Differential Unit Problems of Dodge Durango - part 1

When I driving or just hit the gas it feel like my rear differential trying to jump out the car idk I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the halfshaft separation I definitely need to get this looked at because just got the car 3 days ago.

See all problems of the 2017 Dodge Durango 🔎.

While driving around 55 mph, smoke and a burning smell appeared out of the rear of the car. After stopping, then turning right, a loud noise was heard at the rear end. After arriving home, an inspection showed leaked fluid all around the underside rear end. After taking it to a mechanic, they determined that the differential pinion nut had come loose, which damaged the pinion seal, and required a differential overhaul.

See all problems of the 2005 Dodge Durango 🔎.

Purchased vehicle on 2/19/13 drove it for 2 weeks. Was driving on the highway and heard a loud noise followed by clunking noise which sounded like a flat tire but wasn't. Took it to my mechanic who told me that the front differential needed to be replaced. Fixed that problem. 2 weeks after that on 3/29 was getting off the highway when I heard another loud noise followed by a clunking noise this time I lost steering and barely made it into a parking lot. Had it towed to my mechanic to find out it blew a rod and needed to have the engine replaced. After having this vehicle for 6 weeks I have had 2 catastrophic failures. My dealership will not help me and I cannot afford to replace the engine on my own. I purchased this vehicle to be a safe and reliable mode of transportation for me and my 4 children. Now I am out $6000 and have no vehicle. Something needs to be done about this. People should not be forced to pay for an issue that is known to be a problem.

See all problems of the 2004 Dodge Durango 🔎.

The vehicle started making a loud humming noise in the rear end coming from the rear differential at around 30 mph, and gets loud while increasing speed. Dealership wants $1200 just to install a new one, price does not reflect the $2500 rear differential. Widespread problem, and no action I being taken. Obviously a flaw on there end, the car has not been beat and in pristine condition. Called about this problem, only for them to tell me the warranty expired 10 years ago, obviously but everyone's warranty expired and are helpless because of a problem arose by them.

See all problems of the 2000 Dodge Durango 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal rumbling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times but was never able to duplicate the failure. Most recently, the contact was informed by the dealer that the failure was caused by the rear differential, after the warranty was expired. The contact believed the failure to be an extreme safety issue because the vehicle could have slammed to a stop in a dangerous situation and the manufacturer denied the failure until after the warranty expired. The failure and current mileage was 62,000.

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The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving 10-15 mph, he heard a noise. When the vehicle was taken to local repair shop, the clutch pack retaining clip on the rear differential was replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. Updated 1/21/11 the clutch pack retainer failed and had to be replaced as well as the entire rear differential post unit. Updated 03/23/11.

Bought 2005 Durango 12/05-needed several transmission services---dealer stated low transmission fluid causing engine light to come on (9/06), stalling 3/07, at least 5 times-low transmission fluid blamed, stalling 2/08--4 times in high traffic areas, again blamed low transmission fluid. Differential leak in 3/07, now rear gear shot with a $900+ price tag and the warranty was only 3 years/36,000. (news to me--in 2005 they were advertising 7 years-70,000 on drive train).

With our 2006 Dodge Durango, there is a shake of the transmission between 40-50 miles an hour. We first took the truck in to the Chrysler dealership with this problem and a leak they replaced the front end differential. After this there have been 3 transmission leaks that they have repaired. The truck continues to have the same shaking so we took it to another Chrysler dealership. With this dealership, they went on a test drive with us and were able to recognize the shaking. It is noted that this is a problem with our vehicle and when calling the Chrysler star center they say that this is the way the truck is designed and there is no current fix for the problem! we were told by the Chrysler district manager that we need to wait for Chrysler to make a fix for the problem. They say that the shaking will not cause any problems, but as I said earlier, we have had multiple transmission leaks. When we were contacted about extending our warranty, we were denied due to there being a claim against Chrysler. Because of the shaking of the truck, we are unable to pull our travel trailer that is the main purpose of this vehicle. When we did drive the truck pulling the trailer that is much less than the towing capacity of the vehicle, it shakes bad enough to shake cups out of the holders. We now have to use someone else's vehicle to pull our camper.

