Problems with 2001 Dodge Durango ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

As i am driving my blinkers and radio stopped working randomly . causing safety issues while on the road . this happens while in motion and on the road

Headlights, dash lights, and tail lights flicker intermittently. starts slowly when lights are turned on and frequency gradually increases.

I had a fire start in my ride from a electrical wiring that located under the middle seat front .it burnt my seats floor n person items .me n my son 5 yes old was getting out at walmart when this happened. had 2 guy help put out the fire. now i have no radio in lights dash lights cig lighter for phone charger .

One day i was out shopping parked my car got out tried to lock doors they would lock unless i manually did it. the next day i noticed my headlights, inside lights, windshield wipers, and volume control on staring wheel would not work. that same day when i started my car it started great as always but there was a clicking noise on the driver side by the front wheel. i took it to midas they diagnosed it and fixed it, 3 days later my car did the same thing he told me to take it to the dodge dealer. i've tried they wont call back! now there is a red security light that came on and wont go off even when the car engine is off. after 4 days of my car being parked with the security light on my car is now dead. i've read online that its a alarm system and i need a key to program it. i bought my car used from the dealer and did not receive an alarm key, alarm key pad or even a spare key fir my car. i see a lot of reviews online about this issue, this has been going on for 1 month or longer now. i believe its a factory issue. im still going to contact the dealer and get an appointment to get y car fixed.

Driving down the road and all of the sudden all lights interior and exterior are blinking off and on like in rapid succession. i have a seizure disorder and strobe/flickering lights are a trigger. this is extremely dangerous. along with further investigation myself and my mechanic figured out it is the ctm which is not uncommon because there are hundreds of complaints about this and i've already dumped hundreds of dollars into this repair!

Headlights, overhead dome, instrument lights all flash on and off when headlights are turned on which is impossible to drive at night without serious being a serious major safety hazard. checked forum for dodge products, there is also a service bulletin in your database there are many complaints of people with the same malfunction, and mechanics told everyone same thing power train or body control module (bcm). *tr

While driving my 2001 dodge durango my dash lights and exterior lights flash on and off.this problem also happens when the vehicle is parked and unattended. *tr

While driving on the freeway my headlights started flickering" on and off as well as my dashboard lights..when i applied the brakes they also seem to blink on/off . i exited the expressway fearing the car would shut off and cause crash..now i fear driving after dark. it has happened several times again but short distance from my home ,i turned the a/c/off and the light failure seems to stop..i googled my problem and it seems a dodge problem still unresolved.my car has less than 50,000 miles n never had problems except for brakes..after reading most of complaints i feel it is a defective electrical factory problem . *tr

The power front seats after time come loose in the 20001 durango and move back and forth on the tracks. seems like they are moving more and more every day. i read so many other complaints on this web site. another problem which is common is the wiring burning up connected to the resistor pack on the blower motor. i read stories about how people have to replace the blower motor, resistor pack and plug at the end of the harness. the manufacture should have used thicker wire to handle the current draw for the motor that is installed in the vehicle in the first place. i have been using the original motor for 2 years now i just don't have any speed control now, but the motor is fine. the resistor pack is also fine just need to replace one or all of the wire that are burnt up. *tr

Bought vehicle about 1 month ago and my horn and cruise control were working at time of purchase. took car home and went out the next day and found out that horn didn't work after almost getting into and accident, so now i no longer have a horn or cruise control on my car. *tr

While driving my vehicle at 30 mph, it shut off without warning. the vehicle had half a tank of gas, new alternator, and new battery. i was crossing an intersection when the incident occurred. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the instrument panel failed, which would illuminate and power off sporadically. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 92,000.

While crossing an intersection my vehicle shut down without warning. *tr

Car just stops and doesn't give you any warning, loose steering and brakes makeing it hard to get tothe side of the road. having to take off battery cables and remove relays and replace hoping that it will start for you. i'm afaird to take any where thinking i will get stranded. *tt

Airbag light comes on when steering wheel is turned to the left. horn becomes inop. when steering wheel is returned to the right, airbag light goes out. horn operates again. suspect fault with the clockspring. *kb

The headlights on my 2001 dodge durango blink on and off when they are turned on. this problem renders the vehicle inoperable to drive at night. i read on the internet that thousands of other drivers have also experienced this problem. it has something to do with the central timer module. dodge should be made to issue a vehicle recall to fix this unsafe blinking headlight problem. *tr

My power locks are constantly locking and unlocking by themselves while driving, also while car is off. *tr

Headlights flashing: high beam to low beam, windshield wipers not working, variety of warning lights coming on and off during driving:security, low wiper fluid, service 4wd, engine light, interior lights coming on during driving, i am told it is the central timing module and have spoken with many having same prob. *tr

