NHTSA Complaint #10156109 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

WE PURCHASED OUR DURANGO NEW IN 8/04. ON 9/ 9/04 THE TRUCK STARTED, BUT DIED WHILE I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY STATED IT NEEDED AN UPDATE PERFORMED ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 9/24/04 AND THEN IN OCT. IT HAD TO BE TOWED AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY APPARENTLY DID NOT GET THE UPDATE COMPLETED OR DONE PROPERLY. WE BEGAN NOTICING THEN THAT THE TRUCK FELT AS IF IT WAS SURGING OR ALMOST SKIPPING A GEAR. MULTIPLE PEOPLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP TEST DROVE IT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE JUST FEELING MORE W/ THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A SMOOTH RIDE COMPARED TO MOST 4WD VEHICLES. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE FINALLY GAVE UP. NOW ON 3/ 25/06 THE TRUCK DIED WHILE IN PARK IN A PARKING LOT. THAT SAME NIGHT IT SURGED AS I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC. W/IN A FEW HUNDRED YARDS I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE IT WAS AS IF THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO DIE. ON THE MORNING OF 3/28 THE TRUCK SURGED AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE TRUCK IT DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE NEXT DAY IT DIED ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY KEPT THE TRUCK FOR ABOUT A WEEK, STATED THEY HOOKED IT UP TO THE COMPUTER AND IT SHOWED NOTHING WAS WRONG,DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 30 MILES DURING THAT TIME W/OUT INCIDENT. NOW IT HAS DIED AGAIN WHILE I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE. I AM TIRED OF BEING TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT JUST DIE WHILE YOU ARE GOING DOWN A ROAD W/OUT ANY WARNING. AT NO TIME HAVE WE HAD ANY LIGHTS COME ON THE DASH ADVISING OF A PROBLEM. IT IS VERY DISTURBING TO THINK THAT CHRYSLER IS OKAY W/ US DRIVING OUR FAMILIES AROUND IN THESE VEHICLES. I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN THAT I TOTE AROUND IN THIS VEHICLE AND IT IS NOT VERY COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT IT WILL DIE UNEXPECTEDLY. *JB