We have had to replace our serpentine belt, and tensioner at considerable cost. This is not a standard wear item, and there are thousands of people who are replacing these belts and tensioners on a regular basis. The design and parts of this serpentine belt and tensioner system are defective.

- Schenectady, NY, USA

Complaint received via E-mail. I have a 1998 ball joints, and that the car is unsafe. I figured they were just trying to make money for another job. I went directly to my neighborhood shop to see what they said and they agreed. Dodge knew that this is a problem. Also, a cash cow to them at $1500. I have driven this vehicle gently and only had high 50000 miles at the time of repair. 1998 Durango should be included in this recall. The consumer stated that the oil pump failed and the tranny failed. The intake gasket manifold failed and consumed 1 qt of oil in two days. The vehicle uses excessive anti freez. The crank shaft was replaced as well as connecting rod and bearings. The consumer stated that the vehicle had to many problems and dealer knew of the problems beforehand. Four ball joints have been replaced.

- Centerport, NY, USA

I took my 1998 Dodge Durango into allen mello Dodge 6/21/01 for a whistling noise coming from the front end. They decided to replace the serp.entinebelt. When I picked up the car the noise was louder than when I dropped it off. They suggested that I bring it back 7/10/01 when I had an appointed to have the cat. Converter replaced. June 23, 2001 I took a day trip and on the way home the car broke down. I had to have the car towed to the nearest dealer where they advised me that the universal joint broke causing the drive shaft, transfer case, shift rod, rod gear, pivot gear and some other parts to be destroyed. I asked the mechanic in tilton nh is the universal joint makes a whistling noise and he said that could have been a sign. I have called Chrysler and allen mello Dodge in nashua nh and they have apologized for the problem, but have both said there was nothing they could do. I feel that after only 53,000 miles on the car this type of damage should not be experienced. It is my understanding that the unit where the universal joint is, cannot be greased because it is a sealed unit. I believe this is a flaw in the design of the vehicle. If I could have had this maintained this problem may not have happened. I asked Chrysler what could have caused this and they suggested hard driving. My wife is the primary driver of this vehicle and we have two very small childern, the car does not have a tow package, and other than the winter, the car has not been in four wheel drive. Please review this problem and please contact me if you need any other information. I appreciate your time.

- Tyngsboro, MA, USA

1. stops or misses gears on upshift when accelerating. This occurs frequently, and is most apparent when towing/merging into faster traffic, or traveling up an incline. This slip causes the engine to rev into the very high rpms. The last time this occurred, a belt broke and caused the loss of steering in the truck. 2. shift indicator on the dash does not display indicator when in D drive position. The indicator is lost between neutral and drive positions. 3. noticeable vibration in the gas pedal when driving in certain speed ranges. It is most noticeable when accelerating between 30 to 40 and 60 to 70. 4.vibration noise can be heard and can be felt in the gas pedal. This is a recent development ( since Nov, 1998 ).

- Minneapolis, MN, USA