1998 Dodge Durango drivers seat- power seat

JENNYB0178

MEMBER
1998 DODGE DURANGO
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

I recently purchased this vehicle used and the Driver's seat now is pulling forward on it's track whenever you brake. It makes you look like the crash-test dummy in the car videos (I exaggerate somewhat-the seat actually moves about 1-2 inches farther forward when you stop somewhat suddenly).I have checked to make sure that the bolts into the floor are not rusted through, (they're not!), But I'm not sure how to make this stop happenning-every time you brake or go over a bump you get jilted 1-2 inches forward! It makes you get ROAD RAGE, and it makes winter driving seem even worse cause you get flung forward with each sudden action. Any suggestions? ( I've already wedged a camping cooler behind my seat to prevent this, and it has been about 75% successful), but now I'm looking for an actual fix!

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,754 POSTS

Do you have power or manual seats?

If these are manual seats, try driving with the seat in a significantly different position. There are square holes, about an inch apart, in both tracks. A hard impact could have forced so much pressure onto the latches that they ripped out the metal between two notches. That would cause the problem you're describing in only that one setting.

If you have power seats, suspect a broken part inside the motor / gear pack assembly. The clue would be the motor will run for one to two seconds before the seat starts to move. You'll see this the best if you're standing outside the vehicle and watching the movement.

The three motors are the same. As a test, you can switch two of them to see if the problem still occurs. If I'm right, the free play in the motor won't be noticeable if it's used for raising the height of the front or rear. On some vehicles, the drive cables can be disconnected from the motors very easily and switched to a different motor. That can be a dandy test to determine if the motor or something else is the problem.

Also watch the cable under the seat while you press the switch. If the casing is moving back and forth, the cable is broken or loose at its attaching point.

Caradiodoc