Durango Ball Joint Woes Persist

First, it happened to Tina Czech, a mother of two from Massachusetts.

"I heard a very loud crash," says Czech. "It actually felt like my front fender had fallen off."

Two days later, it happened to Kate McGeehan-Sawyer, a pregnant mother of three from Maine.

"I was trying to steer, lost control of the car," she says. "I thought the car was going to roll over.

"I thought that was the end."

As CBS News Correspondent Mika Brzezinski reports, both women were driving their 2000 Dodge Durangos.

"The wheel had completely fallen off," says Czech.

"The wheel just flew out," says Sawyer.

For months, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating whether premature wear on Dodge Durango and Dakota upper ball joints has been the cause of numerous accidents.

Over the last few months, they have received 749 complaints for Durango models made between 1998 and 2003, compared with just 14 for the Chevy Blazer and 12 for the Ford Explorer.

Since CBS' first investigation aired last October, viewers have shared with us hundreds of stories about upper ball joint problems on their Dodge Durangos and Dakotas along with pictures of collapsed wheels or rusty misshapen ball joints.

CBS showed Czech's upper ball joint to mechanic Mike Thompson, who is fixing McGeehan-Sawyer's Durango.

"It looks like this deteriorated to the point where it got small enough so it popped out of the socket," says Thompson.

And just like their accidents, Thompson says their ball joints are a perfect match, worn and rusted and broken apart.

Asked if it looks like a defect, Thompson says, "I would say yes."

Former NHTSA Administrator Joan Claybrook suspects DaimlerChrysler is more concerned about protecting the bottomline.

"I think it's outrageous that the Department of Transportation and Chrysler have taken so long to deal with this and it's time for action now," says Claybrook.

"Their view is in a cost-benefit ratio," says Claybrook. "It's cheaper to let these circumstances happen. A few people get killed, and they don't have to pay for all the replacement parts."

Czech wanted her broken parts to be analyzed as part of the government investigation. The company charged her $800. CBS footed the bill and sent them to Washington.

"I could have lost one of my kids that day," says Czech. "I could have lost one of my kids, the most precious things in the world. How can they let this happen?"

DaimlerChrysler says it's actively working with NHTSA. It is unaware of any injuries and says only a small number of customers have reported upper ball joint separation.

The company says any drivers who experience unusual front end noise or clunking should contact their local dealership and stated previously that the noise was sufficient warning.

"There were no warning signs whatsoever," said McGeehan-Sawyer.

"There was no warning,'' says Czech.

And before this story repeats itself again, both women just want the company to take action quickly.

"Recall them. Fix them. Fix them right," says Czech.