NHTSA Complaint #10786224 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

IT WAS A RAINY DAY ON FRIDAY OCT. 2, 2015. THAT MORNING MY VEHICLE STARTED FINE, IT WASN'T UNTIL I CAME OUT OF WORK THAT EVENING WHEN I WENT TO START IT THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD SOUND AND IT WOULDN'T START. I TRIED A FEW TIMES UNTIL SUDDENLY IT TURNED ON AND IT WAS MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE. I THEN CALLED MY MECHANIC AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND HE TOLD ME TO BRING IT TO THE SHOP SO THEY CAN PUT IT ON A LIFT TO TAKE A LOOK UNDERNEATH. AS I DROVE AWAY THE SOUND WAS UNBEARABLE AND THE FASTER I DROVE THE LOUDER IT GOT, SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. IT FELT LIKE THE ENGINE FELL OUT, THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE AND OIL EVERYWHERE. I GOT THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE MY MECHANICS SHOP FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSING WHEN THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE BLEW OUT. THE NEXT DAY I GOT A CALL AFTER THEY TOOK THE ENGINE APART AND TOLD ME THE BLOCK HAD A HOLE BECAUSE THE PISTON BLEW THROUGH IT. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST MORE MONEY TO REBUILD MY ORIGINAL ENGINE THAN BUYING A USED ONE, I OPTED OUT ON THE USED ONE. AS I WAS HOME I WENT ONLINE AND DID SOME RESEARCH WHEN I COME TO FIND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPEN TO THEM WITH THE SAME VEHICLE ON A RAINY DAY OR WHEN THEY TOOK THEIR CAR THROUGH A CAR WASH. SO AS I DID MORE RESEARCH IT TURNS OUT THE WIPER COWL WHICH AT SOME POINT CHRYSLER CAME OUT WITH AN UPGRADE TENDS TO LEAK WATER ON TOP OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH IS ANOTHER BAD DESIGN, THEN SUCKS IN WATER INTO THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY CAUSING IT TO HYDRO LOCK. I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2004 AND NOW I'M DISAPPOINTED THEY NEVER ISSUED A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I JUST PAID OVER $4000 TO REPAIR IT AND GOD KNOWS HOW LONG UNTIL THIS USED ENGINE GOES OUT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH DODGE AND SPOKE TO SOMEONE YESTERDAY FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY . PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER.