NHTSA Complaint #10486166 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED 5.7L HEMI 4X4 MY VEHICLE WAS ALREADY RUNNING FOR APPROX 3-5 MINUTES, WARMING UP, AFTER I HAD FINISHED WORKING A FULL 12-HOUR NIGHT SHIFT. TIME IS 0640 HRS, OUTSIDE TEMP IS APPROX 30 DEGREES. VEHICLE RUNNING NORMAL, NO ALARMS, NO WARNING INDICATORS. I WAS PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY OF MY EMPLOYMENT ONTO THE ROADWAY AND ACCELERATING ON A COMPLETELY STRAIGHT ROADWAY. AS VEHICLE WAS PASSING 20-25MPH AND WITH NO FORE-WARNING, HEARD LOUD 'BANG' FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING. VEHICLE'S REACTION WAS IMMEDIATE. VIOLENT VIBRATIONS, TAPPINGS AND METAL TO METAL SOUNDS, I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND DRIFTED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN PUSHED OR WORKED HARD. NEVER HAULED HEAVY LOADS OR TRAILORED. BODY IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PERFORMED ON REGULAR BASIS (APPROX 1000 MILES INTO CURRENT OIL CHANGE). AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD THROWN THE SERPENTINE BELT, BUT WITHIN SECONDS I KNEW IT WAS MUCH WORSE, SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. TWO CHECKS OF THE OIL LEVEL, ASSURED ME THAT THERE WAS IN FACT OIL IN THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL LEAKS FOUND AND THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OIL/COOLANT MIXING. AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE, TO MY MECHANIC, THEY HAVE SINCE REPORTED WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE AS A "CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF THE ENGINE". I HAVE REPORTED THIS FAILURE TO CHRYSLER CORP. AND THEY HAVE OPENED A CASE NUMBER FOR ME, BUT THEY HAVE NOT MADE ANY COMMITMENT, IF THEY WILL COVER THE FAILURE. AFTER SOME OF MY OWN INVESTIGATING, I HAVE DISCOVERED THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, OF THE EXACT SAME NATURE AS MY FAILURE, WITH THIS IDENTICAL MAKE/MODEL YEAR AND 5.7L HEMI ENGINE, WITH MANY FAILURES OCCURRING IN THE 80-120K MILE RANGE (MY MILEAGE 97K). VERY ANGRY AND UPSET ABOUT THIS FAILURE, BUT THANKFUL I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT AND INJURY. *TR