Due to to uneven driveway the vehicle stalled, or transmission began to spin and not move, at which the vehicle ignition was shut-off. It was attempted to push the vehicle about 50 feet to a parking place. Another person offers to help, then pushes vehicle 25/50 feet...advises to turn the wheel. The wheel does not want to turn. The vehicle has used a lot of power steering fluid almost daily(has a history of squealing and hard turning at start unless lubricated). So advice to place vehicle in reverse caused the steering wheel to be even harder to turn, if at all. I requested help from the bystander, who at which point comes to the driver side where I was standing outside of the vehicle also. It's unknown if the bystander help turned the ignition on, or if the ignition somehow turned on by itself. The vehicle was occupied by one addition passenger at the time of the crash. The vehicle traveled in reverse gear, without anyone pushing on the accelerator. There were minor to severe injuries, and damage to 2 vehicles and one structure.
The worst 1998 Dodge Durango problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Ball joint or control arm failure
- Complaints
- 512
- Typical cost
- $1,025
- Typical mileage
- 68,000 mi
- Recall
- No
Grinding or squealing brakes
- Complaints
- 36
- Typical cost
- $1,400
- Typical mileage
- 90,000 mi
- Recall
- Yes
ABS light or ABS activating
- Complaints
- 28
- Typical cost
- $1,000
- Typical mileage
- 73,366 mi
- Recall
- Yes
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension540
- Transmission103
- Brakes94
- Steering90
- Engine66
- Visibility50
- Seats43
- Electrical34
- Airbags30
- Seat belts27
- Tires19
- Lights18
- Fuel system15
- Acceleration14
- Wheels11
- Body10
- Locks4
- Driver assistance1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Dodge Durango
Ball joint 512Grinding brakes 36ABS 28Premature wear 20Knocking 19Power windows 19Engine failure 18No deployment 15Harsh shifting 14Transmission failure 13Brake failure 12Slipping 12Pulling 12Headlights 10Stalling 10Seat belt 9Tire blowout 9Fire or smoke 8Steering noise 8Whining noise 8Check engine light 7Jerking 6Hesitation 5Overheating 5
Recalls 4
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th VIN position) from may 16, 2000 through october 23, 2000; st. Louis north assembly plant ("j" in the 11th VIN position) from may 19, 2000 through october 23, 2000; lago alberto assembly plant ("m" in the 11th VIN position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000; and saltillo assembly plant ("g" in the 11th VIN position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000. Important: vehicles that have already had the proper clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been excluded from this recall. In addition, 1997-2000 model year vehicles that have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been added to this recall.
- Risk
- When this occurs, the material could interfere with the clockspring ribbon and cause an open circuit. The driver air bag system will become disabled, and the air bag warning lamp will illuminate on the instrument panel.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began june 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, will also be included in this campaign. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 01V153000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The rear brake tube can contact an underbody crossmember eventually wearing a hole in the tube.
- Risk
- If the tube were perforated, there would be a reduction in braking from the rear wheels, increasing stopping distances.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a rubber isolator on all vehicles that do not indicate tube contact. Vehicles that show contact and have less than 45,000 miles and no signs of red rust will have the rubber isolator installed with silicone to protect the tube where the coating has worn off. Vehicles that exhibit contact, and have more than 45,000 miles or show signs of red rust, will have the brake tube replaced with the production tube and isolator.
Recall number 99V341000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The fuel tank strap can separate due to fatigue during operation. If this occurs, the tank will be unsupported, increasing the risk of a fuel leak.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the double toggle lock fuel tank straps with single toggle lock design. Note: affected vehicles built through may 21, 1998, also require the rear brake tube inspection/repair. As a result, the fuel tank strap and brake tube repair will be performed on these vheicles in a single service procedure under recall 99v‑341/daimlerchrysler #841. Affected vehicles built from may 22, 1998 through september 25, 1999, only require the fuel tank strap repair, which will be performed under recall 99v‑342/daimlerchrysler #842.
Recall number 99V342000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. The fastener which secures the generator cable to the power distribution center (pdc) has an insufficient clamp load, resulting in a loose connection and electrical arcing at the connection.
- Risk
- This condition could cause a fire in the engine compartment.
- Remedy
- Dealers will retighten the generator cable and battery cable fasteners to the proper torque specifications.
Recall number 98V019000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 1998 Dodge Durango
Defect investigations
Upper ball joint separation
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 (the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency 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.
EA03023
Front 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.
PE03032
Safety belt cinching latch plate
There are no injuries or fatalities associated with this alleged defect.while conducting this investigation, odi found that the subject cinches meet the load bearing requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 208, and that many of the reported failures were due to incorrect child safety seat installations. Additionally, the report rate is low (1.60/100k).the information available fails to establish the existence of a defect trend at this time.further allocation of agency resources to this issue is unwarranted and the preliminary evaluation is being closed.
