Problems with 2004 Dodge Durango ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Went to go start durango & heard a loud boom, & now it seems to be knocking & not drivable now, after do research online we cam across that on these models (2004 dodge durango 5.7 hemi magnums) it seems too leak water into where the engine is due to hood manifold is designed horribly & water leaks on wires, spark, plugs, engine etc. etc. we've noticed when we drove in the rain or even going through a carwash that the durango would sputter as if it was going to die & it has a couple times & took about 15 mins to start again, after this event has happened we thank god that it happened at home & not on the interstate around other vehicles because this is a serious safely issue that needs to be addressed & now we are out of a vehicle at the moment and we are still currently making payments on this vehicle for another year and a half at-least.

Vehicle will die without warning you hole driving causing a serious risk for collision. engine stops running and is very hard to steer or stop with no power.

I was going 45 miles an hour with all my 4 children and husband in vehicle when without warning the vehicle shut off. there is no code vehicle loses power steering and brake function and you have to shut vehicle down and restart to gain control again. this has happened 7 times! there is no code being given no one can diagnose this issue i have been everywhere and been told that no one can do anything for me this is ridiculous i have seen this problem spread all over dodge for you and i cannot believe that this is not a recall a whole family my family almost died multiple times because of its end this is not right that there is not a recall on this this is serious there have been hundreds of near-death accidents because of this issue alone this needs to be looked into this needs to be taken seriously and dodge needs to be held accountable it has nothing to do with speed i was parked in my vehicle died this morning i'm fortunate that i was parked and not driving the last two times i was pulling out of a parking lot in front of some cars and it just died i had to turn on my flashers as quickly as possible so hopefully no one would hit me as i was dead in the road the fact that i can't just take this to a shop because there's absolutely no indication of what's going on there's no warning when this happens there is no code after this happens i don't feel safe hundreds thousands of others do not feel safe and nothing has been done about this i am terrified to put my family in a family vehicle are only family vehicle because we have gotten lucky up until this point but i don't see that look holding out for much longer somebody needs to look into this and somebody needs to hold dodge accountable.

I had stopped at a stop sign and attempted to turn left. as soon as i took my foot off brake & onto gas, car completely stopped and shut off, leaving the car in the middle of the intersection. it was raining & similar has happened twice before during rain. both previous times though, all electrical systems would work but i would have to wait about 15 minutes until car would restart. this time however, nothing was working, not even hazard flashers. every time i tried restarting, dashboard lights would blink randomly. i took the battery to be tested, which tested fine. it has now been 3 days and car will not restart, same lighting issues when ever i have the key in the ignition, and nothing electrical is working including the key to unlock the doors remotely.

The transfer case randomly shifts into 4 wheel lock and even 4-lo. this happens even when driving. i currently only drive on city streets as i am concerned that it will cause any accident or damage the vehicle if it shifts into 4-lo at higher speeds. the transfer case is currently stuck in 4 wheel lock, which makes it very hard to turn. i have read in forums that most people disconnect their transfer case motor, losing functionality but making the truck safer. i cannot disconnect the transfer care motor while it is stuck in 4 when lock. dodge should be held responsible and forced to fix all these vehicles.

About a week ago my alternator and battery had to be replaced, a day or two after i had them replaced i was pulling out onto a state road and i heard something got crunched, so i stopped and got out ans looked and nothing. got back in rhe car and put it in drive and i looked down at my dash and heart something trying to engage and on mh dash my svc 4wd light started flashing.. im not sure how ro fix it or what to do, it does it quite frequently. i opened the trunk and heard it trying to engage. stopped at a stop light, i can hear it trying to engage to 4 wd. i have been looking into thia and i see several consumers have had the same issues. it seems dodge should beable to come up with a permanent fix, but no recalls yet... my main concern is, what happens if im doing 80 mps on the freeway and it tries to engage into 4low?? thank you for your time!!

I am original owner and love my durango but since i have owned it i cannot drive in rain. the vehicle sputters and dies and check engine light comes on. i found several places online of people with same complaint and the issue is the original cowl. i looked and mine does not have a taller ridge around the wiper bolts or a ridge to divert the water from running into my engine. i need the 2nd generation cowl that was improved part #55362453ak our family always buys dodge, my husband has the 1500 truck as well as my daughter. i don't understand why dodge has not put a recall out on this issues that so many are complaining about. i have taken my durango several times to the service dept. and they could never find the problem but online after seeing everyone with same issue and how they are repairing i know i need this part. i ran water directly over the windshield and as it went over the existing cowl it did indeed dump into my engine and started sputtering and shut off. i tried to find the part but they are costing $180 with shipping and another $130 to have installed. i need this part like so many other dodge owners and there should have been a recall for this ongoing issue. it is not safe for us because the vehicles stall in traffic and we have to avoid collisions with other drivers as well as creating traffic jams. i have to keep my vehicle parked under a roof to avoid rain and i cannot drive when it is raining. this has been an ongoing issues since i have owned from 2004 to present.

