1998 Dodge Durango Equipment Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING UPHILL AT 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LARGE BANG. SHE LOOKED IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED THE SPARE TIRE FLYING OFF HER VEHICLE DOWN A STEEP HILL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CABLE ROTTED AND BROKE APART. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 170,000. UPDATED 10-07-08 *BF UPDATED 10/09/08. *JB

AIR CONDITIONING FAILURE ON 1998 DODGE DURANGO. CHARGED WITH R134 WITH A LEAK DETECTION DYE. FOUND DYE POURING OUT BOTTOM OF HEATER CORE HOUSING. EVAPORATOR FAILURE AND WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE EVAPORATOR IS MADE FROM REAL INEXPENSIVE "POP" METAL AND IS SUBJECT TO A HIGH FAILURE RATE ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. QUOTED $900-1100 TO REMOVE DASHBOARD AND INSTALL NEW EVAPORATOR.*AK

DANGEROUS FLAW WITH THE LUGGAGE RACKS.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE LUGGAGE RACK BROKE AND AS A RESULT THE CARRIER CAME OFF AND BOUNCED DOWN THE INTERSTATE. NO ACCIDENTS RESULTED FROM THIS FAILURE. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THE BROKEN LUGGAGE RACK OR THE ABANDONED CAR TOP CARRIER. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT RELEASED ALL OF THE R-134 A INTO THE ENCLOSED CAB. I WAS EXPOSED TO THE SUBSTANCE FOR QUITE AWHILE BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I FINALLY PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. I HAD SEVERE HEADACHES AND NAUSEA FOR A COUPLE DAYS. IF I HAD AN INFANT IN THE VEHICLE, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A DEATH DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. *LA

I HAVE COMPLAINED WITH THIS PREVIOUSLY BUT NOW HAVE A MORE IN DEPTH COMPLAINT. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE SHOP TO FINALLY HAVE THE AIR DUCTS CHECKED. AFTER REMOVING THE COMPLETE DASHBOARD, THE MECHANIC FOUND A DOOR WHICH WAS BROKEN THAT WAS CAUSING THE AIR TO FLOW OUT THE FEET DUCTS INSTEAD OF THE DASH VENTS. THE DOOR BROKE BECAUSE SOME STICKY-BACK FOAM GOT UNSTUCK AND STUCK TO SOMETHING ELSE PUTTING THE DOOR UNDER STRAIN AND FINALLY BREAKING IT. THE FOAM, I BELIEVE, WAS TO KEEP DOWN THE NOISE OF THE DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. ANYWAY, WHEN THAT PART IN QUESTION WAS ORDERED, PART #21, A DOOR WAS SENT BUT IT WASN'T THE CORRECT DOOR. AFTER INTENSE INVESTIGATION BY THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PRODUCE THE CORRECT DOOR BECAUSE THE NUMBERS IN THEIR SYSTEM DIDN'T MATCH THE NUMBERS ON THE DOOR. I HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS WRITTEN DOWN, UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE NOT WITH ME. I CAN PRODUCE THEM IF NEEDED. WHEN INQUIRING WITH OTHER DEALERS ABOUT THE DOOR, WE FOUND THEY ALSO HAD RUN INTO THE PROBLEM AND HAD NO SOLUTION FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AS WELL. WE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A NATION-WIDE PROBLEM AND THOSE DEALERS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PART ON THEIR PREMISES WILL NOT GIVE THEM UP FOR FEAR OF NEEDING THEM FOR THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS. I AM APPALLED THAT A MANUFACTER CAN NOT OR WILL NOT PRODUCE A MUCH NEEDED PART TO A CONSUMER AND WILL BRUSH THEM OFF. I SPENT RIGHT AT $500 FOR A SOMEONE TO TELL ME THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. I LIVE IN A VERY HOT PART OF THE COUNTRY AND HAVE SPENT MANY DAYS SWELTERING IN MY VEHICLE. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE OUTRAGE AND I DEMAND EITHER A FIX OR A REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY HARD-EARNED MONEY OR REALLY BOTH. I NEED COOL AIR AND I NEED TO FIX MY BROKEN POCKET BOOK. WHEN I EVER GET RID OF THIS VEHICLE, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DAIMLER PRODUCT. IT IS SAD TO THINK THEY CAN'T EVEN SERVICE OR SUPPLY PARTS FOR THEIR OWN CREATIONS. PLEASE DON'T IGNORE THIS COMPLAINT. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYWHERE WITH DODGE AND I FEEL IGNORED. THANKS.

NEEDED TO REPLACE EVAPORATOR CORE ON A 98 DODGE DURANGO. HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A 1994 PLYMOUTH, VOYAGER A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A FRIEND THAT WORKS AS A SERVICE ADVISOR FOR A DEALER THAT CHRYSLER HAS PROBLEMS WITH EVAPORATOR CORES. SEEMS TO ME, HE MAY BE RIGHT, SINCE I'VE REPLACED 2 IN 2 DIFFERENT CHRYSLER VEHICLES AT $700 EACH IN JUST A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER MAKE VEHICLE THAT I'VE EVER OWNED, PLUS IT SEEMS THAT THIS NEW OF A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT NEED AN EVAPORATOR CORE ALREADY. AIR CONDITIONER JUST STARTED BLOWING WARM AIR. HUSBAND BOUGHT A CHARGING KIT AND CHARGED THE AIR CONDITIONER. IT WORKED FOR A VERY SHORT TIME, THEN WAS BLOWING WARM AIR AGAIN. WE COULD HEAR A HISSING OR LEAKING NOISE UNDER THE DASH BOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CONFIRMED BY GARAGE THAT IT WAS AN EVAPORATOR CORE THAT NEEDS REPLACED. WE WERE ALSO TOLD AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CHARGING KIT THAT THERE HAD BEEN FIVE PEOPLE IN THAT DAY WHO HAD ALSO BOUGHT CHARGING KITS FOR DODGE DURANGOS.*AK

NO TIRE JACK WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURHASE. *SLC

THERE WAS NO OWNER'S MANAUL IN VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. *SLC

AIR CONDITIONER NOT COOLING, REQUIRED TSB REPAIR. MJS

CIGARETTE LIGHTER INOPERATIVE.

CD/STEREO IS NOT WORKING. YH

THE RIGHT FRONT SPEAKER REPLACED. YH

COMPRESSOR FAILED.

AIR CONDITIONER OUT OF ORDER. YH