Problems with 2004 Dodge Durango ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I went out on sunday morning 8/21/2011 after having had my 2004 dodge durango 5.7l hemi ,that i had parked since friday. my husband turned the key and there was a click. tried again and more clicks. third try was a loud series of clanking and clicking. had the vehicle hauled to the dodge dealership in harrison ar. they informed me the motor had blown a rod. repair would be $5000.00. i had been by the dealership a month before and inquired about sudden engine dying while driving. my vehicle hass done this seversl times while at any speed with steering loss. very scary.i have also fulfilled the earlier recall of having the rewiring of all the vehicle. was very displeased with the service and times it malfunctioned after having the recall serviced. please inform the proper personel and inform me of further action to take. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that as the engine was started, the vehicle exhibited a loud, abnormal noise. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic but the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. the dealer was notified who advised that they would need to replace the engine. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 93,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked for approximately fifteen minutes when it caught on fire. the fire and police department appeared on the scene, but the fire was extinguished before their arrival. the contact stated that the fire originated near the dashboard area. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home and then to an authorized dealer. the contact was not yet aware of the cause of failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an investigator to examine the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 77,000. updated 10/04/11*lj updated 3/29/12* cn

Suv had been running just fine, with no warning on a saturday morning i loaded up the kids to go to the pool and started the truck. it sounded like rocks being thrown around in the engine and my husband in the garage saw sparks under the car. i turned it off immediately. had the truck towed to the dodge dealer where it was originally bought and received all of its service and it turns out the engine threw a rod. 2004 hemi with 102000 miles. dodge dealer told me they could fix it for just over $10k with a new engine or $7500 for a used engine - absolutely ridiculous! upon internet search, appears that too many 04 hemis have had this problem. i'm not ready to part with this truck, i expected to run it for many many many years - not 7. chrysler owes the consumers for this shoddy engine. * ended up going with a remanufactured jasper engine installed by motorworks in monmouth, nj - $6500. this is far too much to spend on a 7 year old car, i will never buy a dodge again. *tr

I have to replace the engine on my 2004 dodge durango. the truck started overheating and i had the thermostat changed, now i can not accelerate, the truck is making a loud rumbling noise. for the first 3 yrs of owning my truck, it worked wonders, it never gave me any problems. and then just one day it overheated, it kept cutting off on my while in idle. i am a single mother of 4 children and now i have not vehicle to get back and forth. dodge chrysler needs to do something about the faults in their vehicles and take responsibility. *tr

I recently purchased a 2004 dodge durango 5.7 v8 limited. 6months ago to be exact. i went on vacation for a week and parked the truck in my family's yard. coming home from vacation i was informed the truck was started up and family members heard a loud knocking noise. when i arrived to pick up the vehicle i was amazed by the knocking noise and it actually gets louder if you step on the gas. long story short i now need a new engine . car has 119,000 miles on it and ran beautifully till this incident. i am now out of a truck and still making payments and i am told dodge is aware of the problem, but offers no solutions. this is how america's car makers treat their consumers. i along with others feel this is a blackeye to the amreican consmer from dodge. new or used engines start at $3000 and you still have no promises that you wont have the same problem.i cant understand this engine problem because the car is well maintained. *tt

The vehicle had no warning it shut down on the freeway and stalled in passing lane. now im being told my motor is seized up. i don't know what to do i don't have thousands of dollars to fork out. *tr

My 2004 durango 5.7 hemi was bought in 2003 brand new off of goodwins lot in our town of new castle, in. we had the truck approx. 3 years before we began having problems. problems like a "ticking" noise, when it rained, the truck would die--in the middle of the road-while driving, which was very dangerous-to myself and other motorists. the oil was changed per every 3 mths-as instructed, but the truck still seemed to run low on oil. finally, the reason i'm filing this complaint-- 2 wks ago-the truck began "ticking" again--even though it wasn't raining-then made a loud "pop" noise-and died--smoke coming under the hood and oil spurting out from under the truck's body. we took it to a mechanic-he said, "the engine block has a hole in it from a rod that somehow broke loose--the truck looks as if it's been losing oil for some reason"-this problem was from no fault of the owner-i feel upkeep has been done on this truck so it wasn't from negligence". we now have to put a brand new engine in our truck and i have nothing to drive for a month! after reviewing many other complaints about the 2004 durango--and noting that most, if not all of them have similar dangerous issues wrong with their truck-i feel dodge should take responsibility for this suv and recall it--@ least the engine/oil problems. when someone dies in an accident due to the engine "locking" up while driving--dodge will have a suit on their hands--and i will be a part of it!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while applying the brakes with the illumination of the instrument panel lights. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics but not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filed. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.

