Dodge Durango Forum II Archive

Sam Spartan
sam_spartan@hotmail.com

MOST IMPORTANTLY.....WE HAVE RUST!!!! My husband has worked in the Auto Body Repair industry for over 20 years. He never expected to see rust on a $30,000 truck in less that 2 and 1/2 years, but it is happening. Please check your 98 and 99 Durangos....it will only take 5 minutes of your time and can save you THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!! It is very hard to see on the darker paints, luckily we have a white one. I am trying to warn everyone!
Roll your window all the way down......thats only if they WORK (lol)! Grip the black plastic molding with your fingers and pull up starting at one of the corners. It should come up fairly easily, with some resistance.
Take it only half the way or 3/4's the way off....that way its easier to get back on. If the underneath is discolored or bubbly looking....you have CANCER/RUST. There is a sheet metal piece underneath that is rusting and spreading to your door panels....this damage is un-fixable without getting NEW DOOR PANELS!!!! Dodge started replacing this piece with plastic after 2000.....they KNEW they had a problem......did YOU? To replace the molding, just push it back on, its as simple as that!
If you have rust...it cannot be permanently repaired if it has reached your door panels, the door panels MUST be replaced to keep the rust from coming back. You can call ANY Auto-Body Repair Shop listed in your yellow pages...ask them if they guarantee RUST WORK.....they will tell you NO. They know it will come back, probably just as your warranty expires. We are still fighting to have our door panels replaced(under warranty), and Dodge just wants to "patch" the problem. Do not accept this as "FIXED", trust us,or call your local auto body shop.......cancer of your car, is like cancer of your body, unless it is TOTALLY removed, there are just treatments, and no CURE!