2004 Dodge Durango Engine Problems

CAR WAS PARKED ON A THURSDAY, WAS RUNNING FINE WITH NO PROBLEMS. RAINED ALL WEEKEND. WENT TO START IT ON MONDAY MORNING, PRODUCED A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD NOT START. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE COWL HAS ALLOWED WATER TO LEAK UNDER THE HOOD AND PUDDLE ON THE MOTOR ALLOWING IT TO SEEP INTO THE INTAKE AND HYDROLOCK THE MOTOR. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE IT. NOW I AM WITHOUT A RUNNING VEHICLE AND CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX IT OR REPLACE IT.

BLOWN ENEGINE DUE TO CYCLINDER MISFIRE AND BNDING ROD CAUSED BY FAULTY COWL PANEL. THIS HAPPENED WHEN IT RAINED I WENT TO START ENEGINE AND IT BLEW

THE PROBLEM HAPPENS TO EVERY HEMI VEHICLE. AS IT AGE. EXHAUST MANIFOLD WILL START TO LEAK. MAKING A TICKING SOUND.

EARLY MORNING AFTER A HEAVY RAIN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND AN EXTREMELY LOUD BANGING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. ALL FLUIDS WERE MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A CITY STREET.

THE VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. DOES NOT SPUTTER OR STALL OUT IT JUST SHUTS OFF LIKE YOU TURNED THE KEY OFF. NO CODES THROWN SO THE DEALER WONT ACKNOWLEDGE IT. VEHICLE WILL START RIGHT BACK UP BUT I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE WRECKED BECAUSE THEY LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND BRAKING. SO FAR THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT BUT FROM OTHER REPORTS IT SOUNDS LIKE IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME.

I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS INCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN IT RAINS REALLY HARD OR WHEN THE CAR IS TAKEN THROUGH THE CAR WASH, SOME HOW THE WATER REACHES THE MOTOR. IT WILL START ACTING UP (STALLING) AND HAVE TROUBLE "GOING." IT WILL THEN TRIGGER A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE MOTOR WILL DIE. I HAVE HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED WHILE ON AND SPARK PLUGS REPLACED PER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAN ANY TYPE OF TRIP WITH THE THREAT OF RAIN WHILE DRIVING FOR FEAR OF BREAKING DOWN. THE CAR WASH WILL COMPLETELY KILL THE MOTOR AND TAKES SEVERAL TIMES TO RE CRANK. ONCE THE CAR IS DRY, IT RUNS PERFECTLY. I HAVE RED SEVERAL SIMILAR ISSUES ONLINE.

BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 2014. ALWAYS HAD MISFIRE/ROUGH RUNNING PROBLEMS IN HEAVY RAIN OR A CAR WASH. IN MAY 2019, DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE ENGINE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. RESEARCH ON LINE AND MY OWN REPAIRS DISCOVERED A FLAW IN THE FIRST GENERATION COWL GRILL. IT ALLOWED WATER TO FLOOD THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ALLOWED THE WATER TO ENTER THE ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO HYDROLOCK. IT BROKE A CONNECTING ROD. IT DID HOWEVER STILL RUN, BUT WAS VERY NOISY. THE INTAKE LEAK WAS NOT NOTICED IN ANY OTHER CONDITIONS, NOR WAS THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP ON PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. THE ENGINE DID NOT USE OIL OR MAKE ANY OTHER NOISES PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. IT HAS ABOUT 175000 MILES.

BLEW A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK WITH A FAILED ROD/PISTON ON A SLOW RIGHT TURN .... ALWAYS TOOK METICULOUS CARE OF THE ENGINE... 5.7 HEMI SHOULD HAVE LASTED 250K TO 300K MILES.... IT BLEW AT 130K MILES.

AFTER A NIGHT OF RAINING I STARTED UP MY VEHICLE TO A TERRIBLE KNOCKING SOUND. BLOWN MOTOR DUE TO DEFECTIVE COWL ALLOWING WATER TO LAY ON TOP OF INTAKE. AND SUCKED THROUGH INTAKE GASKETS.CAUSING A HYDRAULIC AND BLOWN MOTOR. COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE SAID MECHANICAL FAILURE. INTERNET SAYS ENOUGH ABOUT THIS VIEHICLE. RODS THROUGH THE BLOCK UPON IGNITION.

THE VEHICLE WOULD ALWAYS DRIVE ROUGH WHENEVER IT RAINED AND WOULD EVEN DIE WHEN GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH. IF IT STARTED RAINING WHILE IN TRAFFIC, I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE GAS WHEN COMING TO A STOP OTHERWISE THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. AFTER RAINING ALL NIGHT, I CAME TO START MY VEHICLE IN THE MORNING AND IT ONLY MADE A TERRIBLE CLUNKING NOISE WITHOUT STARTING. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE VEHICLE DECIDED TO STOP RUNNING DUE TO RAIN, SOMETHING THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT IRREGULARLY AND SUDDENLY SHUT OFF OVER.

