Problems with 2001 Dodge Durango ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We have had intermittent electrical problems in the dashboard of our 2001 durango, especially when cold. devices stop working at random while driving, such as radio, turn signals, heater fan, etc. turning car off and back on seems to "reset" the system and restore electrical function, but loss of turn signals while driving is dangerous, and who knows what other components will fail? we have heard this complaint from other dodge owners. dealers are unaware and cannot diagnose the problem.*cn

My 2001 dodge durango headlights, taillights, and dash lights blink intermittently and the dealer does not admit there is a problem, but after researching online found other owners complaining about the same problem. is this not a dangerous situation for drivers who may need their lights to work dependably? how does one get the manufacturer to investigate this situation? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving approximately 65 mph, the electronic door locking mechanism automatically unlocked and locked the vehicle. additionally, the shift lever became difficult to shift out of park. the failure recurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that an unknown part needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 33,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while parked in the driveway with the engine shut off, the vehicle began to smoke. the contact extinguished the fire and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. she discovered that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number 06v339000 (electrical system). the dealer installed a cap to prevent additional fluid from contaminating the connector, which caused the fire. almost one year later, the failure recurred. the contact also experienced failures with the head gaskets. while the vehicle was at a repair shop, the mechanic checked the fluids with the engine running. the mechanic opened the driver's door and observed a large amount of smoke and flames inside the passenger compartment. after the fire was extinguished, it was discovered that the cause of the failure was the same plug that set the driver's seat on fire a year earlier. the contact stated that the repair should be included in the recall because she believes it was not properly repaired the first time. the failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 150,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the headlights, wipers, and power door locks malfunctioned intermittently. after the vehicle was turned off and restarted, the headlights, wipers and power door locks would function properly; however, the interior lights would flicker. the dealer stated that the central timer module needed to be replaced. no repairs were made. the current and failure mileages were 87,000. updated 03/05/08. *lj

Dealer has failed to repair unused wiring connector on recall. it has been at least three months that the dealer said it ordered part and it never came in. i have not been contacted. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the horn works intermittently and the headlights failed. while driving approximately 60 mph in dry conditions, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle is experiencing electrical failure that causes all of the electrical components to indicate incorrect information. presently, the dealer is unable to determine the cause of failure. the engine size was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 56,000.

Tl* - the contact has a 2001 dodge durango. the contact received safety recall (06v339000 - f42) on electrical system. there is nothing currently wrong with the contacts car. the contact has been trying since october 1, schedule the safety repair. the contact has made and showed up for three appointments and was told that the part that needed to be replaced for the safety recall is not available.

Tilt wheel has caused short in steering column has caused the indicators and all electrical in the column to eventually quit completely. believe it is from the wiring harness being too short when manufactured, when tilted continuously. *nm

I bought my 2001 dodge durango sport in november 2000. over the course of the past six years i have had to have so many repairs and replacements of parts, brakes, tires, electrical fuses & resistors done that i can honestly say that i will never buy another dodge vehicle again. the biggest concerns to me have been around brakes needing replacement three times, upper ball joints replaced due to recall, lower ball joints exhibiting excessive wear as well (but not being able to get daimler/chrysler to fix them because it isn't covered under my warranty or the recall notices) and abs & brake lights on the dashboard showing up intermittently. i had to have the power steering line replaced completely due to it rusting through and continuously leaking steering fluid. the dealership replaced my steering fluid and told me it would be fine to drive until the part came in. they said they would call me as soon as the part arrived. two weeks later i had to chase them down to get an answer as to whether or not the part had arrived and was told i would need to wait another week to bring the durango in for repairs. just recently my check engine light came on, i drove straight to the dealership to ask them to look at it and they asked me if the car was bucking or stalling. i said no and they told me it was nothing to worry about then. i tried to make an appointment, but couldn't even be seen for a week and a half. i asked for a loaner vehicle and they said that chrysler doesn't provide those, but they could certainly get me a rental...why bother buying from a company that doesn't offer even minimal things to their customers? *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle caught fire while parked in the driveway. the fire department was called and determined the fire originated from under the driver's seat and was of an electrical nature. there were no problems with the vehicle prior to the incident. the dealership was not notified but the contact planned to. the vehicle was totaled and a police report was taken.

