2004 DODGE DURANGO Structurebody Problems

I WAS GETTING GAS AND AS I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION I WAS GETTING A LOAD TICKING NOISE. TO FIND OUT LATER MY 5.7 HIMI LIFTER AND CAM SHAFTS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I GET A REGULAR OIL CHANGE AND FILTER CHANGE. I AM NOT SURE WHY THIS IS HAPPENING BUT I DID SEE THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND 5.7 HIMIS DODGE DURANGOS AND NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED. I'M A MOTHER OF 3 LITTLE ONES AND I'M TERRIFIED WE CAN GET STRANDED IF MY ENGINE DECIDES TO GO OUT DUE TO THIS ISSUE.

1. RECALL FAILED TO REPAIR AIR BAG FAILURE. CURRENTLY - AIRBAGS ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL (DASH WARNING LIGHT). 2. AT APPROXIMATELY 72,000 MILES - VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHOW SIGNS OF RUST THROUGH AT BOTH REAR QUARTER PANELS AND BOTH ROCKER PANELS. BY 85000 MILES - COMPLETE BODY RUST THROUGH FAILURE WAS IRREPARABLE - VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAN. 3. AT 100000 MILES - NOTED BY WAY OF MECHANIC THAT THE ENGINE WAS 'SLUDGED UP' TO THE POINT THAT THE VALVE TRAIN WAS STARVED OF LUBRICATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY - THE ENGINE HAS ENCOUNTERED WHAT APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. VALVES, LASH ADJUSTER, PISTON ROD OR BEARINGS MAY ALL BE DESTROYED DIRECTLY DUE TO POOR DESIGN AND LOW QUALITY COMPONENTS FROM FCA. THERE ARE HUNDREDS (THOUSANDS) OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ACROSS MULTIPLE MEDIA REGARDING THIS 'FAMILIAR' DODGE ENGINE BREAKDOWN. FCA - OF COURSE - DENIES CULPABILITY CITING POOR USER MAINTENANCE. I HAVE...

LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL SHOWS RUST TO THE SIDE OF THE FUEL DOOR LID. RUST IS THROUGH PANEL. PAINT AND BODY BUBBLING UP, CONDITION IS CROSSING OVER TO THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AREA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. WHENEVER IT RAINED OR SNOWED, WATER LEAKED INTO THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE HOOD. THE WATER ENTERED THE MOTOR AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL AND THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER WAS LEAKING INTO THE MOTOR AND THE PISTONS, WHICH CAUSED THEM TO FAIL. AS A RESULT, THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

GAS AND BODY ISSUES: WHEN YOU GO TO FILL UP THE GAS SPRAYS OUT. I HAVE A VERT STRONG SMELL OF GAS AND THE LOWER FINDER BY THE WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED BADLY. MOTOR: WHENEVER THERE IS HEAVY RAIN, MY CAR WILL STOP RUNNING. MOST RECENTLY WHEN I TURN ON THE AC OR HEATER THE CAR STALLS. I ALSO JUST RECENTLY HAD TO CHANGE OUT A MANIFOLD WHICH CAUSED ANOTHER SET OF PROBLEMS. I OWNED A DURANGO BEFORE THIS ONE AND LOVED IT. THIS ONE HAS CHANGED MY MIND AND I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER.

COWL SCREEN HAS WATER LEAKING ON THE ENGINE WHEN IT RAINS. IT CAUSED MY TRUCK TO DRIVE SHAKY AND THEN CUT OFF. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. IT STALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF ME DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. WHY ISN'T THERE ANY RECALLS FOR THIS, I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT BUT NOTHING IS GETTING DONE. I GUESS IT WOULD TAKE FOR SOME PEOPLE TO LOSE THEIR LIFE BEHIND THE WHEEL BEFORE IT GET FIXED. I ALWAYS THOUGHT DODGE WAS THE BEST VEHICLE BUT I AM NOW SECOND GUESSING MYSELF AND WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE VEHICLE AGAIN IF THIS PROBLEM ISN'T FIXED. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO BE RIDING WITH YOUR KIDS WHILE ITS RAINING AND TOUR VEHICLE CUTS OFF ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNER.IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS LIVES YOU WILL SERIOUSLY LIKEINTO GETTING THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. UNTIL THEN I...

ROD PIERCED THRU THE BOTTOM OF ENGINE AND LOCKED UP (110K MILES), FAMILY ON BOARD AND HAPPENED WHILE TURNING AT BUSY INTERSECTION.. HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE USED( FOUND ONE WITH 70K, WAITING ON THIS ONE TO DO THE SAME) CONSUMES TONS OF OIL. ELECTRICAL WITHIN DRIVER SEAT AND CD PLAYER ARE FAULTY/BROKEN. RUST ON REAR OUTER WHEEL WELLS. (NOTICED THIS RUST IS APPARENT IN EVERY SAME MODEL MAKE YEAR THAT I RUN ACROSS)

APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS AGO NOTED SEVERE RUST THROUGH BEGINNING ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE ROCKER PANELS AND REAR QUARTER PANELS/WHEEL WELLS. ESTIMATE AT THAT TIME FOR FULL REPAIR WAS OVER $4000 DUE TO EXTENT OF RUST. RUST AFFECTS ROCKER PANELS, DRIVER COMPARTMENT FLOOR AT DOOR ENTRY POINTS AND BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER QUARTER PANELS. DEALERSHIP BODY SHOT PERSONNEL NOTED THAT 'THESE DURANGO'S AND DAKOTAS ALL RUST OUT BAD - AND IT HAPPENS FAST'. VERY TELLING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN FULLY MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND HAS BEEN GARAGED CONTINUALLY. WE DO LIVE IN THE 'RUST-BELT' AREA - BUT WE ARE IN NO WAY PLEASED WITH THE CONDITION OF THIS VEHICLE. TO DATE - THE RUST IS EXPANDING TO MOST LOWER BODY PARTS EXPOSED TO WEATHER AND THE SPEED AT WHICH ITS - LITERALLY - DISINTEGRATING IS RIDICULOUS. THE REPAIR NOW WILL COST NEARLY $6000 AND WE SIMPLY DO NOT FEEL...

