NHTSA Complaint #10257521 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

RECENTLY OUR DURANGO BEGAN MAKING A LOUD TICKING NOISE AT INITIAL START UP OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH WOULD DECREASE AND ULTIMATELY GO AWAY AS THE CAR WARMED UP. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY LOCAL SERVICE SHOP (NOT DODGE) TO HAVE OTHER WORK PERFORMED AND ASKED THEM TO TRY AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE SAID THAT THE BACK TWO BOLTS CONNECT THE MANIFOLD TO THE BLOCK OF THE ENGINE AND THE HEADS OF THE BOLTS THAT SECURE THE HEAT SHIELD WERE BROKEN. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE DEALER BECAUSE IT LOOKED AS IF THE HEADS OF THE BOLTS AND THE BOLTS THEMSELVES HAD JUST BROKEN OFF, PROBABLY DUE TO HEAT FROM THE ENGINE. MY VEHICLE HAS 68,000 MILES SO I CALLED TO SEE IF IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE 70,000 MILE WARRANTY. WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE CAR, THEY TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE HAD TO HAVE BROKEN THE BOLTS OFF, BECAUSE THAT JUST WOULDN'T OCCUR. I TOLD THEM THAT THE ENGINE HAD NEVER BEEN WORKED ON OTHER THAT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT BECAUSE I HAVE NOT USED THEM FOR OTHER SERVICE, SO THEY DID NOT KNOW IF THE BOLTS HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF BY SOMEONE ELSE. I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS AND THEY STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE SAME TWO BOLTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND IS CAUSING THE SAME NOISE. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THIS, THEY STUCK TO THEIR INITIAL RESPONSE THAT SOMEONE IN THE PAST HAS BROKEN THE BOLTS, EVEN THOUGH I STRESSED AGAIN THAT NO OTHER WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THE ENGINE OR EXHAUST. WHEN ASKED TO HAVE THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP GIVE ME A CALL CONCERNING THE ISSUE, THE CALL WAS NEVER RETURNED. SO, I GUESS I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE REPAIRS MADE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE BOLTS THAT WERE USED TO SECURE THE MANIFOLD AND THE HEAT SHIELD. *TR