NHTSA Complaint #10432643 — 2003 DODGE DURANGO

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON SECONDARY ROADS AT APPROX 30MPH, ENGINE SMOKED, SEIZED, OVER-HEATED, BUCKED AND FAILED. HAD IT TOWED AND MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY NOTICED SLUDGE AROUND TOP OF SOME GASKET. BEFORE FURTHER INSPECTION, HE SAID IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS NOT A GOOD SIGN AT ALL AND MOST LIKELY WOULD NEED NEW ENGINE. I WAS SHOCKED AS THIS TRUCK IS OUR SECONDARY VEHICLE AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN APPROX 20,000 MILES IN 3 YEARS WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER! NO INDICATION WAS GIVEN VIA WARNING LIGHTS OF ANY ISSUES NOR WAS THERE ANY CHANGE IN HOW IT DROVE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO SEIZING. AFTER A DAY, THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED IT NEEDED TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. WE ASSUMED WE WERE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER REPAIR PLACE, WHO ONLY WENT ON TO SAY THE SAME: NEW ENGINE NEEDED! AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ON-LINE IT SEEMS THAT MANY OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THIS, YET THERE IS NO RECOURSE WITH THE MANUFACTURER. WE WERE OWNERS OF A 1999 DODGE DURANGO PRIOR TO THIS AND THAT VEHICLE ALSO NEEDED TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT AFTER 60 DAYS BUT THANKFULLY IT WAS COVERED THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER ANY TYPE OF WARRANTY AND SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, WE FEEL THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER SHOULD RECOGNIZE THIS KNOWN ISSUE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THERE IS REGARDING THIS! NOT ONLY WILL WE BE ABANDONING THIS VEHICLE, AS WE ARE TOLD THAT IF WE REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR APPROX $4000 IT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT WE WILL NEVER, EVER PURCHASE A VEHICLE THROUGH THIS MANUFACTURER AGAIN! SHAME ON DAIMLER/CHRYSLER FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR FAULT! *TR