1998 Dodge Durango Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 540 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 1998 Dodge Durango, 56% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 68,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “ball joints” (79% of reports).
- 540suspension complaints
- 68,000median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ball joints: mentioned in 427 of 540 complaints (79%)
- Upper lower: mentioned in 145 of 540 complaints (27%)
- Front end: mentioned in 72 of 540 complaints (13%)
- Tie rod: mentioned in 29 of 540 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical suspension repair on the 1998 Dodge Durango at $1,750, and half of them between $1,450 and $2,400.
Based on 41 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2009), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 310 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 540 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 2 an injury.
Dodge Durango suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Durango | 2 | 14% | — |
| 2025 Durango | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2024 Durango | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Durango | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2020 Durango | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2019 Durango | 3 | 2% | 3,500 |
| 2018 Durango | 6 | 3% | 11,140 |
| 2017 Durango | 4 | 2% | 26,000 |
| 2016 Durango | 5 | 3% | 37,750 |
| 2015 Durango | 9 | 2% | 30,000 |
| 2014 Durango | 7 | 1% | 25,000 |
| 2013 Durango | 5 | 1% | 1,996 |
| 2012 Durango | 6 | 1% | 55,000 |
| 2011 Durango | 7 | 1% | 39,000 |
| 2009 Durango | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2008 Durango | 4 | 4% | 46,500 |
| 2007 Durango | 4 | 2% | 55,000 |
| 2006 Durango | 10 | 1% | 100,000 |
| 2005 Durango | 14 | 1% | 94,212 |
| 2004 Durango | 18 | 2% | 15,350 |
| 2003 Durango | 91 | 27% | 41,000 |
| 2002 Durango | 144 | 34% | 42,539 |
| 2001 Durango | 265 | 40% | 48,000 |
| 2000 Durango | 507 | 47% | 49,145 |
| 1999 Durango | 1,102 | 56% | 63,671 |
| 1998 Durango | 540 | 56% | 68,000 |
| 1997 Durango | 2 | 50% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists suspension for the 1998 Dodge Durango. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Bought my durango new in may 1998. The automatic transmission started shifting improperly in july 2000. Took it to a dodge dealer because it was still under warranty (31,418 miles). They dropped the transmission pan and pronounced it doa (pan was full of metal shavings). Should have seen the…
The cv joint came out ruin the lower ball joints which caused rubbing on my inner rim, after a while it has cause the inner rim to to break out while i was driving. We have replaced the cv joint, wheel hub bearing, upper and lower ball joints and the steering ball joint. Now the lower ball joint is…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, he noticed an abnormal noise from the front end. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis, who stated that the front upper and lower ball joints would need to be replaced. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge Durangos have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 540 owner complaints about suspension for the 1998 Dodge Durango (56% of the 965 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Dodge Durango suspension?
No recall currently lists suspension for this vehicle.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 68,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix suspension problems on the 1998 Dodge Durango?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,750 (half paid between $1,450 and $2,400), from 41 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 1998 Dodge Durango?
The most frequent phrase is “ball joints”, in 427 of 540 complaints, followed by “upper lower” (145).
Other 1998 Dodge Durango problems
See all 1998 Dodge Durango problems or suspension problems across all Durango years.