NHTSA Complaint #10175540 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

ON WEDNESDAY THE 6TH OF DECEMBER I WAS DRIVING MY DODGE DURANGO AND NOTICED THAT THE DOME LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY THAT DAY MY WIFE TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE BANK ,WHILE SHE WAS THERE SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THIS GOT HER ATTENTION AND SHE LOOKED AT THE GAUGES AND NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE GAUGES WERE READING ZERO,THE TOW/HAUL LIGHT WAS ON AND THEN THE WIPERS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES. A SHORT TIME LATER SMOKE STARTED BLOWING OUT OF THE VENTS. SHE QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE BANK LINE AND PARKED IT. SHE CALLED ME SO I DROVE DOWN TO CHECK IT OVER. AS SOON AS I OPENED THE DOOR I NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF BURNT WIRING. I GAVE IT A QUICK LOOK OVER AND FOUND THE TURN SIGNALS AND STOP LIGHTS WERE ALSO NOT WORKING. LATER THAT NIGHT WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK TO MY SHOP(WITH THE WIPERS STILL GOING)I CHECKED ON ALLDATA FOR SERVICE BULLETINS TO HELP ME DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND FOUND RECALL C43 WHICH SEEMED TO BE A MATCH FOR OUR SYMPTOMS. I PULLED THE CLUSTER TO CHECK FOR BURNT WIRING BUT DID NOT FIND ANY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED A STRONG BURNT SMELL FROM THE CLUSTER. I CALLED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO SEE IF C43 APPLIED TO MY VEHICLE AND THEY SAID THAT IT DID NOT,BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT 2 MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL DATE. I ASKED IF THEY COULD OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE BUT THEY FLATLY REFUSED BECAUSE I HAD PULLED THE GAUGES MYSELF EVEN THOUGH I AM A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WITH 11 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. I HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM YET BUT I WILL PROBABLY REPLACE THE CLUSTER NEXT WEEK. *JB