Driving 70 mph on interstate with my two small children with me, without warning i lost power and all gauges went to 0. fortunately, i was able to make it to the emergency lane. i shut the vehicle off waited a few moments and tried to restart. the engine would not start, all lights on the panel were on, windows, radio, seats, and locks worked. i had the vehicle towed to a dealership where it still sits. unable to locate problem at this time. finding on forums that it is a pcm issue and seems to be more prevalent than the vendor admits. *nm

The blower motor resistor, for the ac/heat on my 2001 dodge durango slt 4wd, has failed twice, since i have owned the vehicle. a service garage performed a test of the system and wanted to replace the blower, but the dealer claimed this was a common problem with this model and replaced the resistor, at a much lower cost. upon review of dodge durango online forums, this appears to be an issue for many dodge durango owners. appears to be either a defect in the system or design defect. please investigate. *jb

After the check engine warning light went on and was addressed by a local authorized mechanic, the vehicle warning tones begin sounding continuously, the remote radio controls stopped functioning and the rear wiper would go on intermittently. the vehicle was brought back to the same mechanic who performed a computer diagnostic but could find no issues. after which all vehicle lights began flashing when the headlights are turned on. *nm

Dt: on september 21, 2001 underneath the console in the front seat row the wiring harness caught on fire. it was an electrical fire. one could see the smoke coming from the plastic piece. there was no forewarning. the vehicle was off, and there were no keys in the ignition. the vehicle was sitting for thirty minutes. contacted the dealer, they said insurance company should be notified. *ak

When we opened the doors to the durango, there was smoke inside and a burning odor. fortunately there was no fire. the lights and the radio in the vehicle did not work. we got the car home and disconnected the battery. durango was towed to dealership and repaired at our cost. the dealership found a short in the harness (for the heated seats, which we do not have) under the seat. *nm

Not sure exactly when the last failure was because i don't travel "all" the time... but when i do... sometimes the emergency flashers come on by themselves and cannot be turned off. this is not good while traveling down the interstate highways. the flasher switch does not work any longer and the flashers cannot be turned off. i hear clicking noises under the dash and have even tried pullling fuses... you cannot turn the emergency flashers off. my destination is about 250 miles away and when this does happens, they may continue to flash all night long resulting in the battery being dead the next day. i have a feeling this happens even when i don't travel because sometimes when i want to go somewhere the battery is dead and the truck has been sitting in my garage all night.this is obviously an electrical problem that could eventually result in a fire or death...*ak the dealer "maxwell dodge" in austin texas is "special" and does not have to adhere to any "laws". they do not want to fix the upper ball joints on my 2001 durango either unless i can leave it there "until they get around to it". they won't make an "appointment" for the 2 hour repair needed and insist that i bring it there and leave it until they ready to give it back. what a scam! i hope that you will review this matter and correct these issues with the unethical dealers that manufacturers continue to allow distribution and support of thier products.. thanks, [xxx] 2001 dodge durango r/t 4x4 5.9 liter vin: [xxx]. *ak updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Tl* - the contact has a 2001 dodge durango with and odometer reading of 150000. the vehicle had safety recall 1f637489-f42 unused wiring connector under the front bench seat, which caused a fire in the vehicle damaging the seat and the carpet. the contact had the safety recall repaired at the dealer's expense, however, the dealer refused to pay for the damage that was done to the contacts carpet and bench seat. the contact would like to know if she has any recourse to recover the damage to her caused by the safety recall to her front carpet and bench seat. the contact does not currently have any pictures, but she does have the receipts for the repair work. *nm updated 02/22/07.*jb

I often smell a burned wire smell when i get into my 2001 dodge durango. recently i got in and started the vehicle and the service 4 wheel drive light came on. i took it to a dealer and they said two modules where burned up. 4 wheel drive tranfer case module and the timing module. i dont understand how these modules on a new vehicle would just burn up and the wiring smell still cannot be explained. i was trying to visit your site to see if i am the only one with these problems. i will list the number of times i smelled this burned wiring smell. *ak

While driving at any speed the horn honked and the head lights flashed off and on without warning. please provide additional information. *jb

Car fan blower for a/c & heat just stopped at 61,000 miles. car is only 2001. loaded durango in excellent shape. hard to believe this is a common problem. dealer said this was common. talked to many people said it was not a common problem. *ak

in march of 2001 i bought a 2001 dodge durango 4x4 the first year was great , then despite the fact that i took my vehicle in evey 3000 mi. for whatever was manufacturer recommended maintenance , and the dealers 27 point inspection, the front brakes were suddenly completely shot and cost in excess of $450 to repair last june i believe , right after getting serviced and a front end alignment ,i drove to work , attempted to shut off vehicle, and it refused the engine sped up , the lights flashed , the gauges went wild, and it finally died. day after day they cept telling me they didnt know what the problem was ,after a week of being worked on the dealership informed me the starter had "gone" and it would be 24 to 48 hours before they could get one about the same time the front end started to make a strange grinding noise while backing up while turning....they still havent figured out this one.....but im wondering if it is a balljoint issue also after several of the regularly schedueled services i complained that there was fluid left on my driveway. i was told that it was run off from the frame of some of the old oil,....now after it is out of warranty,they finally found the leak....the power steering rack is leaking oh and i almost forgot, when i first got this vehicle, the left rear brake light didnt always work...after 4 or 5 attempts to get it repaired , i had a mechanic friend of mine look it over ...in less than 5 minutes he told me the contacts in the housing were defective ....i got the dealership to check into it and they replaced it and it has been fine ever since this vehicle has always had its manufacturers recommended services at the interval required , it was very expensive to buy , and to maintain, it only has 40,000 mi. on it , and looks great, but appearntly it is a money pitt and death trap all rolled into one!!

