Now I need some help, The dealer replaced my passenger axle last Thursday and did not do an alignment or replace the brake pads like I asked as grease got onto the inside of the rotor and the pads swept the grease so I know they have been compromised and is unsafe.

Now today, exactly 7 days later I just picked the kids and wife up to go to dinner and a car stopped short in front of me and the smart braking kicked in at the same time I smashed the brake pedal to only be yanked to the left lane and have a near miss with oncoming traffic. I had a gut feeling why the DD pulled me hard to the left and I was right, the same passenger side axle is broken again and grease is everywhere!!!!

I bet they used the same defective axle from the same batch in my truck and now almost caused me and my family to get into a serious wreck, so how should I handle this now that this has now happened a second time within 7 days? I cant have them give me a base charger again as a rental as I bought this DD to tow my camper and race car, I cant do that with a charger. Please help a fellow DD member out people. Should I call the dealer or call corporate first?

PLEASE NOTE: the dealer has told me there is no TSB or recall on the axles so this is not considered a known issue and they have not had 1 jeep or DD come in for this repair besides mine.

 

NHTSA.

And open a case with chrysler.

Nobody in their right mind would think this is not a "known issue" ... If the service dept had opened a starcase they would know better, but they wanted to get you out of the shop.

On the other hand, the grease spatter pattern wouldn't in and of itself get on the pads.. unless the grease dripped off the wheel overnight. So, you are in a second-order effect that is going to take more fight.

So: NHTSA.

I am a life-long mopar guy, but I think this is being mis-managed. I'm guessing there are a LOT of owners who don't look for grease in their wheel wells and this is going to blow up in Chrysler's face.. But maybe that's just me.

...tom

 

I just had my axle (with a blue mark) replaced last week as well, and today I discovered grease on the rim again. After looking underneath the vehicle, I noticed the cv boot clamp has come off again on the same axle. This is getting frustrating considering I have not even made my first payment on the vehicle.

Round two to the dealership!

BTW, thanks A-10 for mentioning Chrysler offered to pay your first payment. I was able to get the same deal. I guess now, they will pay for the second month too. Wish me luck guys!!

 

Just curious. Are the clamps just falling off while driving or loosening up and still hanging on?

Marty

 

The clamp is just coming loose and is still hanging on. I can probably wedge a finger in between the clamp and the cv boot. So be sure to keep checking it after it is replaced (which you should not have to do).

 

They better get a handle on this quick. I can not Imagine that the same batch of axles is being used
STEVE

 

Still waiting for my axle to arrive from the vendor according to Chrysler Cust Care., so just to recap dates they have promised, 23rd, 27th, today the 29th, and now customer care is positive it will be here tomorrow the 30th. Dealership parts dept. is still showing 166 axles back ordered with a 2 week wait time. After hearing that some of the axles that are getting replaced are failing again I am at a loss. I can not believe that it has been 21 days since I first contacted the dealer about this, I would blow a gasket to have it happen again. I really feel for you guys, hate we are all in this.

Brent

 

Might be time to review the Lemon Law borochure that came with the D. Just sayin'.

 

Will there be any Chrysler reps at moparpalooza? Could be a good forum to bring this up. Carlisle too

 

There really isn't anything that will accomplish except to cause animosity. The peeps that are coming have no direct connection or probably knowledge of what is going on with the failures.
STEVE

 

Well, on the way home from work now. I'll be checking my repaired D once the weather clears. I really hope they gave me upgraded axles and not ones from the same batch

 

Also most of the multiple return issues is because of the dealer network and their techs.
Can not blame the manufacturer when a dealer cant fix something right the first time and you really can be upset that a part supplied by a vendor is less than stellar but it really isn't the manufacturers fault
STEVE

 

