Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 02/14/2004 | 54000 | 1 | 10/15/2002 |
| I bought my dodge durango in october 2002. i heard a clunking noise & felt like someone hit me from behind when i would stop. had checked at pontiac dealership where i bought it, they said there were no problems. i saw cbs news story on durangos and realized that the ball joints may be the issue with my vehicle, it still makes the same clunking noise, and i still feel the vehicle push forward when i am stopping my vehicle. on february 14th of this year, i was driving and lost my brakes, found out that the cylinders were bad. i will put this down as an incident, but the noise is still ongoing, and so far i haven't had an incident & would like to prevent one. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 10/21/2004 | 1 | 08/09/2001 | |
| Dodge dealer indicated that both upper and lower ball joints on both front tires needed to be replaced due to premature wear. he stated the car is dangerous to drive because the wheels could fall off. my car has always had problems with its wheels. i have replaced the rotors twice and had to by tires sooner than i should have due to premature and uneven wear even though i had my tires rotated and realigned frequently. when we first purchased the car in made really strange noises at the front wheels. we took it in to the dealership to get fixed. the car jumpy when i go over rough areas of a road. it seems to bounce in all different directions. i have to be very conscious when going over uneven roads or i might loss control of the steering. i feel that dodge should cover the cost of repairing the ball joints. i feel it is a manufacturers defect. none of my other cars have ever had this problem and i have a ford ranger with 210,000 miles on it and it is used for off road driving.*ak | |||
| 08/06/2003 | 0 | 03/23/2001 | |
| Severe pulsating occurs whenever brakes are applied. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 07/30/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Vehicle would give off a warning light for the abs system intermittently. while driving approximately at a speed of 55 mph, the light came on. the driver need to apply normal braking action for traffic. vehicle pulled slightly to the right. driver corrected, then vehicle went into an uncontrolled slide where rear of vehicle slid to left of driver until vehicle was turned 180 degrees opposite original direction, and proceeded to slide off hwy coming to rest in field. vehicle stayed upright and incurred no obvious damage. driver drove vehicle approx. 5-6 miles after that without incident and abs light was out during that remaining time. vehicle towed to repair shop. repair technician ran codes from the vehicle computer and ascertained that both the the abs module and speed sensor of rear wheel needed replacement. original parts should be available for inspection. | |||
| 10/28/2010 | 97200 | ||
| The pin that holds the brake peddle arm to the master cylinder broke off causing me to slam into the driver in front of me. causing $3,483.77 damages to my car and about $1,000 to the other vehicle. i was very lucky that no one was injured or killed in the accident had this happened on the highway at speed. | |||
| 07/12/2009 | 88000 | 1 | 05/11/2005 |
| Whenever the contact drives the vehicle he noticed that the steering wheel clicks. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership, and the contact did not notice any differecnes beforehand. the current and failure mileage is 88000. bml. updated 10/06/09. *lj the inermediate steeering shaft and tie rods were replaced. the brakes had to be replaced several times. the resistor inside the blower motor had to be replaced in order for the fan to defrost the windshield. updated 10/08/09 | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 26000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle is 2001 dodge durango r/t 5.9. 26,000 miles. front end ball joints needed replacing. calipers froze/locked on both front wheels. overheating occurred twice on front calipers. needed out of pocket money for repairs. air conditioning broken. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2006 | 1 | 11/15/2000 | |
| I bought my 2001 dodge durango sport in november 2000. over the course of the past six years i have had to have so many repairs and replacements of parts, brakes, tires, electrical fuses & resistors done that i can honestly say that i will never buy another dodge vehicle again. the biggest concerns to me have been around brakes needing replacement three times, upper ball joints replaced due to recall, lower ball joints exhibiting excessive wear as well (but not being able to get daimler/chrysler to fix them because it isn't covered under my warranty or the recall notices) and abs & brake lights on the dashboard showing up intermittently. i had to have the power steering line replaced completely due to it rusting through and continuously leaking steering fluid. the dealership replaced my steering fluid and told me it would be fine to drive until the part came in. they said they would call me as soon as the part arrived. two weeks later i had to chase them down to get an answer as to whether or not the part had arrived and was told i would need to wait another week to bring the durango in for repairs. just recently my check engine light came on, i drove straight to the dealership to ask them to look at it and they asked me