Takata recall and electrical interior lights stay on dimmer don't work needs cluster replaced dealer says that it may not be available after keeping my car for 5 days as of today 12 -31-18 they say they can't give it back to me because of the electric recall!?

2004 dodge durango 5.7 hemi these vehicles are shutting off without warning no steering, brakes lights, hazards, nothing is operable vehicle doesn't stutter or stall at all no waring lights just shuts right off multiple people are reporting the exact same problem this is a serious defect as there aren't any codes or signs of failure

Truck switches to 4wd on its own and does not allow me to switch back to regular awd. the "service 4wd" light comes on. mechanics have indicated the transfer case shift motor may need to be replaced; but, none are available. also, there is no guarantee that would fix the dangerous problem of switching to 4wd.

Key fhob's have not been working for a while. replace battery still not working. now my shift motor on the transfer case is randomly shifting and locking in 4wd high. this happens while driving down the road. it happens while parked in the parking lot then when you go to drive hard to turn or get out of 4wd. when it locks in 4wd it is nearly impossible to back up. it doesn't seem to matter whether you're parked driving on city streets or on the highway. however, when it happen it can lead to inability to steer and control the vehicle. this is very dangerous and can also lead to substantial costly repairs from being in 4wd and not on the correct surface. reviewing many on-line forums i'm finding that there are several others that are experiencing the same issue. although there have been many attempt to correct the problem there seems to be an unwillingness to help or diagnose the issue. many repairs have been done and has not resolved the issue or temporarily fixs it and then right back to the same issue.

My 2004 dodge durango has the 5.7 hemi. during heavy rains the engine would start to run rough and the electrical system shut down on me three different times in the middle of driving due to the rain. during this electrical shutdown steering was impossible and i would have to stop the vehicle in the middle of traffic. the vehicle did this to me one time in the middle of turning at an intersection. fortunately no accident occured. i found that the issue was being caused by a faulty seal at the wiper cowl. this leak later blew my engine as the water leak found it's way into the cylinders and blew a piston rod. i was told that this defect has been reported to chrysler by hundreds of people.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 dodge durango. while warming up the unoccupied vehicle for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, the vehicle caught fire. the fire department was called and a police report was filed. there were no injuries. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent auction. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 07v092000 (electrical system) as a possible cause of the fire. the failure mileage was 140,000. fire marshall determined the cause of the fire was wiring. *tt

2004 dodge durango. consumer writes in regards to electrical issues with vehicle. *ld the consumer stated had a recall for airbags and the instrument cluster. the consumer stated battery discharged in a very short period of time after the ignition switch was moved to the of position. the consumer stated it was over 2 years and the recall repairs still had not been completed. *js

Over heated surpatin belt broke ..then the air conditioner compressor whent out .an the pull chain

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. during inclement weather, water intrusion occurred near the front of the windshield on the driver's side. the contact owned the vehicle for less than 30 days. also, when the vehicle was driven through an automatic car wash in neutral, the vehicle failed to restart and only restarted after several attempts. in addition, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags). the manufacturer provided no solution other than advising the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the approximate failure mileage was 129,000. parts distribution disconnect.

Driving at 30mph on city road the durango lost full power. no power steering, brakes or acceleration with gas. had to put durango in neutral and turn key off and back on. afterwards it was normal again. very dangerous and scared to drive with family in it. *tr

Head lights flicker off and on while driving at night! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 07v092000 (electrical system); however, the repair did not correct the failure. the interior lighting system failed to illuminate when the door was opened. the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 197,800.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the push rod fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

My vehicle is having problems with the instrument panel that previously had a recall for electrical issues and it is showing electrical issues again every light is coming on and going off and at times i am not able to take my car out of park and it none of the gauges work.

