Problems with 2004 Dodge Durango ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Engine stalled while at low speed on a small incline approaching a stop sign.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. when the contact first purchased the vehicle, the oil light would illuminate, indicating that an oil change was needed. the vehicle also shut off at least five times on the freeway. it would usually immediately restart, but then kick back after it would start. she took the vehicle to the dealer and asked about recalls and other complaints and was informed that none were available. she received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 03v528000 (electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash). the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and was informed that they did not have the parts available. she took the vehicle back to the dealer numerous times, but was informed that the parts were unavailable. she constantly changed the oil in the vehicle and would go three weeks before the oil indicator would illuminate again. the vehicle began to smoke under the hood and she returned to the dealer. the contact noticed a chemical smell and used an extinguisher to prevent any further damage. someone attempted to place the vehicle into drive, but it would not budge. the vehicle was then placed into reverse, which caused more smoke emission. the vehicle was towed to the new dealer and the cluster was replaced with a defective part. the contact then noticed headlight, dome light, vanity light, and window issues. she took the vehicle back to the dealer and they charged her for the diagnostic and stated that the cluster was defective. after they repaired the cluster again, the issue seemed to worsen and the horn began honking intermittently. she spoke with the dealer and manufacturer, but they offered no assistance. the current mileage was approximately 72,300 and failure mileage was approximately 5.

We lease a 2004 dodge durango. on numerous occasions our vehicle has stalled. it would do this at different speeds, and it didn't matter the road conditions or temp. we've had it back to derby dodge in derby ct 3 times for this problem, but they have yet to identify why this keeps happening. my wife primarily uses this vehicle with our children. i am not satisfied with how dodge has assessed the situation.

Vehicle stalls without warning

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle would stall without warning whenever being driven in rainy weather. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who was not able to duplicate or diagnose the failure. the vehicle continued to stall without warning each time it would rain. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who was not able to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continued to recur sporadically. the manufacturer was notified of the failure on multiple occasions. the approximate failure mileage was 200.

The consumer stated at any given time no matter if driving for days or hours sometimes the vehicle won't start, it acted as if it was out of gas. it wouldn't start three times, the fourth time it did start like it wasn't getting enough gas. everything was dead, the consumer waited a few minutes and it started without ant problem, haven't had a problem since then. two months ago it started happening. no problem since then, and it was worse this time than the first time. dealer told him to turn key 1/2 way and wait about a few seconds, then start the motor. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact heard a clicking noise when he turned the key in the ignition. the dealer previously performed electrical repairs on the vehicle, but the failure still occurred. the current mileage was 38,000 and failure mileage was 4,000.

My vehicle has stalled while driving on 2 occasions. steering and braking are seriously affected. *jb

While driving the vehile on the highway around normal operating speeds vehicle started to hesitate and engine light came on. this happened before i made my first payment. it has been repaired through warranty but is stating to hesitate and go out again. *ak

Complaint received via e-mail. since the purchase of this suv, i have had to bring the truck in for service for various things. recommended service, a fuse out of place/battery recall, and today, january 8, 2005, for a detached throttle cable, which prevented acceleration. i discovered this problem as i was attempting to accelerate at a major intersection, and obviously, i was stuck in the middle of the road. we received assistance in pushing the truck off of the road, and i called gwinnett place dodge. i explained the situation, and i was given the phone number to sw towing service. we also attempted to speak with a manager in regard to this matter.*ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal went all the way to the floorboard when depressed. in addition, the radiator constantly overheated and the speedometer was registering hot. the dealer replaced the radiator, and stated that it was clogged and no longer under warranty. another dealer stated that there was a hole punctured in the radiator. when the contact returned to the original dealer, they stated that they also noticed the hole. the instrument panel indicator light illuminated, and the passenger's side windshield wiper constantly became unscrewed. this was the contact's second dodge durango, and was having the same failures. she stated that she never received any recall notices for any of the ones that existed. the dealer did not record the vin to research if the vehicle had any defects. the vehicle was brought to dealer for service for all of the failures except the instrument panel light and windshield light. the current mileage is 68,000 , and failure mileage was 30,000.*ak

