NHTSA Complaint #10744032 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

MY 2004 DURANGO HAD SAT FOR 2 DAYS IN RAINY WEATHER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THERE WAS A LOUD BANG OR CLUNK. I ATTEMPTED TO START IT AGAIN AND WHEN IT STARTED THERE WAS A LOUD TAPPING NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT OFF. I LOOKED AROUND AND UNDER THE CAR FOUND A PUDDLE OF OIL AS WELL AS 3 PIECES OF IRON ,1WITH A CHRYSLER SYMBOL MOLDED INTO IT. APPARENTLY THE ENGINE HYDRO LOCKED AND THREW A PISTON ROD THROUGH THE BLOCK. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE VERIFIED THIS WAS THE CASE. CHECKING VARIOUS FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 04 DURANGOS WITH 5.7 HEMIS. MANY MANY INCIDENTS SOME WHILE DRIVING WERE REPORTED. WEAK ENGINE COMPONENTS AS WELL AS A POORLY DESIGNED WINDSHIELD COWL HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM, WHICH CHRYSLER HAS DENIED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AT ANY SPEED. I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. DODGE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR A POORLY DESIGNED ENGINE AND COWL. THANK YOU