Engine threw a rod and tore a hole in engine block while driving with out warning despite regular oil changes and maintenance. *tr

Wife drove 2004 durango with 5.7l hemi to work last night, when started it to come home made loud noise. i trailered it home, called mechanic to look at it. he said i had broken rod in engine. oil&filters changed every 3000 miles. no problems until this. very upset dodge will not cover this. needs new motor!!!!!!!! only 123,000 miles. *tr

Found out that the ticking noise was #7 cylinder connecting rod was bent and hitting the baffle above the crankshaft. it bent when dealer called an told me i had a major repair problem, as i was driving it on highway ,the engine began to shake i thought it was a valve problem. working on filing a complaint with nhtsa dealer told me i need a engine replacement only 147,000 mile oil changes every 3,500 miles there needs to be a immediate recall this is a dangerous occurrence and some one will end up hurt. *tr

My family and i were getting ready to go on vacation for memorial day. out of nowhere with absolutely no warning, when attempting to start our dodge durango with a 5.7 hemi engine, there was complete catastrophic engine failure. we had driven the vehicle the day before with no issues at all. we have a neighbor who is a certified mechanic come immediately out of his house at the sound and tell us to shut it down and get back because of a risk of fire. he gave us the good neighbor discount to get it completely rebuilt, but that is still over $4000. i think that dodge should step up and start helping all these poor people out with these repairs, after all america helped them out when they needed it most.

2004 dodge durango 107,000 miles engine failure without any warning my engine blew a rod, while going 55 mph, i have always kept maintenance up to date, towed it to dodge dealership and was told i could pay them to look at it and diagnose what was wrong, but that it was probably from oil sludge from not taking care of the car. they have been the ones doing my oil changes for the last year. they told me they know of no problems what so ever with the 04 durango engines... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph the horn began to sound, the door locks began to unlock and lock. smoke began to rise from the dashboard, and one of the engine pistons came through the floorboard. the vehicle was taken to her home where it remained parked. the contact noticed there were holes within the engine and the piston casings were shattered. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed they would not honor the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 07v092000 (electrical system: instrument panel), due to the contacts original dealer being out of business. the failure mileage was 114,050.

My husband started the durango and heard a loud clicking sound coming from the engine. he found a puddle of oil underneath and discovered there was a large hole in the oil pan. we had it towed to the dealer and was told that a rod had shot through the oil pan and that our engine would have to be replaced. we have always maintained the oil changes and upkeep. the day before this happened we had driven all over and had no problems. prior to this there had been two occassions when i was going down the road and the engine just shut down and i couldnt control the steering or brakes but they happened about a year apart and started up immediately. luckily i wasnt in busy traffic when this occured. i thought it was a fluke because there was never any engine lights on. even the morning when he discovered the clicking sound there were no dash lights on.

2004 dodge durango limited with 91,855 miles. no prior problems whatsoever. driving down road, malfunction indicator light came on and started flashing, 30 seconds later the vehicle lost all power and would not restart. it had to be towed to service station, where diagnosis was made. there was a hole in the engine block. this should not have happened to a car of this age with this mileage. they advised the powertrain warranty expired at 70,000 miles. however, many have complained about this same issue and it creates a potentially catastrophic life safety issue. just filed my complaint with chrysler today and hope that they do the right thing - unless they don't care if i ever purchase another product from them again! *tr

