NHTSA Complaint #10532247 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I AM ADDING MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO SLT 5.7 HEMI TO THE GROWING LIST OF THOSE WITH BLOWN ENGINES. LIKE MANY ON THIS SITE MINE WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF WITH MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT REGULAR INTERVALS. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW AND WAS THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR NINE YEARS. BESIDES THE RECALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL PANEL, THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAD WITH IT WAS DECREASED RELIABILITY OF THE AIR CONDITIONER AND THE ENGINE STALLING IN THE RAIN. THE FIRST TIME THE ENGINE IDLED POORLY IN THE RAIN WAS AROUND 2009. IT SEEMED TO BE INTERMITTENT AND ANYONE I SPOKE TO ABOUT IT SAID THAT WATER COULD NOT GET IN THE ENGINE AND IT CHECKED OUT FINE. I TRULY ENJOYED DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND PLANNED TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT FELL APART, WHICH CAME SOONER THAN EXPECTED. I DROVE FROM FLORIDA TO OHIO AND BACK DEC 2012 AND HAD NO ISSUES AT ALL. ON JULY 12, 2013 I DROVE TO WORK AND HOME WITH A PERFECTLY PERFORMING DURANGO. ON JULY 13, 2013 IT RAINED HEAVILY FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND I STAYED HOME ALL DAY. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I WENT OUT TO GO TO WORK IT WOULD NOT START. WHEN I TRIED TO START IT ONLY CLICKED AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF RESEARCH, A NEW BATTERY, STARTER, AND IGNITION FUSE, WE FINALLY TURNED THE ENGINE MANUALLY TO GET IT STARTED. THAT'S WHEN THE KNOCKING ENGINE WAS REVEALED. THE WATER ENTERING THE ENGINE DURING THE HEAVY RAIN CAUSED THE ENGINE TO HYDRA LOCK AND THAT IS WHY IT WOULD NOT START. I AM TRULY AMAZED AFTER MY RESEARCH ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF OTHER 2004 DURANGOS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THAT CLEARLY PROVES THAT THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE YEAR MODEL. THE OLDER MODELS LAST FOR 200,000 TO 300,000 MILES. MY HUSBAND HAS A RAM TRUCK WITH 175,000 MILES AND STILL RUNS FINE. I WOULD TRULY HOPE THE COMPANY WOULD RECOGNIZE THIS AND OFFER SOME TYPE OF REIMBURSEMENT TO THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED ME MUCH EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL STRAIN. *TR