http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2004/12/09/image660218x.jpg
Hundreds of owners contacted CBS complaining of upper ball joint problems and wheels falling off. (Photo: CBS)

Two of the most popular vehicles on the road could be dangerous, and now the government orders many of them recalled, reports CBS News Correspondent Mika Brzezinski.

Six hundred thousand popular vehicles could be recalled if DaimlerChrysler complies with the government's demand.

The recall order covers model years 2000 to 2003 of the 4x4 Dodge Durangos and the Dakota pick-up trucks with four-wheel drive.

The government action highlights a problem first uncovered by CBS News more than a year ago.

"Unfortunately, it could have been a really deadly situation," Monique Conrad, a former Dodge Durango owner, told Brzezinski

Back then, Monique Conrad's 2000 Durango had only 31,000 miles on it when the right front wheel suddenly flew off while she was driving.

"My tire, along with a piece of metal about a foot long, was bouncing across this four-lane road," Conrad said.

Her experience along with similar complaints prompted the government to investigate possible premature wear of Dodge Durango upper ball joints — a ball and socket attaching the wheel assembly the vehicle.

Since our first report, CBS News received hundreds of e-mails, photos and calls from viewers around the country like Kate McGeehan-Sawyer from Maine.

"The wheel just flew out," McGeehan-Sawyer said.

Tina Czech, from Massachusetts, experienced a similar road trauma: "The wheel had completely fallen off," she said.

And Joyce and John Gosch, truck owners from Pennsylvania, pointed to the damage: "This just ripped off," John Gosch said.

As the complaints piled up, the government expanded its investigation to include the Dodge Dakota pick-up truck, which uses the same upper ball joints. Dakota owner John Cohron, said his truck looked the same as many others with similar tire trouble, after his wheel flew off.

"So you got out of your truck and what did you see?" Cohron said. "I saw the tire and the wheel underneath the front end of the truck."

According the government, a third of the nearly 2 million vehicles investigated had defective upper ball joints. And almost all were produced at an Indiana plant. Customers paid up to $1,200 dollars to replace these parts — a recall could mean a huge financial hit for DaimlerChrysler.

"The cost is certainly going to run into hundreds of millions of dollars," said Clarence Ditlow, from the Center for Auto Safety.

DaimlerChrysler also faces mounting lawsuits like the one filed by David and Christina Shaffer. They were on the highway in their Durango with their four young children when suddenly they experienced a shock of their life.

"It seemed like we went into a frenzy of flipping," David Shaffer said.

Bodies went flying everywhere. Christina — who was pregnant at the time — suffered numerous injuries including a broken neck. Doctors were not optimistic.

About the baby, David Shaffer said, "there was no certainty. You know they actually came to me and recommended to me to take the baby's life."

Medical bills forced the family into bankruptcy. And while they consider their new baby girl a miracle, the Shaffers say they wish DaimlerChrysler had acted sooner.

"It could have been our whole family gone," Christina Shaffer said.

In a statement issued late Thursday, DaimlerChrysler maintained that the upper ball joints do not pose a safety concern and that owners have substantial warning of any problems — like noise or tire wear that would be picked up during routine inspections.

The company says it is reviewing the governments order for a recall and will respond next Monday.

©MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

redriderbob

I indersta how the recall system works in terms of cost/benifit to DC, but what about 04s? I know they have the same ball joints and they are not servicable...is it just going to take time and some fallen-off wheels?

It's about time they give you dakota/durango owners some relief from the ball joint problems. Hopefully the fix will work.

Too bad it will only apparently include the 2000-2003 model years. Guess I must have been imagining set #3 going into my '99........[:@]

we received the paperwork for this, i believe, wednesday...

Too bad it will only apparently include the 2000-2003 model years. Guess I must have been imagining set #3 going into my '99........

Now that is screwed up since it's the same POS. Maybe they figure that the ones out there still have been or need to be changed if they are that old.

when you have them replaced, are you buying mopar brand or some AM brand?

when you have them replaced, are you buying mopar brand or some AM brand?

What are you talking about? Mopar is replacing them.

when i worked at monro, some people had gotten disgusted with the repeated replacements of them, and came in to have moog full replacements put on in place of the mopar piece. if im not mistaken, ALL of the mopar pieces are sealed units, which is an awful idea.

And of all the years, I pick this one to get a 4x4 *sigh* ... lets hope the 04's are from a good batch ... *crosses fingers*

I have a 99 4x4 and last night my bearing and upper ball joint went out. The wheel didn't come off thank god, but it started shaking and making some pretty nasty noises. So even though there are plenty of 99's out there that have had the same problem, since they're only talking about 00-03 we're SOL then?