I've had my 2004 dodge durango since 2006, purchase it while living in paducah, ky. very nice family vehicle i thought, until about 1yr ago, when i discover when it rain hard, or i take truck through a carwash, it shuts off on me. i would be driving and when i turn off on exit or street, it instantly shuts off, which leaves my tail ends hanging out. thank god i've never been in an accident. i used this truck for personal reasons as well as taking kids back and forth to school. this is so dangerous. i took it to wolfchase chrysler dodge, here in memphis 02/2011 about this problem in which i felt was another waste of my money, because chad was so much unhelpful and unconcern. he told me about other problems, in which i already knew i needed brakes. he claims they were unable to find anything. that was the main reason why i finally took it there when i had money. thinking they would solve my problem. sad they couldn't tell me what was wrong with my vehicle. i see where there are so many people complaining about this same problem. this has to be a recall!!! help please'. it's so strange that i am having so many problems with my 2004 durango. i had my oil change friday 04/22/11 at jiffy lube. on saturday 04/23/11, i was out driving and my truck start shaking, so i turned onto this lot beside menekine shop, because i thought my tires was coming off when i got out to look, the tires was ok. so, i walked over to the owner and asked could he see what's wrong with my truck. he managed to get it started back up, to pull it under the garage. he checked the oil, which was in there, put it on a machine, which gave him 6 codes, something about a misfire, and something being rich. he continue to check a lot of things and he notice my oil light couldn't be reset, and also stated something about my valve are knocking and that i needed a needed a motor. omg!!!, when it rains, it pour. i called chrysler dodge again, and chad answered the phone. i asked him about the motor. he to. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while driving approximately 60 mph, there was a loud bang heard from the outside of the vehicle. the contact maneuvered to the side of the road and noticed a substantial amount of oil leaking from the engine. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they detected a failed connector rod. the technician stated that the engine would need to be replaced. the vehicle could not be repaired because the manufacturer discontinued the production of the specific model engine needed for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 78,600. updated 07/08/11 *bf according to the invoice, the crankshaft was broken and went through the engine block. the engine needed to be replaced. updated 09/16/11 *jb

2004 dodge durango hemi fatal engine flaw. on sunday april 17th 2011, i went out to start up my car and the most horrible banging, clanking noises came from the engine, i had the vehicle towed to my local mechanic and he stated there was a hole in the engine block and the car would need a new engine.this engine was very well maintained with regular oil changes and had only 76,400 miles on it. i had the 7/70000 warranty. i filed a case with dodge and was assigned a case manager. "[xxx]" had me get the vehicle towed to my dodge dealer (at my expense). then again at my expense the dealer wanted an hour of service to "inspect the engine." ($105) two days later the dealer called saying the district manager of wanted them to inspect the "bottom of the engine" and authorize another 2hrs of labor. the initial "engine inspection" was apparently only the "top of the engine" which was found to be clean with no sludge or signs of neglect. i still had no answer as to why this engine self destructed without any warning. dodge refused to give me more than $1500 since i was out of warranty and a new "remained" engine would be $7900!! i decided to sell the car for scrap, dodge does not stand behind their products, a well maintained engine of a$ 40,000 vehicle should not self destruct just outside of warranty and the owner should not be expected to pay for the diagnosis. i was out over $300 and fought with dodge customer service for over 3weeks. if i had been driving the car when the engine flaw happened the wheels may have locked up and the car could have rolled. there are numerous other complaints about this issue on this sight. dodge needs to be held accountable for such poor workmanship! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).*tr

I use our 2004 dodge durango with 5.7 hemi engine to take our 3 children to school. we have taken great care of this vehicle, maintaining everything! 4 days ago we got into the vehicle to go to the store and at start up the engine made a horrible sound. we stopped trying to start it then tried once again. my husband opened the hood smelled oil and looked underneath the vehicle to find that the engine had thrown a rod and there was a hole in the side of the engine. we had no warning whatsoever. the vehicle made no other sound prior and drove 100% fine the day before. after searching, we have found many people have had this same problem. now we are in pursuit of any type of justice from this. our extended vehicle warranty expired 2 months ago. when we called the dealer to see if there was anything they could do for us we were told "no" and were also told we were the 2nd people to call with the same problem with this engine. it doesn't seem to be the durango alone...but the 5.7 hemi engine between certain years. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while driving approximately 65 mph the contact heard a loud noise in the engine and there was an oil spill. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who inspected the vehicle and stated that the engine rod punctured the engine. the report filed to the manufacturer was #20713758. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 104,000.

Overheating when in park, needle goes down when you begin to drive, to vehicle for inspections said need thermostat, upper and lower radiator hose, radiator cap, fan clutch and new radiator, replaced all of these items, now obd light illuminates with a code stating misfire in cylinder 1, had the coil replaced along with engine tune up, did not correct problem. i have never missed a service on vehicle, have all documentation for service repair since i purchased in 2004. vehicle does not drive the same, it drives like spark plugs are miss firing or something. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. while driving approximately 70 mph, the contact heard a loud noise relative to something blowing up, he noticed smoke coming from the engine. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who inspected the vehicle and found a hole in the engine. the mechanic stated that the entire engine needed to be replaced. the contact did not inform the dealer or manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000. the vin was unavailable.