In early november 2015 while driving 45-50 mph the instrument panel randomly went haywire and all the lights started flashing and the interior lights at the same time. about two weeks later i realized that the outside headlights were also flickering when the inside lights flickered. i took to the local dealership and after 4 day's i was told they could not re-produce the issue. i quit driving after dark due to the lack of control in keeping the lights on then noticed i would have intermittent flickering with the headlight knob off. after researching the dodge forums and ruling out the fuses i purchased a new "redesigned" headlight switch and installed it. took care of all the flickering light issues and now i can drive at night again.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 dodge durango. while driving 10 mph, smoke began to enter the vehicle from the dashboard. within minutes, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. the fire department extinguished the fire. a fire report was filed. no injuries were sustained. the cause of the failure was not determined. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 135,000. the vehicle was destroyed.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 07v092000 (electrical system) and 15v313000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

This complain involve several issues that constantly happens. the first issue is that the interior lights and instrument panel lights illuminated intermittently and i can hear a buzzing sound when it does this. the second is that the battery dies and i have to jump start or charge it manually most days. third, every day i have to pour coolant into my radiator because there is a leak somewhere either the water pump or radiator. fourth, when it rains, water gets inside via the door seams. fifth, then my radio/dvd player stopped working and i had to pull the fuse because it would not turn off. sixth, my head lights goes very dim and even sometimes shut off. this is very scary in the middle of the night coming home from work. seventh issue involves the engine stalling on several occasions, mostly when its pouring down raining.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while driving at approximately 70 mph, the four wheel drive engaged independently. the vehicle shook violently, veered to the right, and the service four wheel drive warning indicator illuminated intermittently. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an open short in the electrical system that needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while the vehicle was parked, the power outlet in the center console started smoking. the contact and the passenger found the source of the smoke, pulled the panel off the center console, and noticed the outlet was on fire. the contact extinguished the fire. there were no injuries and a police report was not filed. on another occasion, the contact heard loud grinding noises coming from the engine. while driving 50 mph and without warning, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was able to be restarted and driven to the contact's residence. once home, the vehicle stalled. upon further investigation, the contact stated that the spring separated from the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 135,000.

When it rains the vehicle starts to "chug". when i approach an intersection/ stop light or attempt to slow down the vehice will cut off. i then have no power and can not restart the vehicle for several minutes. last week while going to cross the highway in the rain the vehcle cut off in the middle of the road. i was almost hit by oncoming traffic. i have taken it to 2 mechanics and they can not find the problem. it has happened several times over the years but has gotten much worse. i have just been made aware of this site to file a complaint.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. the consumer stated the vehicle would not start at times, and the only way to get it to start, was to pump the gas. updated 12/09/15. * jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the air bag warning lamp illuminated indicating a malfunctioned. the contact received notifications of nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v817000 (air bags) and 14v770000 (air bags); however, the parts were not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repairs. the dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was also included in nhtsa campaign number: 07v092000 (electrical system), but did not recall receiving a notification letter and was not sure when the dealer would remedy this recall repair. the manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repair. the contact had not experienced a failure.

All alert lights on dash remain on. windows headlights, speedometer, wipers all not working. *tr

I have a 2004 dodge durango 5.7 and it has been having an issue with the battery continuously draining. it started in nov 2014 when the battery drained and would not hold a charge. i let the vehicle sit until march 2015, when i need an inspection, the shop recommended i purchase a new battery. i did and the battery drained with 3 weeks, so i eventually schedule an appt. with the dealer to have a drain on the battery check, they sent the vehicle back stating there was no drawl on the battery, it sat for months again, because it drained back out. in nov. 2015 i found out about the g07 instrument panel recall and took it back to the dealer for that. they claimed they repaired a wire in the panel and that fixed the drain, however i still lost power 2 weeks later. i then took it to another dealer to have the recall checked again, because of a dead battery again the headlights and interior dash lights would flicker on and off. 3 days later still nothing they stated they were unable to duplicate failure and they did not find any drain or flickering. the very moment i picked up the vehicle and drove it home with my headlights on they began to flicker on and off. two days later my battery was dead again. this makes no sense to me that the dealer can not pin point anything, so i began to proceed to fix on my own, i have found that the headlight switch was shorted out causing the lights to go on and off, and i replaced it. i still have a drain somewhere though, battery died within 8 hours of the last start.