PE02082
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Dodge Durango 114
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number
- Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the...
- This SKU is a Clock Spring
- Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard...
- Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to...
- Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision...
- Service
- Valve Body
- Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether...
- Part Description: Insulator on Lever Assy Manual Valve
1998 Dodge Durango fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.2L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 12 | 16 | 13 |
| 5.9L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 11 | 16 | 13 |
What 1998 Dodge Durango owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Takata recall - I was in a car accident on 8/11/2015 and the airbag did not deploy. Accident occurred on roadway and was in motion making a left turn when struck on the right side of vehicle.
"takata airbag" I was in a accident where a person ran a red light, going about 45 MPH and I t-bone that person's vehicle, with me going about 40 MPH. The airbag delayed on deployment in my vehicle. I had my seat-belt on but I still ended up hitting my chest on the steering wheel and hitting my head on the windshield before airbag deployed. I am trying to figure out if my airbag can get defective over years because of the delay of deployment. I don't know if it is a takata airbag that isn't on the recall list yet or not. I still have the vehicle and the airbag part itself that I can give you the numbers off of. Someone reminded me about the takata airbags so I figured I ask.
All 4 power window regulators have gone out.
Bought my durango new in may 1998. The automatic transmission started shifting improperly in july 2000. Took it to a dodge dealer because it was still under warranty (31,418 miles). They dropped the transmission pan and pronounced it doa (pan was full of metal shavings). Should have seen the writing on the wall but I loved this vehicle. Took it to an inspection station for safety & emissions tests in may of 2006. It failed for bad ball joints. I asked the manager why his mechanics seemed to pay special attention to the front end during inspection and his reply was it was very common to find bad ball joints on approx. 50% of all 1998-2000 durangos. Had my mechanic replace upper & lower ball joints, both sides, at 74,064 miles, to the tune of $701 plus tax. I then started hearing about other durango owners with similar ball joint woes. I went online and started researching. Found a site where folks like myself with the same ball joint problems, some with accidents, were trying to get the federal safety agency to do something. I guess people actually have to die first before the federal safety agency will step in and tell an auto manufacturer they need to fix their faulty products. I also learned that the 1998-2000 durangos were built on the dodge dakota pickup chassis. A dakota weighs about 4,600 lbs. While a durango 4x4 weighs in at 6,400 lbs. It's no wonder the 1998-2000 durango front-ends were falling apart. Seriously, what kind of idiot engineers does dodge have working for them. Sometime later I heard that dodge rushed the durango into production in 1998 to compete for the SUV market bucks and didn't have time to engineer a new chassis so they just modified the dakota chassis without beefing it up. When people started to complain about ball joints and such, they built a whole new chassis for durangos in 2001. I stumbled across this site today while researching another vehicle I'm thinking about buying.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge durango. While the vehicle was idling, the engine suddenly shut off. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel injection lines were faulty. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure continued to occur. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the ceiling light inside the vehicle would erroneously turn on. In addition, when depressing the brake pedal, a banging noise was present coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 156,000.
The cv joint came out ruin the lower ball joints which caused rubbing on my inner rim, after a while it has cause the inner rim to to break out while I was driving. We have replaced the cv joint, wheel hub bearing, upper and lower ball joints and the steering ball joint. Now the lower ball joint is still hitting the inner rim and I can't drive
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge durango. The contact stated that the low beam headlights failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 241,000.
I was crossing thru a unpaved road which was a little bumpy rocking my truck from left to right an my driver seat slid forward an back in which I heard a snap an my seat dropped in the back after sliding forward an back a couple times. Now my seat is at an odd position and when I come to a stop or drive off from a stop my seat slides back or forward. Very uncomfortable.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge durango. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH over a patch of black ice, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a wall before rolling over. The contact mentioned that the air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt unlatched instead of restraining the driver. A police report was filed. The contact stated that neither the driver nor the passenger sustained any injuries. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 96,000 and the current mileage was 124,000. Updated 11/20/14 *cn the consumer stated both the passenger and driver were in shock and have had ongoing back problems. The passenger needed a metal rod in the back due to the failure of the seat belt. Updated 5/6/2015
Compare the 1998 Dodge Durango
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Other model years
19971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 1998 Dodge Durango
Is the 1998 Dodge Durango reliable?
Owners have filed 965 complaints about the 1998 Dodge Durango, 2.8 times a typical Durango model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Dodge Durango?
Suspension, with 540 complaints, typically around 68,202 miles. Next is transmission (103).
How many recalls does the 1998 Dodge Durango have?
4 recalls, covering air bags, service brakes, hydraulic and fuel system, gasoline.
What gas mileage does the 1998 Dodge Durango get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Dodge Durango range from 13 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.2L 8-cyl, 4WD) gets 12 city and 16 highway.
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