general problems of the 2004 Dodge Durango - part 1

I was coming home. As I pulled in my garage, hit the brake to stop and put in park. The vehicle started winding up to a point where my foot on the brake didn't matter. It accelerated forward, going through the wall of my garage, through my backyard, thru a chain guard, and into the corner of the museum wall next door. I was finally able to stop it completely by shutting the vehicle off. Despite the speed and impact to the front of my vehicle, the airbags never deployed.

Was sitting at a traffic light and a driver pull up beside me on my drive side, and ask me was my car running hot because she saw that it was smokeing, and I told her no it's not running hot and I would check it out at the service station down the street. Before I could pull off another car pull up on my passenger side and said that my car was on fire and that I needed to get out before it blows up and get on the ground. I got out and look on the passenger side and saw that it was on fire , I saw fire droping on the ground like plastic melting . And said to myself that it might be a electrical fire so I was going to disconnect the battery as I walk back to the front of the car I saw withe smoke coming out from under the hood near the windshiled on the passenger side and before I could get to the front it turn to black smoke in and few seconds later it was on fire by the time I walk over to the dirver side. Call 911 police got there frist in about 7 min it was so hot that it melting the windshiled I move to the other of the building that it was on the side of and look on as it burn fire department came, and in ten minutes the a/c lines popped and I heard the battery pop. The fire department put it out in about 3 sec . In ten minutes it had burn up just greatful to god I got out to look before trying to go to the service satation and ended up dead from blowing up the service station. I had taken it to mcsweeney Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram. On 09/28/22 dash lights coming on and tach dropping and sticking. Replace the battery I got from university Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram of anniston 08/13/22. Replace the alternato I got from autozone 08/13/2022.

While driving my vehicle this morning my odometer completely shut off while on the freeway and all my little lights on the dashboard went on. My turn signals, as well as my brake lights stopped working as well.

While driving in rain my car stalls and gets shaky. I had it cut off in the midst of driving which can cause harm to myself and others. The cowl doesn’t protect the components under the hood from moisture when it rain causing my vehicle not to function properly. As a result of this my engine light has displayed but goes away when it stops raining. Not a safe car to drive in the rain.

I brought my vehicle to an phoenix az dealership off of black canyon highway or I-17 on camelback for airbag safety recall and interior lighting recall and any others needed. When I dropped it off initially I parked on lot by the garage inc front of the rental car business directly in front. I exited my vehicle walking up to repair garage to make sure I could drive into it for recall repair. I walked back opened my driver's door and sat in the seat. (legally able to safely driver by entering through the driver's door) I drove it up there. Upon arriving after they provided the airbags recall, moved my dome light which was located on driver's door module that also has other functions,(moved to another module preventing an interior fire on long trips which I was moving for a job to audubon mn that next few days) and I was unable to enter the vehicle by my driver's door. I had to physically crawl in the passengers side of car over the middle area and drink holders to squeeze my legs under the steering wheel. They informed me it was like that. I requested the video from rental employee mgr or person in charge and he stated "it would be like finding a needle in the haystack". It happened that I also sat for over 3 hours till close there, had a mgr request 2 inspections from his men, filed a complaint, talked with several reps and all before I left the lot. Also I had a tire light on my dash, and others that I find out are all connected to the module the dome light used to be attached to. While leaving my door locks were going up and down like they were a possessed pissed of psycho spirit , my steering wheel didn't lock anymore, and I decided to wash my car in a car wash which almost got me a rear end incident from the car behind me because my 2004 Dodge Durango suddenly shut off. I was scared and my heart dropped down through me bottom like being pulled over for a ticket by the police would. So it decided to rain. Oh my gosh. If mn wasn't a rainy place I wouldn't be so.

Good day I own a precious 04 Dodge Durango I've been maintaining well over the years. But as of late some issues arose with my air bag sensor and oil light flickering on dash when brake at idle. I don't drive too frequently except the normal work schedule mon-fri so I dont go far especially since these problems arose never been in an accident nor intergrated parts.

Transmission motor case actuator switches on and off on it's own or when I hit the unlock button on the remote. The svc 4wd/4lo service engine lights come on and off at random times as I am driving. At times it won't move although everything is on and was running fine a moment ago especially when you come to a stop or slow down.

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.

Cowl under windshield does not divert water from engine bay. Water pools on engine, getting into the coil-over-plugs (cop) and intake(gasket) causing hesitation stalling and engine failure after being exposed to water. Rain, car wash, using the windshield washer. Chrysler has made 7 different versions of the cowl to address the issue but has never issued an official recall. Those who do not have the latest version of the cowl (part# 55362453ak) have to pay for the part and have it installed or risk having engine failure while driving down the road in the rain. Part that should be included in recall 55362453ak "cowl" this is a known issue reported by "durango" owners that is all over the internet.

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.

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.

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!?.

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.

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.

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.

Over heated surpatin belt broke . . Then the air conditioner compressor whent out . An the pull chain.

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.

Head lights flicker off and on while driving at night!.

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.

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-takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 07v092000 (electrical system) and 15v313000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed for the repair were 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 experience a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Aw.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled during inclement weather. The vehicle was able to restart after numerous attempts. The contact also stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, the vehicle was driving unstable and there was a loud abnormal noise. In addition, the steering wheel seized and the brake pedal failed to respond. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and spun around causing it to roll over. The contact crashed into an embankment. The contact was unconscious upon hitting her head on the drivers side window. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the head, the chest that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,890. Djr.