Dodge durango 2004, 5.7 hemi engine , i tried to start the car but at the first attempt i just hear a noise but the engine didn't start. at the third time the engine start it, but it was a making a clicking noise that increased with the acceleration of the engine. before this incident i did not have any issue with my car, i bought it over two years ago. i been doing the services at least every 3,000 miles , but the thing that make me upset is that i was doing the services at dallas dodge, i may have proof of some of those services. but in the last service i went to a different place, it was a guy that has been working in chops his whole life , and the first thing that he notice when he was changing the oil is that was so dirty. he ask me about how often i was doing the oil,when i told him about every 3,000 miles, at the end he did the comment that they were not changing the oil. well now i have three different opinions about my engine, and unfortunately i have to replace a engine that goes from 4,750 to 6,700, i have been reading about problems with this engine and it seems like there was many complains about this engine, now the engine and the bad service it make it worse. i know you guys must have hundreds of this messages but really hope you guys can help me with some directions, well at least if this does not help me, it may help somebody else with the same problem.

I went out to start my vehicle, on the morning of march 28, to let it warm up, and when i tried to start the car, it made a horrible noise so i immediately turned the car off. my husband came out and popped the hood to see if what was making the noise, was visible. it wasn't. we called a mechanic and he came to our house to look at the vehicle and after he tried to start it, he immediately turned it off too. he told us he really thought it was the motor and that it had thrown a rod. he told us not to drive it anywhere, which i wouldn't have anyway, considering the noise it was making! we called a wrecker and had it towed to a mechanic. he called us to tell us it definitely was the motor. we have to get a new motor which is going to cost us somewhere in the neighborhood of $4-5,000! we do not have that kind of money!!!! from what i have read on several websites, this isn't the first time this has happened to a 2004 durango with a 5.7 hemi. we contacted the dodge dealership where i purchased the vehicle and the literally went all around the subject of how many times this has happened to others and if there was something chrysler could do to help! they want $6,000 just for a motor! that doesn't include labor! you've got to be kidding me!!! i contacted one place checking on a replacement engine and the gentleman said "you're lucky, most people with that year durango, have already had to replace their motors 2-3 times!" lucky, are you serious? who could afford to do that 2-3 times??? something needs to be done about this! chrysler needs to step up and back their name up by taking care of this problem, not just for me, but for everyone who has had the same problem. please help! thank you in advance for your any assistance you can give. *tr

I have a 2004 dodge durango with the hemi 5.7 liter v8. over the last week it was occasionally hard to start when there was rain, otherwise the vehicle runs fine. vehicle has had all regular maintenance, is used for light duty only and has had proper weight oil using mobil 1 synthetic at each oil change. i drove the vehicle home friday night from work, started fine, drove home fine, stopped at a store along the way, no issues starting it after. upon arriving home i shut it off, with no issues apparent. i did not use the vehicle saturday. sunday afternoon i proceed to start the vehicle and the engine suddenly makes a loud clacking noise, followed by a loud bang and stalls. oil was running down the driveway and the engine has a hole in the block. vehicle only has 111k miles on it. there were no warning signs before this happened other then the occasional issue to start when it was raining. repairs estimates have ranged from $5500 to $7000 as the engine is completely ruined. doing some research online i discovered many owners that have had the exact same thing happen, and most of them have had it happen between 80,000 and 120,000 miles. *tr

2004 dodge durango hemi 4x4 spits, sputters and shuts down in the rain. it only does this in the rain and dealership has no idea how to fix it. very dangerous as it's my wife's car that she uses to take our daughter to school everyday. many complaints online for same problem. *tr

Complete engine failure. no prior warning. all oil changes and maintenance up to date. defective engine manufactures and sold by dodge. no recourse given to the thousands of people who bought this vehicle and had the same exact defect. repairs estimated at $3000-6000. this car was driven without incident the day and night before. then the next day upon leaving for work in the morning it completely failed and had to be towed. the mechanic stated loose parts in the engine caused by overconsumption of oil and sludge. how the heck can a car company get away with this. i still owe money on it and cant afford to fix it. *tr

2004 dodge durango 5.7 hemi. 50000 miles. was running fine. started it up after work got a loud knocking sound. went back to dealer found that it was a bent rod. still under the 7/70 warranty. took them a day to figure out what it was. but after reading all these comments they should have known right away. *tr

