2004 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

I PULLED INTO THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION AT TAYLOR ROAD AND SR 256 IN REYNOLDSBURG, OH AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION WAS A ROD THAT SHOT THROUGH THE OIL PAN INTO THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP MOVING WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *TR

I HAVE OWNED MY 2004 DURANGO FOR THREE YEARS AND LOVE THIS TRUCK. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT KEEP COMING ON AND OFF AT WILL. THE CLOCKSPRING IS NOT BROKEN BECAUSE THE RADIO AND CRUISE CONTROL STILL WORK WHILE THE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. AS SOMEONE ELSE MENTIONED, THE LIGHT WILL GO OFF IF YOU MOVE THE WIRES UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE READ SEVERAL POSTS ABOUT THE SEAT WEIGHTS, CONTROL MODULE, LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE, CLOCKSPRING AND ECU AS POSSIBLE CULPRITS. THE CAR HAS ALSO HAD TWO RECENT ACCIDENTS PRIOR TO THE LIGHTS APPEARANCE AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER TIME? MY AUTO BODY SHOP AND INSURANCE COMPANY FOUND THIS VERY STRANGE. THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND DODGE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL EARLIER MODEL DURANGO AND RECALLED THEM FOR DEFECTIVE AIRBAG REPAIR. DURANGO OWNERS NEED TO KEEP POSTING COMPLAINTS TO DEMAND ACTION BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CLUSTER CIRCUIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V528000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH) PREVIOUSLY AND THEY WOULD PROVIDE NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000. UPDATED 8/31/12 UPDATED 09/11/2012 *JS

MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO HAS STALLED ON ME 6 TIMES NOW WITHOUT 'ANY WARNING', IT SIMPLY SHUTS OFF AND I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO TIMES IT HAPPENED, WE DISMISSED AS SOME WEIRD 'FLUKE', AS THE TWO TIMES WERE ABOUT A YEAR APART, SO WE NEVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT IT. WHEN IT HAPPENED FOR THE THIRD TIME WE REALIZED SOMETHING WAS MOST DEFINITELY WRONG. WE WERE SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, WHEN WE BEGAN TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM ON LINE. RIGHT AFTER IT HAPPENED THE 3RD TIME, WE TOOK IT IN TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC; WHO INDICATED THAT IT MIGHT BE PART OF A FAULTY CLUSTER PROBLEM THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED. THEY REPLACED THE CLUSTER, AND I FELT SO MUCH BETTER AND SAFER. APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN! I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE DEALERSHIP TO TELL THEM WHAT I EXPERIENCED, AFTER SEVERAL UNANSWERED EMAILS AND 4 MONTHS LATER, I DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO GO IN PERSON. JUST THIS WEEKEND, BEFORE I WENT; IT HAPPENED AGAIN AS I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY. I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE THIS DURANGO ANYWHERE BUT ON THE SIDE STREETS NOW. I HAD A CHILD IN MY CAR WHEN THIS OCCURRED THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND THEY WERE VERY SCARED. EACH TIME IT HAS OCCURRED HAS BEEN AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED AND ALWAYS MAKING A RIGHT TURN. IT IS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING TO LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE, AND IT IS ONLY MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE OR CAUSE A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT WHEN THIS SHUT DOWN OCCURS. WHY IS CHRYSLER/DODGE NOT BEING MADE TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM? I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE STILL MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THE MOST RECENT WAS JUNE 12, 2012 HOWEVER THESE CONCERNS ARE DATING BACK TO 2005! WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THIS SITUATION CAN BE ADDRESSED AND DEALT WITH APPROPRIATELY. THIS IS NOT A SMALL PROBLEM, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING CONSEQUENCES, AND NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES, SIZE 245/70/R17. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE TIRES VIBRATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE TIRES WERE BALANCED, AN ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED, AND THE TIE RODS WERE INSPECTED. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND NO FAILURE THAT WOULD CAUSE VIBRATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF TIRES WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE OF TIRES WAS 8,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD BANGING NOISE UPON START UP. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT AN ENGINE ROD WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD NOISE AND FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED BECAUSE WATER CAME DOWN THE WINDSHIELD AND ENTERED THE ENGINE. THE WATER WAS ABLE TO REACH THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE GASKETS ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT A HYDRO-LOCK OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND WATER WAS SUCKED IN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

THE SEAT BELT FASTENER FELL APART. PLASTIC CASING SEPARATED AND COMPONENTS THAT LOCK SEAT BELT INTO FASTENER FELL OUT. THIS IS IN THE THIRD ROW WHICH IS USED RARELY. QUICK SEARCH ONLINE SHOWS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FREQUENT PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY A RECALL. CONSIDERING THE BACK SEAT (THIRD ROW) IS PRIMARILY FOR CHILDREN GIVEN THE LIMITED LEG ROOM IT IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING. *JS

MY 2004 DURANGO LIMITED EQUIPPED WITH THE HEMI 5.7 LITER ENGINE DEVELOPED A TICKING SOUND AND AND FAILED WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A ACCIDENT. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THIS A FREQUENT PROBLEM THAT OCCURS WITH THE 5.7 HEMI ENGINE IN THIS MODEL YEAR, HOW COME NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RECTIFY THIS. THE ENGINE IS A COSTLY REPAIR THAT CHRYSLER DOESN'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. *TT

I WAS APPROX 1/10 OF A MILE DOWN OUR LOCAL ROAD WHEN I HEARD A SUDDEN EXPLOSION UNDER THE CAR. IT SOUNDED AS IF THE TIRE BLEW. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED PULLING OVER BUT I CONTINUED TO HEAR A RUMBLE FROM THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION, I NOTICED THERE WAS OIL RUNNING DOWN THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE MECHANIC HAS CONFIRMED A THROWN ROD THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. NO PREVIOUS WARNINGS OF ISSUES WITH THE 122,000 MILE ENGINE. CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED (BUT NOT AT A DODGE DEALER). NOW I'M FACED WITH A $6,000 BILL TO REPLACE AN ENGINE THAT SHOULD HAVE LASTED ANOTHER 100,000 MILES. AS I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MODEL ENGINE (5.7 L HEMI 2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED). NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE ON THIS ENGINE ALTHOUGH IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON, COSTLY, DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THEIR ENGINE.