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Abs and brake light came on in the dash. The brakes did become spongy. Vehicle was taken directly to the mechanic about 3/4 down the road. He found the clip to the rear abs sensor had broken and the sensor torn apart. Further investigation showed that the sensor had been broken by the rear differential which had for no good reason shattered into pieces. This is a garage kept vehicle with 50,000 miles and no abuse.

I have a 2006 Dodge Durango my incident happened on February the 8th 2008 my mother was driving my vehicle back from a funeral with my 88 year old grandmother they heard a loud sound that seemed to be something dragging beneath the Durango. The vehicle immediately lost it's power and locked up. Drive shaft had fallen off the Durango and was lying on the pavement. The dealership has taken a month to fix this vehicle and it still isn't working. Last Friday March 7th of 2008 I was told my vehicle was ready to be picked up by the dealership. Since I never was given a rental my husband and I had to drive two hours to go and pick up the Durango. Once we got the Durango it was after 5:30 which the service department was closing. My husband and I ventured home he followed behind to make sure that I had no trouble with the Durango. He noticed about 40 minutes after we had been driving that fluid was spewing out the rear-end of my Durango and the passenger back tire was bouncing and wobbling uncontrollably. He immediately pulled me over and took over the driving of my vehicle while I drove his truck. I called the dealership first thing in the morning to tell them what was happening with the Durango. They asked that I drive the vehicle back even though it wasn't safe to drive period. Once they realized that I wasn't going to make this drive they tried to get me to tow my vehicle to the closest dealership to me knowing that my warranty wouldn't pay anyone else since they had already started and were paid $2,600. 00 to fix a vehicle that still wasn't running. In other words" I " the customer would get stuck with the bill. After arguing with them an entire morning including the warranty people and the dealership that was closest to my home. The dealership two hours away finally agreed to take my vehicle back. A tow truck had to be called again and drive two hours to come and get the Durango.

On routine maintenance of the rear differential (ie. Fluid) found clip had broken and attached to magnet in housing. Called local dealer to inquire as to a recall, was told this was a recurring problem with this vehicle, but no recall and manufacturer would not pay to correct the problem.

Had rear rebuilt in 2003 by dealer. Back in 12/15/05 rear went again. Talked to mechanic he said Dodge knows about rears being bad. Due to tight tolerances in gears.

See all problems of the 1998 Dodge Durango 🔎.

The contact stated the rear differential clutch pack retainer clips broke, causing damage to the rear differential. He took the vehicle to a dealer, who confirmed the damage. This was not covered by warranty. The vehicle is currently being repaired by the contact himself.

See all problems of the 2001 Dodge Durango 🔎.

At christmastime our transmission began acting up. We believed the harsh winter weather was causing the problem bc once the engine heated up, the vehicle drove just fine. At any rate, we took in to be serviced in March and had the 4x4 rear differentials flushed and serviced and the fluid changed. While it was in for that repair (at a dealership) they called and said the 2 front ball joints needed to be replaced. We knew about the recall, so asked them about it, but it just figures our VIN was not included. So, $1600 later, we went and picked it up and seemed to drive just fine. Well, then 3 wks. Later I was driving to the grocery store. I was stopped a red light, and when it turned green I went to go and it just barely accelerated. Luckily, the red light was right in front of the garage we normally use. I was able to turn the vehicle around and get it to where I was parked in front of the garage. I went in and told the mechanic what happened. The truck was in the shop for 2 wks. It needed a new transmission after having just been serviced! it cost $3300! over the past 2 months we have spent $4600 in repairs on a vehicle that we are still paying for! I am irrate! we even bought the extended warranty when we purchased the vehicle 5 yrs. Ago, but now with 108,000 miles it's not covered any longer (warranty only went to 100,000). 2 yrs. Ago I was involved in an accident with Durango where the front drivers side wheel popped off after another vehicle hit it. We don't believe he could have hit it with enough force for that to happen if it had not been defective to begin with. His wife even spoke to me about this last christmas after the recall came out. I am fed up with this truck and I want Dodge to know it.