Dt: vehicle has random shut off while driving at all speeds. the dealer checked the vehicle multiple times. they claimed the computer could not find the cause of the problem. . this started happening about 2 months after it was purchased. around oct 1, 2004. *ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the instrument panel lights illuminated on the dashboard since november 2004. the vehicle stalled while driving. was pulled over, and then restarted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer ten times concerning the dashboard lights. the vehicle was towed twice because it failed to start. the contact received recall notice # 07v092000 concerning electrical system: instrument panel. the current mileage is 53,706, and failure mileage was 9,982.*ak

on september 24, 2004 the battery was replaced. on december 29, 2004 the battery cable was rerouted per recall. on may 6, 2005 the vehicle overheated, the following parts were replaced the hub/drive fan, thermostat, water pump, and the spark plugs. on may 16, 2005 overheated the radiator had to be replaced. on august 12, 2005 the vehicle overheated. the following parts were replaced the heads, valves, camshaft,and sprocket. on october 18, 2005 the vehicle had squeaky brakes, brake pads replaced and rotors turned. the right rear axle leaked and needed to be replaced. on january 17, 2006 the radio cut in and out, dashboard controls were flickering on and off. no problems were found. also, i asked for the brakes to be checked for the same type of vibration. stated there was no safety issue, but rotors needed to be replaced. on january 20, 2006 the vehicle was again brought to the dealer for the radio, dashboard, and stalling. the car was kept for two days and returned without any solution. on s january 22, 2006 again my vehicle stalled at a traffic light. on january 24, 2006 was again brought in to the dealer. i spoke with the service manager on january 25, 2006 and he told me that chrysler said static electricity from the seat caused the problem. he was then advised to spray the seats with something to eliminate the static electricity. the car was to be delivered to me by an employee of the dealer, when the gentlemen arrived he told me that the car radio started cutting in and out, and the dash board went crazy, he then left with the loaner car and i proceeded to call the dealership, driver came back to pick up my car once again to return to the dealership. when he tried to start the vehicle it would not start, a technician was sent to my home to replace the battery. the battery was replaced, an vehicle was off to the dealership. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds, while applying brake pressure the vehicle lurched forward and struck an oncoming vehicle. the vehicle sustained damage to the front end. a police report was taken. there were no injuries. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. upon inspection, the dealership was unable to duplicate the problem. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for further evaluation. the contact indicated the crash was caused by mechanical failure in the vehicle. the contact was never notified of the mechanical failure. also, the contact did not receive nhtsa recalls o4v0120000 concerning vehicle speed cables; o3v528000 concerning electrical system wiring , and o4v578000 regarding battery cables. the contact felt aforementioned recall failures could have caused the accident. *ak

First the horn started going off all by its self and they said that happens every so often. it could be electrical they said and tried to fix it. i got my new durango back and then it over heated. i was on i-95 when then it over heated. it was towed. they said it was the electrical problum with the horn and they couldnt get it to overheat. mabey it was a glitch in the system. they said. then it wouldnt crank , three times this happend. they had to tow it. costing them a little money. well accualy it cost dodge well over 350.00 plus cost of trying to figure out whats wrong. and keeping a vehicle i pay 556.00 per mo. for. i know this may be a small problum to you but someone said something about a lemon law should be in afect. i just want my vehicile back because i still have to pay for this suv. while there( trying to figure the electrical problum out ) im tierd of this please help!!!!!!!!!! i have two kids and this is the 2nd car ive purchased. the first one i bought i was saticfied with, but got to small for my new family. i love my suv and paid 35,0000.00 and it wont even start. it drains the battery all by its self overnight.*ak

I have the 04 durango hemi with 4600 miles on it; the vehicle stalls on average twice a week on hills. the dealer can not pull off any codes from the computer and thus is not allowed by dodge to replace parts unless bad. *jb that_x0019_s where the catch 22 comes in the dealer can't duplicate the problem and dodge will not let them replace parts to solve the problem. it's been in to the shop 3 times now and i keep on getting the same response from the dealer which is "there is nothing they can do". it has even stalled at 55 mph while merging into traffic. *jb

My 2004 dodge durango [xxx] has had an intermittent electrical distribution failure. first incident occurred 4 months after purchase. it is now 14 months since purchase, the vehicle has been in for repairs 7 times, and the cause of casualty remains undetermined. this is largely in part due to daimler chrysler's inattention to maintenance procedures. they attempt to repair the symptom rather than the cause. the electrical distribution shortcoming intermittently impacts the a/c, radio, console lights, and today... the airbags. pending the turn of the ignition key determines which system is impacted. one only needs to turn off the car and restart it to move the "gremlin" to a different system. also, the mechanic at greenbrier dodge claimed this to be a new electrical system that operates off of buses. more importantly, he claimed that daimler chrysler has seen occurrences similar to that of my own before. this is a fire hazard waiting to happen. or, if in a crash, will my air bag work? could i be driving down the highway and my console lights go out, hiding the status of my engine (i.e., oil low, etc)? *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the air bag light remains illuminated on the instrument panel. since the vehicle was purchased, it has been to the dealer at least ten times concerning this failure. nhtsa campaign id number 07v092000 (electrical system: instrument panel) was referenced. the current mileage was 52,600 and failure mileage was 1.

While driving transmission light and engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer drove the vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the wires needed to be replaced. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem still occurred, and had not been resolved. *ak new electric harness were replaced due to metled wires. 2 recalls found by the consumer: one on wiring under the dash, and the other on accelerator cable. consumer made 10 visits to the dealer. *la

On 6/28/2004, my ac stopped blowing cold air, the airbag light came on and stayed on, and my gear shift would not go into park. i took it to the dealership and they fixed the gear shift. the ac not working is a result of an apparent computer problem that requires a software update. the software update did not fix the problem. i have taken my durango in for service 4+ times and the ac is still not fixed. it blows hot air at random. you cannot drive with the windows down because of the load noise. it hurts your ears and you have to immediately roll them up, same thing with the moon roof. the airbag light was repaired by replacing a module. the informed me that the computer was not communitcating with the airbag, resulting in the airbag light to come on. does this mean that the airbag will not deploy on impact if the computer is not recognizing that it has an airbag.*ak

I have had a 2004 5.7 limited dodge durango 2004 version and have consistent electrical problems. the first time the truck did not start when i was out of state. i needed to get towed to a dodge dealer and it took almost 3 weeks to fix. they stated that the electric system shorted out and replaced some system within the car. after getting the car back i had consistent problems with the air conditioning system,interior lights, radio system etc. they would work sometimes and not work most of the time. i took the truck to the dealer (bridge chrysler in new york) several times and they said there was no problem. after calling the main complaint line several times they asked me to bring it to another dealer in brooklyn.(bay ridge) the service manager dan worked with the service department for another 2 weeks to finally identify that the original time the truck died and was fixed they replaced the wrong part. the service department in brooklyn fixed the truck and i do not have major problems most of the time now but i was without the truck for over 6 weeks over the duration of the lease so far. there continues to be electrical problems with my truck but i do not have the time to leave the truck for another 3 weeks. *jb

Instant stalling, whether turning or going straight. warm or cold doesn't matter. dealer has no clue.

The vehicle's radio stopped working. *nm when the consumer tried to change lanes, he noticed a delayed reaction from the time he pressed the accelerator to the response of the vehicle. on another occasion, the check engine light illuminated and the transmission down shifted for a few seconds. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and explained all the problems he had experienced and after a diagnostics test was done, the dealer stated the computer displayed a code and they did not know what it was so they erased it. one month later, the consumer experienced the same problem with the radio and when he attempted to place the vehicle in park, the gear shifter did not go into the park position it stayed in the reverse position. the vehicle went back to the dealer and it was discovered that 2 bolts and a bracket were missing from the transmission shifter. the consumer stated the cruise control did not and a new problem had surfaced. there was a warning light on the dashboard that read pass air bag off. *jb

When driving at an undetermined speed, the transmission light appeared on the dashboard. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection, however, the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak after the fifth visit to the service dealer (desoto mall), the transmission light had not come back on. the shifting light had come on and the consumer had taken the vehicle to the service dealer (central maine dodge) and after three visits to them, they found melted wires and a bad sensor. the wires had holes in them. chrysler would do nothing to help resolve this problem. a transmission sensor was placed in the vehicle. (the shift indicator stayed on intermittently along with all of the other lights & the transmission range sensor rationality wires were damaged and melted on the catalytic converter) also the engine had come on and the vehicle jumped forward. *sc *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact has experienced several failures with this vehicle from the date of purchase. in rainy weather conditions, the instrument panel completely fails, the headlights blink on and off, the windshield wipers do not work, and the gear shifter will not shift into gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they found water in the junction box, which caused corrosion to the wiring system. they also found a small crack in the windshield, which allowed water to leak into the junction box. the vehicle is being repaired at the cost of $3,800. the contact called the manufacturer and was informed that no compensation would be provided because the vehicle was not under recall. the failure mileage was 12,000 and current mileage was 71,000.