A buddy of mine that has a 99 replaced his ball joints this summer. I talked to him yesterday and he had went to the local Dodge dealer and they suggested to find the customer care phone number in your owners manual and call them. So I think that anyone that has had this same problem should probably call that number and also let CBS know that 00-03 are not the only years that need to be included in the recall. Who knows, if we get enough people bugging them they may include more model years.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the balljoint problem will effect all generation 2's & 3's (if they hae the same engineering) ... How do you think I feel ... I have an 2004 and that's not covered in the recall either ... I KNOW there's going to be something wrong with my 2004 ...

Got my recall notification letter 2 days ago, for the upper balljoints...

I have put 2 sets of ball joints on my '99 (one at 58,000 and another at 76,000). Extended warranty covered the first, and i called Dodge on the second one and i "only" had to pay $500. As far as I know, the engineering is the same on the ball joints (at least in terms of them being sealed, which is why they have problems) for the '99 and '00, so I don't know why the '99's arent included. I filed a complaint with the NTSB (when my 2nd set were being put in) and I also called Dodge back when I heard about the recall. I'm definitely going to find out what, if any, difference there is between a '99 and '00.

ok i have a 2000 so wut am i supposed t do about it?? do they fix it or do i get a new car???


terror2dixie

Your recall notice should tell you to take it to a Dodge dealer for repair. What i expect to happen is that they will replace them with the same damn sealed ball joints, rather than get their heads out of their asses and redesign them so that the problem is fixed. Unfortunatley, you will not be able to get Moog replacements under the recall. You'll have to wait until they go out again. I've heard the Moog replacements are much better. That's what i'm doing next time.

um ok i didnt get a recall notice so iono? can you just take it to a local dealership and get them to fix it? i agree they should redesign but you know that they cant do anything for older models all they care about is the new ones going off the lot. laterz

terror2dixie

Go to www.daimlerchrysler.com and click "contact" on the top of the page. Click on Questions on Dodge cars and light trucks (N.A.) A new window will pop up and a link for Recall and customer satisfaction will be listed (among other links). click on that, and you can enter your VIN to find out if you have a vehicle eleible for a recall.

o ok thanks man ... i'll have to go get my vin # now but yea thaanks for telling me.

terror2dixie

It's true about the recall. I had mine done on my 2002 Dakota 4x4, but the replacement of the ball-joints only includes a toe adjustment. Mine was pulling right after the ball-joint replacement and I had to pay for a complete wheel alignment. I suggest a complete wheel alignment, this could save you from having to buy new tires down the road. Especially for those who have big expensive tires on their truck.

It's true about the recall. I had mine done on my 2002 Dakota 4x4, but the replacement of the ball-joints only includes a toe adjustment. Mine was pulling right after the ball-joint replacement and I had to pay for a complete wheel alignment. I suggest a complete wheel alignment, this could save you from having to buy new tires down the road. Especially for those who have big expensive tires on their truck.

RedRiderBob,

Boy that pic. looks familiar. That same thing happened to my old '96 Sport.
I had just come off an 70-80MPH run on the hwy and was pulling into a
parking slot. Then BANG. It wasn't pretty and it pulled the rt front axle out too..

If I can find the pix of it, I'll post 'em.
My '02 is having all 4 ball joints done (for free) as we speak.. Thanks Dodge....

DakotaJoe

I recieved my recall notice on Jan. 3rd, got it repaired on Jan. 10th. The dealer said that I could have probably waited as my ball joints were fine. They said that it only seems to be affecting about 40% of the Dakotas. What makes it worse is that my truck is driven hard and not had a failure yet.

Hey man from what I understand, our 2004's have an extended warranty on these items. Call your dealer and find out, I haven't had the time but I will be giving my local dealers a call as soon as I get some free time. Let me know if ya find anything out, I will post if I hear for you.

seems problem isnt limited to dakotas. i have a 2002 stratus, and just TODAy, hours ago, my right lower ball joint pulled the same trick. luckily i wasnt at highway speed, just pulling into a drive way. no damaged to car, wheel kicked out and pulled in CV out of cup. i talked to service manager at dealer where purchased, and he seemed shocked. hard for me to believe i have only one with this prob. i was checking into this and happened across this board, also read there were probs with '99 stratus. seems the prob hasnt been corrected

yeah...I got an 04 Dak Sport 4x4 so i feel my fellow 04's and up suffering. Hopefully we wont have any problems with it...still got my 7/70 and 3/36 warranty's on it thank god. But honestly I'm more worried about my tranny going out more than anything.