A/c control panel burned out...smoke came through dash directly behind ac control unit. smell of burning wires..i pulled to the side of road and turned off vehicle.. pulled panel away from a/c control and unplugged the ac control unit..took to dealer had to replace ac control panel and fuse was blown in fuse box. *tr

2001 dodge durango r/t has melted wiring located at the front blower fan resistor connection. the melted wiring and connector were producing an extremely bad burning odor when the blower fan stopped working except on the high setting. the fan will not be used until repairs are made. apparently this is a known issue because my local dealer sells a replacement pigtail which they say they replace to resolve the problem. this indeed a fire hazard and should be recalled as a manufacturer defect. my local dealer advised there is no recall at this time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated was driving at 10 mph and below in inclement weather, the lights, windshield wipers and door locks failed. the vehicle was then towed to the dealer and they advised that the failure could have been caused by a fuse. after having the fuse replaced, the failure recurred a short while later. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they advised him that there was a failure with one of the computer components but they were not sure of the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The headlights, interior lights and windshield wipers will flicker on an off intermittently. this can occur many times in a row or not for days. it happens when it is rain, dry, warm or cold. i can find no common denominator to what causes the issue. a search on the internet finds many other incidents of this for the 2001 dodge durango. *tr

While driving 2001 dodge durango will shut off if foot is token off the gas pedal. will also shut off during turns in major traffic, causing an accident. truck will also shut off within 5 min of idling. i have had the idle valve control replaced, fuel pump, battery, tps sensor, fuel cleaned etc. it doesn't throw any codes and mechanics don't know what the problem is. please help! this is becoming dangerous, especially with small children in the vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph the vehicle stalled; yet, it also made it difficult to slow down. the contact was able to avoid other vehicles on the highway and drive onto the side of the road to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. the contact looked underneath the hood and noticed that the computer was hot and displayed a warning indicator "no bus" which means that the computer was having a communications error. after the vehicle cooled down the vehicle restarted and the contact drove the vehicle home. the contact stated that the pcm also malfunctioned and caused the vehicle to shut off. the contact stated that the pcm failed previously. on two occasions the failure nearly caused a crash to occur. the contact viewed numerous complaints regarding the pcm and stated the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs since this was a wide spread issue. the failure mileage was 137,000.

I own a 2001 dodge durango. the horn has failed completely. the cruise control has failed completely. the airbag light remains illuminated on the dashboard (along with several other icons), and now i'm finding out that in the event of an accident, the driver's side air bag will also fail. i am told that this is due to a failed "clock spring" and it affects every control located within the steering wheel. this part is on nationwide backorder and i was told today that 1,400 are backordered. several dealers have told me they have no idea of when (or actually if) this part will be coming in. i understand that dodge dakotas were recalled for this very reason, however there was no recall on the dodge durango. i am now driving a car with no horn, no cruise control and no driver's side airbag. *tr

Lights flicker when driving, also loss of intermittent wiper, loss keyless entry, loss interior lights, loss of rear window wiper, loss power door locks. car can not be driven during rain or at night. disconnected battery to reset cmt and all worked fine until lights were turned on. once again light will flickerand again loss the operation of intermittent wipers, interior dome lights, rear window wiper, power locks, keyless remote entry, and door locks. the first time this happened was on or about 4/09/10 then reset cmt (disconnected battery)on 4/22/10. test drive resulted in problem returning on 4/22/10. *tr

Air bag light is always on and the horn does not work , cause a bad clock spring . *tr

2001 dodge durango with recall for the ignition/park interlock system. *kb in 2008 the consumer scheduled an appointment to have the recall performed regarding the ignition/park interlock system. on february 16, 2010, the ignition malfunctioned. the key would not go completely in the ignition, therefore, he was unable to start or move the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the consumer was then informed that the ignition tumbler could not be repaired because one of the metal bars in the tumbler had jammed in the locked position and that a new tumbler was needed. the consumer was certain that the malfunction of the tumbler was caused by the repair to the ignition/park interlock system. *jb

I had a complaint for investigation on a durango. the following is from the nhtsa notification of case change (all times are gmt-0500) project: nhtsa hotline center case: comments from odi web user case number: [xxx] date: 02/26/2010 time: 16:06:15 creation date: 02/22/2010 creation time: 14:19:39 description: entered on 02/26/2010 at 16:06:15 est (gmt-0500) by b.kearse: then.... notification of case escalation (all times are gmt-0500) project: nhtsa hotline center case: comments from odi web user case number: [xxx] escalation: none status: closed date: 2010-02-26 time: 16:06:15 creation date: 2010-02-22 creation time: 14:19:39 description: entered on 02/26/2010 at 16:06:15 est (gmt-0500) by b.kearse: the case went for further investigation and with the same time mark....it was closed. no one investigated this. no one cares. people are dying from the nhtsa's negligence. everyone take note that the nhtsa has been informed of this potentially deadly defect! *tr

