NHTSA Complaint #10560845 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

ON 12/30/13, OWNER STARTED DURANGO AND HEARD LOUD POP FROM ENGINE FOLLOWED BY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. OWNER DROVE DURANGO TO REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE HAS SERVICED ALL HIS VEHICLES SINCE MOVING TO AREA 11 YEARS AGO. SHOP MANAGER INSPECTED VEHICLE, NOTED CHECK-ENGINE STILL ON AND RECOMMENDED ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC. ON 12/31/13, SHOP CALLED OWNER STATING THAT ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC DID NOT IDENTIFY CAUSE FOR CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT OTHER THAN ISSUE WITH CYLINDER #4. SHOP RECOMMENDED AN INDUCTION SERVICE TO FLUSH CARBON BUILDUP FROM THE ENGINE. SHOP MANAGER CALLED LATER, STATING THAT AFTER ENGINE FLUSH AND DURING TEST DRIVE, THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE BLEW WITH HOLES IN BOTH SIDES. ESTIMATE COST FOR REBUILT ENGINE AND INSTALLATION IS $8500. SHOP POINTED OWNER TO AN EDMUNDS FORUM WHERE OWNERS WERE REPORTING SIMILAR AND IN SOME CASES ALMOST IDENTICAL INSTANCES OF BLOWN ENGINES ON THE DODGE 5.7 HEMI ENGINE FOR MODEL YEAR 2004. OWNER RESEARCHED AND FOUND 100S OF INSTANCES WHERE THE DODGE 5.7 HEMI ENGINE BLEW BETWEEN 70K AND 110K FOR MODEL YEARS 2004 & 2005 UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS (LOW SPEEDS, LITTLE TO NO WARNING PRIOR TO FAILURE, POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION WITH HEAVY RAINS). THREE INSTANCES INVOLVED HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ONE DOWNHILL AND TWO WHICH NEARLY RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS IN TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ON 1/8/14, OWNER CALLED CHRYSLER AT 1-800-247-9753 AND SPOKE WITH AGENT FOR HELP IN COVERING COST TO REPLACE ENGINE. OWNER STATED HIS RESEARCH AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN OBVIOUS DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AS EVIDENT BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF BLOWN ENGINES. OWNER EXPRESSED LOYALTY VIA OWNERSHIP OF 1984 RAMPAGE ([XXX]), 1998 GRAND CARAVAN ([XXX]), AND 2004 DURANGO ([XXX]). CHRYSLER AGENT STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE THE 8YR/70K MILE WARRANTY, THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY COMPENSATION OF HELP IN COVERING THE COST OF THE ENGINE AND INSTALLATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR