NHTSA Complaint #10551789 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

ENGINE FAILED SHORTLY (10 SECONDS) AFTER START-UP, MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THEN SEIZING TIGHT. ENGINE COULD NOT BE RE-STARTED AS IT COULD NOT TURN-OVER. ENGINE WAS INSPECTED BEFORE REMOVAL, AND #7 PISTON WAS FOUND TO NOT BE MOVING WHEN THE CRANKSHAFT WAS ROTATED IN REVERSE ROTATION MANUALLY. ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND TORN DOWN FOR INSPECTION. CYLINDER #7 CONNECTING ROD WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN MIDWAY THROUGH THE I-BEAM SECTION, AND THE REMAINING PARTS OF THE CONNECTING ROD SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BEING BENT OR BUCKED PREVIOUS TO THE FAILURE BY ONE OR MORE HYDROLOCK EVENTS. ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN IN THE THROTTLE BODY TO INDUCTION RESONATOR JOINT THAT ALLOWS WINDSHIELD WATER RUNOFF TO BE DRAWN INTO THE ENGINES INDUCTION SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED ROUGH RUNNING IN HEAVY RAIN CONDITIONS, WHICH WAS THOUGHT TO BE IGNITION RELATED PER A CHRYSLER TSB DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COWL DESIGN THAT ALLOWS RAIN WATER TO DEPOSIT DIRECTLY ON THE IGNITION COILS, AND THROTTLE BODY, IN LARGE VOLUMES. CHRYSLER RE-DESIGNED THE COWL PIECE BUT DID NOT MANDATE ITS REPLACEMENT. *TR