Multiple replacement needed of upper & lower ball joints, sway bar, currently experiencing front end bed spring noise - sounds like junk, told the front lower ball joint is lose again. also the heating elements in the front driver;s seat went out -cost to repair over 700.00! vehicle is a 2001 dodge durango 4 x 4. only 86,000 miles original owner. this vehicle meticulously maintained and serviced, but despite that constantly having front suspension repairs and brakes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving the gear selector began slipping from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive without intention. after parking she smelled a burning odor from the vehicle. moments later she was informed by her neighbor that the front end of the vehicle was smoking. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. she was advised that the fire was caused by an electrical failure. the current and failure mileages were 160000.

I was driving and all of sudden the horn started to blow, wipers and lights came on. i smelled a burn odor, radio stopped working. i have no headlights or interior lights. took it to mechanic, the repair will require taking the dashboard out to get to a computer that may be burned out. only a dealer can do the repair work which will cost over a thousand dollars in just labor cost. i understand from the mechanic that this may be a common problem in the dodge durango. *tr

Failure of the dash lighting, parking lights, interior lights and taillights. *tr

Whenever the contact drives the vehicle he noticed that the steering wheel clicks. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership, and the contact did not notice any differecnes beforehand. the current and failure mileage is 88000. bml. updated 10/06/09. *lj the inermediate steeering shaft and tie rods were replaced. the brakes had to be replaced several times. the resistor inside the blower motor had to be replaced in order for the fan to defrost the windshield. updated 10/08/09

2001 durango 5.9 r/t, head lights, interior lights, doors locks intermittently worked and then failed. the solution was to replace the ignition switch and the central timer module ( body control module). the module was then reprogrammed. according to the mechanic this is a common problem and was the subject of a recalled in latter year models. this is extremely dangerous when driving a night and the head lights go out. *tr

I have a 2001 durango that has key/ignition problems sometimes when i put the key in it will not turn the ignition. i thought maybe it was the key so i went to the dealer to order a new key. the service adviser told me that they had a lot of problems with that and to put the key in the ignition and pop it as hard as i could and the key would go in. that did work. but, is this causing any other problems? *tr

Key will not turn when put in ignition; after a google search found many dodge vehicles have this problem. per the auto forums - put key in ignition and tapped key on right hand side while in ignition (i guess to push key in further) and then the key would work to start durango. have to do this every time. *tr

Electrical**** check engine light came on codes stated that o2 sensors needed to be replaced.. i replaced them about 2 weeks later check engine light came back on. after another diagnostic test states that o2 sensor needs to be replaced. driving in rush hour traffic it stalled. made it to dealership states that the p/s switch leaked into the wiring harness and shorted out 02 sensors and possibly other sensors. and if not wiring harness is not replaced it could spark fire cost of repair 3k. *tr

The blower resistor motor has failed multiple times on this vehicle. dealerships have told us it is a design flaw and should be recalled. causes the air conditioner/heater to only work on high or not at all. costly repairs for consumers, many consumers have this issue with the 2001 dodge durango. could be a safety issue as the defrost does not work when this issue occurs; especially bad during a snow storm. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact stated that the interior and exterior lights would suddenly flash on and off at times. the central timing module and the alarm would also shut off whenever she tried to open the door after locking it with the key. most of the failures occurred whenever it rained which led her to believe that water was also entering into the vehicle and caused the failure. on february 5, 2010, while driving in the rain, the headlights began to flash and then they shut completely off. the headlights and windshield wipers were no longer functioning while she was driving at various speeds. she was able to drive onto the emergency lane and determine that various electrical components were non-functional. she called several dealerships and was led to believe that the failure was normal. she called the manufacturer and a representative told her that there were no recalls regarding the problem so they could not assist her. the vehicle had not been repaired to-date. the current mileage was approximately 164,204. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

My 2001 durango caught fire while in park. it happened just after having a little trouble with the lights behind dashboard / fuse blown . the place repairing my truck said that i have a short in the electrical cluster that controls lighting behind dash. i have seen other similar complaints one at carcomplaints.com. *tr

I have a 2001 dodge durango with 103,000 miles and the transmission has been replaced 3 times. again it's bad, the computer is bad again (replaced twice) and now the air bag light is flashing............ i ended up buying a cheap car to drive since i could not afford to fix this truck, not to mention 10 miles to gallon....... this truck is a complete piece of ?!@#$% and i would not recommend anyone buy a dodge, they should go out of business selling the cars they do... *tr