Following the throttle casing recall on my dodge durango 2004 slt 4.7 l a few days after i purchased the vehicle, my engine light came on...no prob per the dealer. following week i noticed that gas mileage was below 10mpg's which was abnormal but dealer stated that it would get better. a few days later while accelerating on interstate 80 the engine started bucking and chugging and the engine light came on and started blinking..... i pulled to the shoulder and turned off vehicle. i got the vehicle to the dealer and they found from the computer that the cylinders were misfiring. they pulled the plugs out of the block and noted rust and corrosion along with oxidation covering the sparkplugs and the extension tubes holding the spark plugs. they found that water was getting into the firing area of the sparkplug . however, it was said to me by the warranty manager from the northeast business center for chrysler that he had my photos sent to detroit and that engineers were now designing a deflector shield for these durangos which would somehow keep water from getting to places it should not be. as a certified safety professional, #9937, i investigate fatalities and injuries regularly. it is my job to try to arrive at the root cause of accidents and incidents. in this case, a service manager from corigliano dodge, believe other vehicles may have this problem and that it could be related...that is the water not being kept way from the innerds of the engine...could be related to the throttle cable getting water in it and when subject to freezing temps, it could stick causing an accident. water in an engine here got the throttle to stick when mixed with cold temperatures. it got my engine cylinders to misfire and what about steering or electrical fires. chrysler must have some oversight from your agency on this and please contact me so i can email digital photos to you that i took that day in the corigliano dodge of boonton , nj shop. *ak

1. year: 2004, model/type: dodge/durango (two wheel drive, hemi, v8) purchased date/location: jun 2003/augusta dodge dealer, augusta, ga. 30907 2. defeated electronic and/or wiring causing a high safety risk while driving or to drive. issue: vehicle defeated electronic/wiring causes the remote keyless entry (key), the over head console (compass, temperature, mini-trip computer), and the heater/ac to becomes inoperative. the defeated systems, which first occurred three weeks after the purchase date and random afterwards until now, are as follow: while driving with heater/ac unit on or off, all three areas identified in the issue above becomes inoperative or shuts off. then suddenly, the vehicle (heater/ac) blower unit starts blowing, on high, hot air (20 minutes duration until now). vehicle have to be manually open by key and alarm turn off by turning the ignition (which will start the default blower to blow high hot air). note: vehicle was taken to the augusta dodge service department twice with the first visit four months after the purchase date and again to the lipsence dodge, woodbridge, va in june 2005, (703) 494-1900/492-3619 (pocs: mr. pete, service manager), however, the problem/defeat couldn't be identify because of the random occurrence. as of 20 july 2005, i returned my vehicle back to lipsence dodge because the defeated problem is continuos and now causing a high safety risk for myself and others. 3. i reported this problem (three times) to the dodge/chylser customer assistance at 1800-992-1997 (ref# 1372540) and never received any call after being told. i'm not getting any assistance but reminded that my warranty had ran out and it's on me. i request this safety issue/vehicle defeat be investigated. i hope no one else is experiencing this after getting a loan to purchase a vehicle for $41,000.00 and owe around $31,000.000 and be ditched by the product maker (dodge/chysler). jerome w. lacy sr.

Dt: the contact owned a 2004 dodge durango. air conditioner as well as the remote control switch. malfunctioned. the system blew out steaming hot air because of a short circuit. it was so hot in the vehicle that consumer was unable to drive for a long period of time in hot weather. dealer could not find out what was the cause of the problem. . when this occurred the remote key did not work. also, all the electronic features in the vehicle stopped working. this interfered with the navigational system. consumer reported this to the manufacturer, and they have not contacted him. *ak

2004 durango within the past 12 months has stalled 3 times while driving and was able to immediately start back up. also, the radio from time to time will not work, same issue with the keyless entry. i've taken the car to dealerships and no one can pinpoint a problem. the engine light also been on and off for a year. the dealership "flashes" it's computer to reset the light. *tr