2001 Dodge Dodge Truck

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2001 DODGE DURANGO SPORT AND OUR CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND OUR OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO. IT DID THIS 3 TIMES OVER A 2 MINUTE PERIOD. WE PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL, AS WE HAD JUST HAD IT CHANGED A WEEK AGO. WE HAD OIL AND IT THERE WERE NO SHAVINGS IN IT. WE SAT THERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN RESTARTED THE DURANGO THINKING IT WAS A BAD SENSOR. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, WE STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE AND A FOUL SMELL. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND HAD THE DURANGO TOWED BACK TO OUR HOUSE. WHEN WE GOT HOME WE CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER JUST TO BE SURE IT WASN'T A BAD FILTER. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND SLUDGE IN OUR OIL. WE GOT ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT SEVERAL DURANGO OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THAT DODGE HAS NOT HAD ANY RECALLS FOR THIS. THE DURANGO IS OUR MAIN FAMILY VEHICLE FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 WHICH INCLUDES 2 INFANTS. THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR WE HAVE OWNED THE DURANGO AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEST 2 TIMES EVERY YEAR. WE ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO EITHER REPLACE THE OIL PUMP OR THE ENGINE IF NEEDED. *NM

ON AUG. 20,2005 I WAS DRIVING A 2001 DODGE DURANGO 2WD ON THE INTERSTATE AT 72 MPH WHEN I HAD TO GO AROUND A CURVE AND COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. I WAS ALMOST HOME BUT THE TURNING BECAME MORE DIFFICULT. WHEN I GOT HOME I HAD TO LEAVE THE TRUCK ALONG SIDE THE STREET THAT NIGHT. I TOOK THE TRUCK INTO THE DEALER PLACE AND THEY INSPECTED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE MOTOR OF IT HAD FROZE UP AND WAS PUSHING FLUID BACK UP TO THE CAP AND WAS RUNNING OUT.*JB

I WAS RECENTLY SENT A RECALL LETTER FOR MY 2001 DODGE DURANGO FOR THE UPPER BALL JOINTS TO BE REPLACED. I SENT THE VEHICLE TO SPEEDWAY DODGE OF LANSING, KANSAS AND THEY REPAIRED THE BALL JOINTS, BUT THEY THEN NOTIFIED ME OF A NEW PROBLEM SAYING I NEED TO HAVE THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY REPLACED BECAUSE IF I DON'T I COULD LOSE MY STEERING! IT WOULD COST ME OVER $900.00 DOLLARS, WELL THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THAT; IS AFTER I WENT HOME AND DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PROBLEM! IF YOU LOOK ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS.COM THEY SHOW PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ALSO IF YOU GO TO HTTP://WWW.DAIMLERCHRYSLERVEHICLEPROBLEMS.COM/ THEY WILL ALSO TELL YOU OF PROBLEMS THAT WERE CAUSED DUE TO DEFECTS IN THE STEERING *IE,RACK & PINION ASSEMBLY. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR AMERICAN PEOPLE! *NM

WHILE ON MY WAY TO HAVE MY DURANGO SERVICED FOR THE RECALL TO IT'S BALL JOINTS, MY OIL PRESSURE DROPPED, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE CAR DIED. ALL WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM. I HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED AT A LOCAL MECHANIC. I HAD A USED ENGINE PUT IN AND THE OLD ENGINE WAS TRADED IN ON THE NEW ONE. *AK

AT AROUND 60K MILES, I WAS EXPERIENCING A SHIFTING LATENCY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND OCCASIONAL POWER LOSS WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE OR GO IN REVERSE. TOOK IT IN TO THE LOCAL AAMCO WHERE THEY SAID THAT I HAD HIGH LEVELS OF METAL SHAVINGS IN THE FLUID, AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. COST WAS $2800 NOT INCLUDING THE WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED THROUGH THEM. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND (FROM THE DODGE FORUMS I FREQUENTLY VISIT) THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND GENERATION RAM'S, AND ONE THAT CHRYSLER SEEMS TO IGNORE. PERHAPS THAT IS WHY THEY ONLY WARRANTED THESE TRUCKS FOR 3 YEARS/36000 MILES. *JB