front right end ball joint collapsed and caused the front right wheel to completely fold underneath itself and caused the front end to collapse. there was roughly miles on the vehicle and in very good condition. luckily i was simply pulling out of my driveway and not driving down the highway. no one was hurt, but the potential for injury was astronomical. *la ea03-023
10/26/200356001
 While driving 15 mph consumer heard a loud popping noise. the consumer pulled over to check, and saw that front ball joints broke. *ak ea03-023
10/16/200350000110/13/2000
 2000 dodge durango ball joints. *ak
10/26/2003005/22/2003
 We own a 2000 dodge durango. we experienced vibration in the front and strange noises. mechanic checked front end of vehicle. said that front right upper ball joint was defective to the point where it was unsafe to operate. he showed us the abnormal play in the front and said the wheel could easily separate from the chassis. he replaced this ball joint, but warned that the other three (consisting of lower and upper ball joints on left side, and lower ball joint on right side) are also bad and will need replacing in the very near future. also said the universal joints in the rear will need to be replaced in the near future. this is all after we spent more than $200 to replace rear wheel axle bearings. *ak
08/12/2003105/08/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango with 50,000 miles on it. (bought brand new). in august i took it in for service to my dealership, and told them about a noise in the front end. they checked it out, and told me i need upper and lower ball joints, at the cost of $1500.00. i have not yet had them replaced. i feel that there is a major problem with dodge's ball joints, from the recent tv reports. i think the factory should recall these vehicles and fix what is needed. i have a statement from the dealership stating that these ball joints need replacing, if you need a copy of that, i will be glad to mail you one. thanks, joan yuenger. *ak
380006
 Vehicle has excessive play in the front wheels. consumer suspects problem with upper ball joints. this problem is occurring on both sides of the vehicle, even when it is immobile. when vehicle is in motion noise can be heard in front of vehicle. also, steering is very unstable when vehicle is moving at medium to high speed. *ak
10/27/2003106/25/2002
 The front end of my 2000 dodge durango has a squeaking & popping noise every ime you hit a bump. it has been inspected and they stated that the upper ball joints are bad. i seen a special on cbs nightly news on 10-27-03 and they stated that he feds are investigating this complaint and are in the process of getting a national recall on this item. how long will this recall take? there are several lives at risk here.*ak
09/09/200365000111/19/2000
 Upper ball joints on 2000 dodge durango needed replacing at 65,000 .the right side upper ball joint was near complete failure.*ak
06/14/200226000106/20/2000
 Upper ball joint failure, replaced upper ball joint. *ak
11/20/200022397110/21/1999
 No wreck - first, complained to dodge dealership and they replaced a belt saying that's what it was in 2000 after 22397 miles, then i couldn't take the squeeking any more in 2001 and had the whole upper control arm assembly replaced by a local mechanic at 41306 since it was out of warranty by then. this mechanic was shocked that this vehicle had to have this replaced, but found it was the source of my squeek. continual squeek from about 17000 miles up to when fixed at 41306 miles. seems, it's starting to do it again somewhat (not like original problem though). now, no one will want to purchase this vehicle as a used car, plus the trade-in value will drop dramatically. *ak
09/04/200346500202/28/1999
 Upper ball joint failure - under 48,000 miles...i was lucky, in a way, my tires wore out and when i had them changed i was told that the upper ball joints were ready to break. i called the dodge dealership and ordered the new ones. i have been waiting six weeks to get them in. they still have not called me back.*ak
10/27/20031
 2000 dodge durango..feels very loose while driving squeaks while turning and bumps very hard on anything in the road.*ak
09/12/200237572208/28/2000
 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
07/01/2003700001
 Had to replace entire front-end assembly on 2000 dodge durango due to premature wear.*ak
07/20/200045000212/30/1999
 2000 dodge durango right front upper ball joint failure once in july 2002 2nd time june 2003. *ak
10/27/200337400110/24/2000
