Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Dodge Durango submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 56 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 56, in the owner's own words
WHEN DRIVING TO THE STORE I SHUT VEHICLE OFF AND WENT IN . WHEN I CAME OUT I CRANKED IT OVER AND IT STARTERED AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE BY FIREWALL AND WAS INGOLFED IN FLAMES
WHEN DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND THE CAR DIES. IT HAS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I'M ON THE ROAD. REPLACED CAMSHAFT SENSOR BUT IT IS STILL DYING. IF YOU DO A GOOGLE SEARCH YOU WILL FIND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT IS DANGEROUS AND MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF OTHERS CAN BE AT RISK. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, NO MATTER WHAT SPEED THE VEHICLE STARTS TO SPUTTER, LOSES POWER AND WILL STALL. I WAS LOW ON GAS, AND TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL GAS STATION FOR FUEL. AFTER PUTTING $10 IN MY CAR WAS RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH. I WAS DOING ABOUT 20 MPH, WHEN IT JUST SHUT OFF. BRAKES GOT REAL HARD. AFTER RE STARTING THE VEHICLE ALL SEEMED NORMAL. THEN, I DROVE ABOUT 3 CAR LENGTHS AND IT DID IT AGAIN AT A RED LIGHT. I TRIED PUSHING THE GAS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD DO ANYTHING, IT DIDNT. I DROVE ALL IN , ABOUT 3 MILES, AND THE CAR STALLED 7 TIMES. WHILE IN THE DRIVE THROUGH, IT STALLED 3 ABD AT ONE POINT JERKED SO FAR I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. VEHICLE SPEED DOES NOT MATTER , AS IT WILL SLOWLY LOSE POWER AND TURN OFF. I WAS DRIVING LOCALLY ON A CITY STREET. MY BEST GUESS TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE SOMETHING RELATED TO THE EVAP SYSTEM, QUITE POSSIBLY THE PURGE VALVE BUT IM NOT 100% SURE BUT THIS SITUATION IS VERY UNSAFE, I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN AND CANNOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. DURING MY TRIP THE SPEED WAS BETWEEN 20-45 MPH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY THAT REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, CAM SHAFT SENSOR, AND THE IGNITION SWITCH. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE READING AND INDICATED THAT THE PCM OR TIPM MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO INDICATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE PART WAS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION FOR THE YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND I PULLED OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES I TRIED THE IGNITION KEY AND THE ENGINE STARTED AND I CONTINUED ON MY WAY.
A VALVE SEAT IN MY CYLINDER HEAD CAME OFF DURING NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION CAUSING TOTAL ENGINE DESTRUCTION. THE VALVE SEAT (MADE OF STEEL) DISLODGED ITSELF AND DESTROYED THE ALUMINUM HEAD AND THE PISTON IN THAT CYLINDER. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFAULT COMMON IN THESE ENGINES. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY ROAD WHEN THE VALVE LOCKED UP, LOST COMPRESSION, CAUSING MY BRAKES TO GO OUT AND MY ENGINE TO STALL. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID THE CAR STOPPING IN FRONT OF ME.. THIS IS A DOCUMENTED FAILURE ON 1999-2002 CHRYSLER- JEEP 4.7L ENGINES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 187,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 187,000.
WAS DRIVING DOWN WAYNE ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN EVERYTHING SEEM TO BE WORKING EXCEPT THE GAS PADDLE. I HAD MY FEET ON GAS BUT IT WAS NOT RESPONDING I QUICKLY PULLED TO THE RIGHT AS IT WAS HARD TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS CARS BEHIND ME AND IT WAS SCARY KNOWING SOMEONE COULD HIT ME . I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE CAME THOUGHT HE COULD JUST GIVE ME A JUMP BUT HE SAID ITS NOTHING WRONG WITH BATTERY. IT LOOKS LIKE IM NOT GETTING ANY GAS. IT WONT TURN OVER SO HE PUSHED ME IN THE MALL. UNTIL I GET OFF FROM WORK. I WAS BLESSED THAT IT HAPPEN TO DO THAT ON THE DAY HE WAS OFF BECAUSE I JUST STARTED A NEW JOB AND I DIDN'T NEED TO MISS A DAY AS SOON AS I START WORKING. I ALSO READ MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS IS. THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AND FAST. I THANK THE LORD FOR WATCHING OVER ME IN TRIAL MOMENTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING, THE KEY WOULD RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION WHILE IN ANY GEAR. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
OIL PRESSURE KEEPS CHANGING WHEN IT SHOULDN'T WHICH IS CAUSING CAR TO OVERHEAT. *TR
VEHICLE LOOSES OIL PRESSURE OFTEN AND TIMING CHAINS AND GEARS FROM FACTORYARE NO GOOD! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS IDLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
I WAS COMING DOWN A DRIVEWAY FROM A STORE AND I ATTEMPTED TO STOP BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND MY DURANGO LUNGED FORWARD TOWARDS THE OTHER VEHICLE AND IT DID IT TWICE BUT THE SECOND TIME I HAD BOTH MY FEET ON THE BRAKES AND I HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE.I HAVE NEW TIRES AND BRAKES AND ALSO THE PAVEMENT WAS WET BUT IT DID NOT SLIDE. IT WAS LIKE THE ACCELERATOR STUCK OR SOMETHING. MY WORRY IS THAT I COULD HIT A PEDESTRIAN NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS. I HAD NO DAMAGE TO MY DURANGO BUT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE. THIS IS THE FIRST ACCIDENT I'VE HAD IN YEARS AND I HAD A GOOD DRIVING RECORD UNTIL NOW. *TR