The horn started going off on my 2004 dodge durango. we pulled the fuse for the horn and replaced it that did not fix the problem. we then took it in to griffin hub dodge and chrysler dealership. i was told at one point that the relay for the airbags was bad. then the second time that i called i was told the wiring for the air bake was bad. i will be taking it to a different dealership to see if i get the same answer. however if the wiring to the airbag is bad that is a safety issue not a wear and tear issue and should be covered under a recall. *tr

What can i say... dodge clearly has a design flaw in which water from rain, ect... leaks onto engine and electrical components slowly causing the death of vehicle with a dying motor and electrical problems. water pours onto engine right down from the windshield. who designs this crap!!!! i used the best oils and now this is what i have as a rewards from dodge for my maintenance. *tr

My 2004 dodge durango limited with the hemi 5.7 has an erratic idle at stops whenever it rains. later in the week i went on the highway at 45 mph the engine stalled during a rain storm. i only have 125,000 miles on the vehicle. i researched this online and found it was most likely the plastic wiper cowl below the windshield allowing water to flow over the top of the engine, which collects on the intake manifold and might slowly make it's way in to the block and hydrolock the engine. seriously i thought. i went out the next day and opened the hood and placed the garden hose over the center of the windshield with the wipers on and ran the water on low, and also in the off position. sure enough a lot of water flows in to the driver side wiper hole where it rotates and spreads out over the back two cylinders of the center of the engine. i found there is possibly an upgrade wiper cowl that may prevent some of the water flow buy not all of it. so now i am concerned with this circumstanced even after i get the new cowl that water will still be damaging or destroying my engine one day from water flowing through the cowl over the top of the engine once again. this would cost me $5000-$6000 for engine replacement, just because of a poor design, and no recall or solution from dodge to take care of this water issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while driving approximately 55 mph, all of the instrument panel lights disengaged. the contact continued to drive and the lights illuminated after approximately four minutes. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. the failure recurred on several occasions. while driving in the rain at 75 mph, the vehicle stalled after the check engine and the battery warning lights illuminated. the failure recurred each time it was driven in the rain as well as when driven through a car wash. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

We purchased our pre-owned 2004 5.7 limited edition in january 2007. it had around 40,000 miles. within a year or so after, the cd changer stopped working, and then the radio would sometimes not work after heavy rain. during a heavy downpour the car would shake and sometimes turn-off, leaving me and 2 small kids stranded on the side of the highway until the rain lightened enough for the car to start again. whenever we would take the car in to be repaired for this problem, we were always told they couldn't find anything wrong that would cause those types of problems, but we had numerous repairs that we now think were probably related to the water problem, such as a new starter, repairs for a coolant leak,etc. in early 2014 the car began having problems with overheating. a few days after a two or three day period of near constant rain i went to start the car and it sounded like it was flooded or something. then there was a long bang followed by a terrible noise coming from the engine. had it towed and looked at by two different mechanics who said there was a hole in the block and the engine would have to be replaced. i just recently decided to search the internet to see if any other people had this problem and have found hundreds of posts by consumers who had this very same thing happen to this model dodge durango. it seems appropriate for dodge to be investigated for this and pay us for thousands of dollars spent on repairs, tows, having to sit dangerously on the side of highways when the car would turn of in the heavy rain, and the fact that we ended up just having to junk our car for a few hundred bucks and will now have to purchase a brand new car we cannot afford when we had just paid this one off two years prior. they should be held accountable for basically selling cars with defective components to unsuspecting buyers for tens of thousands of dollars!!! *tr

Oem cd player has become inoperable due to battery change. this is a known issue with all makes and models of dcc. even new 2013 and 2014 models. dcc refuses to do anything about this. dealers charge big bucks to re-flash control module so that cd player is again recognized by computer. why should a vehicle have to be re programmed every time a battery goes dead? this is an obvious design flaw in software and the public should not be footing the bill for it. *tr

I bought my 04 durango from a dealer and im outside of warranty i'm a little irritated with my wife calling me complaining she is stranded! i paid big money for this truck and don't think i should be responsible for paying a mechanic to play guess and check. i have my truck randomly shifting in and out of 4lock mostly while driving slow but has happened on the expressway im worried for damage to my transfercase from this i cant afford to replace a transfercase let alone the truck its self i see alot of others with the same issue and i think it should be a recall before someone is hurt by this common problem. *js

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)

The black box on the inside of the dash got so hot that it melted off the actuator for the blend door. i currently have no control of my air placement. i was sitting idle with the heat on then noticed a plastic burning smell coming from the dash area.

