NHTSA Complaint #10794603 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

2004 DURANGO 5.7 EVERY TIME WE HAVE A HARD RAIN THE MOTOR STALLS OR RUNS EXTREMELY ROUGH AND WE HAVE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TRAVEL FOR WORK, AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY WIFE THAT THE DURANGO WOULD NO CRANK OVER BUT WAS NOT CAUSED BY BATTERY ISSUE AS IT HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED. HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID MOTOR WAS LOCKED UP (HAD RAINED THE NIGHT BEFORE). LET IT SIT UNTIL I GOT HOME AND IT STARTED UP WITH A LITTLE KICK BACK AGAINST STARTER. LET IT WARM UP AND WENT AND HAD THE BATTERY AND STARTER CHECKED, BOTH WERE WITHIN SPECIFICATION FOR VOLTAGE AND AMP DRAW. DROVE ON COUNTY HWY WITH 45 MILE SPEED LIMIT APPROX. THREE MILES TO THE BANK. LEAVING THE BANK MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO MAIN STREET AND THE MOTOR WENT THUMP, CLUNK, BANG AND DIED. COASTED OFF ROAD AND LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE THINKING WE HAD THROWN A BELT OR HIT SOMETHING. SAW OIL DRIPPING FROM PASSENGER SIDE OF MOTOR AND FOUND A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN WITH PART OF THE CONNECTING ROD STICKING THROUGH IT. I USED TO BE A MECHANIC SO I KNOW WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THE RAIN GUTTER CHANNELS WATER ONTO THE TOP OF THE MOTOR WHERE THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED ALLOWING WATER INTO THE MOTOR, THIS WATER CAN BECOME TRAPPED IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND BE PULLED INTO THE MOTOR WHILE IT IS RUNNING AND YOU ARE MAKING A TURN. TALKED TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER, THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM BUT KINDLY TOLD ME $8000 TO REPLACE MY MOTOR. TALKED TO THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON AN UPDATED RAIN GUTTER, EVEN THOUGH THERE APPEARS TO BE A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN SAYS TO ME THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM AS EVERY THING I HAVE READ SAYS IT IS QUITE COMMON