2004 Dodge Durango Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH and making a left turn in the rain, the vehicle shut off. There were no warning lights illuminated. While at a car wash, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the water was entering the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ID

11588740

Incident

Jan 1, 2012

Mileage

115,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11389746

Incident

Jan 25, 2021

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

NHTSA ID

11386885

Incident

Oct 14, 2020

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

NHTSA ID

11374726

Incident

Aug 15, 2020

Mileage

118,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11340465

Incident

Jul 19, 2020

Mileage

200,000 mi

MY ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING MY VEHICLE . WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN IT SHUTS OFF.

NHTSA ID

11308759

Incident

Feb 12, 2020

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.

NHTSA ID

11292297

Incident

Dec 27, 2019

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.

NHTSA ID

11287050

Incident

Nov 20, 2019

Mileage

114,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11277215

Incident

Oct 30, 2019

Mileage

161,334 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11269033

Incident

May 22, 2019

Mileage

174,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11266611

Incident

Oct 6, 2019

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

NHTSA ID

11253530

Incident

Aug 29, 2019

Mileage

130,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11230702

Incident

Jun 1, 2019

Mileage

130,000 mi

I WAS GETTING GAS AND AS I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION I WAS GETTING A LOAD TICKING NOISE. TO FIND OUT LATER MY 5.7 HIMI LIFTER AND CAM SHAFTS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I GET A REGULAR OIL CHANGE AND FILTER CHANGE. I AM NOT SURE WHY THIS IS HAPPENING BUT I DID SEE THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND 5.7 HIMIS DODGE DURANGOS AND NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED. I'M A MOTHER OF 3 LITTLE ONES AND I'M TERRIFIED WE CAN GET STRANDED IF MY ENGINE DECIDES TO GO OUT DUE TO THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11222429

Incident

Jun 6, 2019

Mileage

240,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11193337

Incident

Apr 2, 2019

Mileage

120,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11185977

Incident

Mar 1, 2018

Mileage

200,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11181504

Incident

Feb 20, 2019

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.

NHTSA ID

11166415

Incident

Jan 9, 2019

Mileage

130,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11156868

Incident

Jul 10, 2018

Mileage

180,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11152321

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11144949

Incident

Oct 27, 2018

Mileage

178,000 mi

MY VEHICLE STALLS IN THE RAIN. IT STALLS AT A STOP OR ROLLING SPEEDS. IT IDLES ROUGH FIRST AND THEN STALLS OR SHUTS OFF. SOMETIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON, BUT NOT ALWAYS. THIS ONLY OCCURS IN THE RAIN. I'VE HAD SEVERAL MECHANICS LOOK AT IT, AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHER DURANGO OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11129432

Incident

Sep 2, 2018

Mileage

160,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11120887

Incident

Aug 16, 2018

Mileage

176,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11119168

Incident

May 29, 2018

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

NHTSA ID

11090520

Incident

Apr 12, 2018

Mileage

113,543 mi