NHTSA Complaint #10248049 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I HAVE FOUND THAT MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY THE ALARM AT THE MOMENT, FAILS PERIODICALLY. THE CAR HAS SHUT DOWN WHILE RUNNING BEFORE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. NOW THE ALARM IS MALFUNCTIONING IN THAT IT GOES OFF BY ITSELF THE KEY WON'T SHUT IT OFF, AND TURNING THE ENGINE DOESN'T STOP IT EITHER. FURTHER, THE CAR IS MANUFACTURED WITH A KILL SWITCH IN THE OEM ALARM. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO THIS ON THIS VEHICLE WITH NO SATISFACTION OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. THE FACT THAT THE ALARM/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS OEM AND THAT THE ALARM CAN DISABLE THE ENGINE POSES A PROBLEM. THE CAR RECENTLY FELL OUT OF WARRANTY, ADMITTEDLY, BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE A LETENT DEFECT IN THE ALARM/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAN BE AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING MY WIFE HAD OUR TWO SMALL CHILDREN ABOARD. LUCKILY, SHE WAS ON A SURFACE STREET VICE A HIGHWAY AT SPEED. THE DEALERSHIPS AVOWS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THERE BEING TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSB) OR THE SAFETY HAZARD THIS POSES. THE OEM ALARM PROBLEM HASN'T CAUSED ANY MOVING SAFETY ISSUES FOR ME AS I CAN TELL, BUT SINCE THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF WHILE IN OPERATION PREVIOUSLY, I AM DRAWING A NOVICE CONCLUSION THAT THE TWO PROBLEMS COULD BE RELATED. THE ALARM PROBLEM NOW IS OCCURING DAILY SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. INITIALLY, THE DEALERSHIP INSISTED I BUY A NEW REPROGRAMMED KEY AT OVER $200 TO FIX THE PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT MANUFACTURER TSB IS 0802404. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THE SHUT OFF AND POSSIBLE ALARM PROBLEMS. CHECK WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM OR WWW.DODGETALK.COM TO VERIFY WHAT I AM SAYING AS BEING A LATENT DEFECT. *TR