See all problems of the 1999 Dodge Durango 🔎.

2001 Durango unsafe to drive while in 4 wheel drive. The problem was not with the transfer case. The problem was that the vehicle had two different differentails on it.

The differential on the front of the 2001 Durango was different than the one in the rear. This was causing a hazard for driving. It entailed the changing on one rear end. Vehicle was bought at an auction. It had a manufacturer's defect. The consumer has been in contact with Chrysler, and Chrysler repaired the defect. Consumer had to pay the bill for that. The consumer noticed this when they tried to put the Durango into 4 wheel drive, and it started erratically. The front differential was the correct one, but the rear was not the correct one. The front differential is 396 and the back was a 355 from the factory. The consumer stated Chrysler sent a check for the repairs. Updated 11/16/05.

Broken pin that houses critical parts in rear differential may cause loss of control of SUV Dodge 2002 Durango called manufacture no replacement parts availeable and no idea when one will be poses the question if this is a serious issue.

I have a 1999 Dodge Durango. In 2/04 I had to replace my transmission (45. 000) miles. In 9/04 (47,000 miles) I now have to repalce my rear differential.

The vehicle rear differential was replaced at 60000 miles because it made noise. While the rear differential was being replaced the dealer informed the consumer that both the upper and lower ball joints were bad. The consuemr requested reimbursement for the ball joints since they were recalled.

Consumer complained about the differential system. Vehicle had been to the dealer several times and had the rear end and front suspension rebuilt. Currently, differential malfunctioned again, causing front end to lock up. Dealer claimed they did not hear any noise, and that there was nothing they could do.

Dodge dealer reported that ball joints on 1998 Dodge Durango have excessive wear and require replacement. The quote to replace exceeded $2000 and I was told at the time that the recall was pending. I am the original owner, vehicle mileage is 76,898. VIN is 1b4hs28z8wf180844. I see that the recall is for 2000 through 2003 and that warranty on 2000 thru 2003 models was extended to 100,000 miles for ball joints. Is there any recourse? isn't this the same suspension design as the 2000 model? I also replaced the rear axle in 2003 following a total failure resulting in rear locking up and shearing the u-joint and dropping the drive shaft while driving. Replacement cost exceeded $3000 and I was told at the time that this is a known problem with Durango's as well.

Rear differential pinion gear shaft broke twice. The metal separated at the shoulder on the pinion shaft. The consumer has the second defective pinion shaft in his possession.

Vehicle was making high pitch sound when gas pedal was pressed. Truck only had 70,000 miles on it when I bought it (April 2003) used. I was assured by well known and respected car dealer (koeppel of new york) that vehicle was in great shape. 6 months later the vehicle need to have the front differential and rear differential to be replaced. Front differential was leaking fluid and rear was causing high pitch noise.

Defective rear-end of the vehicle including the ring and pinion of the differential. Dodge Durango 1998.

While driving, the vehicle had a high pitch squeaking noise. This was caused by a failure in the rear end. The front rotor disk, ring gear and pinion was replaced.

Whining noise coming from rear. Took to Dodge dealership. Needs complete rear end rebuild. $1300-$1500 estimate. Only 63k miles. Apparently it's a design defect by Dodge.

At approximately 55k (5/03) miles I had to spend $1662 for work on my Dodge Durango's differential. It has been my experience that these types of problems don't come up until way over 100k+ miles. Then 11/03 it was mandatory that I replace all 4 ball joints. This also doesn't seem right since the car only had approximately 65k miles on it at that time. You would think when you take your auto to the dealer for all its scheduled maintenance and having spent $35k on it new, one wouldn't be having these sorts of expensive problems.

