2004 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT, IT ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR INJURIES. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MARSHALL STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL DUE TO DEFECTIVE WIRING WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE CONTACT IS UNABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE JUMPS INTO GEAR AND MOVES FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THIS FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD BE THE CONTACT'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

I ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE A VEHICLE WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON. I AM NOT SURE WHY DODGE HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL ON WHATEVER COMPONENT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I THINK BECAUSE THE AIRBAG IS A "LIFE SAVING" DEVICE, THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO ISSUE A RECALL IMMEDIATELY. I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS IN DOZENS OF FORUMS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. *TR

THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY STALLS. IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THEN ONE TIME THEY SAID THEY DID PROVIDE A FIX. THE TIME IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE FIX I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THE CAR STALLED. HAD WE BEEN HIT BY THE ONCOMING VEHICLE THE IMPACT WOULD HAVE BEEN A T-BONE INTO MY YOUNG DAUGHTER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. THE MOST RECENT TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS YESTERDAY. I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 35 MILES PER HOUR AND I COULD FEEL THE CAR AS IF I HAD LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHEN I HAD NOT. I WENT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND THE CAR DIED. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STEER AND CAME VERY CLOSE TO HITTING ANOTHER CAR. I WILL NOTE THE MOST RECENT DATE OF THIS INCIDENT. *TR

SEE FIRST COMPLAINT 10237419. I'M HAVING CONTINUED FRONT END STEERING/SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. HAD THE LOWER BALL JOINT REPLACED ON 09/28/07. BY FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR I'M EXPERIENCING WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEMS... CLUNKING SOUND (METAL TO METAL) THAT STARTS WHEN ENGINE AREA IS HOT. AFTER 45 MINUTES OF DRIVING. VIBRATION CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING AND FLOOR BOARDS. THE NOISE IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER AND I FEAR THAT SAFETY MAY BECOME A ISSUE. THE DURANGO MAKES A SOUND SOMETHING LIKE THE TIRE AND RIM IS GOING TO VIBRATE RIGHT OFF THE VEHICLE. I'M NOW ON MY THIRD MECHANIC....RICHMOND, CA. HILLTOP DODGE, WHO TEST DROVE MY DURANGO AND HEARD THE SOUND ON 08/12/08. THEY INSPECTED THE FRONT BALL JOINTS, TIE RODS, AND ASSURED THAT EACH AREA WAS TIGHT . THEY DEEMED THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE, BUT WEREN'T SURE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY THINK IT MAY BE LOOSENESS IN THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT. DEALER/MECHANIC SAID THE PROBLEM NEEDED TO BE MORE CONSISTENT TO ISOLATE THE NOISE. INSPECTION CHARGE $124.95. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED OR RESOLVED, BUT SOUNDS SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED FOR POTENTIAL RECALL IN THE PAST. *TR

PROBLEM WITH "FRONT SUSPENSION/BALL JOINTS" 2004 DODGE DURANGO: HAD EXCESSIVE FREEPLAY IN LOWER BALL JOINTS. LEFT MORE THAN THE RIGHT. BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACE WITH CHRYSLER/DODGE PARTS ON 9/28/07 AT 60,577 MILES. THE REPAIR COSTS $544.69. AT 65,202 MILES I STATED EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. VIBRATION THAT CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING AND FLOORBOARD UNDER THE DRIVERS FEET. A METAL ON METAL CLUNKING SOUND STARTS AFTER THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN FOR A 1/2-HOUR (WHEN HOT) AND IS ONLY HEARD WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. HAD TWO SHOPS LOOK AT IT BUT THEY COULDN'T HEAR THE NOISE. NOW AT 65,738 MILES, THE NOISE IS GETTING LOUD AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY. WILL THE TIRE COME OFF OR WILL THE ABILITY TO STEER BE GO OUT COMPLETELY AT SOME POINT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT BOTH OF THE BOLTS IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1,100. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,732. UPDATED 09/15/08 *BF THE BOLTS ON THE MANIFOLD HAD BROKEN OFF. UPDATED 09/18/08. *JB

WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT THE VEHICLE STALLED. I PUT IT IN PARK AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF RUNNING ROUGH BEFORE THE STALL, IT JUST WAS IDLING AND CUT OUT. A WEEK LATER ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 60 MPH THE VEHICLE BUCKED LIKE IT WANTED TO STALL BUT DIDN'T. IT DID THIS THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. I ACCELERATED AND IT SEEMED TO HELP. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 DODGE DURANGO WITH 73,600 MILES. FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IT'S BEEN ACTING UP. THE SECOND I SLOW TO A STOP OR PUT IT IN PARK, THE RPMS START JUMPING AROUND. IT HAS STALLED ON ME SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN I ACCELERATE THE RPMS SPIKE AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO GO, BUT JERKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL AND THEN TAKES OFF. IT'S KIND OF SCARY. I'VE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL SHOPS, BUT THEY CAN'T FIND WHY IT IS DOING THIS. I TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TODAY AND HAD IT HOOKED UP TO THEIR DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. THEY SAID THAT IT ISN'T CODING ANYTHING TO BE WRONG. WHEN I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM, I WAS AMAZED TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M WONDERING IF DODGE HAS LOOKED INTO THIS AND WHY THERE ISN'T A RECALL ??? *TR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ENGINE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE - SINCE UPDATE, SEVERAL FUNCTIONS ARE NOT OPERATING AS THEY DID WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEW. PRIOR TO THE UPGRADE INTERIOR LIGHTS DIMMED BEFORE SHUTTING OFF, THEY NO LONGER DO, AFTER THE UPGRADE, THE DRIVER MEMORY SYSTEM THAT REMEMBERED SEAT AND MIRROR POSITIONS, HEAT/AC SETTINGS AND RADIO SETTINGS NOW FUNCTIONS DIFFERENTLY .. ALSO, NOT SURE IF THIS IS RELATED BUT THE DRIVERS DOOR, WHEN CLOSED WOULD NOT TURN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS OFF. THE FRUSTRATION IS THAT THERE IS NO LONGER A MECHANICAL SWITCH TO ACCOMPLISH THIS SO IT APPEARS THAT THIS PROCESS IS SOFTWARE CONTROLLED. ALSO WITHIN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. TO DATE, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. *TR