While I love my 2001 dodge durango rt, there are a couple of serious problems / safety issues the vehicle has. Number one is the passenger front seat is very loose and rocks back and forth during acceleration and braking which could cause severe injuries if the vehicle was in a wreck, whiplash etc. In doing my research the average fix that the dealers will do costs between 600-800.00 which is to replace the motor assembly. There are links on various forum for instructions to fix yourself for about 40.00 orovoodmg a better fix that the dealers will not provide, but it is complicated and very labor intensive. My number one concern is to be safe and have safe passengers! To be able to bring this into dodge and get this permanently fixed at no cost to me. There are untold amounts of dodge durango owners out there with this same issue, which dodge currently will not recall. The other two issues are incredibly defective ball joints. Since dodge recalled these trucks for the ball joints many including mine previous to me buying it, we're brought in for recall repair in 2006. Please note the suspension components company called "moog" fixed this dodge engineering problem for this year make and model with their own specially designed ball joint. As far as the brakes go this a very heavy SUV, in which if one needs to stop quickly and the brakes fail or skid the wheels due to lock up this again like the seats is a very important safety issue that dodge needs to correct. I have faith that dodge will take care of more consumer issues than ford ever will.
2001 Dodge Durango suspension problems
265 complaints (40% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 47,451. 17 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 265
- of this car's complaints
- 40%
- typical mileage
- 47,451
- crashes
- 17
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Front: control arm: upper ball joint168
- Front: control arm: lower ball joint89
- Front25
- Front: control arm6
- Front: wheel bearing5
- Front: control arm: lower arm5
- Rear: springs: leaf spring assembly: leaf3
- Rear3
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Dodge Durango suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2001 Dodge Durango suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive (4x4), if moisture leaks into the front suspension upper ball joint, evacuation of the lubricant and corrosion of the joint may cause the joint to wear over an extended period of time. This could cause a clunking noise in the front suspension, which may not always be heard by the vehicle occupants.
- Risk
- Excessive wear in the upper ball joint may allow it to separate, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension upper ball joints. This safety improvement campaign began on december 21, 2004. Owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 04V596000 · Recall details
Related 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
What 2001 Dodge Durango owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2001 dodge durango. Consumer writes in regards to ball joint failure during an auto accident. *ld the consumer requested information concerning recalled ball joint failure that may have been the cause of an accident.
My whole tire came off, literally separated from axle.. Does not pick up speed.. Been in the shop several times. And shakes. I had my 2 year old grandson with me when this happened coming out of drive thru.. After I paid the truck off it was downhill from there.
I purchaced a 2001 d0dge durango used about a mpnth ago and already I was driving to town and the driver side wheel felt like it was wobling and had a roar. Pulled over didnt see anything , so went on home took it to gateway and was told it was the ball joint. Now im paying payment on a vehicle I cant drive.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. While driving various speeds and making a right turn, the vehicle pulled to the right and a cracking sound was heard from the front suspension. The contact indicated that the cracking noise was caused by faulty ball joints. In addition, the brake lights would not illuminate and the light bulb and socket was replaced on several different occasions. Also, the plenum gasket leaked oil from the engine, which caused the engine to lose power. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,000.
I purchased the vehicle on 7/11/16 and the same day the tire blew due to the upper ball joint which does have a recall. Mine was completely disintegrated, but supposedly the recall was closed as it was to have been serviced already. Either it wasn't serviced or there is still an issue. I contacted the federal safety agency and they put me through to dodge who spoke with me about there only being one open recall on it and I told her about the ball joint and she told me they would cover the repair and tow and sent a tow truck and towed it to motor village but did not tell them that they would be covering the ball joint work so they told me to have dodge contact them in the morning. When I did contact dodge, the first rep couldn't get through and so she opened a case. I then called motor village to get the service admin's phone number to give to dodge and when I contacted dodge the 2nd time, I was informed that now they would not be covering it and that they are sorry for the misunderstanding. They also won't be towing it back either and I do not have money to do so as I am facing eviction and just purchased that car to get ready to move and now I have no idea what to do. I would not have sent it to dodge if they didn't represent they would fix the ball joint and now all I have from them is an apology for the misunderstanding and no way to fix or get my car that I just purchased out.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, an abnormal noise was present coming from the front drivers side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the driver side ball joints needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. While driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle shook. When the steering wheel was turned in either direction, there was an abnormal grinding noise coming from the front wheels. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front ball joints failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 04v596000 (suspension). The approximate failure mileage was 195,000.
Clunking when turning.
Prior to the hub freezing up the SUV was making a squeaky noise in the front end this later turned into a clunking noise and the car would sway when ever there were lane changes especially noticeable at hwy speeds 55 to 65 MPH and driving over the lane marker caps on the freeway. This then developed into a metal to metal grinding noise from the front end prior to the wheel assembly right front passenger side separating inverting underside car chassis.
Questions about the 2001 Dodge Durango suspension
Does the 2001 Dodge Durango have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 265 complaints about the suspension of the 2001 Dodge Durango, 40% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2001 Dodge Durango suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 47,451 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Dodge Durango suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V596000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Dodge Durango have bad suspension?
The Dodge Durango model years with the most suspension complaints are 1999 (1,102 complaints), 1998 (540 complaints) and 2000 (507 complaints).
Other 2001 Dodge Durango problems
Transmission 106Electrical 91Engine 68Brakes 54Steering 48Airbags 43Seats 29Visibility 26Acceleration 19Lights 18Wheels 11Seat belts 9Fuel system 8Locks 8Tires 7Body 6Driver assistance 1
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