Hi gang!

I am totally new to Dodge and, by extension, Durangos... And I got myself into a bit of a pickle and need your help!

First, I bought a 1999 Durango SLT last night. 130, auto, 4x, 3rd row, leather, uh... probably a lot of that is standard SLT stuff? Like I said, I am new to all this.

Took a couple of test drives and was VERY impressed with the quality of the rig. Got it from a dealer- they were asking 5k- I got it for 3.8.

Filled the tank this morning and took off for a day trip. Was a little bummed that MPG was only 14.5 on the freeway with 92 in it- but I can live with that.

Here is where the trouble starts:

I started hearing a rhythmic "ffsshh ffsshh ffsshhh" sound that corresponded with the tires turning. Sounded like, dead brake pads left in too long... or maybe a wheel bearing? It did not sound urgent, but it did get a bit louder- then go away a couple of times.

I hop off an exit and run through a parking lot and suddenly I am hearing some HORRIBLE clanking and grinding. It sounds like a cross between a dragging driveshaft (imagine an exploding u joint), somebody dumping a trash can of empty soda cans, and somebody sharpening a knife... I would get about 3 seconds of the noise- then quiet. It would come back about 15 seconds later. Over and over. I ran some tests.

Happens in gear, coasting, fast, slow, reverse, while riding the breaks, with no breaks, in 4wd... The noise gets less horrific with some speed.

At this point I am halfway to the next good place to stop so I decided I will try to make it there rather than stop mid San Francisco. I've got like... a mile or so to go.

Now, I am sharing the info I got in real time. There were a couple of symptoms I noticed- but didn't make note of because they were too subtle. It was a subtle wonkiness in the breaks- intermittent pulling towards the passenger side- maybe sometimes it would like... not grip right away- and then grip a little too hard? Very subtle.

The brake issue kicked up during that last mile and I was like, "oh yeah! its been kinda doing that!" But now it was VERY bad. Like, I would press the pedal- I would get some slowing... and then it was like the brakes just LET GO and no brakes- and then they would lock and I would skid and then back to normal brakes. It was so weird and not at every pedal press that I gave it 3 or 4 tries- and then I got to the parking lot where I could get out of traffic.

AAA brought me home.

So-

What could it be?
What do I check?
What level of dealer liability for the repairs do you think there might be?
How much do you think it will cost for parts if I fix whatever it is myself?
How much do you think it will cost if I just cart it to a shop?

I am ready to dig in pretty deep here- so let me have it!

Thanks guys,,
B

 

You say you bought it last night?

If this all happened to me less than 24 hours after I bought a vehicle, I wouldn't even be trying to diagnose it. I'd be either driving or towing it back to the dealer so they could either fix it at their expense or give me my check back.

Most reputable used car dealers around here have at least a 30 day warranty. Even if they explicitly state "no warranty" we're talking less than a day here, I'd be all over them.

 

Agreed, maybe they knew it was having major issues and thought it would take a little longer to show up... hence the great deal/large price drop. Might not seem like much to most people, but thats a pretty large reduction for a car lot on something like that. Keep us posted. You shouldnt have to be tearing into it already... BUT if you choose to, just get that thing in the air and see where exactly the noise is coming from. pull that wheel or wheels and see what looks out of place/damaged. Your description almost sounds like a mix between a failed differential and brakes. Hopefully just brakes.

Make sure it is 2wd or neutral with the wheels that are on the ground blocked when checking things, your front wheels should spin fairly freely without any grind or dragging. Rear, you may have to jack up both sides together if yours is optioned with a posi trac( Dodge anti-spin) to check for dragging or noise.

 

To expand on my previous post:

I'd be pissed. Really, really pissed. But I would suck that up and be very calm and polite on my first call to the dealer. Give them one chance to make it right.

If they try to weasel out of it, then I'd start becoming their worst nightmare. At least in my state I'd have the law on my side. It doesn't matter how big the letters are on their "No Warranty" sign, they still have to abide by the law. Find out what the lemon laws in your state are.

If the lemon laws don't help you out, talk to a lawyer. Given how soon this problem showed up, it's difficult to believe that they didn't know about it. If they represented it to you as being in good working order, and refuse to fix it, you can probably sue them for outright fraud.

Having said all that, don't let this experience sour you on Durango's in general. They are awesome trucks. I absolutely LOVE mine, even though it does give me the occasional headache that any 12 year old vehicle will.

If the dealer takes care of you, then I'd say "**** happens" and call everything good. If they try to say it's not their problem, I'd get a lawyer after them and go to one of their competitors down the street and buy a Durango in good working order. You made a good choice in which vehicle to buy, it just remains to be seen if you chose the right people to buy it from.

 

its three days after you buy in Arizona but sounds like you have a wheel bearing that went out

 

I agree with the posters. keep a calm head and contact the salesman you dealt with. He'll most likely remember you and try to help you if the dealership is reliable. If not, bump up to supervisor or manager. Tell them what happened, have them cart back the D at their expense. If they have a branch in San Fran, see if you can have it carted there. Here's the lemon law for Cali: www.carlemon.com/lemon/CA_law.html HTH.

 

Thanks for jumping right in everyone.

So, Lemon Law stuff doesn't apply to used out-of-warranty stuff, especially with the AS IS labels. However, I believe that a dealership has some obligations regarding safety checks and whatnot. The guy was very vocal about it being in sound mechanical shape...

I am hopeful that he will just take care of it (I dealt with the owner), but its the kind of thing where I want to know my gun is loaded even if I intend to keep it in the holster!

Well, its now 9am. Will call in a minute and let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

 

Agreed. If I remember right a replacement will run about $175. Obviously getting it installed depends on who does the work.

 

Hey Corey- a right replacement what?

 

A quick google search says in Cali you have two days to return the vehicle.

***edit***
Nevermind further research shows you have the right to purchase a two day return period.