Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 1900900 | 12/15/2000 | 616728 | Experiencing a popping sensation / sound felt and / or heard in the steering column during sharp turns (parking lot maneuvers). *tt | 03/08/2001 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 10023 | 10/01/2002 | 10009241 | Steering column service. information. service information tuneups. *tt | 09/20/2004 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||||
| 1900701 | 08/03/2001 | 623172 | Information on new power steering fluid.*slc | 10/26/2001 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 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 | |||
| 09/18/2004 | 1 | ||
| Driving 2001 dodge durango with 36,000 miles on i-295 n in new jersey going 45-55mph - steering suddenly failed - car wildely went to left slamming into guard rail. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| I heard about upper control arm failure. i had mine checked my mechanic stated right side upper showed signs of wear & should be replaced. waiting to see if recall is forthcoming. noticed power steering was hard to turn also a rattle in the steering wheel if shook side to side fastly (cause worn steering column and box). light selector switch burned out. had to replace the switch module. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/16/2004 | 1 | ||
| While steering and turning a corner the steering wheel jerked. the driver was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for analysis. the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *nm | |||
| 01/09/2004 | 40000 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| I have a 2001 dodge durango with a nudge over 50,000 miles. when i recently moved to va from fl i had to start getting vehicle inspections to get plates. i took my truck to a chevy dealer for the safety inspection and they said it was unsafe as the upper right ball joint was in horrible shape. i had heard some very loud popping when i turned the wheel and sometimes after turning, but never gave it much thought. i took the truck to a dodge dealer for the same inspection because i thought the chevy dealer may have just wanted to make some money on me. the dodge dealer replaced a few bulbs and said it was road ready, safe. the other day my steering felt somewhat bound when i was driving so i pulled over to look and i was astonished to see that the chevy dealer was right. so is dodge willing to let someone die after a state mandated safety inspection to save a few dollars? *la | |||
| 10/31/2003 | 35000 | 1 | 01/08/2001 |
| Steering is spongy and easily affected by road conditions. example: driving over an expansion joint in the road that is not perfectly perpendicular to direction of traffic will cause the steering wheel to turn, sending the vehicle off track. at highway speeds, the vehicle has actually changed lanes as a result of this phenomenon. while having the vehicle serviced, i have mentioned this every time to the service writer. upon completion of service i was told the same thing every time: this is normal steering for a durango. we noticed this shortly after the vehicle was purchased from redwood city dodge, in redwood city, ca. they also serviced the vehicle and told us the same thing as swift dodge. it's all hogwash: the vehicle isn't safe as this failure occurs every time the vehicle is driven. *la | |||
| When driving at normal speed on a straight way steering wheel suddenly turned right without movement from the driver. as a result, vehicle hit a light pole. *ak | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 36000 | 03/12/2001 | |
| Lost control of 2001 dodge durango on broken arrow expressway between harvard and lewis , heading west there has been several times that this has happened, not all at the same location. i feel there is a problem with my dodge, and the road at this location is extremely bad. i called the highway dept. left a message but never heard back. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 08/21/2006 | 50000 | 1 | 07/20/2006 |
| When i bought the truck i put on a new set of tires and had the alignment done at a fire stone on 8/16-21/2008. the fire stone told me my ball joints were going out. and they said the good news is that they are under recall. i took it to the dealer they looked up the vin. # and charged me little over $60.00. in the end they told me that the service was done already and told me the miles that it was done at. at that time i still had 20,000 miles to go before i hit that amount. the shop manager told me that someone must have put the wrong miles in because we check it and there done that is why we are charging you a fee. so i went to another dealer and asked them. they looked up the vin.# and said this service has already been done and if they take it in it will just cost me another $60.00. i contacted chrysler and told them my story and asked them about all the wear and tear that these bad ball joints are causing. they said that the service was done and there is nothing that they can do. 1year later and 1 set of tires, on 5/20/07 i looked myself under the truck and looked for what the fire stone manager told me to look at. just to find that the service had never been done. the reason i did this, because fire stone would not replace the tires due too poor upkeep. i had moved to pineville la when all this took place. i went in to a dealer there and told them my story and asked if they would look at the pictures that i took. they said yes and they said the service had not been done ,so the check into it and the dealer (west side in illinois had it in the computer as done on there site.) they put in the wrong vin# . the dealer in la did the recall, but i am out $60.00 , 1 set of tires, cost and work of the lower ball joints (due to upper ball joints going out) and all that time running around. what should i do ? a lawyer cost too much! and now i have the recall on the steering column gear shift blocker. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2004 | 40084 | 2 | 08/18/2001 |
| Clock spring failure-same sceanario as current nhtsa investigation involving daimler chrysler mini-vans. failure resulted in a non-warranty covered expense of $219.42 in parts and labor to replace clock spring.*ak | |||
| 08/09/2003 | 30000 | 1 | 08/25/2001 |
| Premature failure of steering column at 39,000 miles. steering column noise necessitated replacement of steering column.*ak | |||
| 63000 | |||
| The vehicle experienced the same defect as nhtsa recall # 03v-078000 which was related to the steering column electrical connection. the consumers vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *nlm | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 07/25/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer called complaining about steering track rod. while driving at 40 mph vehicle started stalling, and could not control the vehicle.dealer was contacted, and stated that the problem was with the steering track rod, and that the vehicle failed mechanically. manufacturer was contacted, and stated that there was nothing they could do.*ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 82000 | 5 | |
| Brake line broke/air bag clock spring/power steering rack/rear suspension,leaf springs/rust. *tr | |||
| 09/04/2006 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I noticed a small leak coming from my durango. it appeared to be power steering fluid. due to bad weather, i was unable to check into the situation further. the next day the leak was much worse. the power steering reservoir was empty. i filled it up and drove it about 5 miles and checked it again. it was empty. there are two lines between the power steering pump and pinion. the leak is coming from the pressure side of the two lines. failure of power steering may cause someone to lose control of the vehicle causing an accident. there is a rubber islolator between the pressure line and return line. it appears to be the same problem that was on the '98 durango's brake line issue. the pressure line rusted under the rubber isolator causing the leak of steering fluid. the pressure line must be replaced. i have the old pressure line. *nm | |||
| 06/10/2005 | 39518 | 1 | 09/29/2001 |
| Dt: rack and pinion had to be replaced. caller believed they should not have to pay for it. dealer replaced leaking rack and pinion and the line power of the steering. manufacturer has not been contacted yet.*ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 65000 | 1 | 09/15/2001 |
| I was driving on a highway offramp at approximately 45 mph. the steering wheel locked for approx 3 seconds. it then unlocked allowing me to regain control of the vehicle. the steering continued to lock and unlock periodically. the cause was the power steering pump. however, this incident was different from the normal situation where power steering fails because the steering was also substantially affected at speed and not just when the vehicle is at a virtual standstill. my mileage is approx 65000.*ak | |||
| 04/26/2004 | 77000 | 1 | 12/14/2000 |
| On april 26, 2004 i arrived at a business meeting and parked my 2001 r/t durango, and set my alarm with the keyless entry. from my client's office i noticed whitish/gray smoke and observed that the smoke was billowing from under the hood of my truck! i rushed outside.upon arriving in the parking lot i was stopped by the police and fire department from approaching my durango as they were afraid it might explode.the flames were already four feet above the hood.the fire took my engine, bumpers, lights, hood, fender, left front tire & severally damaged the car directly in front of mine & slightly damaged the car to the left corner. state farm's investigation determined that the failure was caused by the ignition of power steering fluid onto hot surfaces of the exhaust system with the fire extending upward and outward, causing the damage present which was the total loss of my vehicle. i filed a special investigation report with chrysler and they sent me back a letter stating that my claim was denied. in other words nothing was done by chrysler to correct the failure although