12th Mar 2009, 21:44
I have also been having problems with my back brakes sticking!!! I recently had my front brakes replaced and put ceramic brakes on. Just after that is when I noticed that something was wrong, but thought it was the ceramic brakes because I never had them before. I thought they needed to be broken in. I also noticed that my gas guzzler was even worse than normal.
Well a few weeks ago I took a drive on the highway, and when I got to my destination and walked around the rear of my Durango, lo and behold the back tires were SMOKIN!! Had to leave the truck there and let it cool down before I could drive it. I am now faced with having to pay $600.00 to have everything replaced. With the economy the way it is, I have to wait until I can save up the money to get them fixed. ARGH!!
Lucky for me I am only a 1/2 mile from my job and am forced to only go back and forth to work. I wonder if we are the only two people with this problem? Maybe Dodge should be notified about this because maybe this is a recall problem that could turn out to be deadly if not addressed. I am going to write to Dodge and would encourage everyone else having this problem to do so also. I wish I could list my email address so we could band together. CAR.
30th Apr 2009, 18:46
I recently bought a used 99 Durango with rear ABS. I am now having the same problem of the back wheels sticking after driving for a little while. I pulled the ABS relay. A brake mechanic inspected everything and said the brakes were recently replaced and look it good shape. I suspect a collapsed brake line, but I'm not certain. Has anyone else found a solution for this problem? I'm worried the brakes are going to catch on fire when all 5 kids are in the car.
3rd May 2009, 22:10
I have had my Durango for 10 years now. I bought it brand new with 15 miles on it. I had to replace the transmission at 180000 miles but that is to be expected as it was driven hard in snow, rain, hail or whatever else you could throw at it. I have had no other problems with it. I would however like to know how to turn off the traction control system as I intend to mod the engine and race it.
24th May 2009, 23:19
I have a 99 Durango with 193000 miles. My problem is the back brakes have been sticking to the point of smoking. I'm worried the junker is going to go up in flames HELP.
20th Jun 2009, 17:34
We have had our 1999 Dodge Durango for 2 years, we bought it from family members. They had problems with the transmission after they bought it. A year after we bought it, we also had to have the transmission re-built.
Presently, we are having problems with the brakes. Our front brakes are locking up, and are getting smoking hot after driving for only a short distance. Hence we have replaced the caliper and brake line on the drivers side. Still, the brakes are locking and heating. Haynes manual has suggested to test the combination metering valve, which we believe to be called the proportioning valve. The test for this is to push the brake pedal and see if you have needle valve movement from each end in the proportioning valve. Presently, we only have movement on the front needle valve and not the back. To replace the proportioning valve, it is necessary to have a DRB scan tool, which I'm not convinced that it is a necessary $1700 tool. Is there another part of the braking system that we have not analyzed? For those of you who also experienced issues with locking and smoking brakes, what did you do to fix this issue?
28th Jun 2009, 22:10
'99 Durango - I too am having problems with the back brakes sticking. And yes they are smoking hot. This will be the second set of shoes in less than a year. Major problems!
12th Aug 2009, 12:00
I have a 1999 Durango and have recently experienced the sticking brake problem too. It has 124K miles on it and never had this problem before I had the rear brakes replaced in Sept 2008. After that it felt like something was holding the vehicle back while I was driving it. Also the new brake burnoff smell wouldn't go away after several hundred miles. Took it back to shop, they adjusted brakes a bit and sent me on my way.
Then in March I arrived home from work, a 30 minute drive, parked my truck and walked around the back of it. The brakes on both sides were smoking like crazy. I took it back to the shop, they replaced the brakes under warranty. After a few hundred miles the new brake smell went away and it drove fine.
Then I started hearing grinding noises from the rear both while braking and driving. I took it in for inspection and the mechanic (a different shop) called me immediately and had me come to the shop. I couldn't believe what I saw. Both rear brake shoes were worn down to the rivets and were digging into my drums and there were also broken parts floating in one of the drums. It's still in the shop. They're trying to figure out what's wrong with it. They said the fluid does not seem to be flowing away from the pistons when the brakes are released. It's obviously something common to both rear brake systems since both were completely destroyed. Right now they're looking at the hoses as the possible culprit. If I get it solved I'll pass it along, but if anyone else has solved this problem, it would be great to hear about it.
13th Oct 2008, 20:24
I just bought a 1999 Durango from a reputable Dealership. It was a one owner who apparently took very good care of the vehicle, by maintenance. It was driven by a non-smoker and the next scheduled oil change is at 127,600 miles.
I've been driving the truck with the radio off and windows down so I can study it's performance. I've read so many bad reviews but haven't owned any other Chrysler product, except between 1968 and 1971.
I usually make sure the brakes are working good, and I like to put the brakes on take my foot off the pedal and apply the brakes again. I have the RWAL brakes. The brakes work great in normal driving, but if I want to stop really hard, I apply the brakes gently, let up, and apply the brakes again. It just takes a little anticipation, and proper driving habits.
I can drive a vehicle hard or I can drive it gently. But I think it's more on how you drive your truck, as to what kind of problems you'll have. Sure you're going to have to pay for tires, brakes, batteries, oil changes, etc. But all cars/truck and anything else mechanical is subject to breakdown, and the more it is used, the higher the rate of something happening.
I like my Durango, and I feel if I keep one step ahead of "what can go wrong", I will be able to continue enjoying one of the most fun SUV's on the road.