Steve, I see your point but I have to disagree. Sure we can blame the manufacturer, I do, I bought a "Dodge Durango", not an "axlesRus Durango". It is hard to blame the dealer or tech for installing a defective part correctly only to have it fail. They are getting the axles thru "Dodge" parts not ordering directly from a vendor as the parts manager explained to me. Now if the dealers/techs were replacing just the cv clamps and doing that incorrectly then maybe blame the dealer/tech. Or if the dealer/techs are knowingly installing the defective axles hoping to find a good one, then sure blame them. I don't have a clue who manufactures the axles, and I don't care. I bought a brand new Dodge and I want Dodge to fix it. So until my Dodge Durango is repaired I will absolutely blame the manufacturer, it is their product that I purchased. It is time for companies and corporations to to stand up and grow some balls. Accept the responsibility for the products that bear their name. But this is just my humble opinion, I just want my D fixed. Don't get me wrong I still love my D, and I am sure this wouldn't have been a big issue had we been able to get the repairs done quickly. I am at 22 days and counting with this problem, at this point frustration is turning to anger....

Brent

 

^ Well, it isn't the customers fault either, but I understand your point^

I am about to call the customer care number first and not the dealer who fixed it the first time to see how they will handle this same issue this go around. It would be nice if they offer to make my first payment, fix the DD, clean the mess, change the brake pads, and make sure the alignment is spot on since I didn't get any of that the first time. They also gave my DD back to me filthy, thought they would at least just give it an exterior bath instead of wet cat footprints all over it from a stray cat.


What number or contact are all of you calling that is offering to help and pay the first month payment? This is sad that I only drove my DD a few times since purchase and the dealer had it longer than I have.

 

Of Course

 

Horrible news today, drove the durango with the family out shopping and to get some food and when helping one of the kids out from the passenger side, I looked down at the front passenger wheel as I passed it and there was the dreaded grease all over the rim again. Looked under the front bumper and sure enough, there's grease everywhere. This is the same side they replaced already just over a week ago. At this point I'm not sure if I've had my durango more or if it's sat on the dealership's lot more waiting for axles. I hope it doesn't take another week to get the part and get it installed and such. I hadn't noticed anything while driving like any sounds or anything indicative of a problem, this is just starting to bum me out. I'm proud of the truck and it looks great, I get compliments everywhere, but it's hard to stay positive when it's in the shop all the time. The only good thing is it's keeping the mileage low on it.

My bigger concern is I've got a 2000 mile trip coming soon that requires 6 passenger seating, and I'm not sure I'm feeling confident that the durango can safely make the trip anymore or if I'll end up broken down somewhere along the way waiting for an axle to come in there.

I'll have the durango to the dealership on Monday and be on the phone with Dodge customer service to express my discontent with this.

 

Wow - very disappointing that we're seeing a number of reoccurrences with supposedly good axels. Chrysler really needs to get their sh*t together on this....

 

I brought mine back to the dealership this weekend and I was told that Chrysler is not shipping any more axles out to the dealerships and they are going to possibly recall the part. I was told by the service department that they have to wait until Monday so that they can talk to headquarters.

This is pretty frustrating considering this is my first Dodge.

 

This almost doesn't make me want to drop my DD off tomorrow morning for my appointment for my second passenger side axle to be repaired. I feel that if I do drop it off and that Enterprise will "try" to put me in an equivalent loaner that they will give me some base model cheap car and keep my DD for a great deal of time since there is no more axles in stock or even shipping.

For the short run I do not think under normal short driving distances that there will be any issue if I decide to keep driving my DD until some axles are available as it will take some time for the joint grease to dry up and then start to click and squeak?

I just cant see me surrendering my DD tomorrow to be put in a cheap loner car for a very extended amount of time while I make the payment on the DD to sit at the dealer not getting repaired for some time.

 

I don't understand why they can't just use different clamps on the new axles if the clamps are the problem.

 

Probably a combination of corporate bureaucracy and liability.

Marty

 

I thought the same. Or even install a temporary radiator clamp or something while I am still driving it.

 

^ That would be to easy^. I am thinking of using a thin piece of bailing wire to wrap around those clamps for added clamping on both axles when mine do get fixed to maybe help out, or other wire/glue.

I do NOT by any means want this to happen a third time and file a Lemon Law claim as I really love my DD R/T. But assuming that the same axle breaks again then it is considered a LEMON since that makes the same repair a third strike?

