2004 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN MARCH 2012. I STARTED NOTICING THAT DURING A HEAVY RAIN OR A CAR WASH THAT IT WOULD BOG DOWN, IDLE ROUGHLY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FEB 2013 TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT SINCE I HAD BEEN STRANDED IN PARKING LOTS, THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ACTUALLY GOT STUCK IN A CAR WASH BECAUSE MY VEHICLE CUT OFF. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MY COWL PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BASICALLY THIS PART WAS NOT DESIGNED CORRECTLY AND RAIN WATER OR WATER FROM A CAR WASH WAS DRAINING INTO MY ENGINE. HAD THE PART REPLACED FOR A WONDERFUL PRICE OF $236.00. I STARTED EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AT THE END OF APRIL, PICKED MY KIDS UP FROM SCHOOL AND WAS STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT FOR AN 1HR BC OF THE HARD RAIN. TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK ON MAY 6TH TO THE VENDOR MECHANIC(STILL UNDER A WARRANTY, DOESN'T HELP:( ) AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PART HAD BEEN REPLACED THAT IT SHOULD WORK, COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY IT WASN'T WORKING. CONTACTED CHRYSLER ASKING IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE, CHRYSLER DOESN'T UNDER STAND WHY THIS NEWLY DESIGNED PART IS NOT WORKING. SO I HAVE AT THIS TIME, 2 MECH/TECH'S TELLING ME THAT THEY CANT FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE PART SHOULD WORK. TRIED AN ALTERNATE METHOD WITH WEATHER STRIPPING AND SILICONE TO PLUG UP THE HOLES. I PICK SAID VEHICLE UP FROM THE SHOP ON MAY 8TH, DRIVE 3.2 MILES TURN ON MY STREET AN MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY CUTS OFF! CAN NOT GET IT TO CRANK BACK. CALL THE MECHANIC SHOP BACK EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT HAPPENED TAKE IT BACK THE NEXT DAY THEY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY, MY WARRANTY WONT COVER IT. HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED TO DODGE AND BECAUSE OF THIS COWL PANEL LEAK MY INTAKE GASKETS ARE MESSED UP AND THE CM FRONT AND BACK NEED TO BE FLASHED AND RESET, TOTALING OUT TO BE $870.00 BUT STILL CANT FIX THE COWL PANEL. IM DAMNED IF I DO DAMNED IF I DON'T. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, I NEED SOMEONE TO START TAKING THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY. *TR

I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE DURANGO AND IT ACTED LIKE IT HAD A LOW BATTERY. I TRIED AGAIN AND IT STARTED, BUT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK BADLY. I HAVE IT NOW AT THE MECHANIC AND BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE WILL NEED NEW MOTOR. I CAN PROVIDE MORE INFO LATER. I FOUND ON THE NET OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME TYPE PROBLEM AND THOUGHT I WOULD REPORT THIS. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR ABOUT A MONTH AGO. I HAVE DRIVEN IT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND NO NOISES IN THE ENGINE. MY SON, WHO IS A MECHANIC, SAYS IT SOUND FREAKISH FOR I HAD NO WARNING SIGNS. HE IS HIGH ON THE 5.7 ENGINE. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED ANYONE FOR I KNOW THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I BOUGHT IT AS IS, BUT DO NOT FEEL THE DEALER UNLOADED ON ME. THE DURANGO SEEMED FINE UNTIL THAT POINT. I TOO, MIGHT SHOULD ADD THAT DURING THE WEEK, WE HAD RECEIVED ABOUT THREE INCHES OF RAIN, AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS MIGHT BE A FACTOR AS IT LOOKS LIKE THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL WITH A COWEL THAT WAS NOT DOING ITS JOB. *TR

ENGINE WOULD NOT START IN THE RAIN. WHEN I TRIED AGAIN ON A SUNNY DAY, ENGINE STARTED AND THEN A VERY LOUD METALLIC CLICKING SOUND CAME FROM THE ENGINE. MECHANIC SAYS BROKEN SLEEVE OR ROD, AND I PROBABLY NEED A NEW ENGINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE PRETTY COMMON: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F1DD4B2/238. *TR

