NHTSA Complaint #10147146 — 2005 DODGE DURANGO

2005 DODGE DURANGO LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL WITH LOW SPEED MOUNTAIN DRIVING. THIS WAS A RENTAL SUV IN AWD. I AM AN EXPERIENCED WINTER DRIVER WITH 35+ YEARS OF NO ACCIDENTS. DAY ONE...NO PROBLEMS. DAY TWO...REMOTE DRIVING ON TWO LANE PLOWED CENTERED ROAD...ALMOST HIT TWO ELK ON THE ROAD IN THE DARKNESS. DAY THREE...ABOUT 1 INCH OF NEW SNOW WITH NO APPARENT TRACTION/CONTROL PROBLEMS (CHECKED HARD BRAKING/SKIDDING ON THE ROAD WITHOUT PROBLEMS). THE ROAD HAD NOT BEEN TRAVELED THAT MORNING. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH LOOKING FOR ELK ON THE LONG GRADUAL DOWNHILL (NEARLY FLAT), WITH RIGHT TURN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL TO ENTER THE TURN, THE VEHICLE WENT STRAIGHT (NO LOAD ON THE FRONT WHEELS). TRIED BRAKING WITHOUT SENSATION OF ABS PULSING AND NO CHANGE TO TRAJECTORY. WE WERE HEADING STRAIGHT INTO A GUARDRAIL WITH A STEEP EMBANKMENT/CLIFF. TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT STOP AND GAVE IT SOME GAS. THE DURANGO BEGAN TO CHANGE HEADING AND SLID ALONG THE GUARDRAIL INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH IT AND OVER THE CLIFF. THE RENTAL AGENT TOLD ME ABOUT ANOTHER 2005 DURANGO WITH 4 (EXECUTIVES) MEN THAT DROVE THROUGH A GUARDRAIL AND DOWN A 60' CLIFF IN MARCH 2005. ORIGINALLY, THE AGENT THOUGHT IT WAS SPEED RELATED, BUT THEN BEGAN TO WONDER AFTER MY INCIDENT. THE THING THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IS THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THAT I HAD LOST CONTROL IN A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE...THERE WAS NO STABILITY/CONTROL FEEDBACK TO THE DRIVER. IF THE ROAD WAS ICY UNDER THE SNOW, THERE WAS NO SENSATION OF IT TO THE DRIVER. IF IT WAS ENTIRELY THE ROAD, WOULDN'T YOU EXPECT OTHERS TO FOLLOW YOU INTO/THROUGH THE GUARDRAILS? I SEE A TREND...AT LEAST TWO 2005 DURANGO'S IN ONE YEAR DRIVING DOWNHILL ON TWO LANE SNOW COVERED ROADS LOSING CONTROL AND GOING STRAIGHT INTO GUARDRAILS WITHOUT WARNING. I SUSPECT A LATENT STABILITY AND CONTROL PROBLEM IN DURANGOS. *JB