if the car was bucking or stalling. i said no and they told me it was nothing to worry about then. i tried to make an appointment, but couldn't even be seen for a week and a half. i asked for a loaner vehicle and they said that chrysler doesn't provide those, but they could certainly get me a rental...why bother buying from a company that doesn't offer even minimal things to their customers? *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer experienced the engine light illuminating, shaking when braking at high speeds, steering noises and shifter popping in place. *ph also, consumer experienced noise in the rear end and transmission not shifting properly. dealer said the check engine light illuminated for no reason at all and was reset. consumer went to a different dealer and put a new computer because it's a small sensor in the emission control. engine light came on again and consumer brought vehicle to a dealer and said that it was safe to drive. consumer went to a different dealer because she wasn't comfortable with the opinion from the previous dealer. consumer was told by the dealer that it was the torque converter and it will take a week and a half to repair vehicle. in addition, consumer is experiencing problems with air conditioner. *la | |||
| 08/28/2003 | 35000 | 1 | 12/23/2001 |
| The brakes are ineffective when going from light braking to heavy braking for a panic stop without fully releasing the pedal first. the brakes will not grab enough for the abs to engage and give the impression that they have glazed over, despite full body weight on break pedal. the front pads have been changed twice, the rotors turned and brake fluid bleed. the condition can be repeated with both cold and hot brakes by slowing the vehicle down from 60 mph to 40 mph in 4-5 seconds then, without releasing the pedal, immediately attempt a full stop. symptom was demonstrated for dodge dealer service technician. they contacted dodge star for support and was informed that this is a normal operating characteristic of the braking system due to pressure equalization in the master cylinder . i have notified daimlerchrysler (file # 11617536) of my concern and am filing this complaint to bring larger attention to this potentially deadly condition. considering this engineering design, how safe is this 2.5 ton vehicle when fully loaded to 6400 gvwr or when towing?*ak | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 2 | 12/02/2001 | |
| The consumer stated that when the brakes were applied the vehicle experienced extended stopping distance when on a dry pavement. this occurred twice in a two month period. the antilock brakes didn't engage. *ak *cb *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Intermittently brakes lock up while driving causing steering wheel and vehicle to shudder excessively, almost resulting in a collision.*ak | |||
| 04/23/2003 | 1 | ||
| When the consumer attempted to apply the brakes the pedal went to the floor and the vehicle experienced extended stopping distance. *nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 02/22/2008 | 1 | 01/05/2006 | |
| We are able to switch into reverse without having your foot on the brake. we are careful to make sure it isn't accidentally changed into reverse while in forward motion. *tr | |||
| 09/17/2007 | 123100 | 1 | 07/12/2002 |
| The abs and parking brake lights on the control panel stay on after starting the vehicle. i have been told the abs control module needs to be replaced and that if not the brakes hydraulics could brake and cause brake failure. this is not a common repair and should be looked into as a recall for brake failure. *jb | |||
| 02/27/2006 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated a recall letter was received for the upper ball joints, #04v596000. the contact performed the recall work prior to the recall and sent in the paperwork available. the manufacturer requested the original receipt. the contact did not have a receipt and was denied reimbursement. also, since purchase, the abs jerks and the vehicle swerves when stopping at any speed. the dealership determined this was how the vehicle was manufactured and no repair was available. | |||
| 01/15/2006 | 63000 | 1 | 02/19/2001 |
| Hello, i am the owner of a 2001 dodge durango slt 4x4 which i purchased new in february of 2001. it now has 63,000 miles on it and i have been very good about maintaining this vehicle. on 1-15-06 as i approached an intersection that is at the bottom of a slight downhill grade i was traveling about 30-35 mph. as i went to apply my brakes the brake pedal immediately went soft because of the anti-lock brakes activating. the pavement was dry and i did not initially hit the brakes any harder than normal. i kept firm pressure on the brake pedal thinking that the brakes would come back as they have in the past during similar situations. however this time the brakes never came back and i ended up rear-ending the vehicle stopped at the intersection. i had plenty of time to stop and the pavement was dry so. the closer i got to the stopped vehicle the more pressure i applied to the pedal but every time the anti-lock mechanism would compensate for the additional pressure and negate it. the incident took a very long time to happen. i think the last 3 seconds i was under 10 mph but still the brakes could not stop the vehicle. i have checked my brake fluid level and inspected my front brakes and could not find any problems. there is still one more thing that i do not understand. this durango is supposed to be only rear anti-lock brakes yet i lost most of my braking ability to my front brakes. there was only minor damage to the vehicle i hit but because of what happened i have to think it could have been much worse. the most disturbing aspect of this whole situation is that as i got close to the stopped vehicle in front of me i was not going very fast yet the truck continued forward for several seconds until i hit the vehicle in front of me. also very disturbing is why did i loose power to my front brakes??? there is no question in my mind that this accident was caused by some kind of glitch in the ant-lock braking system of my dodge durango. *jb | |||
