NHTSA Complaint #10345151 — 2001 DODGE DURANGO

SINCE 2007, HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH OVERHEATING. ONE TIME TO THE POINT IT WARPED BOTH HEADS AND HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE REBUILT. HAVE REPLACED WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT (3 TIMES), CLUTCH FAN. WHEN THE HEADS WARPED, THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE SHEARED APART AND I SAW NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER WENT ABOVE HALF-WAY. PERSONALLY I THINK IT'S JUST A BAD DESIGN. THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE CONTAINS THE RADIATOR CAP, AND IT'S STILL NOT THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE "CLOSED" SYSTEM, THUSLY THERE IS ALWAYS AIR WHICH NEVER PURGES INTO THE OVERFLOW TANK. EVERYTIME I CHECK RADIATOR FLUID THEIR IS NONE IN THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE. THE FLUID HAS TO BE GOING SOMEWHERE, ALTHOUGH I NEVER SEE ANY UNDER THE VEHICLE. I HAVE READ IN INTERNET FORUMS OF MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. IT'S NOT YEAR SPECIFIC, NOR IS IT ENGINE MODEL SPECIFIC. THERE IS AN UNDERLYING ISSUE THAT DODGE ISN'T ADDRESSING, OR HAS KEPT FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO AVOID HAVING TO REPLACE 500,000 ENGINES. I LOVE MY VEHICLE. I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVES AS WELL AS IT'S APPEARANCE. THIS IS QUITE AN ANNOYANCE. IT HAS DEPLETED WHAT LITTLE SAVINGS MY FAMILY HAS TO INSURE THAT OUR DAILY-DRIVER OF A VEHICLE WILL BE GETTING US FROM POINT A TO POINT B. WE HAVE REFRAINED FROM TAKING THIS VEHICLE ON ANY TYPE OF TRIP OUTSIDE OUR METRO AREA FOR THIS REASON ALONE. *TR