I have a 99 6 cyl 4x4, and along with replacing both wheel bearings, upper and lower b-joints on the front and both t-rod ends on the front, I had something wierd happen recently. I was driving and just lost pwer. No warnings at all, truck just shut off. On my odometer, where it had my 88,000 miles, that was gone and it said NO BUS in the milage spot. It started after two minutes of sitting around and it happened again the next day. Has anyone had this problem or know what it might be?

i am having that problem in my R/T, but its from the saltwater that got in the truck wen it flooded. when i push my E brake pedal in, the dash lights come back tho.

Do all DAKS need this done or just some??? I checked my vin and only a wiper motor module came up.

Not all need it done. The easy way to find out is call your local dealer and give them your info on vehicle. Those that needed it done like mine, also watch out for the lowers. The uppers are the reason of the recall, but if they have already damaged the lowers too, IT'S NOT part of the recall and you'll be paying out of your own pocket for the lowers to be replaced. You can also check this link for any type of recalls not just vehicles:

Govt Recalls (http://www.recalls.gov)

I believe there was three different recalls on Durangos and Dakota's, depending on type of set up you have.

hopfully 97's dont have a problem

but my ball joint got replaced when it was inspected

I own a 01 and an 02~Standard and X-cab~I recieved a letter on the "01" stating that it was "warranted" for 100k~so? If the tire falls off and I get killed,what should I do then? No! Really~is it a dealer repair or just a warranty? Fix it or take my chances with a V8 loaded over the front wheels~need a reply?.... you bet!

I got the 5 year warranty and had to replace those ball joints at 27k on the odo with my 04'. Currently I'm having the whole front-end replaced due to a stiff steering wheel that they just havn't been able to fix.

I'm fairly positive this would effect the 04's, if not now than in the future, since there are a growing number of complaints with those as well. I know I've got a huge complaint, since I've been to the shop 9 different times, which adds up to over 100 hours (all covered by warranty thankfully), and it's not even been 2 years since I started my lease (November 04). Thank god my wheels didn't go flying off, or my truck would have gone flying back through the nice front window of the dealership.

They better do something about this before a large number of the thousands of owners endup dead and their financial bankroll gets hit WORSE than a simple recall.

I own an 01, how do I know if I should take it in??? or not and take my chances or doit soon???

lol well hell that would be the thing just bought a 01 Dakota SLT Quad cab With the 5.9 in it wonder if i should call the dealer and see if there is a recall or if it needs to be replaced ill be driving it around 300 miles a week so i dont want to have it happen does any one have a number or do i just call a dealership? and find out?

LINK (http://www.dodge.com/webselfservice/dodge/index.jsp?screenName=recall&country=us&emailUrl=goToEmailForm%28%27R%27%29). Type in the last 8 of the VIN and it will tell you if any unperformed recalls are on your vehicle.
Or, of course, you can always call your local dealer with your VIN, and they can look it up for you, too.

[:@]I purchased a 2001 Dakota new. Now with 55,000 miles the front end likes to follow ruts in the road and the front end pops when stopping and then backing up. Also when making a sharp turn and entering a driveway it also pops. Took it to two different dealers same response. Nothing wrong. I also received the 100k mileage letter and that really makes me feel good inside. Last P.O.S. Dodge I'll ever own. If Honda made one similar in size I'd be over there in a heartbeat. I guess American made doesn't mean very much nowadays. My last truck was a 1981 Chevy pickup 1/2 ton, six cylinder and when I donated it with 125k miles it ran better and didn't have half the problems of the Dakota. Dodge really leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well lesson learned. Buy once, screwed once.

Anyone know when these letters are supposed to come out. I drive a 2003 dakota sxt extended cab and i havent heard nothing from dodge or my dealer, does this mean i dont qualify for this "recall" or what?

Just call your dealer and give them your Vin. They'll tell you if your vin qualifies, and set up an appointment. They'll probably charge you for an allignment, so don't think the "entire" job will be free.

I had mine done about 2 years ago, and still haven't gotten the letter in the mail.

---Harrison

NOT ALL MAKES BETWEEN 2000&2003 appley.I have a 2003 Quad cab SLT 4X4 onlything that was recalled on my truck is the wiper mijiggy mobopper.Would like to know how they come up with determining what truck is elligable and what truck isnt.

I actually started hearing a cracking noise a few weeks before this aired and my ex and his friends have always worked on trucks so they came to the odd conclusion that it was the ball joints. So they replaced them and then a few weeks later we recieved a recall on the truck.

hey ya'll is there an average milage or is it just a matter of time??? i have an '01 4x4 no problems yet @ 98k "knock on wood" and i live in a high salted area for roads what woul be the general advise here??