 I just watched the evening news and there was an investigative report about upper ball joint problems on dodge durango 4x4's. i have the failure noise that they described and i'm concerned about failure at high speed. i called the dealer and there is no recall and i have a freiend that just lost a front wheel assembly due to this failure. the cost to repair was $675 and not covered by dodge. i am concerened for my safety! can you provide any information? my car has 37,000 miles, just out of warranty.*ak
10/25/200359658107/20/2000
 Front ball joint failed on my durango and the tire collapsed. *la ea03-023
105/01/2001
 Vehicle experienced ball joint failure.*mr the consumer was told by the dealership, they were unable to perform an alignment because of the worn ball joints.*ts *jb
10/15/20031
 The lower and upper ball joints as well as the entire rack and pinion need to be replaced. *ak *nm
07/15/2003720002
 Pe 03-032: front suspension: upper ball joints. the upper ball joints wore out prematurely.*ak
10/04/2003110/01/2000
 Upper ball joint failure on my 2000 dodge durango. for a while, we were hearing a popping noise when we would pull out of the driveway. upon inspection, i could find nothing wrong. the problem got progressively worse. i finally figured out it was the upper ball joint because i can grab the top of the front wheel and move it back and forth perpendicular about 1/8 inch. i can look at the upper ball joint and see this is where the excessive movement is coming from. i'm going to replace the ball joint this week. as you can expect, this is the last chrysler vehicle that i purchase. i have the original ball joint for inspection if it would be helpful. *jb
09/23/2003378001
 Had taken vehicle for routine checkand mechanic indicated that front upper ball joints wore out completely. ball joints would need to be repaired or replaced.*ak
07/04/20023765507/24/2000
 Suspension front control arm upper ball joints on both sides front worn out. mileage at time of incident was 37,655. vehicle was taken in for new tires at a local ntb when the problem was discovered.
09/18/20031
 Today had to have new front upper ball joints, part#k7242cq, applied to my 2000 dodge durango. i was told that there was at least 1400 ball joints on back order nation wide and they did not know when they would be able to get any in. thanks to the hard work of hub tire in st. johns michigan they found two ball joints at a carquest store in st. johns that would fit my durango, we got lucky. they got these and got them installed. my durango only has 57,000 miles on it and the right side ball joint was so bad that they would not let me drive it home as it was that unsafe. with there being over 1400 ball joints on a nation wide back order i think there is a real bad problem with the ball joints and this serious matter needs to be looked into. if someone's ball joints do break going down the road this could case a serious if not fatal accident. thank you. *jb
08/29/200345000210/01/2002
 I have a 2000 durango slt plus, i took the vehicle into the local tire shop to have the front end aligned because of excessive tire wear. the service dept stated they would not align the vehicle because of the condition of the upper ball joints. the truck only has 45,000 miles on it. they also stated they would not drive it until they are replaced.
09/04/20030106/18/2003
 My left upper ball joint is extremely worn and the truck's only 3 years old! i've seen all the other complaints of this same thing and am wondering if someone has to die before chrysler is forced to fix this problem.*ak
09/02/2003101/02/2001
 I own a 2000 dodge durango. i recently took it into my mechanics to have the brakes worked on. my mechanic then called me and informed that the front left upper ball joint was severely worn and needed replaced and that the vehicle was very unsafe to be driving. he then explained to me he had seen an article regarding dodge durangos in the news and showed me the article when i picked the vehicle up. luckily this was discovered before i lost control of my vehicle and my family or i were injured. i got the ball joint repaired but when i read the newspaper that dodge durango were being investigated for this i felt for the safey of other durango drivers i needed to report it. my mechanic is doug anderson of anderson's automotive 785-325-2609. thank you. *ak
06/07/200344136208/08/2000
 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
08/22/2003549811
 2000 dodge durango premature ball joint failure. *ak
08/28/20033900002/10/2000
 Reference investigation #pe03032. ball joints need replacing - premature wear. i had the same problem with my 1999 durango and filed a complaint then. dealer only admitted they were loose and replaced on my 1999 after vehicle was in an accident and ball joints could be replaced under insurance claim.