BOTH REAR QUARTER PANELS, BOTTOM OF PASSENGER DOORS, AND TAILGATE ROTTING. *TR

THE WHEEL WELL AND BODY SURROUNDING WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED THROUGH, THE DRIVER'S DOOR HAS RUSTED ON DOOR. THE LIFT GATE HAS RUSTED IN MULTIPLE SPOTS MOSTLY ON THE BOTTOM EDGE. THE FUEL TANK OVERFLOWS WHEN PUMPING. *JS

CAR HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT BELOW THE GAS CAP AS WHAT HAS BECOME A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED IN EXCESS OF $4000 TO FIX THIS GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE AND LABOR REQUIRED TO FIX THIS. IT APPEARS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR SINCE I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN 11 EXACT SAME VEHICLES YEARS WITH THE SAME RUST PROBLEM. THIS COUPLED WITH THE SAME RUST ISSUE ARISING ON THE HATCHBACK WHICH WAS SAID DUE TO A FAULTY DRAIN HOLE BEING TAPED OVER BY DEALER/MANUFACTURER WHICH NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE OVERALL VEHICLE BODY IS A PERFECT SHAPE OUTSIDE THE RUST PROBLEMS BELOW THE GAS CAP AND THE RUST THROUGHOUT THE HATCHBACK. GIVEN THE COMMONALITY OF THIS PROBLEM IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

THE FUEL OVERFLOW DOES NOT WORK AND ALLOWS FOR FUEL TO SPILL ALL OVER THE CAR. THIS RESULTS IN LOTS OF FUEL ON THE CAR AND ON THE GROUND. YOU CAN NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC FUEL FILLER ON PUMPS. I HAVE EVEN GOTTEN FUEL AS HIGH UP AS MY FACE WHEN IT SPLASHES OUT. THIS HAS RESULTED IN RUST ON THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND AS WELL AS A VERY UNSAFE FUELING AREA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING AND ON SOME OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO ENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE EXTERIOR BODY AND THE UNDERCARRIAGE EXHIBITED EXTENSIVE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A ROD HAD PENETRATED AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE, WHICH WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER PENETRATED THE WINDSHIELD AREA WHENEVER IT WOULD RAIN. THE WATER WOULD THEN LEAK ONTO THE COWL PANEL AND INTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR REPAIRS AND BOTH THE COWL PANEL AND ENGINE WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 181,000.

AFTER A SNOW STORM AND THE SNOW MELTED, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT, THE STARTER WAS GRINDING. THE ENGINE WAS HYDROLOCKED AND BROKE THE CONNECTING ROD FOR #3 CYLINDER. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION TURNED UP A TECH BULLETIN (NOT MANDATORY RECALL) TO REPLACE COWL AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD DUE TO WATER LEAKAGE ONTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE WHICH CAN CAUSE MISFIRING. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS TECH BULLETIN OR THE POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES OF NOT IMPLEMENTING IT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THE DEFECTIVE COWL COULD CAUSE TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE IN THE TECH BULLETIN. THE MELTING SNOW SEEPED INTO THE #3 CYLINDER, POSSIBLY FROM A FAILED INTAKE MANIFOLD SEAL OR WARPED INTAKE MANIFOLD (YET TO BE DETERMINED), AND CAUSED HYDROLOCK. I FOUND EVIDENCE OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE OIL PAN WHICH LEAKED FROM #3 CYLINDER. I ALSO FOUND WATER UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEAR THE...

THESE VEHICLES HAVE SERIOUS ENGINE PROBLEMS. (HEMI 5.7L) THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH ME AND MY SEVEN CHILDREN INSIDE BECAUSE ETHE DRIVER BEHIND ME DIDN'T SEE THAT MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. IN HEAVY RAINS WATER GETS INSIDE SOMEHOW AND STALLS THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE FINALLY LOCKED UP AFTER TAKING MY TRUCK TO NUMEROUS OF PLACES TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND MECHANICS NEVER SEEN THAT THE ENGINE WAS GOING BAD. LOOKING AT REPORTS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING ENGINE FAILURE AND THIS IS DANGEROUS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURT. *TR

2004 DURANGO HAS RUSTED THROUGH ON SEVERAL SPOTS. TAILGATE AND WHEEL WELLS. THIS IS EXCESSIVE FOR A VEHICLE IT'S AGE THAT HAS BEEN GARAGED AND WELL CARED FOR. I SUGGEST THAT THE ANTICORROSION COATING WAS FAULTY. I HAVE SEEN MANY DURANGO'S THIS AGE WITH THE SAME TROUBLE SPOTS. *JS

MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO MAKES A TERRIBLE POUNDING SOUND IF I DRIVE OVER 40 MPH WITH A REAR WINDOW DOWN. THIS IS VERY NERVE WRACKING. AND VERY DISTRACTING. I BELIEVE IT IS CAUSED BY BAD DESIGN. *NM