Four problems related to steering idler arm have been reported for the 1998 Dodge Durango. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
1998 Dodge Durango. Upper and lower ball joints. I had thought I needed shocks and an alignment and brought the vehicle to my mechanic who told me that the vehicle needed upper and lower ball joints, tie rod end and idler arm. The vehicle has become unsafe to drive. The vehicle was never abused, and 90% of the miles are highway miles. I have read many accounts of the exact same problem and believe further investigation and recall is necessary.
Upper and lower ball joints have failed at 65000 miles on 98' Dodge Durango. Also had to replace pitman and idler arms.
The upper control arms, ball joints, and idler on my 1998 Dodge Durango with 38,000 miles were severely worn as identified during a routine inspection. I was forced to repair these items so to prevent a failure of the front suspension. I contacted Dodge regarding this defect yet they would not cover the repair. This is clearly a defect in the Durango and should be covered by the manufacturer.
When making a left or right turn there is a grinding noise in the driver's side front wheel. Took vehicle to dealer, and dealer stated that upper & lower ball joints were defective due to rust. Also, idler arm was replaced. However, none of the fixes corrected the problem.