| 12/29/2005 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Abs braking failure - the brakes slowed the car from 40 to about 15 mph. then the car did not slow down anymore even with the brake pedal depressed all the way. abs engaged once and then released and brakes would not engage again. no skid marks, just crashed into the car in front causing damage to both vehicles. this was a normal braking situation with plenty of distance to stop. *jb | |||
| 05/03/2004 | 4 | ||
| Consumer stated that transmission indicator light kept going off and on. consumer took vehicle to the dealer, who told consumer that they had to insert a plate in order to make the light stay off. also, after vehicle was worked on the cruise control light came on and stayed on. while driving on the freeway all the lights came on, consumer applied brakes, and they grabbed. when consumer finally was able to apply brakes they almost threw her passenger through the windshield. however, passenger did not go through the windshield because he was wearing a seat belt. consumer indicated that dealer told her that this incident may have been caused by the transmission fluid that they put into vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 1 | ||
| Owner says the brake pedal has a delay, causing the vehicle to have extended stopping distance. consumer has made contact with the dealership. please provide any additional information. *ph | |||
| 06/18/2003 | 28 | 3 | 05/17/2001 |
| The brake system on my 2001 durango consistently has given me problems even after two changes on the pads. my durango only has 30,000 miles on it and i keep it up to date according to the manufacture. the paint job on the vehicle which was brand new has faded near the fender walls and the door jams. i love this vehicle but am disappointed with the quality of the most important things in a vehicle; overall appearance.*ak | |||
| 05/03/2003 | 52642 | 1 | 01/31/2001 |
| When the brakes are applied quickly and hard, pedal will only go half way as if something is blocking them and the brakes did not grab. they seemed to glide or slide as if glazed no matter how much pressure is applied. however when you take your foot off of the brakes and press them again,the brakes will grab hard causing the wheels to lock up. this has happened a couple of times with an accident resulting one time. no injuries but a lot of messed up nerves as my family was with me. after some research and the ability to repeat on command, i've decided to file a complaint in hopes that dodge will issue some sort of recall for a thorough inspection and repair. this is very dangerous and makes the durango a danger to drive knowing i may or may not lock up the brakes causing loss of control even though i have abs and anti-skid differential. please investigate and reply. my insurance company is supposedly investigating for me but i have not heard a word. please advise me on the best course of action. thank you.*ak | |||
| 7 | 1 | ||
| When the brakes were depressed suddenly or hard they would not hold and the vehicle would skid. the abs drums were warped but the pads were not worn per the dealership. *nlm. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 10/01/2006 | 49900 | 25 | 02/01/2001 |
| Abs and brake warning lights illuminate intermittently while driving disabling abs feature. taken to dealer for check and revealed defective abs module. vehicle is 2001 dodge durango with approximately 50,000 miles on it in excellent condition. *nm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 06/28/2004 | 1 | 10/27/2001 | |
| I have a 2001 dodge durango slt, my problems with the transmission started with 17000 miles on vehicle. the four wheel drive system light came on and the valve in the 4wd system was replaced and after that(about 26000+ miles) the transmission light would come on after driving over 60 miles and come to the first stop. when i would go to take off again there is a loss of power and light stays on until you stop vehicle and let it cool down (about 2 hours) then the light goes off and power restored. i have taken to dealer several times with light on and off to have it checked but they find nothing wrong and just reset the light. my family and i have not done a lot of long distant traveling in the past 2 years so (last time was going on vacation and light came on while getting gas) i am worried that the next time we leave on vacation or travel my family will be broke down and even worse cause a crash on highway. thank you. *nm | |||
| 07/31/2005 | 22700 | 1 | 04/26/2001 |
