NHTSA Complaint #10558019 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS MY WIFE AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED OUR 2004 DODGE DURANGO STALLING AS WE MADE LOW SPEED TURNS. FORTUNATELY NEITHER OF US ENDED UP GETTING IN TO AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED EACH TIME. I TOLD MY WIFE I'D HAVE THE SERVICE SHOP HAVE A LOOK AT IT WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR ITS NEEDED OIL CHANGE NEXT WEEK. ON THE MORNING OF 12/30/13, I WENT OUT TO START MY DURANGO TO LET IT WARM UP SOME BEFORE I LEFT. WHEN I TURNED THE KEY THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD CLANGING SOUND (LIKE SOMEONE PUT A FORK IN A GARBAGE DISPOSAL AND JAMMED IT) AND THEN STOPPED. IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER AT ALL AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. I HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOW IT TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO CALLED ME TO TELL ME THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST SAID IT WAS THE STARTER AND STARTER RELAY. THEY PUT THE NEW PARTS ON TODAY (12/31/13) AND THEN CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT IT WASN'T THE STARTER AND THAT THE MOTOR HAS SEIZED UP. THE SERVICE TECH SAID HE WOULD LOOK IN TO ESTIMATES FOR A RE-MANUFACTURED MOTOR AND A NEW MOTOR . KNOWING HOW MUCH I HAVE BABIED OUR DURANGO (FULL SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGES ON A REGULAR BASIS, OTHER SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND ALL RECORDS TO SHOW), I WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS..BOY OH BOY HAS IT!! APPARENTLY THE COWL DOES NOT LET WATER FLOW AWAY FROM THE ENGINE PROPERLY AND AS THE MOTOR AGES THE INTAKE GASKETS FLATTEN AND ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE INTAKE, CAUSING PROBLEMS TO THE CYLINDERS AND SEIZING THE MOTOR. I REALIZED THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR DURANGO. ON 12/29/13 WE HAD VERY HEAVY RAIN IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION AND THE DURANGO SAT IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE ALL DAY/NIGHT AS NEITHER ONE OF US DROVE IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I LIKE MANY OTHERS AM VERY MAD THAT DODGE/CHRYSLER HAS NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY. NOT ONLY ARE WE FACING EXPENSES BECAUSE OF SOME SERIOUS MEDICAL ISSUES RIGHT NOW, WE NOW HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW MOTOR WHEN THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED YEARS AGO. *TR