08/19/2003106/03/2000
 The upper ball joints experienced premature failure and caused the front end to collapse. *ak *jb ea03-023
06/10/200335000105/10/2003
 Pe 03-032, front suspension upper ball joint failure: the upper ball joints wore out prematurely. *ak *scc *jb
08/20/200354358106/19/2000
 2000 dodge durango upper ball joint failed and wheel separated from vehicle. vehicle was unable to be driven. *ak
08/17/20031
 While driving at 3o mph right front wheel started shacking, then the wheel separated from the upper ball joint. delaer has been contacted. *ak ea03-023
08/19/200340000110/15/2000
 The consumer took the vehicle to the dealership to have the upper ball joints inspected. the driver's side upper ball joint experienced premature wear. *ak *ph *jb
07/15/2003990001
 Pe 03-032, front suspension upper ball joint failure: the upper ball joints prematurely wore out and the wheel separated. *ak the front end vibrated while driving. both upper and lower ball joints were diagnosed as bad. *ph *jb ea03-023
08/14/200343000111/01/1999
 Pe 03-032 front suspension upper ball joint: vehicle experienced complete upper ball joint failure, which caused wheel separation, almost resulting in loss of control. *ak the steering became lose and the tire fell flat to the ground. *ph *jb ea03-023
05/29/200354000105/15/2003
 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
08/11/200340000105/11/2001
 Heard popping noise in my 2000 dodge durango at 40,000. had it looked at by a mechanic that said he could not find a problem. also noticed popping upon braking while pulling a pop-up camper and a 19' boat. went for a virginia inspection recently and failed due to bad upper ball joint. is someone going to have to die before this problem is taken care of?
08/07/20031912607/29/2000
 On august 7 03 my wife was taking kids and heard a sound coming from the front end and took the dodge durango in to be inspected but it did not pass as the upper control arm ball joint was bad we had bought it in july 29 00 and they said warranty was up. the durango only had on 19126 miles on it also. at the time this was happening we had 5 kids in car. *nlm
08/08/200391001103/20/2000
 The front ball joints are loose causing the tires to wear out unreasonalbe sooner. the front upper ball joints need to be replaced and can become dangerous. the front end makes noises and feels unsecured at times.*ak i have asked the dealer to exam the front end after purchasing the vehicle. the machanic said everything was normal.
08/01/200322061108/06/2000
 Excessive wear - right upper ball joint. *ak
07/09/20033000008/09/2000
 Premature wearing of upper ball joints on 2000 dodge durango
08/07/2003574561
 Loose front upper control arm bushings found while changing oil on my 2000 dodge durango. *ph
05/27/200346833011/17/1999
 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
07/08/20031
 Ball joint noise. *ph
07/31/200327000107/31/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango slt plus 4x4, with 27,000. miles. (original owner)the drivers side ball joints were leaking, the dealer ship replaced all 4 ball joints under warrenty. the steering had started to become unstable. how ever, the front brake rotors had to be replaced because of corrosion, at my expense.*ak
05/12/20031
 Consumer states that the vehicle upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. *ph
03/28/200351953404/22/2000
 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
07/29/20036600010/20/1999
 I'd like to raise a complaint regarding nhtsa action number pe03032 - the investigation of front suspension ball joints wearing out prematurely. i just got word that my 2000 durango with 60,000 needs to have the ball joints (front) replaced because they are worn. please record my complaint with the others as i feel this is a defect and would like to have dodge reimburse me for the cost of this repair. thanks
07/30/20031
 Consumer states upper ball joints wear prematurely. dealer notified. *ak
07/22/20031
 Consumer states upper ball joints are wearing prematurely. dealer notified. *ak
10/05/200230000010/05/1999
 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.
01/06/200356421112/23/1999
 Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak the dealer replaced the upper and lower ball joints. *nm
03/03/200380000109/19/1999
 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
07/28/200348000102/14/2000
 My 2000 dodge durango has 48,000 miles and the front right upper ball joint is failing. my dodge dealer advised me to not take the vehicle out of town. they are unable to get the parts to repair it. i have a pre paid vacation coming up that will now require a car rental. something needs to be done and soon.*ak
07/14/20031
 Consumer states upper ball joints wear prematurely. dealer notified. *ak
360001
 While having vehicle serviced consumer was informed that upper ball joint had worn prematurely.*ak
06/12/20031
 Consumer states that upper ball joint is wearing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak
07/09/200351472103/01/2000
 Consumer stated the upper ball joint experienced premature wear. dealer notified.*ak while going slowly over a speed bump, the right upper ball joint broke, which left the tire in a 45 degree angle. consumer later learned that the joint wasn't packed properly with grease from the factory. both ball joints were replaced at no cost to the consumer. *ph *jb ea03-023
05/12/2003112990101/01/2003
 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
07/28/2003530001
 The dealer was unable to replace the right upper ball joint due to lack of parts. the consumer stated that the vehicle had been making a noise. *ak *scc *jb
07/18/2003109/09/2000
 I also had new tires put on and i was told i needed upper ball joints replaced on my 2000 dodge durango. it seems i am not the only one with this problem. there should be a recall on this before someone gets seriously hurt.*ak
07/24/200335500101/31/2003
 Purchased a used 2000 dodge durango through a chrysler auction in conn. through enterprise car sales in january 2003. they attended that auction on our behalf. the suv had aprx. 35,500 miles on it. currently it has 41,379 miles on it. since we purchased the vehicle it had been pulling to the right when it went over bumps etc. but we thought it was just due to being a suv on a truck body. we just brought it into an automotive shop to be looked at as it seemed to be getting worse. we had to replace the right upper ball joint. the shop strongly recommended that we not risk driving the vehicle. we repaired the durango at a cost of aprx. $255.00. it is no longer pulling to the right. our vin is 1b4hs28z9yf159567. the ball joints have worn out prematurely and we will continue to incurr cost for aditional ball joint cost in the future , in addition we have concern over safety of the vehicle due to the ball joints. chrysler should have known of this problem on this specifically vehcile when they sold it through the auction. i would like chrysler to inspect all of our balljoints and replace as neccessary and also be reimbursed for the cost that we have just incurred.*ak
03/18/200340500106/14/2000
 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
08/30/200230000108/20/2002
 There was a loud squeaking and clunking noise coming from front suspension when going over bumps. vehicle also pulled very hard to the right. had it aligned two separate times with no noticeable differences. took to a alignment shop, and was told the upper ball joint was loose. they recommended taking to dealer for warranty work on suspension before alignment. dealership made 'repairs' to front and rear suspension (8-2002) now (7-2003), vehicle is leaning towards the driver side while parked. it is 2 lower on driver side then passenger side. also, now hearing another squeaking sound from front suspension when going over bumps. vehicle also dives hard when it hits a bump at 35-65+ mph. almost lose control of vehicle. i don't feel safe driving it now after hearing about the investigation on the suspension. i have a 2 year old son and a baby girl due august 30th. all of the complaints online sound identical to what my durango is doing!*ak
07/25/20031
 Consumer states the other day he went to have a front end alignment done, and was told that it could not be done because both the upper and lower ball joints were worn beyond limits. consumer did not have the work done because of the cost. *ak
05/14/200350435104/07/2000
 The front end control arm was replaced after inspection due to wear when new tires were installed. *ak
07/24/200345000103/15/2000
 Ball joints defective on 2000 dodge durango.45,000 miles and need replaced already. (upper ball joints). *ak
04/18/200345390306/28/2001
 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
07/22/20031
 At 2 mph the driver's front tire fell off, causing over $2000.00 damage. vehicle was resting on the wheel. upper ball joints had failed. front end had been checked by mechanic two months prior, was within specs.*ak
07/24/20031
