NHTSA Complaint #10377958 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

AFTER NOTHING BUT NORMAL DRIVING EXPERIENCES, UPON ATTEMPTING TO START MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO WITH A 5.7 L HEMI V8, THERE WAS A LARGE WRENCHING SOUND AND THE SUBSEQUENT BANGING IN THE TIMING OF THE ENGINE. THE LAST TIME I DROVE THE CAR IT WAS FINE AND ACTUALLY AVERAGED 20 MPG AS PER USUAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE DODGE SERVICE TECHNICIAN LATER INFORMED ME THAT A VALVE LIFTER, ROCKER ARM, AND PISTON HAD ALL GONE AND THE VEHICLE REQUIRES A NEW MOTOR. SINCE I ONLY HAVE 116,000 MILES ON IT AND SERVICE IT REGULARLY, I FIND THIS TO BE A DEFECT. THIS FEELING IS ALSO JUSTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT I CAN EASILY FIND OVER 100 POSTINGS ON VEHICLE FORUMS RELATED TO ENGINE FAILURE AT START-UP, IDLE OR LOW SPEEDS, ALL WITH SIMILAR OUTCOMES TO MINE. THERE WAS NO RECOURSE OFFERED BY THE DEALER, WHO INSTEAD OFFERED ME AN OPTION OF A $6500 REBUILD OR $450 FOR THE CAR AS-IS AND WERE TOO EAGER TO GET ME INTO THEIR SHOWROOM. *TR