LOUD NOISE EMANATES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK FOLLOWED BY SMOKE. ENGINE GOES DEAD. TRIED RESTARTING, BUT TO NO AVAIL. TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT A PISTON CAME OFF AND BLEW A WHOLE IN THE ENGINE. AS A RESULTS, A WHOLE NEW ENGINE IS REQUIRED. ENGINE HAD NO SLUDGE WHATSOEVER AND WELL MAINTAINED. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS IT WAS RUSH HOUR AND VEHICLES WERE BEHIND. 2004 5.7L HEMI LIMITED *TR

WENT TO A DRIVE-THROUGH CAR WASH ... WHILE CAR WAS RINSING - LOTS OF WATER - THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STARTED IDLING ROUGHLY. I GOT OUT OF THE WASH AND GOT ON TO THE HIGHWAY WITH THE ENGINE STILL CUTTING OUT SPORADICALLY. I DROVE ABOUT A MILE AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT, BUT THEN I HEARD A WARNING BELL AND NOTED THAT MY ENGINE TEMP HAD SHOT UP. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. ENGINE COOLANT WAS EVERYWHERE. I REFILLED WITH NEW COOLANT AND WATER AND STARTED THE ENGINE ... DROVE ABOUT ANOTHER MILE AND THE "HOT ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT. CALLED FOR A WRECKER AND HAD THE CAR TOWED IN. DIAGNOSED AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. $6000 FOR ANOTHER ENGINE. I HAVE SEEN ON OTHER DODGE FORUMS WHERE THESE ENGINES HAVE FAILED AFTER DRIVING IN THE RAIN, OR HAVING DRIVEN THROUGH STANDING WATER. I SIMPLY WENT THROUGH A CAR WASH. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM (WATER INTRUSION IN THE ENGINE DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED ENGINE COWLING) ON THE 2004 HEMI - ACCORDING TO LOCAL DODGE DEALER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON AN INTERSTATE DURING A PRETTY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM. I NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STARTING TO HESITATE AND LOSE POWER. AS I STARTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN TO PULL OVER THE ENGINE QUIT AT ABOUT 50 MPH. THANKFULLY I WAS ON A STRAIGHT PART OF THE ROAD AND WITHOUT POWER I WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITH OUT AN INCIDENT. AFTER WAITING OUT THE STORM TO PASS ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, WITH TRAFFIC FLYING BY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER SOME HESITATION AND DRIVE IT HOME. DURING THE NIGHT THE VEHICLE SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY WHILE WE HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD RAINFALL IN THE AREA. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE TO GO TO WORK. THE ENGINE TURNED OVER, IT STARTED, FOLLOWED BY A GRINDING NOISE AND THEN THE MOTOR QUIT AND HASN'T STARTED SINCE. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE LOOKED OVER WE HAVE FOUND THAT TWO OF THE CYLINDERS HAD QUITE A BIT OF WATER IN THEM WHICH HAD APPEARED TO HYDRO LOCK THE ENGINE. DODGE NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE AND STOP PUSHING THE BLAME AND COST OFF ON TO THE VEHICLE OWNERS. THIS IS A HUGE DESIGN FLAW AND SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

ENGINE CONNECTING ROD FAILURE ON WELL MAINTAINED ENGINE DURING STARTING UP IN THE MORNING. RAIN OCCURRED DURING MOST OF THE NIGHT. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 DODGE DURANGO SOMETIME LAST WEEK THERE WAS A HEAVY RAIN, I WENT OUT TO START MY TRUCK AND IT WOULD NOT START. LATER THAT DAY IT STARTED BUT THERE WAS A LOUD HORRIBLE NOISE.. I FOUND OUT TODAY THE MOTOR IS GONE. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE WHEN IT RAINED IT DIDN'T START FOR A WHILE AND THEN STARTED LATER. THE ENGINE IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND SEEMS LIFE WHEN THERE IS HEAVY RAIN THE TRUCK STALLS NOW IT'S COMPLETELY GONE. *TR

ENGINE HYDROLOCKED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WATER POURING FROM THE WINDSHIELD ONTO THE ENGINE CAUSING WATER TO PENETRATE THE CYLINDERS. VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN OR IN A CARWASH. WELL MAINTAINED AND OIL CHANGED FREQUENTLY. NOW VEHICLE IS WORTHLESS DUE TO DODGE DESIGN FLAW OR FAULTY PARTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE EMANATING FROM THE ENGINE THAT SOUNDED LIKE ROCKS WERE UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.