This vehicle and just about every other durango and similar make dodge from 2001 to 2005 has a blower relay and harness under the dash that overheats. it melts the plastic causes smoke in the vehicle and can cause a fire. chrysler has a fix for it for about $100.00 just for the part not including labor which is about 2 hours. when it happened to me the relay had fallen out of its place in the blower and landed on my wife's burning her foot. why should the consumer have to pay for a defect that can cause injury or if someone panics and accident there has to be thousands and thousands of these vehicles with the same problem. i decided to look in the junk yards for this problem and turns out every vehicle in this year range has the exact problem.not a couple every one of them. *tr

After purchasing my durango used from a local dealer i immediately began having issues with the transmission slipping out of gear while going up passes, passing car, towing etc. i took it back to the dealer and they stated that the transmission had been over filled causing this. i then drove it again and it still happened. in researching my durango i found that it already had its tranny replaced at 60k miles by the previous owner. i also have the gear shift lever that will come out of gear without the brake being pressed, but i see they actually recalled that particular item so it will soon be fixed. i also have rear and passenger window that stopped rolling up or down by their controls but still operate with driver controls. and last but not least my engine service light came on right before a trip stating that i had a coolant leak. i had just washed my durango so i reset the light and it hasn't came back on again. what did happen though is as soon as i reset the light my service 4wd light came on and will not clear. does dodge actually recall the annoying things too or do they wait until it becomes a problem that actually kills someone before anyone takes notice? hello toyota here we come tire of all the tranny issues with american cars. *tr

Driving lights went on and off while driving at night. when serviced found out about recall #57272 for 2003 dodge durangos. they have a body control module issue on this year model. mine is a 2001 durango that has the exact same issue and dodge will not help with anything because it is out of the recall year. while searching on the internet it seems there are other years that have the same issue. dodge customer service was very poor when asked to assist in this regard. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. while driving at unknown speeds, the doors would lock and unlock independently. when the vehicle was parked, the doors would unlock even after the lock had been engaged. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, but was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 136,000. the rear passenger door appeared to be permanently locked. the consumer also stated the transmission was slipping. the vehicle would move slow, when the accelerator was applied. updated 11/10/14. *jb

Power locks, headlights, dome lights, intermittent wipers, and rear wiper all flicker and then fail to work. also, there is a buzzing and ticking sound coming from under the engine fuse box even with the vehicle turned off! i unplugged the negative lead on the battery. the problem came right back! *tr

My 2001 dodge durango started having problems with interior lights, dash lights, intermittent wipers, door locks not operating, the 4-wheel drive light on, and headlights not working. checked all fuses and all were good. disconnected/reconnected battery and all returned to normal. two days later, while my 16 y/o son was driving the vehicle, the interior and dash lights (later to learn the headlights) were flickering on and off. i took it for a test ride and all seemed normal for first few miles, when suddenly the dash lights and headlights started to flicker rapidly. a few seconds later the headlights went out completely for approximately 5-7 seconds and came back on. the headlights went out again as i was pulling off the road for approximately 7-10 seconds with intermittent interior dash lights flickering. i turned the vehicle off, removed the negative battery terminal for approximately 3 minutes and again all returned to "normal". this 'defect' is well known on the internet with the cause being the central timer module (ctm) and all local dodge dealers i contacted are well aware of the cause and the fix (avg. cost from local dealers $690.00) yet there is no recall for this anomaly. why? headlights turning off while driving'am i the only person who sees a safety problem here? also, according to the people at chrysler's 1-800 customer service center, this is only affecting a small number of vehicles. so what. my thoughts are: one vehicle is enough, and if this is really a true statement from chrysler, it shouldn't cost the corporation that much to fix those 'few' vehicles. my concern continues with the belief that both chrysler and the nhtsa know about this failure - which is obviously a safety issue - and neither have taken any positive action for an immediate recall. this situation also leaves me with one haunting question: does it really take a death before anyone takes action??? btw: what does the 's' in nhtsa stand for again? *tr

I was driving at night and all of a sudden my headlights and interior lights started blinking off and on. it became more and more frequent and other drivers were annoyed as it looked like i was flashing them. eventually i had to shut my lights off, at night! the central timing module failed and caused this. it has happened to hundreds of other durango drivers and is a known issue. why hasn't a recall been introduced on something that is potentially fatal? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge durango. the contact noticed smoke rising from under the dashboard before it caught fire. the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was inspected by a chrysler investigator, but they would not disclose the cause of the fire. the interior of the vehicle sustained damage. there were no injuries. the current and failure mileages were 74,750.