19th Oct 2006, 14:35
I just asked the dealer to tighten the bolt under the diver's seat because it was shifting forward when I used the brakes. He called the next day and said there is no bolt to tighten. The problem will cost $800 to fix, because it needs a whole new motor and track attached to the seat. Imagine my surprise when I heard this foolish talk.
I think this deserves a class action against Dodge for not recalling or at least agreeing to repair all broken seats.
I own a 2001 SLT 4WD.
Lets hear from you on this.
14th Nov 2006, 10:11
I own a 2003 Durango R/T with the "rocking seat" problem, dealer checked it said it wasn't that bad. I can't believe those morons, I guess until I end up in the back seat there is nothing wrong with it. I found this web site; maybe it will help. I also called Chrysler, but they're no help at all!!!
Here is the site I found. www.craigcentral.com/durango/seat.asp
12th Mar 2007, 07:50
I borrowed my Dad's 1998 Dodge Durango because he is out of town and my car is in the shop, and I noticed the EXACT same problem. I am positively AMAZED by all of the people experiencing the same problem. I encourage anyone who has this problem to report it to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are the government agency that investigates these things and triggers recalls. Their website is http://www.nhtsa.gov/
If enough of us report it, our voice WILL be heard.
12th Sep 2007, 22:02
I have a 99 Durango with the same problem. I've put a couple of small C-clamps on the rails as a temporary fix. I agree with all your comments. This is a bad design that Dodge should fix.
20th May 2008, 12:02
I was searching for a new seat when I happened upon this site. I have a '99 Durango with the same problem.
23rd May 2008, 18:22
Add another victim of a faulty drivers seat to the list. I am not even bothering going into the dealer to get the same response. My sisters in-laws own a junk yard so I am going to see what they have or can get. I do believe everyone should let the recall company know what is going on.
30th May 2008, 09:22
I am a tech also, and actually have a 01 Durango in the shop now with only 70k on it, and it also has the same design flaw. Chrysler denies any design flaws with its seat tracks, and says it is normal wear and tear.
Craig, Fort Myers Fl.
12th Jun 2008, 18:48
Ditto on the moving seat. My 98 Durango has been doing it for several years. Looked on the Durango board when it first started to happen, and saw it was a very common problem. Also saw that the fix was too troublesome/expensive to get involved with. It's uncomfortable due to brake pedal pressure now seeming like a moving target. How do you do the C-clamp temp fix?
14th Jul 2008, 09:01
You can add another dissatisfied Dodge Owner to the mix. I have the same problem with the moving seat on my 2000 Durango. You can bet that I will be filing a complaint on the NHTSA website. This has got to be a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed and FIXED by Dodge.
18th Aug 2008, 22:46
My wife drives a 2002 Durango and the seat started rocking about 3 weeks ago. I took the seat loose this weekend to see if I could fix it, but no luck. Then today she leaves work to go to lunch and the driver side window has fallen inside the door. This is crazy!!!
12th Sep 2008, 11:11
I have a 01 Durango and have the same problem. My mechanic suggests replacing the seat it would be cheaper, however this is a design that is also a safety issue. My car will not pass inspection because of this. I will contact that agency one of the previous comments mentioned. I wish someone knew another option.
1st Dec 2008, 12:21
I too am a sad victim of the obvious design/material flaw. My '01 Durango has noticeably worsened for the past year or so, and now travels +/- 1-2" when between extreme settings. If it weren't for my familiarity with the unhappy situation, I would consider it a major safety factor and could not in good conscience allow anyone else to drive it.
I thought it would be a simple bracket adjustment and came online to research it only to find these many negative comments of an exact nature.
Has anyone heard of a Dodge recall for this?
Jim - Corpus Christi
1st Dec 2008, 18:29
To Jim, and the others having the seat movement issue: I have no info on this as a recall, but it IS a valid safety issue that could cause back injury to someone with a bad back, or, in extreme cases, could possibly lead to an accident. It NEEDS to be treated as both a safety defect AND a cause for a recall. I'd urge all of you having this problem to file a complaint.
Some years ago, my wife, who has a bad back, was rear-ended in her SUV (a Ford) and the impact caused the seat back to fall backward. Thankfully my wife was not injured, but when the insurance company wanted to simply repair the seat rather than replace it entirely, we flatly refused. We didn't want to take a chance on it breaking in the future and hurting her back. At first they balked, but the word "lawyer" seemed to work wonders. We got a new seat.
2nd Jan 2009, 16:48
Man, I thought I was imagining the seat "play" in my 99 Durango, I guess not! I was in love with this truck until I had it a few months and now see that all of the "issues" others report on, I am now too having. Dodge used to be a superior name in cars but lately they sweep so much under the rug it's no wonder everyone is buying foreign.
Dodge needs to step up to the plate and fix what needs fixin. Maybe I'll jump ship as well and go foreign...
7th Jan 2009, 14:22
WOW, was I surprised to see this "moving seat" as a common problem. I just figured it was mine that was doing it but I guess not. My estimate was for $700 for replacement from a small repair shop. From the looks of it I will be checking the salvage yard.
Mark, 2000 durango
3rd Feb 2009, 16:59
I FIXED MY ROCKING SEATS IN ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS.
You have you take off the plastic shroud that covers up the 4 bolts that mount the seat to the frame (Phillips head screwdriver, 2 screws in the back, the front just pops off)... take those 4 bolts out, I used a standard set of tools, but it is definitely metric, I'm too lazy :)
Anyways, the back I used a 3/4", and the front I used 1/2", once all bolts are out and the seat floats freely, lift the seat up and look under the seat for little black screws laying underneath it. I had 3 out of 4 screws that fell off on the passenger side, and 2 (on one side of the track) on the driver side. If you slide the seat in its track up and down, you will see where the screws go. Definitely use some lock tight on the screws so they don't fall out again before putting them back on.
The little 1/4" screws that fell out, had a star bit type of head on them, hope you had that kind of screwdriver in your toolbox! I was thinking this was gonna be a costly repair, but I dove into it and came out with only very minor labor.
Good luck and don't worry, your problem isn't that serious...
-Matt Ziggy.
11th Dec 2004, 11:13
My 1999 Durango slides in the rail unless the seat is positioned at the extreme forward or rearward positions. I can't tell if it is a cracked rail, haven't had it back to the dealer to diagnose. It is most noticeable when braking and the seat moves forward. Dangerous to the point I am reluctant to let others drive it until it can be repaired. Anyone know any do it yourself repairs for this?