NHTSA Complaint #10349468 — 1999 DODGE DURANGO

1999 DODGE DURANGO - ENGINE STALLS DURING DRIVING, RELATES TO COMPUTER OVERHEATING. I HAD THE COMPUTER REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNS. VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP OR TURN D/T POWER LOSS. LAST OCCURRED IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE WHILE TURNING. COMPUTER RETURNS NO CODES BUT ODOMETER DISPLAYS NO BUS. ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS WAY TOO HOT FOR THIS COMPONENT SO I DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING TO WORK EXCEPT RE-ROUTING THE WIRING AND MOUNTING THE COMPUTER OUTSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE TRIED IMPROVED AIR FLOW AND INSULATION BUT IT SIMPLY GETS TOO HOT. I CANNOT STRESS THE LEVEL OF RISK THIS PROBLEM PRESENTS. HAD THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS PULLING A TRAILER OVER ONE OF MY USUAL CAMPING ROUTES I WOULD NOT BE REPORTING THIS NOR WOULD ANYONE ELSE IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE LOSING THE ENGINE ON A CANYON EDGE WOULD MAKE THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP. I REFUSE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED EVEN ON QUICK TRIPS ON SLOW FLAT ROADS. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 5 TIMES NOW AND IS PREDICTABLE. HOT WEATHER, 5-15 MINUTES OF DRIVING, ALL COMPONENTS HOT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, LET IT ALL COOL DOWN AND VEHICLE CAN RE-START. ODOMETER BLINKS 4 TIMES AND RETURNS NO BUS FAULT. COMPUTER WILL NOT RETURN A CODE AND SO IS NOT COVERED UNDER ITS WARRANTY FOR REPLACEMENT. THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF IF BUT WHEN A CLASS 1 MISHAP WILL OCCUR. *TR