2004 DODGE DURANGO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE FAILURE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. *JS

I PURCHASED MY '04 DURANGO IN 2014 WITH 70,000 MILES ON IT AND JUST PAID IT OFF LAST MONTH. I HAVEN'T EVEN RECEIVED THE TITLE YET BUT YET I HAVE A TRUCK THAT DOESN'T RUN ANYMORE. ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO I WENT OUT TO START MY TRUCK AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK VERY LOUDLY. WE HAD A SMALL RAIN/SNOW EVENT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE TRUCK HAD BEEN SITTING OUTSIDE IN THE ELEMENTS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND WENT BACK INSIDE TO MAKE SOME CALLS AND GET ON THE INTERNET. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS TRUCK CONCERNING WATER LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO HYDROLOCK THE ENGINE CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE/ ENGINE REPLACEMENT. PRIOR TO THIS, I HAD ISSUES WITH THE TRUCK CONCERNING IDLING AND/OR STALLING DURING THE RAIN OR WHEN GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH. I READ SO MANY COMMENTS FROM FELLOW VEHICLE OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THERE IS NO OTHER FIX. THE ESTIMATED FIX FOR THIS IS A NEW/USED ENGINE COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS (I WAS QUOTED 7000, I ONLY PAID 10,000 FOR THE TRUCK WHEN I BOUGHT IT). I HAD A MECHANIC COME LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID THE TRUCK DROPPED A VALVE, IT WAS CYLINDER #3. MY ENGINE HAS JUST OVER 113,000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO REASON I SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE AN ENGINE AT THIS MILEAGE. NONE WHATSOEVER. DELVING INTO THE ISSUE IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A REPLACEMENT PART (COWL FITTING) THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THAT DODGE/CHRYSLER NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND IT WAS CAUSING ITS ENGINES TO BLOW RODS AND SUFFER IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THIS I WOULD NEVER EVER HAVE BOUGHT IT ESPECIALLY FROM A COMPANY THAT DOESN'T CORRECT THEIR MISTAKES EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW ABOUT THEM. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A DODGE BEFORE AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AGAIN OR RECOMMEND THEM TO OTHERS. THEY SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT

TAKARA RECALL I PUT OIL ON THE ENGINE CONSTANTLY AS I DONT KNOW WHERES IS GOING THROUGH. NO SMOKE OR LEAK.

HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE ON DURANGO 4.7L OVERHEATING, I DRIVE 15 MINUTES TO WORK WHEN ITS WARM OUTSIDE AND ITS ALREADY OVERHEATING, IVE CHECKED VARIOUS FORUMS ONLINE EACH ONE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE, WITH ALL THE PEOPLE COMPLAINING I FIGURED DODGE WOULD FIND A SOLUTION, OR FIGURED SOMEONE WOULD FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER COWLING ALLOWS WATER TO FLOW RIGHT OVER THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND RIGHT INTO THE INTAKE. MY DODGE WAS SITTING FOR 2 WEEKS DURING HEAVY RAINS AND WHEN I TRIED CRANKING IT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE ENGINE HYDROLOCKED.

DURANGO SLT 5.7L V8 HEMI ENGINE HYDRO LOCKED AND THREW A ROD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE HYDRO LOCK ISSUE IS WIDELY REPORTED WITH THE 2004 FIRST GENERATION OF THE HEMI ENGINE. HOWEVER, DODGE DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SAFETY ISSUE.

