NHTSA Complaint #10356687 — 2006 DODGE DURANGO

THE VEHICLE STARTED OUT BY SHIFTING ON ITS OWN WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE STOPPED. THEN IT BEGAN SHIFTING ON ITS OWN EVEN WHEN IT WAS TURNED OFF. IT WOULD SHIFT INTO 4 LO OR 4 HIGH TOTALLY ON ITS OWN WHEN STOPPED. THEN FROM THERE IT STARTED SHIFTING INTO 4 LO OR HIGH WHILE DRIVING AND IT WOULD SOUND LIKE SOMEBODY HAD HIT THE VEHICLE FROM BEHIND AND IT WOULD SHOVE THE VEHICLE FORWARD AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN HIT BUT ALL BECAUSE IT WAS SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. I TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT IT WOULD NOT REPEAT ITSELF WHILE HE HAD IT AND HE HAD NOT HEARD OF SUCH A THING BEFORE, SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT. SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT REVERSE WITHOUT GIVING IT A LOT OF GAS AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT TURN WHEN I NEEDED IT TO, PERHAPS BECAUSE IT WAS IN 4LO OR HI. AND OCCASIONALLY IT WOULD JUMP FORWARD WITH NO WARNING OR CONTROL MAKING SCREECHING SOUNDS FROM THE TIRES. THEN ONE DAY I WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC AND IT SHIFTED ITSELF INTO 4 LO AND THRUSTED THE CAR FORWARD SEVERAL FEET AND LUCKILY I WAS FAR ENOUGH BACK FROM THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME THAT I DIDN'T HIT IT. HOWEVER AT THAT POINT IT WOULD BARELY DRIVE SO I SLOWLY GOT IT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 4 LO THE ENTIRE DAY, SO I HAD TO EVENTUALLY HAVE IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. BY THE TIME IT GOT THERE IT DROVE FINE AGAIN AND HE COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BUT WHILE PARKED IN HIS LOT, IT BEGAN TO CHANGE GEARS, ON ITS OWN, AND WHILE TURNED OFF. HE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS OF 2006 DODGE DURANGOS HAD REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND HE CALLED TO LET US KNOW THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT HE COULD NOT REPAIR IT AND TO FILE A REPORT ON IT AND THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HE SAID IT WAS SHIFTING ITSELF INTO OTHER GEARS WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS OFF OR ON AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEFT IT IN PARK AS IT COULD PUT ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND STILL ROLL EVEN WHILE OFF. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO HELP AT THIS TIME. THIS IS MY ONLY WAY TO WORK AT THIS TIME. *TR