Engine Cooling System Problems of Dodge Durango - part 1

The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph the vehicle engine began to overheat. The contact pulled safely off the highway and turned the vehicle off and waited for nearly an hour before turning the vehicle back on and returning to her residence. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had to have the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the thermostat had to be replaced. The vehicle continued to have the recurring overheating issue. The thermostat and later the water pump were replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle continued to have overheating issues. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the thermostat and water pump were again replaced. The failure was still recurring. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,400.

See all problems of the 2012 Dodge Durango 🔎.

When I'm driving in traffic (approx 30-45 mph) or stopped at a light, my vehicle randomly shuts off. There's no indication this will happen. No lights flash or anything. The truck simply stops. I take it to mechanics and they say they can't identify the problem--but they recognize there's a problem. I'm fearful for the safety of my family in the vehicle and/or anyone we encounter when this happens. It's nearly impossible to steer the vehicle out of traffic, and the steering locks up as well. I've had the cooling system flushed, transmission replaced to no avail. Is there a recall on this thing?! there sure should be! I'm sure someone has died by now due to this malfunction.

See all problems of the 2005 Dodge Durango 🔎.

1999 Dodge Durango---while out driving during the hotter months, the truck would just shut down while I was driving. The brakes stopped working, the steering wheel stopped working and the odemeter read "no bus". When I finally stopped the car by running into a curb, it would not start for another 30 minutes. Finally got it started and two miles down the road, it happened again. After talking to other Durango owners, I was directed to change the pcm. Well that is a $1000. 00 job. It was explained to me that the pcm box over heats because of where it is placed under the hood. That section where the pcm box is is not receving any air flow to keep it cool. The cooling fins are nested too close to the body of the truck. This is a manufacturing problem and should be recalled . This is a safety issue, because you cannot control the car when it shuts down. You also have no warning that the car is getting ready to shut down. The first time it shut down my kids where in the car with me and we were on a very busy expressway. We were almost rear-ended. And we almost rear ended the car in front of us. Please, please I beg Dodge to check into this. I know that there have been several complaints on this truck because of this issue. I hope it does not take someone's death before the company steps up and takes reponsibility for the manufacturing of this vehicle.

See all problems of the 1999 Dodge Durango 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2004 Dodge Durango 🔎.

My Dodge 2005 slt, 4. 8l (74,000 miles) has continued to stall at stop signs, traffic lights and when accelerating from a stop. I have had several things done(spark plugs, fuel additives, premium gas, fuel filter) to the car, but still continues. I am upset to see that there has been nothing done to correct this. It is obvious that there are many other Dodge Durango owners in the same situation with the same problem as I.

Have a 2003 Dodge Durango 79,000 miles while driving oil pressure dropped to zero. Check gauge light came on afterwards. Took vehicle to two different repair shops both stated we needed a new engine. They said we needed a new engine due to oil sludge build up resulting in engine failure. Looked online only to find hundreds and hundreds of the same complaint on Dodge Durangos with low mileage. This obviously is not an isolated incident. There is a problem with the engines that people need to made aware of and Dodge should be the ones to fix the problem.

See all problems of the 2003 Dodge Durango 🔎.

Yes I would like to make a complaint about the 99 Dodge Durango,,,,,,,it shuts off while driving ,without any kind of warning ,no sputtering,no jerking ,,,just shuts off ,,,,my mother is 56 years old and for her to have to be driving her car and being in danger of it shutting off anywhere,anytime,residential street ,freeway the steering locks up the brakes don't work ,,,this is a very dangerous problem not only for her and the passengers in her car like her grand daughter,friends,family but for the person driving behind her that has to stop very quickly,,,,,this can lead to people getting seriously hurt,,,,,she has taken it to several mechanics ,the dealership and they cannot diagnose the problem,,,,,so after much time and money wasted I got on the internet to see what I could find ,and found hundreds of people with the same problem,,,and what it seems to be is the pcm overheating and shutting itself off,after about ten minutes of it cooling down it turns right back on ,,,,,,,then over heats again and shuts itself off again ,,I think this needs to be addressed by Dodge before someone gets in a serious accident.

Dodge has a issue with their motors building up with sludge regardless of how often the oil is changed. The motor looses oil pressure immediately and motor is now bad and needs to be replaced. This is a known issue that Dodge has and they have known about this problem. I am disabled and I was alone driving when this happened. I had pulled over immediately and had the vehicle hauled home on a trailer later that night. In the mean time I had no choice but to walk 3 miles to get home which took me hours. . . . This affected my medical problems and I was down in bed for a week after this happened. It had a big effect on my medical problems.

See all problems of the 2001 Dodge Durango 🔎.

