NHTSA Complaint #10235768 — 2002 DODGE DURANGO

I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE NEW IN JAN 2003. I FIRST EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM A FEW MONTHS LATER BUT IT WAS VERY OCCASIONAL AND CONSEQUENTLY COULDN'T BE IDENTIFIED BY THE DEALER. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT (USUALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED), THE ENGINE WOULD VERY BRIEFLY SHUT OFF AND THEN RESUME NORMALLY. THE BEST WAY I COULD DESCRIBE IT WOULD BE A SLIGHT 'STAGGER'. OVER THE YEARS THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AND NOW OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS IN ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS REGARDLESS OF LOAD, TEMPERATURE, WEATHER, ETC. IT NOW OCCURS AT LEAST DAILY AND SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES IN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE. OFTEN THE ENGINE WILL DIE COMPLETELY AND NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED USING THE KEY. TODAY, THE ENGINE DIED (COMPLETELY) AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND ATTEMPTING TO MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT DIED (COMPLETELY) AGAIN AS I WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH ON CITY STREETS UNDER LIGHT LOAD. IT DIED AGAIN (COMPLETELY) AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT OF A BUSINESS. DURING MY COMMUTE TO WORK IT 'STAGGERED' AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT THREE SEPARATE TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHILE UNDER MODERATE LOAD. SUFFICE TO SAY THIS IS QUITE DANGEROUS AS THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES BECOME SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DIFFICULT TO USE FOLLOWING LOSS OF POWER. *TR