NHTSA Complaint #10514666 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH MY VEHICLE, I AM DISGUSTED TO FIND OUT HOW COMMON THEY ARE ON THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. BEING A PARENT OF FOUR CHILDREN, TWO SETS OF TWINS, WHO ARE OF TODDLER AND SCHOOL AGE, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COMPELLED TO MAINTAIN MY DURANGO. NOT TO MENTION BECAUSE IT HAD ALOT OF MILES, I FACTORED INTO MY BUDGET HIGH-MILEAGE MAINTENANCE AS SCHEDULED. SEVERAL TIMES MY DURANGO HAS STALLED OR HESITATED TO START DURING THE RAIN. THE PROBLEM COULD NEVER BE PIN POINTED, BUT READING WHAT I RESEARCHED I NOW UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE INVOLVED MY COWL PANEL. MOVING ON TO THE MOST MAJOR OF MY ADDED STRESS...I JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE COMPLETED 2-3 WKS AGO. I WAS PICKING MY 2YR OLDS UP FROM DAYCARE ON FRIDAY. I PROCEEDED TO THE STOP LIGHT WHICH WAS LESS THAN 200 FEET AWAY WHEN I HEARD THIS LOUD BANGING/KNOCKING NOISE OUT OF NOWHERE!! I WAS HORRIFIED SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT MY CAR OFF. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A TRAIL OF OIL ON THE GROUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. I THEN CALLED MY HUSBAND TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD JUST OCCURRED, A FAMILY MEMBER FOR AN ALTERNATE RIDE, AND A TOWING COMPANY. AFTER HAVING THE SHOP THAT PERFORMED THE OIL CHANGE TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THERE WAS NOW A HOLE IN MY ENGINE FROM A ROD BEING THROWN. I WAS EMOTIONALLY DISTRAUGHT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN ME OUT OF THE BLUE. NOT ONLY BECAUSE I AM NOT SITTING ON THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO SPEND ON A NEW ENGINE, BUT BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED ON AN EXTREMELY WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE...HOW?? I AM NOW HAVING TO PAY FOR A RENTAL EVERY WEEK. I TRULY BELIEVE SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO CORRECT SUCH A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLES. IF MORE THAN ONE PERSON HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MANUFACTURE, NOT THE DRIVERS. I FEEL THAT THESE ENGINES SHOULD BE REPLACED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE DEALER/MANUFACTURE. *TR