state farm is in subrogation as they found several technical service bulletins # 19-005-03 and 19-009-00 that they feel pertained to this event.the third party fire investigator informed me that this happened before, and that the person that chrysler sent to inspect vehicle was not a licensed fire inspector, and that mr. pitt (chrysler's rep.) was not qualified to determine the cause of the fire.i wrote a letter to the president of chrysler and the director of customer service. a month later received a call from them stating again that my claim was denied, and that they would not tell me what they determined caused the fire on recommendation from their legal staff.i replied it sounded like they were trying to hide something, and he told me that he would refer my claim back to the special investigation unit, and i am still waiting for a returned call. the last contact was 7/15/2004. *ak | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 70500 | 2 | 07/27/2001 |
| Had to replace upper & lower ball joints in my 2001 durango after replacing prematurely worn out tires, dealer said it would cost close to $1,000 since i am 1,000 miles over my warranty. also had to replace power steering pump at a cost of $600 don't know if this is a result of the defective ball joints however. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 08/29/2005 | 1 | 05/01/2001 | |
| Dt: the contact has been experiencing problems with the steering and front end while driving vehicle. the vehicle has been taken to the dealership three times since may 2005. while driving on a two lane road the vehicle started making a noise, then it veered to the left. this resulted in an accident. upon impact, the air bags did deploy.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While making a right or left turn with 4-wheel drive engaged steering wheel would become hard, binding or would lose power completely. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 08/24/2004 | 60123 | 1 | 02/11/2003 |
| I was attempting to make a left turn to enter a parking ramp at work when unexpectedly i was unable to control my vehicle, as a result i collided with a concrete wall.*ak i had some digital pictures taken as the police would not come to file a report on private propery. the vehicle sustained major damage and i'm convinced this is related to a poor design/weak parts used in the steering linkage/suspension system. | |||
| 03/06/2003 | 27000 | 2 | 03/13/2001 |
| My car suspension has been horrifying since the day i got it new. one day i was in my garage going no more than 5-8 miles an hour and the wheel fell off and caused tons of damages to the car. it went through insurance and insurance should get reimbursed through chrysler,as this is a defect. i was without transportation for over 30 days. it cost me over $1000 because of that on top of the deductible. my company leases the car and we want out of the lease as the suspension is acting up again. dodge dealership has done everything to make a charade of this and not admit any wrong. the incident date below is approximate.*ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ARM - IDLER AND ATTACHMENT | |||
| 08/24/2004 | 60123 | 1 | 02/11/2003 |
| I was attempting to make a left turn to enter a parking ramp at work when unexpectedly i was unable to control my vehicle, as a result i collided with a concrete wall.*ak i had some digital pictures taken as the police would not come to file a report on private propery. the vehicle sustained major damage and i'm convinced this is related to a poor design/weak parts used in the steering linkage/suspension system. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 05/27/2006 | 96000 | 1 | 08/01/2001 |
| In the early morning hours of 5/27 the right front lower wheel bearing of my 2001 dodge durango suddenly separated without warning causing the wheel to come loose from the vehicle. the caused the durango to veer to the right and crash into two parked cars. the wheel, axle, bearing, rack and pinion and associated parts are being replaced. old part will be saved. *jb | |||
| 03/12/2005 | 2 | 06/15/2001 | |
| I have a 2001 dodge durango that has prematue wearing of tie rods and bushings. i tried contacting my dealership and they will not cover this because of 60,000miles. i started noticeing problems at 7,000 miles when my tires started to wear premature. i took the car back to the dealer and they just realined the vehicle. i am on my third set of tires already. brakes plus won't realign the car because everything is so worn out. please advise me, i have to fix this and nobody will cover the costs. what do i do.???*ak | |||
| 12/11/2004 | 3 | 09/30/2002 | |
| I recently had new tires put on my durango and was going to have a alignment done. at that time i was informed that my right upper ball joint and right tie rod needed to be replaced due to excessive wear. this seems to be happening to most of the dodge light trucks and suv's and is obviously a defect in the product. i did not have the repair done at the time. it is to costly to buy both tires and have to do the repairs at the same time especially around christmas. i feel that this is the responsibility of dodge to correct the obviously defective equipment.*ak | |||