| Drivers side front brake caliper seized while driving on highway. vehicle pulled strongly to the left. we were able to stop the vehicle safely. the corresponding wheel and tire were extremely hot from the friction of the dragging brake. vehicle was brought to a chrysler dealer for service. the dealer replace the brake caliper at our expense. the vehicle had 22,700 miles on it at the time of the incident. old part was left at dealer and is probably not available. | |||
| 04/12/2004 | 49000 | 3 | 05/09/2001 |
| I was having problems with my 2001 durango coming to a complete stop when applying the brakes at certain times. i was told by the dealership to replace the brake pads, which i did. the next day, the drivers front wheel started smoking, assuming it was due to the new pads, the truck continued to be driven. a day or two later, it got so bad that the left side caliper seized up and got so hot it started a fire. i then had complete replacement of front roters, calipers and pads. about 6 months later the left side caliper started hanging up and smoking. the rotor, caliper and pads were inspected and found to be in working order. the rotors and pads were cleaned and test driven applying the brakes very hard. after that, things seemed to be working fine. it is now about 6 months later and about a year after the original incident and the left caliper is hanging up again. the brakes on this vehicle have cost me nearly $2,000 up to this point and it looks like it's going to be costing me more $$$ to get it repaired. i have never had such a problem with any vehicle i've ever owned. after my lease is up on my durango, i will never buy another dodge ever again. | |||
| 08/30/2004 | 2 | ||
| Driver side front fluid leaks when brakes. front caliper brass o-ring leaks. replaced with correct size o-rings and bleed system. *bf | |||
| 08/20/2001 | 58700 | 3 | 07/10/2001 |
| #1-3 incidents of front brake calipers locking up causing significant steering and control problems, required the replacement of the front hub bearings as a result at the owners expense; #2-left upper ball joint required replacement to maintain safety of vehicle (right side beginning to make the same sound); #3-multiple incidents (at least 5) of cel coming on within last 9 months-the last (8/20/04) indicates that the fuel pump, gas tank, and other components will need to be replaced as the gas tank becomes concave after the vehicle runs for 15-30 minutes leading to a possible explosion. *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 05/19/2004 | 34000 | 1 | 05/01/2001 |
| When applying the brakes vehicle pulsated/vibrated. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak *nm | |||
| 1 | |||
| A technician serviced the truck. the technician inspected the brakes and noticed that the brake rotors were fine but the brake pads were pitted. the vehicle has less then 30,000 miles on it. *nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 08/17/2005 | 100000 | 2 | 08/01/2001 |
| Dt: the contact states received a recall letter on 8-17-05 regarding the upper ball joint on 2001 dodge durango. she called and set up an appointment, and they told her they do not have any parts because there is a backorder. she thinks the recall should be fixed in a timely manner. she reported having problems with the brakes, and her husband told her this might have something to do with the recall because the front end may be wearing out the brakes. the steering wheel jumped around in her hand when she applied the brakes.*ak | |||
| 04/20/2005 | 43000 | 1 | 10/05/2004 |
| The inboard surface of both brake rotors began to flake off and wear thin. the inboard brake pad retainer clips were bent and rusted or gone. you could feel the pulsation of the untrue rotors when applying the brakes. 43,000 miles on the odometer.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 68000 | 1 | |
| The consumer stated the rotors failed prematurely. determined. please provide additional information. *jb | |||
| 01/05/2004 | 3 | ||
| While applying the brake pedal, the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably and the failed to stop completely. the mechanic informed the consumer that the rotors needed to be replaced. please provide further details. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 55000 | 1 | 01/25/2001 |
| At 55,000 miles i had to replace my rack and pinion and ball joints. i replaced my brake pads and rotors last year and have just been told that i need to replace them again. my vehicle is used for local highway driving.*ak | |||
| 10/12/2004 | 03/21/2001 | ||
| I have had to replace the rotors three times and also had them resurfaced 3 times in 3 years. now i have been told the ball joints are in very bad shape and must be replaced right away. i have owned other dodge vehicles through-out the years and i'm very disappointed with this one. *nm | |||
| 06/15/2004 | 55000 | 2 | 05/12/2001 |
| My 2001 durango has had the rotors go bad and the ball joints (both of which cost me money). the vehicle has 55000 miles on it and is driven 95% of the time on the interstate system. although i like the vehicle, i think the mft should pay for the replacement. i also, think it is time for a recall. i am hard pressed to buy another dodge ( i own two) knowing that they don't care about my safety!*ak | |||
| 05/10/2002 | 8220 | 4 | 01/01/2002 |