WHILE DRIVING A BURNING ODOR COULD BE DETECTED FROM INSIDE THE CABIN. SO I PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE ENGINE AND NO IMMEDIATE PROBLEM COULD BE SEEN. AFTER DRIVING FOR TWO BLOCKS I NOTICE THAT THE ODOR WAS GETTING STRONGER AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I PULLED OVER ONCE MORE OPEN THE HOOD. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I NOTICE FLAME AT THE FIRE WALL WITHIN SECONDS THE WHOLE ENGINE COVERED IN FLAMES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THERE WAS COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE RESERVOIR AND THE TEMPERATURE ERRATICALLY RACED TO HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND THE RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO PRODUCE ANY FAILURE CODES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS LOCATED THE FAILURE TO THE AIR BAG SENSOR ELECTRICAL WIRES. NO CODES WERE DISPLAYED REGARDING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE GARAGE, BECAUSE THE FRONT TIRES FELT UNSTABLE WHILE DRIVING. THE TIRE MECHANIC STATED THE FRONT HUB CAP CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FEEL UNSTABLE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WASN'T REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING BELOW 50 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUOUSLY OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT STATED THE HEAD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE DIAGNOSED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE BEFORE ANY REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,000.
WHILE DRIVING HOME ON MARCH 12, 2010 MY 2002 DODGE DURANGO SLT BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND IT SHUT DOWN ON ME. I CALLED AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE CAR. HE STATED THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE OIL SLUDGE WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENCE THE MAINTENANCE WAS WELL DONE AND THERE WAS NO SIGNALS WHICH WOULD HAVE ALARMED ME THAT A PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING. IT IS ALARMING TO ME SEE THOUSANDS OF OTHER CONSUMERS WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH GOES TO SHOW THAT MY INCIDENT WAS NO AN ISOLATED ONE. *TR
I AM MAKING A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE 2002 DODGE DURANGOS. THE OIL PRESSURE KEEPS GOING LOW AND NOW THE ENGINE HAS BLOWN. IT WAS NOT TIME FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WE KEEP OUR OIL CHANGED AS WE ARE SUPPOSE TO. THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND ENGINE WE WOULD HAVE PUT IN THIS VEHICLE BUT THE FIRST TIME IT WAS STILL COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY AND WAS PAID FOR BY THEM BUT NOW THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. HE COULD NOT RESTART THE VEHICLE. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALERSHIP , BUT WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED TO-DATE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 141,016.
EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS KEEP BREAKING ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR SIDES OF MY ENGINE. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT MY 2002 DODGE DURANGO 4.7 ENGINE. MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER TOLD ME THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW BY DODGE AND THEY KNOW IT BUT WON'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THIS CREATES AN EXHAUST LEAK THAT CAN SEND EXHAUST FUMES INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT THAT COULD CAUSE DEADLY PROBLEMS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE ENGINE RESTARTED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ON A SEPARATE OCCASION FOR THE SAME FAILURE, BUT THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS BEING DIAGNOSED AT THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACT IS WAITING ON A RESPONSE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
WE BOUGHT OUR 2002 DODGE DURANGO IN JANUARY OF 2008. WE HAVE GOTTEN REGULAR OIL CHANGES, AND USE ON SYNTHETIC OIL. WE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT, UNTIL SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2008. EVERYTHING WAS FINE NO WEIRD NOISES, FEELINGS OF THE TRUCK SHAKING, OR JUMPING THEN WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT ALL THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED. THE TRUCK KEPT RUNNING AS NORMAL THOUGH. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED THE OIL PRESSURE STARTED CLIMBING AGAIN, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. AS SOON AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY HOWEVER THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AND ALL THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED. FROM EVERYTHING WE HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THE FIX IS VERY COSTLY UP TO 4000.00 DOLLARS. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT FIXED AS OF YET, BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR A NEW ENGINE!!! *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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