| 08/04/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| While driving 12 mph front passenger side outer tie rod snapped. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak | |||
| 01/22/2004 | 20000 | 1 | |
| While driving 45 mph the tie rod on the front passenger side snapped. this caused the consumer to hit a guard rail. the consumer had the vehicle towed. please provide any additional information. *nm | |||
| 01/13/2004 | 11/03/2001 | ||
| My vehicle is pulling to the right ,i took it to curtis hughes doge,manteca, california.thought it would be a simple alignment.when i called for my vehicle they told me it needed the suspention ball joints replaced. they were on back order it would take about a week to get them in. i called back within the week the parts were in. i took my dodge durango in, later that afternoon, i phoned to see if the vehicle was ready to be picked up i was told there is a problem with the trucks steering. it was originally said to cost $885.00 for the ball joint repair job. the price has now shot up to $1800.00 for repairs. the truck only has 48000 miles on it. i am now told that these repairs are not under warranty. this is safety issue for me. my vehicle is usedto transport children daily,and it is unfair that i should have to pay these fee and very coincidental that the truck suddenly is having major problems immediately after the 36000 mile warranty has passed. around christmas 2003 there was a report on the news about recalling dodge durangos. this one needs to be recalled and fixed correctly and not at my expense. . | |||
| 11/25/2003 | 51326 | 1 | |
| The rack assembly and tie rod were wearing prematurely. as a result the vehicle's tires wobbled uncontrollably. *nlm the left inner tie rod end was bad and 1/4 play caused the vehicle to wonder all over the road. at different speeds, the left wheel would shake badly. the rack assembly was replaced to correct the problem. *sc *jb | |||
| 07/02/2003 | 47153 | 1 | 05/01/2001 |
| Replacement of left upper ball joint, control arm and left outer tie rod at 47,000 due to premature wear. *la | |||
| 07/14/2003 | 1 | 06/28/2001 | |
| Noise in front left suspension of our 2001 durango with only 25,000 miles. took to dealer, first they said they were replacing tie-rod then they replaced the ball joint. @ weeks after the repair, car making same noise.*ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 01/17/2008 | 146160 | 1 | 11/03/2006 |
| Electric fan,steering;rack and pinion; control arm; lower ball joints, front drive shaft, front bearings. replaced drive shaft,left wheel bearing. i bought it in 2006 w/125,000 miles. drive shaft went out at 135,000 and steering at 146,000. i still owe money on it and it sits parked because i cant afford the rest of the repairs. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2005 | 39518 | 1 | 09/29/2001 |
| Dt: rack and pinion had to be replaced. caller believed they should not have to pay for it. dealer replaced leaking rack and pinion and the line power of the steering. manufacturer has not been contacted yet.*ak | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/13/2004 | 11/03/2001 | ||
| My vehicle is pulling to the right ,i took it to curtis hughes doge,manteca, california.thought it would be a simple alignment.when i called for my vehicle they told me it needed the suspention ball joints replaced. they were on back order it would take about a week to get them in. i called back within the week the parts were in. i took my dodge durango in, later that afternoon, i phoned to see if the vehicle was ready to be picked up i was told there is a problem with the trucks steering. it was originally said to cost $885.00 for the ball joint repair job. the price has now shot up to $1800.00 for repairs. the truck only has 48000 miles on it. i am now told that these repairs are not under warranty. this is safety issue for me. my vehicle is usedto transport children daily,and it is unfair that i should have to pay these fee and very coincidental that the truck suddenly is having major problems immediately after the 36000 mile warranty has passed. around christmas 2003 there was a report on the news about recalling dodge durangos. this one needs to be recalled and fixed correctly and not at my expense. . | |||
| 11/25/2003 | 51326 | 1 | |
| The rack assembly and tie rod were wearing prematurely. as a result the vehicle's tires wobbled uncontrollably. *nlm the left inner tie rod end was bad and 1/4 play caused the vehicle to wonder all over the road. at different speeds, the left wheel would shake badly. the rack assembly was replaced to correct the problem. *sc *jb | |||
| 01/23/2003 | 10/22/2001 | ||
