Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dodge Durango 1998 ball joint failure and full separation with no warning, which caused extensive damage in an on-road accident to several vehicles. Dodge corporation will not acknowledge the hundreds of ball joint failures and lost lives due to this poor design and defective ball joints. My vehicle has 84,000 miles on it and ball joints have been replaced 3 times! Ball joints, according to top mechanics are supposed to last about 100,000 miles before replacement and rarely separate. These components used by Dodge are deadly, deficient, and ought to have been recalled years ago. How many more lives have to be lost before the issue is properly dealt with??
Owner 1998 Dodge Durango, have had to replace ball joints twice 1st at 50,000 miles and again at 90,000 miles, this last time had fire on r side of vehicle under car. I have a 1,600.00 bill at dealed for repairs most of it for ball joints. I notified daimlerchysler after the 1st time it happened. This time I would like to file complaint with your agency.
The consumers 1998 Durango needed both front and rear upper and lower ball joint replacement . The consumer experienced a spin out accident due to front end instability and bad tie rod ends. The consumer suggested that the front tires wore out in one year.
Driving car approximatley 15 MPH down residential road car pulled hard to the right ran off road and hit a street sign then a telephone pole car was totaled and the adjuster stated that the upper ball joint in the steering mechanism failed.
Front wheel bearing failure on a 1998 Dodge Durango. The failure caused the front wheel to collapse into the spindle which caused excessive heat and sparks to rupture front brake line and cause a fire.
Ball joint failure -- both upper and lower on both sides. Brought vehicle to dealership for regular maintenance, and mentioned that I heard a small squeak in the chassis. After several hours, they found that my ball joints were so badly worn that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. When I asked how unsafe, they indicated that the wheels could fail in a day, a few days, a week....that I was very fortunate they hadn't already. The cost of repair was $1,400. If I elected not to get the problem fixed, the dealership representative told me that I would need to sign a waiver before they would allow me to get my vehicle back. I drive car pools, have the safety of my 3 children plus the responsibility for all other drivers on the road, and to have my Durango "unsafe to drive" when I have taken good care of my vehicle is extremely upsetting. …
Yesterday, 8/25/04, while exiting a highway the ball joints on my 1998 Dodge Durango slt 4x4 failed on me. As I was breaking the front suspension felt like it dropped down and I heard a clunk and temporarely lost control of the vehicle however I was able to gain control quickly and pull into a gas staion. I could not notice anything(but im not mechanically knowledgable) at first when I pulled into the gas station and got out to look around my wheels but as I went to drive away there was a knocking noise and a virbration coming from the front of the vehicle. Luckly I was close enough to midas so I went right to them and they put it up on a lift and showed me the ball joints. The bottoms had completely come apart(dropped out I think was the term) and the top ones were extremely loose and had a lot of play on them. …
My 1998 odge Durango 4x4 sltt was very difficult to keep on the road. It seemed to be driving sideways. I was very alarmed and took it to the Goodyear dealership in cedartown, georgia. The Goodyear dealership said the balljoints were dangerously worn and must be replaced immmeadiatly. I took it to my personal mechanic and he also said the ball joints and tierod ends had to be replaced bearings were very dangerous and must be replaced because the car was unsafe to drive. He advised me to contact the Dodge dealership due to a recall. The Dodge dealership said the recall only included 2000-2003 4x4 durangos. I have no choice but to replace the ball joints and tierod ends because it is unsafe to drive. …
Events leading up to failure: 1.) noise eminating from the front of the vehicle ? Clunking, squeaking; 2.) loose steering associated with clunking; .) wandering at speed. Failure and consequences: 1.) prior to complete failure the vehicle was diagnosed by a local dealer as worn lower ball joints, right inner tie rod end, and sway bar bushings 2.) possible consequences of not determining the problem prior to failure ? Unsafe operation or life threatening accident due to steering failure correction: 1.) replaced lower both lower ball joints, sway bar bushings, and the right inner tie rod end ($777.78 parts and labor) in light of recent recalls regarding ball joints of 2000-2003 Dodge dakotas and durangos, we believe investigation into earlier models is warranted. …
1998-1999 Dodge Durango owners are you mad !! I am ! Why were we left out of the daimler-chrystler ball joint recall ? According to my mechanic it is the same part as used in the 2000-2005. Mine are rusted through and were almost broken. When I took my SUV to the shop. Now it is going to cost me $1000 to fix it. Don't we deserve the same rights of consumer protection as the 2000-2005 owners. I called the terry wiseman's deealship of robinson,illinois. At first the service dept. Put me on hold for 15 mins. I hung up and called again and gave the receptionist my phone number, info, and ask for them to call me with an estimate. I recieved no call. I called again the next day the receptionist put me through to barry in the service department. He took my info. About 9:00 am called back at 11:00 am to ask if it was a 4x4 that was three days ago still no estimate or phone call. …
NHTSA investigations
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.
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 (NHTSA recall no.
Suspension complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1998 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 540 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Dodge Durango, 56% of the model year's 965 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm › upper ball joint (369 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Durango suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1998 Dodge Durango, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Durango suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 3 fires and 3 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.