I've been complaining of abnormal noises coming from my 1999 Dodge Durango since may of 2003, to 2 different Dodge dealer service departments. The steering is "loose" and the tires wear unevenly no matter how many times I have them rotated. After a very scary road trip where I almost veered off the highway several times, I brought the Durango to a private mechanic. They immediately detected the problem of faulty ball joints and a bad rear axle and differential. When the mechanic called Dodge to order parts, he was told that this is a common problem with Durango's and the parts were in stock. Repairs consisted of new upper and lower ball joints, new front tires (with alignment) repair and rebuild rear axle and differential. This was all paid for by me personally because my extended warranty expired in June 2005. However, I believe it would have been covered under the warranty if in may 2003 the Dodge mechanics would have figured out what the problems were. There was a water leak at the right rear window. Updated 04/10/06.

We had noticed that the tranmission was acting very sluggish. Despite having the vehicle checked, our local shop could not find a problem. While on our way to florida, just outside of birmingham alabama with two children in the car, driving 70 mph on the interstate, we had a catastrophic failure in the vehicle. The transfer case blew up and both driveshafts broke. We were able to be able to stop the vehicle without causing an accident, or having another vehicle hit us, despite the black coud of transfer case fluid trailing behind us. The vehicle required extensive service - to the tune of $ 2,600. 00. We had 95,000 miles on the vehicle and were offered no assistance by Chrysler. In fact, not even an offer to assist us with the rental cars we were forced to take.

I have a 1998 Dodge Durango with 52,000 miles on it. This past week I noticed a high pitched whine from the rear differential. I have taken the vehicle to the original dealer in corydon, indiana. That I have purchased 2 other vehicles from. They are telling me that I am responsible for either all the cost of repairs, or that they might be able to get Chrysler to pay half. I think this extremely unfair. I have had rear differential vehicles with well over 100,000 miles that are still moving with no differential failures. When is someone going to make these car companies stand behind there product. Thanks, for your time. Rlc.

While driving, the consumer loss control of the vehicle, however the consumer managed to pull over safely and soon discovered there was fire underneath the vehicle. An investor did inspect the vehicle and ruled the fire was unsustainable and they would fix everything. . According to the paper work the vehicle experienced a differential failure.

Pinion shaft broke while driving, causing rear end to lock up. Gear busted, and there was a hole in rear end. The gears broke and put a hole in the bottom of rear end.

The 1998 Dodge Durango rear differential unit seized and failed on a major highway . I was unable to move the vehicle and caused us to immediately exit the vehicle to avoid on coming traffic. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where I was told that the rear differential was in pieces. The dealer denied to absorb the repair cost for they said it was out of warranty. I appealed to the customer service representative who denied the claim. I called an independent insurance tech rep and he concluded it was a serious design flaw. In my personal opinion I feel Dodge should inspect and repair these vehicles.

While on the highway, vehicle's differential freezes and is unable to move forward or backwards. This is not uncommon for this model. There have been failures reported previously by other consumers. Consumer feels Dodge should recall and repair the problem.

While driving the vehicle, a loud whining sound was heard coming from the rear of the Durango. After verifying the tire pressure was correct and attempting to make sure that the 4wd was not engaged, the whining sound became louder. I took the vehicle in for service to a dealer in north richland hills, TX (a suburb of fort worth). The service advisor was sure that the rear differential needed to be changed and all would be fine. After servicing the differential the service advisor contacted me to let me know that the problem still existed. After further investigation the dealer found that the "ring and pinon set, and cup and cones" needed to be replaced ( this is the ring and pinon gear, the pinon seal, and the side bearing that support the differential case). The estimated cost for this repair was $1323. 08. I reminded the service advisor that a 1998 Dodge Durango with 47333 miles should not have this problem and why should I pay for this repair since I believe that the rear differential problem is a manufacture defect. The service advisor told me that there was nothing that he could do and he suggested I call Dodge customer service. After speaking to Dodge customer service three times, they "reviewed" my situation. Since I did not have any extended warranty, Dodge offered to pay half of the repair cost as a "good will gesture". In the end, the rear differential was repaired at a cost to me of $502. 28. The total cost of the repair was $1004. 56 and with Dodge's "good will gesture" the repair cost me out of pocket $502. 28. However, after reviewing the numerous complaints listed on this site I feel more strongly that there is a defect in the rear differential of this vechicle.