1999 Dodge Dodge Truck

I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO WHEN I NOTICED MY BRAND NEW FRONT TIRES WERE WEARING FUNNY. I THOUGHT THE ALIGNMENT WAS BAD, TOOK IT TO GET FIXED, AND FOUND OUT IT WAS ALL FOUR OF THE FRONT BALL JOINTS. NOW THERE IS A HORRIBLE SHAKING IN THE FRONT END, AND SQUEAK. I WAS QUOTED CLOSE TO $1000.00 TO FIX. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THE 1999 YEAR BUT THE RECALL IS ONLY GOOD FOR THE 2000-2002. I DO NOT HAVE THIS KIND OF MONEY TO PUT INTO SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE DEALERS.

ALL 4 BALL JOINTS IN MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO WENT BAD AT 38,000 MILES. CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE AND I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SO I CALLED MY DEALER. HE INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND NO RECALLS HAD BEEN ISSUED. I THEN TOOK MY 1999 DURANGO TO MY SERVICE REPAIR MAN AT WHICH TIME HE INFORMED ME THAT ALL BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT ME & MY FAMILY WERE IN DANGER OF AN ACCIDENT FROM THE WHEELS FALLING OFF. I HAD ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3 YEARS AFTER BUYING IT NEW FROM THE DEALER AND ONLY USED IT FOR LOCAL DRIVING. *AK

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 12/20/2004 FOR FRONT END NOISE. DEALER STATEMENT ON RECEIPT "CHECKED STEERING COMPONENTS ALL OK AT THIS TIME TIRES CUPPED" . TOOK VEHICLE TO TIRE SHOP FOR ALIGNMENT & ROTATION ON 12/29/2004. TIRE SHOP FINDS "BOTH UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINTS ARE BAD // OUTER TIE ROD ENDS HAS PLAY" DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR UNDER PRESENT RECALL ON VEHICLES MFR SHORTLY AFTER THIS VEHICLE DATE. VEHICLE IS 1999 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4. VEHICLE'S COVERED BY RECALL IS INADEQUATE TO RECTIFY ALL POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS PROBLEM. *NM

IN OCTOBER OF 2003 OUR 1999 DURANGO BEGAN MAKING SQUEAKING NOISES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. AT THE TIME WE ONLY HAD 56,442 MILES ON IT. WE HAD HEARD OF COMPLAINTS VIA TELEVISION WHERE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE THE CAUSE OF SOME OWNERS DURANGO'S WHEELS TO COMPLETELY DISENGAGE AND COME OFF. WE HAD BEEN HEARING THIS NOISE IN OUR "99 DURANGO FOR SOME TIME, SO THOUGHT IT BEST FOR SAFETY PURPOSES TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AT OUR DEALERSHIP LITHIA DODGE IN EUGENE, ORE. THEY VERIFIED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN PREMATURELY AND WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. THEY REPLACED THE UPPERCONTROL ARMS WITH BALL JOINT , BUT WERE UNABLE TO GUARANTEE WEAR AS THEY REPLACED THEM BASICALLY WITH THE PARTS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN DEEMED DEFECTIVE BY CHRYSLER CORP. WE FEEL THAT THIS RECALL IS NOT GOING BACK FAR ENOUGH. DAIMLER CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ALSO INCLUDE THE 1999 DODGE DURANGO.*AK

MY 1999 DURANGO HAS HAD SEVERAL COSTLY REPAIRS NONE OF WHICH SHOULD HAVE EVER HAD TO BE MADE TO A VEHICLE WITH SUCH FEW MILES ON IT. (1) THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS MOVING. DODGE TOLD ME I HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN$$$$ AT LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD CARS AND TRUCKS WITH 200,000 MILES THAT NEVER HAD TO HAVE ANY SUCH THING DONE. (2) HEATER BOX DAMPER HAS APPARENTLY COME LOOSE AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE. DODGE TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $900.00 TO JUST TAKE THE DASHBOARD APART TO LOOK AT IT. I TOLD THEM FOR $900.00 I COULD LIVE WITH IT. AGAIN, LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. (3) POWER WINDOWS ARE SLOW AND SOMETIMES DO NOT WORK AT ALL. (4) UNEVEN TIRE WEAR AND NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END, AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS I FEAR BALL JOINTS ARE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I UNDERSTAND THAT CHRYSLER HAS RECALLED THE 2000-2003 DURANGOS FOR BALL JOINTS, WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO RECALL THE 1998 AND 1999 DURANGOS. MY WIFE AND I ARE CONSTANTLY HAULING GIRL SCOUTS AND CUB SCOUTS TO VARIOUS EVENTS, I FEEL CHRYSLER SHOULD TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION WHY PEOPLE BUY SUVS AND THAT LIVES ARE AT RISK. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 DODGE DURANGO WITH 55,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO JERRY'S DODGE FOR A 4-WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT COULDN'T BE ALIGNED BECAUSE BOTH THE UPPER AND THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE SHOT. ALSO THE VEHICLE NEEDS TIE RODS. THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTED PARTS. I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 55K MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN USED OFF-ROAD. IT'S ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON CITY & HIGHWAY PAVED ROADS. *JB

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE I HAVE HAD WITH DODGE IN REFERENCE TO BALL JOINT PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 DODGE DURANGO. I HAVE NOTICED THE RECALL FOR 2000-2003 DODGE DURNAGO PICKUP TRUCKS IN REFERENCE TO THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS INFORMED BY DODGE THAT NHTSA WAS PERFORMING AN INVESTIGATION INTO 1998 AND 1999 DODGE DURANGOS AS WELL. I FOUND OUT AFTER GOING TO GET MY VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A MIDAS SHOP FOR MISSOURI STATE INSPECTION THAT MY BALL JOINTS WERE BAD. MY FEAR IS THAT ANYONE WITH A VEHICLE PREVIOUS TO 2000 WOULD GET A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT THEIR VEHICLE IS SAFE. I HAVE FOUND VIA ONLINE GROUPS AND THE MIDAS STORE THAT FIXED MY CAR THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PREVELANT IN OLDER DURNAGO AND DAKOTA TRUCKS. I AM ONLY WRITING THIS AS AN FYI TO YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT I OWN ONE OF THESE VEHICLES AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION.*AK

I HEARD ON THE RADIO THIS MORNING THAT DODGE MAY RECALL THE 2000 THRU 2004 DAKOTA THUCKS DUE TO BALL JOINT PROBLEMS. I HAVE A 1999 DAKOTA AND MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS NEED TO BE REPLACED. MY COMPLAINT IS IF THEY ARE GOING TO RECALL THE 2000 THROUGH 2004, WHY ARE THEY NOT RECALLING THE 1999'S? IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 1999 AND THE 2000. THANK YOU VERY MUCH DAVE BALL. *AK