NHTSA Complaint #10437396 — 2005 DODGE DURANGO

ON NOV 11, I USED MY 2005 DURANGO LTD, 5.7 HEMI FOR ERRANDS. IT IS VERY LIGHTLY USED. I PARKED IT IN MY DRIVEWAY AND ON NOV 17 I WENT TO LOAD IT FOR A TRIP. I FOUND IT FILLED WITH AN ACRID SMOKE. I AIR'D IT OUT AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE CAUSE OF THE SMELL AND SMOKE. THE NEXT MORNING WE FOUND THAT THE MAIN WIRING BLOCK LOCATED IN THE DRIVERS SIDE KICK PANEL HAD MELTED DOWN, VERY MANY WIRES HAD MELTED AND THE COVER HAD MELTED TO THE PANEL AND CARPET. I CALLED DODGE THAT DAY, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE THE CASE MGR CALL ME BY THE NEXT EVENING. BUT OF COURSE THAT WAS ACTUALLY BUSINESS DAYS SO MONDAY EVENING THEY CALLED ME TO VERIFY MY ADDRESS? I ASKED IF THIS WAS THE CASE MGR AND SHE SAID YES AND WAS CALLING TO VERIFY MY ADDRESS. OF COURSE I TOLD HER WE GAVE THE ADDRESS ON FRIDAY AND IT IS THE SAME AS WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND ON ALL OF MY RECORDS. SHE SAID SHE WOULD HAVE AN INSPECTOR CALL ME. HE CALLED ON THE 23RD AND INSPECTED IT ON SATURDAY 11/26/2011. HE TOOK ALOT OF PICTURES AND SAID WOULD FILE THE REPORT THE NEXT WEEK BUT HAD NO CONTROL WHEN DODGE WOULD CALL ME BACK OR IF DODGE WOULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, WITH LOW MILES AND A DOCUMENTED SERVICE HISTORY. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT WAS HELD AT THE FIRST DEALER I BROUGHT IT TO DUE TO THE CHECK VALVE RECALL. IT IS IN THE GAS TANK AND WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND CAUSING GAS TO FLY BACK OUT WHEN FILLING THE TANK. IT HAS BEEN DOING IT AGAIN LATELY FOR ABOUT THE LAST MONTH. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE DASH PANEL WHICH HAD CAUSED FIRES. I TOLD HIM I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF EVER GETTING THAT WORK DONE, UNLESS IT WAS BEFORE I BOUGHT IT OR THEY DID NOT TELL ME OF THE REPAIR WHEN IT WAS DONE. HE SAID GOOD I HAD ALL OF THE WINDOWS SHUT OR IT MAY HAVE IGNITED (AND BURNED MY HOUSE DOWN WITH US IN IT). NOW I HAVE A $35000 6 YR OLD, GREAT LOOKING BOAT ANCHOR! *TR