NHTSA Complaint #10397710 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I WENT OUT TO START MY VEHICLE, ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 28, TO LET IT WARM UP, AND WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR, IT MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE SO I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CAR OFF. MY HUSBAND CAME OUT AND POPPED THE HOOD TO SEE IF WHAT WAS MAKING THE NOISE, WAS VISIBLE. IT WASN'T. WE CALLED A MECHANIC AND HE CAME TO OUR HOUSE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND AFTER HE TRIED TO START IT, HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED IT OFF TOO. HE TOLD US HE REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOTOR AND THAT IT HAD THROWN A ROD. HE TOLD US NOT TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE, WHICH I WOULDN'T HAVE ANYWAY, CONSIDERING THE NOISE IT WAS MAKING! WE CALLED A WRECKER AND HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC. HE CALLED US TO TELL US IT DEFINITELY WAS THE MOTOR. WE HAVE TO GET A NEW MOTOR WHICH IS GOING TO COST US SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $4-5,000! WE DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY!!!! FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL WEBSITES, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A 2004 DURANGO WITH A 5.7 HEMI. WE CONTACTED THE DODGE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THE LITERALLY WENT ALL AROUND THE SUBJECT OF HOW MANY TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND IF THERE WAS SOMETHING CHRYSLER COULD DO TO HELP! THEY WANT $6,000 JUST FOR A MOTOR! THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE LABOR! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! I CONTACTED ONE PLACE CHECKING ON A REPLACEMENT ENGINE AND THE GENTLEMAN SAID "YOU'RE LUCKY, MOST PEOPLE WITH THAT YEAR DURANGO, HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THEIR MOTORS 2-3 TIMES!" LUCKY, ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHO COULD AFFORD TO DO THAT 2-3 TIMES??? SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS! CHRYSLER NEEDS TO STEP UP AND BACK THEIR NAME UP BY TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE. *TR