NHTSA Complaint #10490323 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK SINCE FEB OF THIS YEAR AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE ONLY ISSUE THAT I HAVE HAD IS THAT WHEN IT RAINS OR WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE CAR WASH IT STALLS AND ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO CUT OFF. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE AND TO BRING IN AFTER THE HOLIDAYS AND IT WAS OK TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT. I HAVE KEPT THE MAINTENANCE CURRENT AND JUST RECENTLY GOT AN OIL CHANGE. ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT, I TOOK MY FATHER HOME WHO LIVES ABOUT 30 MILES AWAY FROM ME AND CAME STRAIGHT BACK HOME AND PARKED THE TRUCK. NO ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. LATER THE NEXT NIGHT, I WENT OUT TO START IT TO GO TO THE STORE AND IT WOULD NOT START. IT HAD RAINED EARLIER THAT DAY AND IT WAS COLD SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I NEEDED A JUMP. IT WAS LATE SO I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT GETTING ONE FROM ANYONE. THE NEXT MORNING I GOT UP EARLY TO TRY TO START IT AGAIN AND STILL NOTHING, SO I ASKED MY NEIGHBOR FOR A JUMP. WHEN HE TRIED TO JUMP MY TRUCK IT MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE SO WE STOPPED AND I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SENT TWO OF THEIR MECHANICS OVER TO MY HOUSE TO TRY AND JUMP IT AND THEY WAS SHOCKED BY THE NOISE THEY HEARD. THEY INITIALLY THOUGHT IT MAY BE THE STARTER AND THEY ALSO VERIFIED THAT ALL MY FLUIDS WERE FULL. THEY ENDED UP TOWING MY TRUCK BACK TO THEIR DEALERSHIP AND A FEW HOURS LATER THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME MY ENGINE LOCKED UP....THIS WAS SO DEVASTATING FOR ME TO HEAR BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD BE $3000. I HAVE NOT HAD THE VEHICLE A YEAR YET AND AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO KIDS. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON WITH THE SAME TRUCK THAT I HAVE WITH THE HEMI ENGINE. I TRADED MY BLAZER IN FOR THIS ONE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMETHING RELIABLE AND REALLY LOVE THE TRUCK BUT CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR