2004 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

ONE MORNING, AT STARTUP, THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO BROKEN ROD. ALL MAINTENANCE WAS ALWAYS KEPT UP AND RECORDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND ALL MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE HANDED TO THEM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, THE LOCAL SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME I HAD A GOOD CASE AGAINST DODGE SINCE THE ENGINE WAS IN GREAT CONDITION AND THE ROD SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN. THE REGIONAL DODGE INSPECTOR SHOW UP AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I ATTEMPTED TO TALK TO THE LOCAL SERVICE PERSON THAT I HAD SPOKE WITH BEFORE BUT THE DEALERSHIP MANAGER WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO. THE NATIONAL DODGE REPRESENTATIVE I WAS ASSIGNED CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A WATER PUMP FAILURE. THE STORY CHANGED. IN EITHER CASE, I WAS LEFT WITH A LARGE BILL BECAUSE OF FAULTY ENGINE PARTS THAT DODGE (CHRYSLER) USES ON THEIR VEHICLES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF OTHER DODGE DURANGO HEMI OWNERS. *TR

WHEN STARTING IT MADE LOAD KNOCKING NOISE. HAD IT TOWED TO LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP THEY SAID THAT THE ENGINE HAD THROWN A ROD THROUGH THE BLOCK. THEY FOUND THAT RAIN WATER WAS COMING THROUGH THE COWL BELOW THE WINDSHIELD ONTO THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD. WATER STANDING ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEEPED INTO THE ENGINE AND ALLOWED CYLINDER TO HYDRAULICALLY LOCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, AN ABNORMAL SOUND CAME FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH DETERMINED THAT THE CONNECTING ROD WAS DAMAGED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONNECTING ROD HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE DEFECT AND THE FAILURE LATER RECURRED. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED A TWO-INCH HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CONNECTING ROD WAS DAMAGED AND CAUSED THE TWO-INCH HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE AS A REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

AFTER RETURNING FROM A WEEK LONG BUSINESS TRIP, I WENT TO MY DURANGO THAT WAS PARKED AT THE AIRPORT. THE BATTERY WAS DEAD FOR SOME REASON, AND USED A JUMP BOX TO START THE VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY UPON STARTED, THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A LONG RATTLING NOISE, THEN SHUT DOWN. UPON FURTHER REVIEW, I FOUND OIL LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE, AND A PIECE OF METAL AS WELL. AFTER HAVING THE DURANGO TOWED TO MY HOME, I CHECKED OUT THE ENGINE TO FIND A WHOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK JUST IN FRONT OF THE STARTER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MANY PEOPLE FOR THE 2004 5.7L HEMI ENGINE. I AM SURPRISED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED YET. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED AS IT HAS WITH SOME, BUT I SUPPOSE IT WILL TAKE A FATALITY UNTIL IT IS DEEMED SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR A RECALL. *TR

ENGINE FAILED SHORTLY (10 SECONDS) AFTER START-UP, MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THEN SEIZING TIGHT. ENGINE COULD NOT BE RE-STARTED AS IT COULD NOT TURN-OVER. ENGINE WAS INSPECTED BEFORE REMOVAL, AND #7 PISTON WAS FOUND TO NOT BE MOVING WHEN THE CRANKSHAFT WAS ROTATED IN REVERSE ROTATION MANUALLY. ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND TORN DOWN FOR INSPECTION. CYLINDER #7 CONNECTING ROD WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN MIDWAY THROUGH THE I-BEAM SECTION, AND THE REMAINING PARTS OF THE CONNECTING ROD SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BEING BENT OR BUCKED PREVIOUS TO THE FAILURE BY ONE OR MORE HYDROLOCK EVENTS. ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN IN THE THROTTLE BODY TO INDUCTION RESONATOR JOINT THAT ALLOWS WINDSHIELD WATER RUNOFF TO BE DRAWN INTO THE ENGINES INDUCTION SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED ROUGH RUNNING IN HEAVY RAIN CONDITIONS, WHICH WAS THOUGHT TO BE IGNITION RELATED PER A CHRYSLER TSB DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COWL DESIGN THAT ALLOWS RAIN WATER TO DEPOSIT DIRECTLY ON THE IGNITION COILS, AND THROTTLE BODY, IN LARGE VOLUMES. CHRYSLER RE-DESIGNED THE COWL PIECE BUT DID NOT MANDATE ITS REPLACEMENT. *TR

PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE THE MOTOR WOULD SHUT OFF DURING ANY HEAVY RAIN STORM, THEN AFTER ONE RAIN STORM IN JULY OF 2012 THE NEXT MORNING WENT OUTSIDE TO START THE TRUCK THE MOTOR HAD LOCKED UP. TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE AND WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT DODGE HAD A MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT IN THE 2004-2005 DURANGO THAT CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE WITH RAIN WATER GETTING INTO THE ENGINE. SO IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN CHRYSLER NEEDS TO REFUND EVERYONE THAT HAS HAD THESE ISSUE DUE TO THERE MISTAKE AND NOT PENALIZE THE CUSTOMERS. *TR

RIGHT AFTER I PURCHASED THIS USED VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY SERVICE CONTRACT, I STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN IT RAINS THE TRUCK WILL START SHAKING,STALLING AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON, ALSO AFTER TAKING THE TRUCK THRU A CAR WASH IT WILL DO THE SAME THING, I NEED HELP BECAUSE I PAID 11,000 DOLLARS FOR THESE POS. *TR

TRANSFER CASE SHIFTED INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LOCK WITHOUT INPUT OF THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS ON STRAIGHT LEVEL HARD SURFACE ROAD. TRANSFER CASE WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LOCK. *TR

THE ELECTRICAL PORTION STARTED AFTER I FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE WORSENED AFTER SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WOULDN'T STAY CHARGED, AND I ENDED UP NEEDING A TOW EVERY OTHER WEEK. MY CAR INSURANCE WENT UP TO $550.00 A MONTH. I WAS ALWAYS STRANDED. THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE IN THE RAIN. SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING, IT DID IT ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AND I SAW A SEMI COMING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD. I GOT IT STARTED AND PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SPEED TO GET OUT THE WAY. EVENTUALLY IT COULDN'T' START ANYMORE. I HAD IT SITTING FOR A YEAR AS I KEPT MAKING LOAN PAYMENTS. I FIXED ONE THING AFTER THE OTHER...THINKING IT WAS THE PROBLEM...THE CAR WOULD START AND DIE A FEW DAYS LATER. THIS LAST TIME I CHANGED THE STARTER FOR THE THIRD TIME. A ROD WAS THROWN AND THE ENGINE IS LOCKED. I WASN'T EVEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT STARTED AFTER 3RD STARTER WAS INSTALLED AND A CRUNCH NOISE SOUNDED A FEW MINUTES LATER WHILE TRYING TO GIVE THE BATTERY SOME JUICE. I TOWED IT INTO ANOTHER SHOP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE ENGINE IS GONE. I HAD TO PAY FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE BECAUSE IT'S FINANCED AND A CAR NOTE FOR A TRUCK THAT'S GONE. I'VE SEARCHED ONLINE AND DODGE KNOWS AND HASN'T TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY. INVOLUNTARY REPOSSESSION WOULD BE FUTILE BECAUSE AFTER THE FEE FOR REPO, TOWING, STORAGE..I WILL OWE MORE THAN WHAT I HAVE LEFT TO PAY, $5000.00 AND STILL NOT EVEN SCRAP METAL. I'VE READ SO MANY DISCUSSION BOARD POST, CONSUMER BLOGS ON THIS MODEL AND 'M FLOORED. I GUESS THE COMPLAINTS ARE RECENT BECAUSE ONE YOU GET TO LIKE 70,00 MILE YOU ARE TOAST. I DON'T DRIVE TO WORK, ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS AND I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY TRUCK AND NOW I HAVE NOTHING BUT PAYMENTS AND METAL THAT LOOKS PRETTY ON THE OUTSIDE. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS KEPT IN GOOD CONDITION OIL CHANGED ECT. VEHICLE THREW A ROD AT AROUND 30 MPH. *TR