A fire started under the center seat on passenger's side of the vehicle while driving at 25 mph. there were flames and heavy smoke. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the cause of fire was unknown. *ak

The dash lights started going off and on without warning. i pulled over when i realized the taillights were not working. a fire had started in the taillight socket on the driver's side. the fire department responed within 3 minutes, but the fire still did $8,000 in damage and took the dealer 10 weeks to fix. the cause was unknown, but the entire rear wiring harness had to be replaced.*ak

Durango orginal started stalling and then check engine light came on and stayed on steady. went to dealer an was suggested pcm was bad no parts available (power control module). parts ordered. new parts installed same problem when leaving dealership. on closer inspection technican found rear heat inline pump had failed internally and had pumped antifreeze through wiring harness which inturn wrecked cruise control, pcm, heating and cooling controls. antifreeze is corrsive to copper wiring and we do not know how far the antifreeze traveled in the different wiring harness modules. dodge has offered to replace original failed inline rear heat pump but will not pay labor $216.00 district manager has offered to give 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty but will not give a longer warranty on electricall harness even though he has determined this will fix problem. but not removed the corrosive from the electrical harness. tech working problem has see the same problem before at same dealership on durango's

Front ball joint failure under normal driving conditions in the 2001 dodge durango vehicles. reported cases of failure causing accidents. manufacture problem, can't be corrected. ball joints can be replaced but it will fail agian. also dash lights fail without warning. several times brake lights and blinkers not working. pull fuse out- not blown. put back in and they work again for awhile. also, middle seat, seat belt not retracting properly for passengers. risk of bodily injury or death to passengers with all above cases.

A faulty wiring harness caused the turn signals and hazard lights to out without warning. *nlm *scc *jb

The control arm and ball joint experienced premature wear. *ak. the dealer refused to replace under warranty. the spark plugs were replaced. *jb

Computer didn't recognize the switch to start vehicle. dealer has been notified ,and they changed electronic shift transport case, and the problem is still reoccurring.*ak *jb

Asked local dealership (sanford, nc) to repair. replaced fuse 12000 miles later same problem and they will not stand behind their first repair. dt

I was entering the free way on 05/10 and my car died. it would not accelerate or move at all. i was towed to the dealer and they repaired it. they said that the computer died and they had to order a new computer. after receiving it back on 05/18 i drove it for 5 days and then on may 23 the car died in the middle of an intersection. it is now at the dodge dealer where they are waiting for a part.*ak

Windshield wipers suddenly stopped working while driving in heavy rain. vehicle at dealership at this time.*akwith the windsheild wipers inoperable, making it impossible to exit off the road. the dealer informed consumer the problem is with the ignition switch. it was replaced. *jg

Intermittently, radio will go out, electric door locks and power windows will not work. dealer cannot find cause. *ak dealer found the ignition switch was bad and had it replaced. *slc

Starter motor shorted out after vehicle was started. starter motor caught fire. i used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. vehicle was towed to nearest dodge facility. starter replaced under warranty. nlm

Vehicle stalled at 35 mph, not able to restart. vehicle was towed to dealer, # 10 fuse was blown. dealer could not find stalling problem. *ak

The transmission makes noise when putting in reverse. the consumer stated that he had continuous problems with the transmission, but the dealer can not duplicate the problem, on two occasions when backing up, the transmission popped back into park and locked up. *yh

I have been with this vehicle in the shop every time you turn around. currently we were driving down the road and smoke came from the vents. it was a fire which they are still trying to find where the short is. also the convertor for the air conditioner is bad and had to be replaced. because of the short the battery was replaced two times because of the burning it up, the spring broke when i hit a bump and my daughters neck was wrenched. every other day the vehicle won't start, the locks won't work after having them redone by clio chrysler, the windows won't go up and down, the car has a bad steering rack which we reported to you quite some time ago (2 different dealerships evaluated and reported this), the ball joints were bad, the car creaks currently underneath as though it is going to fall in to pieces. the alternator had to be replaced, the sensors all were going bad at different times, so every other day the car won't run. the one cost us a mint in gasoline because the car would just drink the gas and shoot out black smoke. this is a 2000 vehicle from problems dating from day one of purchase. the vehicle. *nm