Catastrophic engine failure. dodge durango 2004 5.7 hemi engine. has 84,000 miles. which is low miles for this type of engine. drove the suv the day before and was running fine. no warning lights etc. next day go out to start it up and hear loud noises coming from engine. had it towed to the dealer and he said a rod broke. maintenance was up to date. this shouldn't be happening at 84,000 miles. this is a design flaw or the use of below standards parts. only option is to replace engine. these cars cost 35,000 dollars they should not be having a major engine failure of this type. this engine needs to be recalled and fixed. people are clearly being sold a defected product. *tr

1. engine light remains lit: service can see no reason from computer diagnosis. 1a. engine idles rough for several minutes after a rain storm. 2. engine won't start unless gas pedal fully depressed: then stalls unless idle remains at least 1500 rpms. 3. took to service shop: diagnosis is cylinder # 7 has no compression and computer shows 8 system faults relating to failure of cylinder # 7. research from internet forums shows this is a common problem and the only solution is to replace the engine at a cost between $4000 and $5000. no guarantees replacement engine will not have same problem. *tr

Bolts in exhaust manifold are too small causing the bolts to breakoff and creating a loud ticking noise in engine motor. *tr

The piston rod broke off causing three holes to form in the oil pan. it also, caused the engine to seize.

I own a 2004 dodge durango, v8, 5.7 with a hemi & a 102,000 miles on it. i am the original owner & have babied this car from the get go. we recently just replaced the ball joints on the front end, tuned it up & was heading to get the tires rotated & balanced for our family spring break vacation. when my husband went out to start it, it made a horrible noise & threw a rod through my engine, intake & oil pan. i am highly disappointed in the money i have put in this car to keep it maintenanced & what i paid for it, to just blow with no warning. after reading numerous complaints about this year & engine, dodge needs to step up & take responsibility & make a recall. i am now going to be out thousands of dollars on a car i still owe on & my vacation has been ruined & had to be canceled. i am thankful however that i was not driving when this happened with my little boy in the car. totally disgusted with dodge for not recalling this engine sooner. *tr

I have a 2004 dodge durango slt with the hemi 5.7 l. it has 127,000 miles on it. we've taking great care of it! the last time that it was drove it was a great ride, then with out warning went started it up there was loud bang!!! and it started shaking. had someone look at it and it threw a rod!! i had no warning of this. yes i've had smll problems with it over the years put a new thermostat in it cause of over heating new brakes it died out on me a few times with no reason so i thought it was bad gas so i started put the higher grade in it and that seemed to stop that. but this no warning!!! i have been reading and there is so many complaints on the same year make and model. dodge needs to do somthing before someone gets hurt ot killed!! i was lucky i hadnt even left my driveway when it happened!! now i am going to be out thousnads of dollars that i dont have to either get this fixed or a new car. i cant afford that i am still paying on this. until this happened i didnt know all the recalls that has been on this vehicle. i haven't received any. now i know why i dont have inside lights we unhooked them cause they wouldnt go off. come on dodge do somthing before someone get hurt in this vehicle. take responsiblity & make a recall!! there is 156 postings on here with the same problems how many more before dodge does something? i am going to post this website and let others know about it i found it on accident lastnight. something needs to be done now!! i dont know about anyone else but i can not afford to repair this nor buy another car!! *tr

The dodge durango in question was parked on friday feb 25, 2011 and was running perfect. it was not missing or knocking. on tuesday, march 1, 2011 we cranked the durango and it immediately began knocking extremely bad. took the durango to a mechanic and was informed that the heads were ruined and the block was busted from a piston rod bending. engine cannot be repaired. the durango is in perfect shape otherwise and with only 83465 miles i expected more for the amount of money this vehicle cost.

2004 dodge durango 5.7 hemi truck stalled would not restart. towed vehicle to garage was told engine threw a rod would need a new engine. truck has 117,000 miles on it well maintained and ran perfect till this. *tr

I have a 2004 dodge durango with the 5.7 hemi engine with only 78,000 mile ,the car was running fine one day. very quiet and smooth. i went to start it a day or two later ,and there was a clanking sound out of the engine,very loud, i thought it might be bad gas, after letting it run a bit ,all of a sudden the noise stopped .but now there's heavy blue smoke pouring out the tail pipe. being a retired mechanic i know this is a very bad oil issue. i have been reading online other people having trouble with this 5.7 engine. i can only imagine what could happen at highway speeds with this engine self destructing. *tr

2004 dodge durango. consumer states trouble with starting vehicle *tgw the consumer had the vehicle towed to a local dealership, where it was discovered a full engine replacement was needed. according to the invoice, the connecting rod was broken, the #3 cylinder was down and there was internal failure. *jb

My 2004 dodge durango 5.7 l hemi v8 had 134,000 miles. oil changes were done every 3,000 miles, fluids always checked. i drove the vehicle for most of the day and then parked it in the driveway. the next day i went to start it and it sounded like the battery was dead but made a loud clunking sound. i attempted to jump the battery and without success i had it towed to a mechanic. the mechanic found that the motor seized and would require a rebuilt. the cost would be $6300 for a vehicle that is not even paid off yet. after reading several of the same complaints, i find this to be a defect. chrysler should take responsibility for selling a faulty product to consumers. *tr

Drove the durango home from work around 8pm the night before. when i got into the vehicle the next morning about 7:30am , heard a load pop noise and then it shut off. when i tried to start it back up it had an awful tapping noise, so i immediately shut the engine back off. this vehicle has about 130,000 miles on it, most being highway miles. i have always serviced according to manufacture recommendations. this is my only means of transportation and i still have 6 payments left on it. why will dodge not stand behind their product, as it is obvious by the internet that this is a very big problem. in these bad economic times people can't afford to loose what they have worked so hard to keep. i think i will go to the news media on this to make americans aware not to purchase dodge products. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated the engine began rattling abnormally. the contact was able to determine that the engine was leaking oil. in addition, the contact also stated that there were shards of metal under the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who advised that there was a hole in the engine. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. the failure and current mileages was 90,800.

After nothing but normal driving experiences, upon attempting to start my 2004 dodge durango with a 5.7 l hemi v8, there was a large wrenching sound and the subsequent banging in the timing of the engine. the last time i drove the car it was fine and actually averaged 20 mpg as per usual highway driving. the dodge service technician later informed me that a valve lifter, rocker arm, and piston had all gone and the vehicle requires a new motor. since i only have 116,000 miles on it and service it regularly, i find this to be a defect. this feeling is also justified by the fact that i can easily find over 100 postings on vehicle forums related to engine failure at start-up, idle or low speeds, all with similar outcomes to mine. there was no recourse offered by the dealer, who instead offered me an option of a $6500 rebuild or $450 for the car as-is and were too eager to get me into their showroom. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango slt. while driving approximately 55 mph, the connecting rod to the engine broke. the contact applied the brake and smoke emitted from the hood. the contact pulled over and the vehicle caught fire from the oil on the exhaust. the contact stated that the fire went out after the oil burnt off. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the contact called the manufacturer who advised him to take the vehicle to the dealer. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 115,000.

On thursday december 30, 2010 i went to start my vehicle and there was a ticking noise coming from the engine. got it to my mechanics and as we were putting it on the lift there was a big bang and then the ticking became more of a hammering noise. we removed the motor on thursday january 6, 2011 to find that the #7 cylinder connecting rod had broke and gone through the side of the engine block. through some user forums on the internet i found that there have been multiple instances of this happening usually between 90 - 100,000 miles. my vehicle had approximately 98,000 miles on it. ordered a new motor on friday january 7,2011. i am just glad that this did not happen while i was driving down the interstate at 65 mph during my normal daily routine. *ln

2004 dodge durango with 5.7 v8. vehicle has 103,000 miles on it and has had regular maintenance and oil changes. drove the vehicle home from work and parked it in my driveway with no indication of any problems whatsoever. when i went out to start it the next day it would not start. sounded like a dead battery or possibly the starter frozen up (rapid clicking noise) after trying to jump start the engine, i had it towed to the shop where they showed me a gaping hole in the side of the engine where it had thrown a rod. they could not tell me what had caused the failure without tearing apart the engine and costing a lot more money, but engine was trash at that point and no need spending more money on trash. *tr

I have a 2004 dodge durango slt hemi (5.7 v8) with 71,000 miles. no events leading to failure as vehicle was regularly maintained and no warning via sounds/feel/or lights of any kind. the connecting rod broke thru the bottom of the engine block causing 2 substantial cracks and leakage of oil. only option for repair is a new engine. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge durango. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the engine sound was similar to a "lawn mower". there were no warning lights illuminated on the instrumental panel upon starting the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who informed the contact that she needed to replace the engine due a piston fracturing a block in the engine. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 96,000. the vin was unavailable.

Driving on highway at 55mph. loud bag then rapping sound. pulled to side of road with engine still running, shut off, determine large puddle of oil under passenger side of car. towed to garage. oil leaked through cracked block due to broken connecting rod. all maintenance done per manufactures specs. replacing engine. *tr