NHTSA Complaint #10060005 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

FOLLOWING THE THROTTLE CASING RECALL ON MY DODGE DURANGO 2004 SLT 4.7 L A FEW DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON...NO PROB PER THE DEALER. FOLLOWING WEEK I NOTICED THAT GAS MILEAGE WAS BELOW 10MPG'S WHICH WAS ABNORMAL BUT DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD GET BETTER. A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE ACCELERATING ON INTERSTATE 80 THE ENGINE STARTED BUCKING AND CHUGGING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED BLINKING..... I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND TURNED OFF VEHICLE. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND FROM THE COMPUTER THAT THE CYLINDERS WERE MISFIRING. THEY PULLED THE PLUGS OUT OF THE BLOCK AND NOTED RUST AND CORROSION ALONG WITH OXIDATION COVERING THE SPARKPLUGS AND THE EXTENSION TUBES HOLDING THE SPARK PLUGS. THEY FOUND THAT WATER WAS GETTING INTO THE FIRING AREA OF THE SPARKPLUG . HOWEVER, IT WAS SAID TO ME BY THE WARRANTY MANAGER FROM THE NORTHEAST BUSINESS CENTER FOR CHRYSLER THAT HE HAD MY PHOTOS SENT TO DETROIT AND THAT ENGINEERS WERE NOW DESIGNING A DEFLECTOR SHIELD FOR THESE DURANGOS WHICH WOULD SOMEHOW KEEP WATER FROM GETTING TO PLACES IT SHOULD NOT BE. AS A CERTIFIED SAFETY PROFESSIONAL, #9937, I INVESTIGATE FATALITIES AND INJURIES REGULARLY. IT IS MY JOB TO TRY TO ARRIVE AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS. IN THIS CASE, A SERVICE MANAGER FROM CORIGLIANO DODGE, BELIEVE OTHER VEHICLES MAY HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT COULD BE RELATED...THAT IS THE WATER NOT BEING KEPT WAY FROM THE INNERDS OF THE ENGINE...COULD BE RELATED TO THE THROTTLE CABLE GETTING WATER IN IT AND WHEN SUBJECT TO FREEZING TEMPS, IT COULD STICK CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. WATER IN AN ENGINE HERE GOT THE THROTTLE TO STICK WHEN MIXED WITH COLD TEMPERATURES. IT GOT MY ENGINE CYLINDERS TO MISFIRE AND WHAT ABOUT STEERING OR ELECTRICAL FIRES. CHRYSLER MUST HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT FROM YOUR AGENCY ON THIS AND PLEASE CONTACT ME SO I CAN EMAIL DIGITAL PHOTOS TO YOU THAT I TOOK THAT DAY IN THE CORIGLIANO DODGE OF BOONTON , NJ SHOP. *AK