NHTSA Complaint #10316449 — 2001 DODGE DURANGO

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE TOYOTA THROTTLE CONTROL PROBLEM OWNER OF A 2001 DODGE DURANGO SLT EXPERIENCE SIMILAR PROBLEM. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED A SERIES OF UN-COMMANDED RPM SURGES WHILE IN AND OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL. THE SURGE WOULD BE AS MUCH AS 800 RPM AND ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT MORE THAN ONCE. IT TOOK THE DEALER FIVE SERVICE CALLS TO FINALLY DISCOVER THE PROBLEM. THE DISCOVERY HAPPENED ONLY AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON LONG ENOUGH FOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO DOWNLOAD AN ERROR CODE FROM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM). THE SURGE WAS CAUSED BY A FAILING AND/OR FAILED THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS). THE TPS RECENTLY FAILED AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THE SURGES DID NOT EXCEED 300 RPM BEFORE THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. AS IN THE INITIAL FAILURE, AND EVEN THOUGH THE TPS WAS SUSPECT, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PCM WAS NOT PROGRAMMED TO DETECT A FAILING TPS. AS A RESULT, THE PCM CONTINUED TO REACT TO SPURIOUS SIGNALS FROM THE TPS, RESULTING IN UN-COMMANDED RPM INCREASE WHICH CONTINUED UNTIL A HARD FAILURE OF THE TPS WAS DETECTED. *JB