NHTSA Complaint #10445022 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

WE PURCHASED OUR CAR NEW IN MAY 04. WE HAVE HAD NO MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. LAST WEEK I GOT IN THE CAR AND TRIED TO START IT AND IT MADE THIS LOUD NOISE LIKE ROCKS OR MARBLES IN THE ENGINE. THEN IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS TO START, THE ENGINE STARTED BUT HAS A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE CAR RAN FINE 2 DAYS BEFORE THE FAILURE. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE CAMSHAFT AND PISTONS NEED TO BE REPLACED. BUT HAVEN'T REALLY TORN THE ENGINE APART TO DIAGNOSE EVERYTHING. TOTAL COST TO REBUILD THE BOTTOM HALF ONLY IS $5,000.00. THE SERVICE GUY TOLD ME IT WAS ONE OF THE CLEANEST ENGINES HE HAS SEEN TOO. I TOLD THEM THAT WAS TOO MUCH AND THEY WENT DOWN TO $4,100.00. BUT WE FOUND ANOTHER LICENSED SHOP TO REBUILD FOR LESS. THE SHOP DOING THE WORK HAS 3 OTHER DURANGOS AT HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS ENGINE SHOULD HAVE LASTED A LOT LONGER THAN 90,900 MILES. I CHECKED EDMUNDS.COM AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY SOLD OVER A MILLION AND A HALF OF THESE VEHICLES AND THIS IS A FLUKE THAT IT HAPPENED TO A FEW OF THEM. *TR