WOW! this thread started over 2 years ago. Is there a limit to the mileage to get the recall done? I can't belive this but I think mine are original, and I have 159000 on it. I went to the link and it showed no recalls performed. I don't have it on the road yet, I need the title but thats another issue, and can tell that they are shot.

I had the recall done 2 yrs a go, and they are shot again. I'm not hard on the truck, it's just that the mopar ball joints are crap. The seal is very poor, get a good aftermarket replacement.

I have a 2000 Dakota 4x4 and i know my ball joints are shot, but this recall happened like 3 years ago when i didnt have my truck, how do i know if they ever got fixed or not?

I believe if you call the dealer with your VIN # they can tell you if you've had the recall done. if it already had it, I would go with the moog greasable ball joints. there alot better then the OEM crap

If I bought my Dakota from a used car lot and mine is one of the recall ones, where will the recall letter go? Will it find its way to me?

Jason

Just called the local Dodge dealer, they ran my VIN and the recall work was already done on my truck back in 2004 by the original owner of my truck.

Jason

Has anyone had issues with the ball joints of 2wd vehicles? My parents just purchased an 01 Dakota Club Cab 2wd with 54,300 on the odometer.:)
I hate to bring this upbecause this articleobviously pertains to the 4wd vehicles, but better to be safe than sorry.

yeah. mine on the pass side make noise. I haven't changed em yet though. Mine will be covered by warranty though, so i haven't been in a big hurry to have it done.

Nice ride Chris1974.

ORIGINAL: 8795Dakota3.9

Nice ride Chris1974.


I appreciate it, bud. :D
Yeah i bought it about 6 months ago. 30,000 on her. Only cost me $12, so i think i got a pretty good deal.

Iust bought a 2000 dakota 3.9l v64x4 club cab 2 days ago and i am hearing a squeeking noise in the right front area. maybe ball joints? btw i have 235000 miles on it ,and it runs like a champ .

I bought my Dakota off Ebay about a year ago, and it wouldn't pass a safety without the balljoints being done. I checked Dodge.com with my VIN and found out about the ujpper ball joint recall..... Chrysler Dealer did it, no charge, no issues no problems... just worked out great. They didn't need the letter, just my VIN number. I've since put about 80,000km on the truck and no further problems.

does this mean my 98' dakota could possibly be at risk for tis issue?

humm, interesting. Just picked up a 2000 QC 4x4 that needs them, I'll have to call dodge and see what they say.

I just bought a 2002 Dakota 4x4 and when i ran a carfax i saw that it had an open recall for the upper ball joints also.Made an appointment and they had them changed in no time..

I've got an 03 4x4, extended cab, sport with the 4.7L and the 5-speed manual. This is the first I've heard about this recall. Does it just apply to certain VINs or is it for all vehicles through 2003?

I've got 117,000 miles and I've noticed no problems. Never had the replace the ball joints.

i have a 99 r/t and the ball joints are now acting bad with poping and stuff it has 108000 miles sould I check with a dealer about it and see if a recall will cover it? o Igot it from a small dealer not a dodge dealer

ORIGINAL: drjgarage

Do all DAKS need this done or just some??? I checked my vin and only a wiper motor module came up.


I was wondering as well. Not much repsonse on this thread though...

yeah..i would think with 108k on it, the ball joints would need to be done anyways. Im not sure when they recomend changing them, but im almost positive that you are overdue. I would deffinatly check it out. Dangerous situation. I have a 2003 2wd with the same problem, except mine only has 48,000 on it.

ORIGINAL: chris1974

yeah..i would think with 108k on it, the ball joints would need to be done anyways. Im not sure when they recomend changing them, but im almost positive that you are overdue. I would deffinatly check it out. Dangerous situation. I have a 2003 2wd with the same problem, except mine only has 48,000 on it.


I'm due for tires, so I'll have the tire shop check it out when I get a new set...

Thanks for the "heads up", Chris

ya dakotas are nitorious for ball joint issues... i am on my second set and now popping again. just ordered a new set 2 days ago.

We took my wifes truck to the dealer and they said the01 quad 4.7 with 85000 mles on it was just fine as far as the ball joints go. They did how ever let us know that the exuast mani. on pass. side was cracked. the only thing cracked is the tech who checked out the truck. One bolt was missing and another was broke. took me 10 mins. to fix it. If her front end breaks, I'll be breaking some ball joints at that worthless dealer.