| I own a 2001 dodge durango rt in which i have been complaining to the service department of the dealership since taking ownership of the vehicle in october 22, 2001 that the steering was not aligned or did not feel right to drive. they claimed everything was ok. on january 23, 2003 i went in for routine oilchange and check up with the same complaint. now they say that the truck is not drivable and needs a new rack and pinion. can you check if this is a continuos complaint about these trucks. | |||
| 06/12/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Rack and pinion broke in half while driving vehicle. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - PINION SHAFT | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 82000 | 5 | |
| Brake line broke/air bag clock spring/power steering rack/rear suspension,leaf springs/rust. *tr | |||
| 10/28/2003 | 6260 | 1 | 12/27/2000 |
| We purchased our 2001 dodge durango in dec. 2000. in march 2001, my husband returned to the fullerton dealership in ca to have the vehicle looked at due to prob. with the steering wheel on the freeway, when he hit bumps. they could not find a problem wtih the vehicle, advised him that it was just due to the los angeles freeways. we have taken the car in on several occasions due to it feeling wobly and unstable, we have been told time and time that we need wheel alingments. also, we were experiencing a prob. with the brakes reverbrating, only to be informed that it was part of the anti-lock brake system. yesterday, i was driving home and nearly hit a pedestrian and several vehichles because i lost control of the vehicle, the steering wheel was off-center and i was not able to control it. when i made a turn, specifically, left the steering wheel felt like it was skidding or hydroplanning. i recently had tires put ont he vehicle and a wheel alignment. it feels like my wheel on the left (driver's) side is going to fall off. i am having the vehicle towed to the dealer today. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 0 | 1 | 08/29/2000 |
| I have been with this vehicle in the shop every time you turn around. currently we were driving down the road and smoke came from the vents. it was a fire which they are still trying to find where the short is. also the convertor for the air conditioner is bad and had to be replaced. because of the short the battery was replaced two times because of the burning it up, the spring broke when i hit a bump and my daughters neck was wrenched. every other day the vehicle won't start, the locks won't work after having them redone by clio chrysler, the windows won't go up and down, the car has a bad steering rack which we reported to you quite some time ago (2 different dealerships evaluated and reported this), the ball joints were bad, the car creaks currently underneath as though it is going to fall in to pieces. the alternator had to be replaced, the sensors all were going bad at different times, so every other day the car won't run. the one cost us a mint in gasoline because the car would just drink the gas and shoot out black smoke. this is a 2000 vehicle from problems dating from day one of purchase. the vehicle. *nm | |||
| 04/15/2004 | 4 | 03/31/2001 | |
| In march of 2001 i bought a 2001 dodge durango 4x4 the first year was great , then despite the fact that i took my vehicle in evey 3000 mi. for whatever was manufacturer recommended maintenance , and the dealers 27 point inspection, the front brakes were suddenly completely shot and cost in excess of $450 to repair last june i believe , right after getting serviced and a front end alignment ,i drove to work , attempted to shut off vehicle, and it refused the engine sped up , the lights flashed , the gauges went wild, and it finally died. day after day they cept telling me they didnt know what the problem was ,after a week of being worked on the dealership informed me the starter had gone and it would be 24 to 48 hours before they could get one about the same time the front end started to make a strange grinding noise while backing up while turning....they still havent figured out this one.....but im wondering if it is a balljoint issue also after several of the regularly schedueled services i complained that there was fluid left on my driveway. i was told that it was run off from the frame of some of the old oil,....now after it is out of warranty,they finally found the leak....the power steering rack is leaking oh and i almost forgot, when i first got this vehicle, the left rear brake light didnt always work...after 4 or 5 attempts to get it repaired , i had a mechanic friend of mine look it over ...in less than 5 minutes he told me the contacts in the housing were defective ....i got the dealership to check into it and they replaced it and it has been fine ever since this vehicle has always had its manufacturers recommended services at the interval required , it was very expensive to buy , and to maintain, it only has 40,000 mi. on it , and looks great, but appearntly it is a money pitt and death trap all rolled into one!! | |||
| 12/02/2003 | 50000 | 5 | |
| I own a 2001 dodge durango. in 2002 i had to have the whole power steering rack and pump replaced. n september of this year i was informed the ball joints are bad. apparently they have prematurely worn out.*ak | |||