 Consumer took vehicle into the dealer to inspect the front end since it felt like it was waving. dealer replaced both sides, upper and lower ball joints. *ak
478671
 When driving there is a loud clung noise in the front end. took vehicle to dealer, dealer stated that the upper ball joints were failing. *ak
07/23/200353000202/14/2003
 I have a 2000 dodge durango, and i have been experiencing, front suspension problems.when you are turning or driving at any rate of speed it makes a creeking noise, and a clicking noise. i took it to goodyear and they told me the ball joints need to be replaced, upper and lower. there is only 52000 miles on my truck, i took it to the dealer and they said they can not duplicate the problem. the cost for repair is over $1000.00 dollars. with all the complaints you are reciiveing i think there should be a recall and the dealers should be repairing the problems at there expense. *ak
07/21/200359000110/15/2000
 After getting new tires for my 2000 dodge durango i was told that the upper ball joints and arm had to be replaced or the wheels would fall off. i have 59,000 miles on the vehicle. 4x2, never off road.*ak
108/19/2002
 When the consumer turned the vehicle left or right, there was a noise coming from the vehicle. *ak the consumer later learned the ball joints had failed. *jb
07/23/200396000110/31/2001
 I took my car into get the tires rotated and the tire tech told me the front upper ball joints were about to break and i was lucky i havent got into a car accident yet. he said my car was unsafe to drive and i needed it to be fixed as soon as possible. i saw all the reports and needed to report mine too. *ak
07/18/2003101/16/2003
 Slight loss of control of vehicle or shimmering while driving. has happened a few times. gain control after few seconds. 2000 dodge durango. *ak
07/22/2003
 Consumer states top ball joints separated and wheel fell off while driving. dealer notified. *ak ea03-023
06/13/20031
 Consume states upper ball joints are wearing out prematurely. dealer notified. *ak
09/01/200256541107/16/2000
 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
270001
 Consumer took vehicle to mechanic for tire and alignment service. mechanic advised consumer could not perform alignment service because ball joints were worn excessively and needed to be replaced.*ak
07/22/200334677104/03/2000
 While having the vehicle serviced, the technician noticed the right upper ball joint needed to be replaced. *ak the right upper ball joint was replaced. dodge disposed of the old part. the control arm ball joint assembly was replaced. *scc *jb
03/07/200339000104/01/2000
 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
07/03/20032500007/26/2000
 I own a 2000 dodge durango 4wd. have never had it off-road. only 25,000 miles on it. took the durango in for wv state inspection. the garage where i had bought it found that the right ball joint was so wore out that is was not safe for me to drive the vehicle. i experienced no difficulty in the steering. no problems showed up as i could tell. i had just returned from an interstate trip where my speed was up to 70 mph. i wanted to report this, because i heard on the local news that other durango owners were experiencing similar problems and you were taking complaints on this safety issue.
06/10/200341000
 The upper ball joints wore out and was replace by an independent mechanic. the two front tires were replaced. please provide details.
07/21/2003209/09/2000
 Upper ball joints failed on my 2000 dodge durango with 42,000 miles. this is supposedly a heavy duty truck and has never towed anything nor been offroad. only light duty commuter duty. this is a very common problem and representative of a design defect. entire wheel assembly can fall off vehicle while driving.*ak
06/21/2003110/01/2000
 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
07/20/200305/07/2000
 I have a 2000 dodge durango. i read where the government is investigating the upper ball joints on the front suspension. mine hve been replaced three times. there is a major defect here.the last time i took it in the steering wheel had started to wobble. i didn't know what it was until i read the article in the newspaper.
06/10/200347800007/08/2000
 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.
07/21/2003206/15/2000
 Backing out of driveway turning wheel to right felt like i hit something, got out and looked around vehicle, found nothing. backed into street, knew something was wrong, looked at front tire on passenger side, wheel was cocked. called tow truck and certified mechanic said ball joint was broken.*ak ea03-023
07/10/200240000107/10/2000
 My upper right ball joint broke and separated the wheel from the vehicle. fortunately, no accident only becauuse of the slow speed of the vehicle. this seems to be quite a week and dangerous link for a 2000 dodge durango with 40000 mile and never was used in off road. ea03-023
06/02/200361000103/21/2003
 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.
