NHTSA Complaint #11090520 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I PURCHASED MY '04 DURANGO IN 2014 WITH 70,000 MILES ON IT AND JUST PAID IT OFF LAST MONTH. I HAVEN'T EVEN RECEIVED THE TITLE YET BUT YET I HAVE A TRUCK THAT DOESN'T RUN ANYMORE. ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO I WENT OUT TO START MY TRUCK AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK VERY LOUDLY. WE HAD A SMALL RAIN/SNOW EVENT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE TRUCK HAD BEEN SITTING OUTSIDE IN THE ELEMENTS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND WENT BACK INSIDE TO MAKE SOME CALLS AND GET ON THE INTERNET. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS TRUCK CONCERNING WATER LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO HYDROLOCK THE ENGINE CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE/ ENGINE REPLACEMENT. PRIOR TO THIS, I HAD ISSUES WITH THE TRUCK CONCERNING IDLING AND/OR STALLING DURING THE RAIN OR WHEN GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH. I READ SO MANY COMMENTS FROM FELLOW VEHICLE OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THERE IS NO OTHER FIX. THE ESTIMATED FIX FOR THIS IS A NEW/USED ENGINE COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS (I WAS QUOTED 7000, I ONLY PAID 10,000 FOR THE TRUCK WHEN I BOUGHT IT). I HAD A MECHANIC COME LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID THE TRUCK DROPPED A VALVE, IT WAS CYLINDER #3. MY ENGINE HAS JUST OVER 113,000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO REASON I SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE AN ENGINE AT THIS MILEAGE. NONE WHATSOEVER. DELVING INTO THE ISSUE IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A REPLACEMENT PART (COWL FITTING) THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THAT DODGE/CHRYSLER NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND IT WAS CAUSING ITS ENGINES TO BLOW RODS AND SUFFER IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THIS I WOULD NEVER EVER HAVE BOUGHT IT ESPECIALLY FROM A COMPANY THAT DOESN'T CORRECT THEIR MISTAKES EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW ABOUT THEM. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A DODGE BEFORE AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AGAIN OR RECOMMEND THEM TO OTHERS. THEY SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT