2003 Dodge Durango problems

What is wrong

On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with front bench seats only, if fluid is spilled from the floor mounted cup holder, an unused console power outlet connector located under the seat may become contaminated.

Risk

This may allow development of a high resistive short circuit in the connector, which could eventually lead to a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the console wiring connector for corrosion, clean as required, and install a cap to prevent additional fluid from contaminating the connector free of charge. The recall began on october 30, 2006. Owners may contact daimler chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.

Recall number 06V339000 · Recall details

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

What is wrong

On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper module motor may be susceptible to water intrusion that could cause internal corrosion and result in partial or complete loss of front windshield wiping capability.

Risk

Driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper module. Owner notification began on july 12, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.

Recall number 04V216000 · Recall details

What is wrong

On certain pickup trucks, the central timer module (ctm) has an improperly sized circuit board trace that could potentially cause the right headlamp low beam to become inoperative.

Risk

If the lights fail, a visibility problem could occur, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the ctm. Owner notification began december 23, 2002. 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 02V322000 · Recall details

Daimlerchrylser corporation (dcc) will recall 35,103 my 2001-2003 dodge durango vehicles equipped with front bench seats (recall # 06v339, see defect report for details).the subject vehicles are equipped with either front bucket seats or a 40-20-40 split front bench seat.vehicles equipped with front bench seat contain an uncapped, unused connector located under the front edge of the seat.the connector provides power to the center console power outlet for vehicles with bucket seats, but it is unused in vehicles equipped with bench seats.the connector is located rearward of the cup holder on the tunnel for vehicles equipped with the bench seat.this connector contains a fused b+ circuit wire (that is continuously powered with the key off) and a ground wire. Dcc determined that if liquid is spilled from the cup holder onto the tunnel, the uncapped connector may become contaminated.this contamination may allow development of a high resistance short circuit in the connector, causing localized heating, which could eventually lead to a fire.dcc will inspect the uncapped connector for corrosion, clean as required, and install a cap to prevent liquid contamination.all of the reported under-seat fires were on subject vehicles with a 40-20-40 bench seat.this investigation is closed.

EA06011

Odi is aware of 10 reports alleging that a fire originates underneath the driver's seat.six of thefires occurred while the vehicle was parked with the ignition switch turned off (key not in the ignition).the subject vehicles are equipped with manual seats. This investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis, (ea06-011), to allow further investigation of the issue.

PE06008

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

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

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