2004 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

I AM MERELY REACHING OUT TO YOU DUE TO CONTINUOUS ADS ABOUT RECALLS ON MY PARTICULAR MAKE OF AUTOMOBILE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROPER PROCEDURE WOULD BE TO GET THE HOUSING AND/OR AIRBAG REPLACED?

I HAVE BEEN BATTLING WITH MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO 5.7L HEMI FOR YEARS NOW. EVERY TIME IT WOULD RAIN HEAVY, MY VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO DIE. IT WOULD GET VERY JUMPY, AND I FELT LIKE I HAD TO FIGHT IT TO KEEP GOING. IF I GOT STOPPED BY A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, IT WAS HORRIBLE. MY ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND SOMETIMES STAY ON FOR A DAY OR TWO. I BROUGHT IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO COULD ONLY FINE A CYLINDER MISFIRE WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ACTUALLY STILL ON. IT SEEMED LIKE IT ALWAYS WENT OFF AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANICS WERE NOT ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING IN ORDER TO VIEW WHAT THE VEHICLE WAS DOING. I HAD NUMEROUS PLUGS CHANGED AND NOTHING HELPED. IT HAS SINCE GOTTEN WORSE, YET NO ONE CAN FIGURE IT OUT. IT NOW HAPPENS IF I TAKE IT TO THE CAR WASH. THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO START IT AFTER IT COMES OUT. THEY HAVE TO TRY A FEW TIMES BEFORE THEY CAN GET IT GOING. I DECIDED TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHERS OUT THERE WITH THIS ISSUE. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND ALL THE INFORMATION I DID AND YET NO MECHANIC CAN FIND A SOLUTION. I CAME TO READ ABOUT THE HYDROLOCK ISSUE ON THIS MODEL. AFTER READING ALL THESE COMPLAINTS BY EVERYONE ELSE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE WOULDN'T BE A RECALL ON THIS! I HAVE LIVED WITH THIS ISSUE FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS DREADING EVERY TIME IT RAINS HEAVY. IT MAKES ME PANICKED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN ANY RAIN KNOWING THE OUTCOME OF ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT DODGE JUST LET THIS GO ON, ESPECIALLY AFTER ALL THE COMPLAINTS. I HAVE 190,000 MILES ON IT NOW, IT IS FULL OF RUST (WHICH IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED...I HAVE SEEN SO MANY DURANGOS WITH RUST ON THE BACK DOOR BY THE CHROME ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE. IT STARTS OUT AS BUBBLING AND JUST RUSTS AWAY INTO BIG HOLES), AND THERE IS NO POINT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY DODGE.

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAD COME ON FOR NO REASON. I REMEMBERED THE NOTIFICATION TO CONTACT SOMEONE ABOUT THIS RECALL. I WAS ONLY A FEW MINUTES FROM HOME SO NOTHING SERIOUS HAPPENED. ALSO, TWO DAYS PRIOR TO DRIVING IT TODAY I HAD IT PARKED AT MY MOMS WHILE WE DROVE OUT OF TOWN, SO MAYBE THE EXCESSIVE HEAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.

I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THE AIRBAG RECALL AND ALL THEY TELL ME IS THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND KEEP PUSHING BACK THE DATE THEY SAY IT WILL BE AVAILABLE. WHAT THE USE OF HAVING A VEHICLE THAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE DANGEROUS FOR MY FAMILY AND I THIS HAS BEEN GOING FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW HOW ARE THEY NOT FORCE TO FIX ALL THE VEHICLES RIGHT AWAY. IS IT BECAUSE ITS AN AMERICAN VEHICLE AND NOT FOREIGN VEHICLE SMH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY SHOOK AND STALLED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE COWL SCREEN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V313000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

WE PURCHASED A 2004 DODGE DURANGO SLT 4X4 SPORT UTILITY 4-DOOR ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WE NOTICED THAT WHEN WE WENT THROUGH A CAR WASH IT WOULD STALL OUT. IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND EVERY TIME IT RAINED IT WOULD STALL OUT. YESTERDAY (8/4/2015) IT STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD CLUNKY NOISE. THE ENGINE HYDRO-LOCKED AND WE NOTICED OIL DRIPPING ALL OVER. WE ARE LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE WE WERE DRIVING OR SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOTTEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR EVEN WORSE KILLED. NOW WE HAVE A VEHICLE WE ARE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON AND CANT EVEN DRIVE. WE DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V313000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V313000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

MY 2004 DURANGO HAD SAT FOR 2 DAYS IN RAINY WEATHER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THERE WAS A LOUD BANG OR CLUNK. I ATTEMPTED TO START IT AGAIN AND WHEN IT STARTED THERE WAS A LOUD TAPPING NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT OFF. I LOOKED AROUND AND UNDER THE CAR FOUND A PUDDLE OF OIL AS WELL AS 3 PIECES OF IRON ,1WITH A CHRYSLER SYMBOL MOLDED INTO IT. APPARENTLY THE ENGINE HYDRO LOCKED AND THREW A PISTON ROD THROUGH THE BLOCK. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE VERIFIED THIS WAS THE CASE. CHECKING VARIOUS FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 04 DURANGOS WITH 5.7 HEMIS. MANY MANY INCIDENTS SOME WHILE DRIVING WERE REPORTED. WEAK ENGINE COMPONENTS AS WELL AS A POORLY DESIGNED WINDSHIELD COWL HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM, WHICH CHRYSLER HAS DENIED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AT ANY SPEED. I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. DODGE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR A POORLY DESIGNED ENGINE AND COWL. THANK YOU