2005 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

MY DURANGO SHIFT INTO 4 WHEEL HI AND 4 WHEEL LO BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE SITTING. THIS CAUSE MY TRUCK WHILE DRIVING TO JERK AND IT LOCKS THE WHEELS UP. THIS SITUATION CAUSES DIFFICULTY TO TURN ALSO. *TR

SUMMARY: WHEN I PARKED AND EXITED/LOCKED MY 2005 DODGE DURANGO, I COULD HEAR THE TRANSFER CASE SWITCHING ALL ON ITS OWN. ON MY WAY HOME THE SVC 4WD LIGHT LIT AND THEN 4LO BEGAN FLASHING. WE LEFT ON VACATION AND WHEN I CAME HOME AND BACKED THE CAR OUT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND IT IS UNDRIVEABLE. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER OWNWER'S VEHICLES DOING THE SAME THING ON YEARS 2004 & 2005 WITH THE HEMI MOTOR AND THE DEALERS NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON AND CHARGING SEVERAL EXPENSIVE REPAIRS FOR DIFFERENT FINDINGS NOT ALWAYS FIXING THE PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT COULD BE THE INTERSTATE OR IN TOWN, DOING 30 TO 55 MILES PER HOUR DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM, MY HUSBAND'S ENGINE LIGHT WILL TURN ON IN HIS 2005 DODGE DURANGO AFTER THE WHEEL BEGINS STIFFENING AND MY LIGHTS ALL SHUT OFF AND I AM COSTING INTO OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANE OR IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH MY 4 CHILDREN AND MYSELF, SOMETIMES IT IS JUST ME AND ONCE IT WAS WITH MY HUSBAND AND CHILDREN. THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL STAY SOLID AND ALL OF THIS HAPPENS AFTER WHEN SUV WILL CUT OFF WITH NO WARNING, INSTANTLY MY STEERING WHEEL GETS STIFF AND I CANNOT TURN, MY LIGHTS GO OFF AND THE RADIO AND HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. THIS US HAPPENING MORE AND MORE. THIS ALSO HAS HAPPENED WHEN I AM COMING TO A STOPLIGHT OR A STOP SIGN OTHER TIMES WHEN I'M COMING OUT OF A STOP AND THE SUV IS STILL RUNNING AT THAT TIME. VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS. NO WARNINGS, HE HAS HAD THE SUV 1 YEAR. *TR

THE POWER TRAIN OR SOMETHING STARTS TO CHANGE GEARS WHEN YOU UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE CAR IS NOT EVEN RUNNING AND IT STARTS SHIFTING. SOMETIMES IT LOCKS ITSELF INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE, WHEN YOU ARE GOING DOWN THE STREET. *TR

MY DURANGO IS ONE OF HUNDREDS POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES THAT HAS THE TRANSFER CASE MYSTERIOUSLY SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. IT CAN BE TRIGGERED BY THE UNLOCK BUTTON, EVEN THE DOME LIGHT. THE TRANSFER CASE IS NOW SHIFTING ALL THE TIME IN AND OUT OF POSITION BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNDER OPERATION AND PARKED. THE IS DANGEROUS AND DODGE CLAIMS TO KNOW NOTHING. I SPENT 10 MINUTES AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF CHRYSLER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND NO DEFINITIVE ANSWERS. (GOOGLE DODGE DURANGO SVC 4WD LIGHT) PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL SPEWED THROUGH THE FILLER NECK AND ONTO THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK FILLER INLET CHECK VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V003000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,200.

AS I APPROACHED MY VEHICLE AND USED THE REMOTE TO OPEN THE DOORS, I HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE LIKE GEARS WERE SHIFTING ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT THE VEHICLE EVEN RUNNING. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND STARTED DRIVING. WHEN I WENT INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED LEFT TO PARK, IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE WAS PUTTING ON THE BRAKES MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO TURN AND TO ACCELERATE--FELT LIKE I WAS IN 4WD DESPITE NOT SHIFTING TO 4WD FROM AWD. I NEARLY HIT THE CAR NEXT TO MINE BECAUSE I HAD TO ACCELERATE SO HARD TO GET INTO THE SPOT WITHOUT GETTING HIT FROM THE REAR. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR 1/2 HOUR AND RESTARTED IT AND DROVE HOME. WHEN I LET THE CAR SIT IN THE GARAGE, I WAS IN THE GARAGE AND HEARD GEARS SHIFTING ON THEIR OWN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING. THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED 3 TIMES AND IT IS QUITE SCARY! IF I TRY TO TURN LEFT AND THIS HAPPENS ON THE ROAD, I COULD GET INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

VEHICLE MISFIRES DURING ACCELERATION. ALMOST CAUSED VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. AFTER HAVING IT LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER, FOUND OUT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE PROBLEM. IT STEMS FROM A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE RAIN COWL THAT ALLOWS WATER TO PASS THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER OPENING WHERE IT RUNS ONTO THE ENGINE AND POOLS IN THE SPARK PLUG HOLES, CAUSING A SHORT. CHRYSLER REDESIGNED THE COWL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT NOTIFY OWNERS OR RECALL THE VEHICLES TO FIX THE ISSUE. *TR

VEHICLE WILL ILLUMINATE "SVC AWD" AND THE VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH VEHICLE INTO DIFFERENT GEARS WHILE DRIVING ON ITS ON. ONE DAY THE VEHICLE SWITCHED TO 4LO WHILE IN DRIVE, NOT CHANGES WERE MADE. ANOTHER TIME WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, NO KEY IN THE IGNITION, WHEN HIT THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE KEY YOU CAN HEAR THE VEHICLE SWITCHING GEARS ON ITS AGAIN! WHILE MAKING A SHARP TURN TO PARK THE VEHICLE SWITCHED INTO NEUTRAL ON ITS ON AND WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE OR REVERSE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK WAITED A FE SECONDS RESTARTED IT AND PARKED AND THE SVC AWD LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I HAVE HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE ALL WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF 2014. THE SVC AWD LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF ON IT OWN RANDOMLY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS AND NEITHER DOES THE DEALER. I HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH CHANGED AT A PALMER CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP DEALERSHIP AND THE SVC AWD LIGHT IS STILL ON THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO SWITCH GEARS ON ITS OWN. *TR

MOISTURE ENTERED INTO THE CYLINDERS VIA THAT AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD DUE TO A WATER SEAL DESIGN DEFECT IN THE AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARMS. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED, RAIN WATER COMING DOWN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WILL FLOW DIRECTLY UNDER THE COWL AND ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS WATER INTRUSION CAUSES UNDUE STRESS ON THE PISTONS, RODS, AND CRANKSHAFT EVENTUALLY CAUSING A ROD TO BREAK AND PUNCTURE THE ENGINE BLOCK. IF THIS HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE RESULTS COULD BE DEADLY. THE OTHER KNOWN SCENARIO IS AFTER THE CAR IS PARKED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME (EXPOSED TO RAIN), THE CYLINDER WILL FILL WITH WATER, CAUSING A HYDRO-LOCK CONDITION AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE ENGINE USUALLY IS FOUND TO ALSO HAVE A BENT OR FRACTURED ROD AT THIS POINT. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY DODGE / CHRYSLER AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SEE THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON EDMUNDS.COM BLOGS AND ON YOUTUBE REGARDING THIS TOPIC. I MADE A VIDEO OF THE PROBLEM SO YOU SEE HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WTQ2GKNO0N8. *TR