 

I have resisted posting until now because I knew it would be two paragraphs of swearing. So here goes a try with out the cursing, Sunday was driving home from dinner with the family had to brake hard and my DD pulled hard right toward the ditch. I have read earlier post of this happening so have been trying to limit my driving until my axle come in. When I pull to the side of the road I check out the front wheel and sure enough looks like a glob of grease dropped on the rotor. Slow trip to the car wash to de-grease the rotor, caliper, inside of the rim and braking seems to be back to normal, although I have not braked hard. Called my Chrysler Care case worker on Monday and had to leave a detailed message since he was unavailable, it was not a pleasant message. No return call until today over 24hrs later, and he told me that he is turning this over to his manager and it could take 24-48 hours for him to respond. The short version is I am Done, my vehicle is not safe to drive and driving it endangers me, my family, and anyone else on the road near me. Here are the options that I left for them.
1. Buy it back, or give me one that is not broken.
2. Give me a rental car comparable to what I bought, and make my payments until it is fixed.
I don't know what the outcome will be but I will let you all know when I here back from them. 27 days and no repair, and no idea when it will be repaired, unbelievable!

Brent

 

I hate that I had to lose my sh$t about this to actually get anywhere but mysteriously my axle showed up today, I got the call @ 3:35pm. I will drop off my D tonight and they should have it repaired by tomorrow afternoon. I just hope it stays repaired. I think it is curious that I got the call 10 mins. after receiving an email confirming that my case with dodge had been successfully escalated to a new case manager. Honestly I don't care why or how it happened I am just happy that it will finally get repaired. I am looking forward to towing the Interceptor to the lake with it for the first time this weekend. Pictures will follow.

Brent

 

report of the failure of a SECOND set of replacement axles over on JG.

This is getting pretty nasty. Chrysler should certainly have enough axles to do root-cause analysis by now.

 

There was a second failure on a D here as well
Whoever made the batch of axles should be hung! I love your guys 14 D's but I am surely glad I got a 13 at this point.
An item like a boot on a CV axle should never be anything to have to worry about being done right. My guess is the manufacturer of those axles has an assembly line of people that simply just watch the clock, unfortunately America is dumbing itself down, noone takes pride in even the simplest task anymore. Chrysler is definetely responsible but I must say it seems like the SUB vendors just dont give a crap and its all about pumping out mas produced parts
Sorry for the rant
STEVE

 

So if this happens a third time will it qualify for the lemon law or does it vary by state?

 

It will vary by state.

 

Here is a link to check your lemon laws
Lemon Laws by State - Lemon Law Attorneys at DMV.org: The DMV Made Simple

 

Thank you

 

I'm hoping this is my final post in this thread /crosses fingers

So my update is that I dropped the Durango off on Monday and sure enough, tech confirmed the CV clamp was the culprit yet again. From comparing mileage from previous visit, it was 258 miles since the axle was replaced, but the issue occurred before I drove back home and to the dealership so it was probably around the 200 mile mark when the CV clamp failed. As I hit the dealership, the truck just hit 999 miles, not even 1k yet. They opened a STAR case for the issue and it was recommended to simply replace the axle, again. They ordered it and the wait began.

I talked with Chrysler Customer Support 3 different times, first was assuring me they were engaged and looking into this, second was them confirming the part was ordered and should be in by late Wednesday or early Thursday, and then the third time was me expressing my discontent and they finally agreed to reimburse me my first month car payment once I provide them the details of the payment. (working on this now!!)

Talked with the dealership on Thursday and they hadn't received the part, but showed the tracking number that it would be there before lunch on Friday. They did receive the part and had it replaced by the time I got there this afternoon. I also had them take it out on the interstate and be sure to get it up to highway speeds to see if maybe it was a heat issue or anything. It got back and was still good, so I've got it at home finally. Now hoping it can actually spend some time in my possession vs. there's.

I did climb underneath and surveyed everything and it all looks good thus far, I did notice the axle accent coloring was orange this time vs. the previous blue and purple. Hopefully orange means it came from the good batch and that I'm finally in good shape. Hopefully they've got this figured out and everyone going through this pain can get everything fixed and enjoy their D's!