Truck was parked in the driveway and it was raining and without warning the lights turned on and smoke was seen from the hood, the key was not in the ignition or no one was near the truck at the time the fire department was called in and the battery was disconnected. the truck was taken to the dealer for repairs and $1000.00 was spent on repairs and when the truck was taken for a car wash the same thing happened again the dodge dealer does not know what causes the water to go in to the engine i was told to change the spark plug wires and cables another $600.00 but i was told that as water keeps going in the same problem may occur. tests were done in the dodge dealer shop and they confirmed that water is going in to the engine but cannot explain why and how to resolve it. if driving and it rains this may cause an accident if the truck turns off while driving. *js

My truck was parked in the driveway, it was raining and then the lights started flickering without the keys being in the ignition. i tried to move the truck to the inside of the garage and the smoke came out of the hood and from under the dash. i turned the truck off and the engine remained running, we had to call the fire department because it was smoking and the keys were off. the fire department came and removed the battery and said it may be a short when it rained. the truck is in the garage i cant drive it when it rains because water goes in to the truck from the front i can actually see water leaking into the floor. i owned the truck for 3 years and never had this problem until it reached 100,000 miles. *tr

I have a 2004 dodge durango 5.7 v8 it was parked in driveway and it was raining, the lights started blinking without the keys or any power going to the truck. i tried to move the truck into the garage to check on it and it started smoking on the interior and smoke from the hood. i turned the truck off and the engine kept running without the keys in the ignition. i opened the hood and removed the cables from the battery, the fire and police were called. when the police arrived they checked the truck and said that water was coming in from the front of the fuse box and that it may have caused a short that made the lights blink. my truck is currently in my garage and i am not driving it at this time i tried to turn it on just to warm it up but the battery is dead so i am not going to try and drive it because i noticed that a lot of people that experience the same problem ended up with a blown motor and i don't want that to happen to me. *tr

My 2004 dodge durango sat outside in the rain while i was away on a trip when it returned and restarted it, i heard a load pop and the engine idling rough, got out to check and seen and smelled oil coming out of the side of the engine block. motors toast, good job chrysler for a quality product! *tr

Vehicle was running fine until storm came through dumping continuous rain on vehicle. i went to move the vehicle later that day and noticed standing water on drivers side floorboard/carpet. it was soaked! i went to start the engine it didn't respond initially so i turned ignition backwards (off direction) and tried to restart. at that moment it started very rough and made a loud noise from the engine and continually does so whenever it is started now. i can't and don't drive it. looking closer under the hood apparently water is getting inside the engine compartment when it rains. the black material lining under the hood was soaked also. on the engine there were water droplets and most components of the engine had dried water marks/streaks throughout the compartment.

When raining vehicle wants to shut off due to water running down the hood/ windshield cowl and directly running onto engine electrical components. perform a search for vehicle and issue. i am not the only one to have this issue. *tr

2004 dodge durango limited, 5.7l hemi, purchased on 5/15/13. extended warranty purchased with vehicle at time of sale. vehicle has been returned for service five times to date for same root issue. in under one year, only approximately 2600 miles have been driven due to lack of reliability and service related problems. in this case, the root problem is known to the service department and is not unique to this specific vehicle, but rather a known issue with this year, make and model. chrysler is unable to provide direction or any technical support to assist the service department with solving the issue. it has been clearly acknowledged by the dealership service department, as well as chrysler directly, that this matter involves a manufacturing defect that has not been corrected and was never issued as a recall. most recently, i was notified that engine damage had been repaired and the vehicle was ready to be picked up. in the same conversation, however, i was advised that the cause of the damage, being the defect that allows water to enter the engine compartment during heavy rain or car washes, was not rectified. this issue is clearly unresolved and the safety of my family and other motorists could be in jeopardy if catastrophic engine failure were to occur. chrysler has opted to ignore this frequently reported issue and simply push those who complain away. *tr

Vehicle was parked on a residential side street for approximately 5 hours when it caught fire under the hood. the entire front end and dash was destroyed. the fire department stated it appeared to be an obvious electrical problem, so they did not need to investigate further. they had to remove the interior roof because the wiring had started burning along the edges of the roof interior. the vehicle was up-to-date on factory recalls, and despite this, it still burned. i did not receive a warning, the instrument panel was clear, and the 2004 durango only had about 75500 miles as of 4/2013. i was the sole owner. *tr

Went out to start 2004 dodge durango morning after a heavy rain, turned key and rod went thru block. had problems with it when it rained (caused multiple misfires) found out later after the engine blew that the company was aware of the cowl leakage problem that allows water to leak onto motor. think there should of been a recall or letter advising us this needed fixed. evidentially these complaints aren't being read or no one is paying attention to them. guess were all screwed by dodge. vehicle was maintained proper every 3000 miles just for information dodge will not help anyone if engine is out of warranty, they will tell you your on your own. sale, sale, sale, your dodge durango and don't buy another one. sale it and don't keep because it will happen again. by selling it the problem is then solved because dodge or these guys wont do anything for you. *tr