The contact owns a 2003 Dodge Durango. While idling at a traffic light, the vehicle accelerated by itself. The brake pedal was depressed when the failure occurred. The rear tires turned over and pushed the vehicle out into the intersection. The vehicle then began to fishtail. The contact turned the wheel to the left and caused the vehicle to roll over. He sustained head injuries. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number 06e024000 (engine and engine cooling), which he believed to be the cause of the failure. A police report was filed. The dealer and manufacturer have not been notified, just his insurance company. The current and failure mileages were approximately 100,000.

Ecu computer dies after heat soaked. Engine just dies and we lose steering and brakes in a few seconds due to the loss of engine operation. No advance warning, just a warning on the odometer "no bus" - all instruments are dead.

See all problems of the 2000 Dodge Durango 🔎.

Engine overheats with out cause changed thermostat, flushed radiator changed fans etc et.

The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a clunking, whining, and humming sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. He drove to the repair shop and the mechanic stated that both the upper and lower ball joints and a tie rod needed to be replaced. The mechanic performed a wheel alignment. Nhtsa campaign id number 04v596000 (suspension:front: control arm:upper ball joint) was referenced. The contact was also informed that the entire cooling system needed to be replaced because the dealer could not locate the cause of the failure. The cooling system has not worked properly since the repair. The switch to operate the blower motor fan only works on high. The failure mileage was 110,000. Updated 07/15/08. The brakes were replaced numerous times. Updated 07/15/08.

See all problems of the 2002 Dodge Durango 🔎.

I have a 2002 Dodge Durango that has multiple issues that seem to happen on every Durango I know of. Now I have a coolant and overheating problem. I have a throttle position sensor problem as well. This seems to be frequent with Durangos and no recalls for it.

Driving down the highway and suddenly there was zero oil pressure. I pulled to the shoulder of a dangerous highway hoping the problem might remedy after some cooling down. I went to restart the engine and it made loud knocking sounds. I immediately shut it off and had it taken to the dealership where I had purchased it (now under new ownership). They had replaced my oil pump when the vehicle was still under their warranty but hadn't told me that these engines have oil sludge buildup problems that cause the oil pumps to fail. Now my warranty just expired last year and the dealer told me I have a seized engine.

Vehicle is 2001 Dodge Durango r/t 5. 9. 26,000 miles. Front end ball joints needed replacing. Calipers froze/locked on both front wheels. Overheating occurred twice on front calipers. Needed out of pocket money for repairs. Air conditioning broken.

My Dodge Durango 2004 has been in the shop (dealer) for over a month due to over heating. Over the course of this time, the thermostat, relays, water pump, and fan clutch were changed. The radiator flushed. The dealer now believes its the head. The check engine light has gone on. Worst yet, the car has stalled on me twice during heavy traffic while trying to turn at a low speed. This worries me since I could have gotten in an accident each time. I want the car out of the shop but I am afraid to drive it. I no longer feel confident to go anywhere particularly long distances with it.

The cooling and heating system in the rear of the vehicle has given way. Only the front of the vehicle has a/c working. Will take vehicle to dealer to address problem.

Engine overheated. ,we have replaced the thermostat the water pump, the clutch fan. And temperature gauge,. However, it still was overheating the transmission seemed to take forever to take gear. The truck only had 56,966.

The coolant eroded a hole in the timing chain cover from the inside to the outside. This caused coolant to freely stream from the engine. When the shop tried to order the part they were put on a "national back order list" along with seventy-five other units.

Dt:the engine seized without indication. The temperature gauge elevated and within a matter of seconds the engine locked up. The engine was running and the consumer's wife was pulling into driveway. The consumer took the vehicle to a dealer and was told there was a ground strap attached to a coolant tube on the engine, and that resulted in premature wear of cooling tube, allowing escape of coolant. The engine was destroyed. The engine was under warranty, but the coolant tube was not, and they would not honor the warranty. Manufacturer was contacted and would not honor warranty as well.

1999 Dodge Durango, bought new, has 53,000 miles, I was driving on a highway on 4/22/05,"check gauges" lit up on dashboard, oil pressure gauge went to zero, car still drivable, pulled over after 3-4 miles into turnpike service area, checked oil stick and it read full, continued additional drive to destination of approx. 5 miles and dropped off at nearby Dodge dealership, their diagnosis is sludge in engine and oil pump has to be replaced and the entire engine will have to be replaced, they suspect lousy maintenenace by car owner regarding oil changes, I have documentation that car was well maintained, on a internet search, I found that hundreds of Durango owners have experienced the "exact" problems with this type of vehicle. In addition, I have experienced other problems with my vehicle: replaced window moter, replaced leak in cooling system thermostat, replaced switch assembly for a/c heating unit, replaced brakes and rotors on front.

