NHTSA Complaint #10908192 — 2011 DODGE DURANGO

LOST TOTAL BATTERY POWER TO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. IT STARTED WITH A BURING METAL SMELL COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR. DROVE VEHICLE 5 MILES ON A STATE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH WHEN THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. DROVE ANOTHER 10 MILES ON THE SAME ROAD AND SPEED, AND RADIO SHUT OFF, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE TURNING ON AND OFF, POWER WINDOWS GOING UP AND DOWN ON THIER OWN, DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON AND OFF UNTIL FINALLY LOSING POWER STEERING AND THEN VEHICLE COMPLETELY DIED. LUCKILY I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND HAD A PARKING LOT TO COAST INTO AFTER TOTAL POWER FAILURE. TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND DETERMINED THE ALTERNATOR WENT BAD, WHICH CAUSED A SHORT TO THE BATTERY CAUSING THE BATTERY TO BECOME COMPLETELY DEAD AND DAMAGED, WHILE BLOWING THE FUSE PANEL. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DURANGOS THIS AGE WITH SIMILAR MILEAGE.