05/14/200354445107/07/2000
 Premature ball joint failure. the ball joints on my 2000 dodge durango failed after only 54,445 miles. *jb
11/15/2002
 While driving the vehicle. consumer states' the whole right front wheel assembly became detached from vehicle. please provide further information. ts ea03-023
SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB
09/22/20051
 Consumer heard a noise coming from vehicle when turning left. the consumer had a mechanic inspect the vehicle and when he removed the wheel the hub fell in his hand in several pieces. *ts *nm
12/02/200438000308/05/2002
 While driving into the driveway abs brake light and the emergency brake light came on. there was a loud noise that came from the front. the wheel, hub, and bearing came completely off the vehicle causing it to slump over. consumer had the vehicle serviced. however, the same noise could still be heard. also, there was vibration from the front of the vehicle when driving. provide further details. *ak after all the repairs the vehicle started vibrating. *tc
07/07/200471000210/23/1999
 Both front hubs are bad causing both tires to wobble and sway on turns. tires are now worn out completely on inside. *la
07/05/20031
 Conesumer states front hub bearing is wearing prematurely , causing a loud noise . dealer notified. *ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR
05/10/2004101/23/2004
 Shaking when driving at all speeds. took vehicle into dealership. upper and lower ball joints bad, loose tie rod ends,sway bar busings gone bad. paid to have dealership fix vehicle due to no recall issued. *la
09/12/200237572208/28/2000
 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
SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING
11/13/200336000110/16/2002
 Consumer is requesting reimbursement for damages resulting from an accident in the 2000 dodge durango.*mr the vehicle front wheel bearing failed and resulted in an accident in which the consumer was injured. *nm
12/02/200438000308/05/2002
 While driving into the driveway abs brake light and the emergency brake light came on. there was a loud noise that came from the front. the wheel, hub, and bearing came completely off the vehicle causing it to slump over. consumer had the vehicle serviced. however, the same noise could still be heard. also, there was vibration from the front of the vehicle when driving. provide further details. *ak after all the repairs the vehicle started vibrating. *tc
03/20/2004210/30/2000
 I have a 2000 dodge durango, and i am concerned about the ball bearings, and the engine, and need to know what to do about it. my car is squeeking when i turn, and the engine is smelling like it's burning all the time.*ak
03/09/20045
 While consumer was traveling 60-65 mph wheel shook violently. consumer was close to the right side of the road, and when he came upon an exit he took it and pulled to the side. when he got out and looked at wheel it had turned toe-in. consumer immediately called dealer, and had the vehicle towed. vehicle was repaired at cost of $2100.00. there was no mention of a recall or investigation. dealer replaced the wheel bearings, tie rods, steering column, and the steering rack. all those parts had to be replaced because of ball joint failure, and the wheel coming almost off vehicle.*ak
01/07/200450000111/16/2003
 My 2000 dodge durango has had problems with the ball joints and had to be replaced. this was at a low milage...now it seems to be having the same problem again.*ak
10/04/200357898112/02/2000
 2000 dodge durango. both front ball joints and right front wheel bearing and u joint have all had to be replaced. this is owned by our business, myers insurance, inc. mileage was 57898 work on u joint was done 11-24-03 at roy's dodge
02/18/2004440003
 Mechanic determined that upper ball joints wore out prematurely. also, wheel bearings and the inner/outer tie rods needed to be replaced. *ak
11/13/200336000110/16/2002
 While driving at 40 mph, the wheel bearing snapped and the passenger front wheel came off. as a result, the consumer lost control of the truck, but was able to pull around a corner and come to a complete stop, away from traffic. as a result this caused damage to other components. *jb when the part snapped, the vehicle hit another vehicle, then a vehicle from behind hit the consumer 's vehicle. *sc *jb
09/20/20031
 Wheel bearing wears out prematurely, causing hub nuts to loosen. *ak
SUSPENSION - MULTIPLE AXLE
02/14/200349145010/08/1999
 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
SUSPENSION - REAR
10/06/2005791181
 Regular driving. noise from rear end. dealership replaced rear carrier and all bearings/races. *tr
02/15/20051000001
 While driving a loud noise was produced. the dealer stated rear upper ball joints failed, and needed to be replaced. *ak
06/06/200333000102/01/2003
 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
08/22/2002
 While driving at 40 mph vehicle suddenly came to a holt. vehicle would not go into reverse or drive. vehicle was towed to dealer. dealer stated it was rear alignment. please provide any further information.*ak
10/25/2001710/24/2000
 Consumer states fender fell off drivers side, dealer installed two wheel well fasteners, consumer states that rail dust covers vehicle at rear, consumer states rattling, squeaking, crunching or moaning noise throughout vehicle over bumps, dealer replaced anti rattle clip, and both rear left springs, vehicle lunges forward with brake on at stops, dealer found throttle valve was scored and replaced valve body, transmission hesitates or will not engage when brakes are applied, dealer replaced all seals, clutches, and cleaned and inspected overdrive, shift linkage out of adjustment, on several occasions, engine pings on acceleration, dealer unable to duplicate, concerns with broken rear seat latches and seat not flipping forward, dealer performed clockspring safety recall 01v153000. *tt
05/01/2000205/01/2000
 Air conditioning blows out hot air. never has been that cold. rear end has a howling noise between 45 and 55 mph.
03/20/2000301/01/2000
 Vehicle has severe whining noise from rear diffrential.also has grinding/clicking noise to date, rear differential ring and pinion has been replaced (not fixed); complete rear end assembly installed 05/01/00 (not fixed), dealer contacted me and told me they would rebuild the new assembly to try to correct the problem, and would not give me the vehicle back until it has been corrected. this is 3 attempts at the same problem, i.e., new gear set; new rear end assembly; currently rebuilding the new rear end assembly (without ever having returned vehicle to me with new rear end installed). *ak
SUSPENSION - REAR - AXLE - NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
09/02/2005106000104/07/2003
 Popping noize and sensation in rear end previously, today on highway popped and then 3/4 mile later popped and then started vibrating and makjng continuos popping. catastrophic rear end carrier and axle came apart
10/26/2003005/22/2003
 We own a 2000 dodge durango. we experienced vibration in the front and strange noises. mechanic checked front end of vehicle. said that front right upper ball joint was defective to the point where it was unsafe to operate. he showed us the abnormal play in the front and said the wheel could easily separate from the chassis. he replaced this ball joint, but warned that the other three (consisting of lower and upper ball joints on left side, and lower ball joint on right side) are also bad and will need replacing in the very near future. also said the universal joints in the rear will need to be replaced in the near future. this is all after we spent more than $200 to replace rear wheel axle bearings. *ak
106/26/2003
 Consumer stated when turning left or right, mainly to the right there was a loud popping noise in the steering column. dealer stated it was a problem with the axle. *ak *ph *jb
SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY
12/26/2003104/08/2000
 I have had my 2000 durango in to the dealership (when it was under warranty) for spongy, loose, pulsing braking, noise from the suspension, & a chirping/squeaking sound (alternator like) when it is cold outside. the suspension noise was corrected with new spacers in the leaf springs (which they admitted were a problem). i was told that the pulsing in the brake pedal was normal for the durango & not to worry about it. they did a balance & told me it took care of the problem. it didn't. they could not duplicate the chirping (after 2-3 visits) although it happens for me every day. now we are out of warranty after reading many of the complaints for the same problems here, i'm just waiting for something to happen. will my children be injured as a result? this vehicle has 32k miles which are 99% highway is in cherry condtion. i've decided to take it to a private mechanic (napa) & pay for his opinion on the rotors, ball joints, arms, brakes, water pump/alternator, etc. once i've paid for his opinion, how do we get dodge to pay for the repairs ...since they won't own up to any of the problems. is there going to be a recall on the rotor/brake problem or the ball joint/arm problem? my brakes usually last at least 60k miles & i have never had problems with suspension on any of my new cars. then, i'm getting rid of it.*ak