04 DURANGO SLT 4.7 V8. RATTLING/RAPPING NOISE ON START UP THAT WORSENED THROUGH THE DAY. NOISE COMING FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE BAY. BROUGHT TO MECHANIC AND IDENTIFIED VALVE SEAT(S) IN THE ALUMINUM HEAD(S) HAVE 'DISINTEGRATED' AND/OR 'DROPPED' CAUSING THE VALVES TO SLAP ON ACCELERATION AND MULTIPLE OTHER CATASTROPHIC ENGINE ISSUES. FCA (CHRYSLER/DODGE) HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF MY COMPLAINT AND THEY'RE FULLY AWARE OF THIS FATAL ENGINE FLAW IN THEIR LATE MODEL V8 ENGINES YET THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR EVEN ADVISE OWNERS OF REPAIR OPTIONS. THEY MUST BE TOLD TO GO GOOD FOR THIS SITUATION. THIS OCCURRED AT 110,000 MILES. MY OPTIONS NOW ARE: A $2000 ENGINE REPAIR, $4000 ENGINE REPLACEMENT - OR - TO 'JUNK' THE VEHICLE - DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT THE [XXX] RUST ON THIS THING, EITHER... I FEEL RIPPED OFF FROM A FEW DIFFERENT ANGLES HERE BY CHRYSLER/DODGE AND I KNOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS (IF NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS) OF FCA OWNERS OUT HERE WHO WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER PIECE OF [XXX]FROM THESE THIEVES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER COWL BECAME DEFECTIVE AND LET WATER INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE FUEL INTAKE MANIFOLD. AFTER ABOUT 5 YEARS OF RANDOM WATER RELATED STALLS (RAIN,DEW,CAR WASHES) WHICH COULD NEVER BE REPLICATED BY NUMEROUS MECHANICS AND THEREFORE NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSED, WATER EVENTUALLY FOUND ITS WAY INTO A PISTON CHAMBER. WHILE ON THE FREEWAY IN SAN FRANCISCO ON MARCH 31,2017, HYDROLOCK ENSUED AND CAUSED THE NUMBER FOUR PISTON ROD TO SNAP AND BREAK THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK DESTROYING THE ENGINE. I WAS AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP IN COLMA A FEW WEEKS PRIOR FOR AN UNRELATED AIRBAG RECALL FIX AND SPOKE TO THE A SERVICE SUPERVISOR ABOUT THE WATER RELATED STALLING ISSUE. HE BASICALLY TOLD ME TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE THEY ONLY USE OE PARTS AND EVEN IF THEY COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM (NO GUARANTEE), THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T GET ORIGINAL PARTS. HE ACTED LIKE HE WAS DOING ME A FAVOR! I FEEL AS THE DODGE AND THE DEALERSHIP IS NEGLIGENT. I HAVE FOUND OUT SUBSEQUENTLY THAT THIS ISSUE IS WIDELY KNOW AMONGST PARTS SUPPLIERS (SPECIFICALLY USED AND REBUILT ENGINE SUPPLIERS) AND HAS A HIGH RATE OF INCIDENCE ACCORDING TO VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS. I HAVE LODGED A FORMAL NOTICE/COMPLAINT WITH DODGE AS HAVE MANY, MANY OTHERS. I GOT THREE QUOTES FOR REPLACING THE ENGINE, ALL WERE OVER $6000. THE VEHICLE PROVED TO NOT BE WIORTH THAT COST TO FIX. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY DONATED IT TO A LOCAL CHARITY. THIS PROBLEM DEFINITELY DESERVES A RECALL, AND CUSTOMERS SUCH AS MYSELF WHO HAVE INCURRED FINANCIAL LOSSES SHOULD BE COMPENSATED. THANKS

IT WAS A RAINI DAY AND DECIDED TO GO TO THE STORE TO GET GROCERIES. I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE TO GET TO THE STORE FROM MY HOME TO THE WHOLE FOODS IN SAN FRANCISCO CA ON FREEWAY I-280 NORTH NEAR THE EXIT ON GENEVA I HEARD A LOUD NOICE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SO I DECIDED TO GET OUT ON THE EXIT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, I TURN LEFT ON GENEVA AV I WAITED ON RED LIGHT ON GENEVA AV AND HOWTH ST WHEN LIGHT TURN GREEN I LET GO THE BREAK AND STARTED TO GO SO I CAN PARK ON THE STREET AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD SOUND AND SAW A LOT OF SMOKE SO I PULLED OVER ON 33 GENEVA AV SAN FRANCISCO CA AND LOOKED AROUND AND FOUND PIECES OF THE ENGINE ON THE ROAD AND NEAR THE STARTER ON THE VEHICLE, THIS IS WHEN I KNEW IT WAS DONE ENGINE WAS BROKEN AND HAD TO CALL AAA TO GET A TOW TRUCK. LATER I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT JUST HAPPEN AND FOUND THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS ON THIS VEHICLE JUST LIKE I DID.

I WENT TO THE DODGE DEALER AND MADE THE COMPLAINT AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT AND TOOK IT TO MIDAS AND ANOTHER CAR REPAIR SHOP AND THEY COULD FIGURE IT OUT AND WHEN I LOOKED AT IT ONLINE IT SAID IT WAS THE COWL SO I WENT BACK TO THE DODGE DEALER AND TOLD THEM. THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS CRAZY HAD TO PRINT OFF WHAT EVERYONE ONE HAD COMPLAINED, SO THEY REPLACED THE RUBBER UNDER THE HOOD WHICH WAS 40 DOLLARS NOT THAT COSTLY. BUT STILL WHEN IT RAINS, IT RUNS ROUGH AND LIKE IT GOING TO DIE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED I WAS GOING TO NEW YORK. VERY SCARY GOING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AND IT STARTING RAINING HARD ALL OF THE SUDDEN GOING 70 , DROP TO 30. TRUCKS ON MY BUTT. NOT A GOOD THING. STILL EVERY TIME IT RAINS HARD IT STILL HAPPENS. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ALMOST 3 YRS. AGO FOR 10,000 WITH 80,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE WARRANTY AND IT'S ABOUT OVER AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG. SO EVERY TIME I BRING IT TO A REPAIR PLACE I HAVE TO PAY. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT'S A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. SO BASCIALLY I CANT DRIVE MY CAR IN HEAVY RAIN.