2004 DODGE DURANGO Complaints

INSTRUMENT PANEL FIRE IN 2004 DODGE DURANGO. DOME LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. TOOK TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED INSTRUMENT PANEL COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. DID NOT REPLACE, LEFT DEALER. WITHIN 10 MINUTES, INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED ON FIRE AND VEHICLE BURNED TO GROUND. *JB

WE BOUGHT OUR DURANGO IN APRIL 2006. IT IS A 2004 AND JUST REACHED 40,000 MILES. TODAY WHEN WE DROVE IT THE DOME LIGHTS CAME ON LIKE ALWAYS WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR, BUT THEN THEY NEVER TURNED OFF. WE THOUGHT MAYBE OUR SWITCH OR SOMETHING WAS BAD. WE GOT HOME AND PARKED IT, THEN ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, WE WENT TO GET INTO IT AND ....IT WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE WHOLE FRONT OF OUR CAR IS BURNED...THE DASH, THE WINDSHIELD, THE SEATS, THE CEILING IS ALL BURNED AND HANGING DOWN WITH THE WIRES ALL MELTED AND BURNED. WE ARE SO LUCKY THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN TO US WHEN WE WERE IN IT, OR THAT IT DIDN'T REACH THE GAS TANK AND EXPLODE. WE THINK PROBABLY THE LACK OF OXYGEN INSIDE OF THE CAR KILLED THE FIRE BEFORE THE WHOLE CAR WAS BURNT TO THE GROUND. ANYWAY, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO. I AM CALLING OUR INSURANCE IN THE MORNING, BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET TONIGHT AND READING SO MANY OF THESE EXACT SAME REPORTS THAT THIS IS A DODGE ISSUE. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU . THANKS. *NM

AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CIRCUIT BOARD CAPACITOR CAUSED THE DOME LIGHTS TO REMAIN ON AND THE BATTERY TO DIE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER C43. *JB

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED. EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.7L HEMI. WE HAVE OWNED THE SUV FOR JUST UNDER 90 DAYS AND ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ENGINE HAS STALLED WHEN MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY AND SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. I SPOKE WITH A DODGE DEALERSHIP ON THE PHONE A FEW DAYS AGO AND THEY OFFERED LITTLE HELP. I INTEND TO CALL THEM IN THE MORNING AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THIS IS THE VEHICLE MY WIFE USES TO TRANSPORT OUR TWO YOUNG BOYS TO PRE-SCHOOL AND HERSELF TO WORK. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO US BECAUSE THE TRUCK DYING IN THE DRIVEWAY IS ONE THING, BUT WHAT IF THE NEXT TIME THEY ARE ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. *JB

ON 12/31/2006, AS WE WERE LEAVING IN OUR 2004 DODGE DURANGO, THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK MECHANISM ENGAGED, AND THEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES AND WOULD NOT DIM. WE INITIALLY COULD NOT GET THEM OFF, BUT WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO TURN OFF MOST OF THE INTERIOR LIGHTS EXCEPT FOR LIFTGATE LIGHT. SINCE THAT TIME, NONE OF THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON WHEN OPENING THE DOOR. ALSO, ON THE AWD AND 4WD SWITCH PANEL, THE NEUTRAL LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. THE ALARM ALSO GOES OFF WHEN USING THE KEY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 1/2/2007, AND THEN HAD TO BRING IT BACK THE NEXT DAY FOR AN ACTUAL APPOINTMENT. THEY INFORMED US THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL, WHICH IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE, IS ON BACK ORDER, AND WE HAVE TO WAIT 3 WEEKS TO TAKE IT IN SO THEY CAN ORDER PARTS. WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE A RENTAL CAR AS IT WILL TAKE POSSIBLY 4 DAYS, AND APPARENTLY WE CANNOT ACCRUE MILES ON THE DURANGO DURING THAT TIME. IN THE MEANTIME, WITH THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS LIKE THIS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRES, WE ARE LEAVING THE CAR OUT IN THE DRIVEWAY JUST IN CASE. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 43000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 1-4-06 WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO BLINK OFF AND ON AND HE DETECTED SMOKE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE REPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE. *AK

WITHIN THE FIRST 30,000 MILES I NOTICED AN OILY SUBSTANCE ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE UNDERNEATH THE REAR OF MY DURANGO. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR PINION SEAL WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SEAL WAS REPLACED AND 13,000 MILES LATER I NOTICED THE SAME OILY SUBSTANCE ON THE GARAGE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE REAR PINION SEAL HAD GONE BAD AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AND WAS AT NO COST TO ME. THE SECOND TIME WAS PAST 36,000 MILES BUT STILL WITHIN MY 75,000 MILE WARRANTY. I WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE IT WAS PAST 36,000 MILES I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $100 DEDUCTIBLE. I DO NOT HAUL THINGS WITH MY VEHICLE AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE SEAL CONTINUES TO GO BAD. *JB

2004 HEMI DURANGO, DRIVING DOWN FREEWAY AND VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. PLACED VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND RECOVERED. COASTED TO A STOP IN BREAKDOWN LANE. PLACED VEHICLE IN PARK AND RE STARTED VEHICLE. IT TOOK 2 ATTEMPTS TO RE START IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE ENGINE HAD LOADED UP. IT THEN RE STARTED FINE AFTER THE 2ND ATTEMPT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING DRIVING BUT ONLY ONCE AT FWY SPEED. *NM

2004 DODGE DURANGO. INITIALLY INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY DIM AND TURN OFF UPON ENTERING THE CAR. LIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF BY MANUALLY PUSHING BUTTON TWICE- ONCE TO DIM/ NEEDED TO WAIT A PERIOD OF TIME/ THEN AGAIN TO TURN OFF. THIS BEGAN 5 DAYS AGO. AFTER BACK HATCH WAS OPENED AND CLOSED, BACK HATCH LIGHT STAYED ON CONTINUOUSLY, THIS BEGAN 3 DAYS AGO. BOTTOM OF INSTRUMENT PANEL/ HEATER AREA FAILED TO ILLUMINATE ON OCCASION. THIS BEGAN ABOUT 3 DAYS AGO. DROVE YESTERDAY, DRIVING FINE OTHER THAN THESE ELECTRICAL ISSUES. ABOUT 1 HOUR AFTER DRIVING CAR, HORRIBLE SMELL OCCURED IN INTERIOR- SMELLED LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN SOMETHING BURNING/ MELTING AND PAINT FUMES. UPON STARTING THE CAR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED ON HIGH SPEED AND THE TOW LIGHT WAS FLASHING- COULD NOT TURN OFF WIPERS. MORE OF INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WERE OUT, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMED CRAZY. IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF CAR, AFRAID OF A FIRE. I'VE FOUND OTHER SIMILAR REPORTS OF 2004 DODGE DURANGOS AND HAVE HAD AUTO TOWED TO DEALER. INITALLY THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE CIRCUIT BOARD AS IT IS FRIED AND THEN LOOK AT THE TCM. THIS CAR IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD . *NM

2004 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE ENGINE SHUT ITSELF OFF. VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND PULLED SAFELY INTO PARKING SPACE. I CONTACTED CERRITOS DODGE AND SPOKE WITH BOB IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND I MAY BE IN AN ACCIDENT. *NM