NHTSA Complaint #10749392 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I HAVE BEEN BATTLING WITH MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO 5.7L HEMI FOR YEARS NOW. EVERY TIME IT WOULD RAIN HEAVY, MY VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO DIE. IT WOULD GET VERY JUMPY, AND I FELT LIKE I HAD TO FIGHT IT TO KEEP GOING. IF I GOT STOPPED BY A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, IT WAS HORRIBLE. MY ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND SOMETIMES STAY ON FOR A DAY OR TWO. I BROUGHT IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO COULD ONLY FINE A CYLINDER MISFIRE WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ACTUALLY STILL ON. IT SEEMED LIKE IT ALWAYS WENT OFF AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANICS WERE NOT ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING IN ORDER TO VIEW WHAT THE VEHICLE WAS DOING. I HAD NUMEROUS PLUGS CHANGED AND NOTHING HELPED. IT HAS SINCE GOTTEN WORSE, YET NO ONE CAN FIGURE IT OUT. IT NOW HAPPENS IF I TAKE IT TO THE CAR WASH. THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO START IT AFTER IT COMES OUT. THEY HAVE TO TRY A FEW TIMES BEFORE THEY CAN GET IT GOING. I DECIDED TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHERS OUT THERE WITH THIS ISSUE. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND ALL THE INFORMATION I DID AND YET NO MECHANIC CAN FIND A SOLUTION. I CAME TO READ ABOUT THE HYDROLOCK ISSUE ON THIS MODEL. AFTER READING ALL THESE COMPLAINTS BY EVERYONE ELSE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE WOULDN'T BE A RECALL ON THIS! I HAVE LIVED WITH THIS ISSUE FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS DREADING EVERY TIME IT RAINS HEAVY. IT MAKES ME PANICKED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN ANY RAIN KNOWING THE OUTCOME OF ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT DODGE JUST LET THIS GO ON, ESPECIALLY AFTER ALL THE COMPLAINTS. I HAVE 190,000 MILES ON IT NOW, IT IS FULL OF RUST (WHICH IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED...I HAVE SEEN SO MANY DURANGOS WITH RUST ON THE BACK DOOR BY THE CHROME ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE. IT STARTS OUT AS BUBBLING AND JUST RUSTS AWAY INTO BIG HOLES), AND THERE IS NO POINT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY DODGE.