I have a Dodge Durango 2001. I notice that the water pump is in the middle of the electric wires and when the water pump broke the water ruins the electric wires and they have to be changed because it starts to short circuit and the water can go to the motor and the motor can die.

While driving at 45 mph, the vehicle overheated. Suddenly, driver heard a loud noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent shop. The mechanic determined that the thermostat was not working properly, dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.

Vehicle has 73,000 miles and power steering pump shaft slowly worked loose causing puncture into plastic cooling tank/shroud. Puncture appears to be from contact with shaft and has about a nickel size hole in plastic tank. Caused vehicle to over heat and loss of coolant. Alarm indication failed to light on instrument cluster. Taking to dealer to further investigate this problem.

1999 Dodge Durango with 42,000 miles - faulty both upper and lower ball joints - both inner tied rods - water pump - excessive tire wear even though the tires were rotated every 6,0000 miles.

Vehicle was taken for a routine general maintenance, and the mechanic noticed that all four ball joints felled worn out prematurely. Also consumer had problems with water pump and the serpentine belt.

Consumer notices a banging noise coming from engine. Vehicle was serviced, and technician noticed no cooling. Engine needed to be replaced. Metal chips and sludge were found in the motor after the dealer diagnosis. The bearings for cylinder 1 and 5 spun the crank shaft, dealer replaced the pitman and idler arms.

See all problems of the 1998 Dodge Durango 🔎.

Consumer was about to switch lanes and steering got stuck. Consumer slammed brakes and vehicle landed up on right side of road and went into bush. Dealer claimed that water pump/ serpentine belt failed.

First failure oil light kept coming on intermitently took it to dealership they replaced oil pump. No mention of sludge or any build up of material in pan. They said they had seen this happen often at this mileage range. One year later and 4 oil changes the same thing happened only I lost all oil pressure. Was towed to dealership for repair and was told that we should have the gasket replaced between the head and the block because the head was aluminum and the block was steel and over time and heating and cooling the gasket gets extruded and the antifreeze will get into the oil and sludge up the oil causing the failure of the pump. I feel Dodge has a problem that they are not telling the consumer.

Several time my overdrive light has come on and then has shut off in the last year. The dealer has told me that there is nothing they can do unless I bring the truck in while the light is on. One day in July on my lunch hour I was sitting in the drive thru getting lunch and my overdrive light came on and wouldnt shut off. The transmission light came on and the temp gauge shot up in the red zone. I immediatley parked the vehicle and called roadside assitance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer called me and told me theire was nothing wrong. They siad you must have pushed the overdive light by accident. I dont think so I told them. They said they put the truck on their machine and it told them the lights and guages never showed they lit up or overheated. Impossible. Im afraid im going to get stranded again with my child. My airconditioner doesnt cool well and they say it cools fine. My truck is currently in the shop due to the paint is lossing its clearcoat. Love the Durango but very disgusted.

I noticed the problem while doing my first oil change on the vehicle. I always check all the fluid levels when I do an oil change and noticed that the antifreeze level did not register on the radiator dipstick. I didn't think much of it since I hadn't checked the levels of anything since I bought the used vehicle because the dealer assured me that it was given a certified 135-point inspection. Well after that I have checked the radiator fluid level on a regular basis (approximately every two weeks) and have found it to be low every time. I don't know where it's going. There are no traces of antifreeze on the garage floor and I don't see any visable leaks anywhere. I also can't detect the smell of burning antifreeze in the exhaust fumes. I took the vehicle to my local Dodge dealer on 12/2/99 and they could not detect any problems and had no answer. They put a dye in the antifreeze to be able to detect a leak using a blacklight at a later date. I have gotten on internet newsgroup web sites and have found other people that have experienced similar problems, some worse than others. They are also saying that Dodge knows it has this problem with it's larger engines. Well, that's all I can tell you for now. Thanks.

Upon idle, the temp guage exceeds 210 and causes ac to blow hot air. After accellerating ac cools again but vehicle continually overheats and causes ac to blow hot. Dealer said it is "flaw" in the Durango and later version '99's have been upgraded already. Is there a recent TSB on this?.

When the vehicle had a full tank of gas and driven on a slight incline, the engine would shut off and would not start. The cause was unknown. While driving, the consumer smelled something burning, he/she pulled over and popped the hood, and noticed the bushings on the water pump were loose, which caused the radiator fan to move back and forth. The pump was replaced, however the problem remained.

When CO. Rep said the CO. Would not compensate due to age and milage even though parts failed far short of normal service life. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Dt.

Consumer complained about a host of problems which included anti-lock brake sensor replacement along with 2 water pumps, and a belt. Also,consumer complained about a serious suspension problem which involved front upper and lower ball joints.