| My wife and i own a 2001 dodge durango slt. great car but very dangerous and remarkably obvious design flaw in the front rotors. we currently have 30,000 miles on or durango and i 'm getting ready to put the third set of rotors on the front end. the first changed set was put on after only 9200 miles. of course at the dealership you get the blah, blah about how it is a normal wear and tear item. which i agree it is;however, it is not normal today or yesterday for any rotor on any vehicle to warp so badly after only 8000 miles of use. rotors warp from excessive heat buildup-> that is a fact. i did further research through various dodge dealerships. of the five respective dealerships contacted all five agreed that the rotors are undersized and are pre-maturely wearing on all dodge durangos, but they couldn't do anything about. when i changed the rotors after only 8000 miles i was fairly surprised to see almost no wear on the front brake pads. regardless of this small amount of wear i decided to replace the front pads with new high end ceramic pads which help with reducing heat by helping dissipate heat through the ceramic media. at 17,000 miles warped rotors on the front end again, ceramic pads looked great. i do not pull a boat/ rv or anything else on my vehicle. i live in flat corn country not colorado with excessive mountains that would put strain on the braking system. brakes are the single most important part on any vehicle, and when they are undersized and don't dissipate heat correctly they will warp everytime. there is no doubt that this is a dangerous situation that is not isolated and is prevalent with every 2001 durango. i hope i'm not wasting my fingers time and that this has some impact on dodge, so that they may right this wrong and get recall performed before someone or more people are killed and injured from this condition. *jb | |||
| 05/19/2004 | 34000 | 1 | 05/01/2001 |
| When applying the brakes vehicle pulsated/vibrated. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak *nm | |||
| 03/18/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle's rotors warped prematurely. as a result the owner had to replace them every 8,000 miles the cause has yet to be determined. please provide any additional information. *nm | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 32000 | 1 | 04/16/2001 |
| When applying brakes for a normal stop brake pedal pulsates and vehicle does not stop reliably.*ak | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 30000 | 0 | |
| Prior to 30,000 miles the 2001 dodge durango began to shake in the front end. the vehicle was taken back to the dealership where we were told that the brakes pads were like new but the rotors were warped significantly and could not be cut down to stop the shake. we were told that the problem is due to the heat not being able to be released from the brakes in the durango. this is our second durango and we did not experience such a problem with the first one. by reading articles and complaints by other dodge durango and dakota owners, this seems to be an all too common problem. it is my understanding that this repair/service is not covered under warranty. it is my belief that the problem resides with defective rotors put on these vehicles and these vehicles should be recalled for this problem due to the unsafe nature in which these brakes systems are wearing. *ph | |||
| 07/22/2003 | 36000 | 1 | 08/09/2000 |
| Consumer noticed a pulsation from the front end of the vehicle. it was discovered the rotors were warped. *ak also the blower motor only worked on high. *jb | |||
| 03/24/2003 | 23000 | 1 | 06/04/2001 |
| I would like to file a complaint regarding front bakes and rotors on a 2001 dodge durango. the vehicle has approximately. 23500 miles and the rotors are in pretty bad shape. when i apply the brakes i get a pretty bad vibration in the pedal and the vehicle does not stop very well. i spoke with chrysler and they informed me the rotors and brakes were considered wear parts and were not covered by the warranty. i have done some investigating and found this appears to be a common problem. i would like to file a complaint so that maybe chrysler will try to rectify this problem. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 10/01/2001 | ||
| Dealer already notified-premature 1/4 inch grooving in rotors is not normal during mild operating conditions. i believe the metalergy is defective in hardness and will require the expense of premature replacement to avoid failure rather than standard service. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM | |||
| 7 | 1 | ||
| When the brakes were depressed suddenly or hard they would not hold and the vehicle would skid. the abs drums were warped but the pads were not worn per the dealership. *nlm. *ak | |||
| 05/15/2002 | 2 | ||
| Consumer states, vehicle will vibrate when applying the brakes. dealer was notified and replaced the front pads twice. consumer believes, the rotors are the problem.*jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 82000 | 5 | |
| Brake line broke/air bag clock spring/power steering rack/rear suspension,leaf springs/rust. *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 08/23/2002 | 20000 | 7 | 09/28/2001 |
| While driving at 40 mph, the consumer heard a clanking sound coming from the front end. the vehicle has been to the dealer three times for this problem. the consumer felt that the ball joints wore out. the dealer examined the vehicle, but could not diagnose what was causing the noise. *ak the engine light had come on, the vacuum hose leaked, and there was a knocking noise in the rear compartment. it was later found that the rear door latch rattled due to internal damage. *sc *jb | |||