CarComplaints.com Notes: The second generation Durango was introduced in 2004 and instantly came under fire for, well, catching on fire.

From 2004-2006 electrical overloading in the driver's side instrument panel caused numerous reports of interior fires. The interior infernos became so commonplace that Chrysler eventually issued a recall.

The problems didn't stop there, however. Owners of the recalled vehicles complained about being treated unfairly and given take-it-or-leave-it low ball settlement offers. "They offered me $2000 under NADA retail as a settlement," said one owner, "and have been rude and hostile to deal with." Nothing says awesome service like treating your customers rudely after their cars have caught on fire.

Have we mentioned all the reports of complete engine failure due to oil sludge?

2.4

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
64,541 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Dodge Durango cooling system problems

cooling system problem

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2004 Dodge Durango Owner Comments

problem #4

Apr 152011

Durango

  • 152,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Orange Park, FL, USA

problem #3

Feb 222009

Durango

  • 42,500 miles
The problem started about a month ago, I had experienced my car overheating in the winter with temperatures in the teens. I took the vehicle (Dodge Durango) to my local dealer, he stated he will run a diagnostics report, 3 days later he called me to say the vehicle if fine, however he noticed the fan ran slow therefore he decided to replace the fan clutch and a belt also replaced the thermostat, I paid him $600 dollars and within 3 days it's overheated again and I had to return the vehicle back to the dealer. He stated he will look at it and he cannot make any promises. I declined to let them service the car. I have now placed it in the hands of my mechanic, after several days trying to trouble shoot this problem he replaced the water pump, this would not relieve the problem, after many hour on the internet I came across a review that suggested the problem was with the radiator. We decided to replace the radiator; the mechanic discovered the radiator was not able to support the engine capacity, which caused it to overheat.

- Monroe , NY, USA

problem #2

Jun 292007

Durango 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 45,468 miles
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.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #1

Sep 242004

Durango 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,196 miles
On September 24, 2004 the battery was replaced. On December 29, 2004 the battery cable was rerouted per recall. On May 6, 2005 the vehicle overheated, the following parts were replaced the hub/drive fan, thermostat, water pump, and the spark plugs. On May 16, 2005 overheated the radiator had to be replaced. On August 12, 2005 the vehicle overheated. The following parts were replaced the heads, valves, camshaft, and sprocket. On October 18, 2005 the vehicle had squeaky brakes, brake pads replaced and rotors turned. The right rear axle leaked and needed to be replaced. On January 17, 2006 the radio cut in and out, dashboard controls were flickering on and off. No problems were found. Also, I asked for the brakes to be checked for the same type of vibration. Stated there was no safety issue, but rotors needed to be replaced. On January 20, 2006 the vehicle was again brought to the dealer for the radio, dashboard, and stalling. The car was kept for two days and returned without any solution. On S January 22, 2006 again my vehicle stalled at a traffic light. On January 24, 2006 was again brought in to the dealer. I spoke with the service manager on January 25, 2006 and he told me that Chrysler said static electricity from the seat caused the problem. He was then advised to spray the seats with something to eliminate the static electricity. The car was to be delivered to me by an employee of the dealer, when the gentlemen arrived he told me that the car radio started cutting in and out, and the dash board went crazy, he then left with the loaner car and I proceeded to call the dealership, driver came back to pick up my car once again to return to the dealership. When he tried to start the vehicle it would not start, a technician was sent to my home to replace the battery. The battery was replaced, an vehicle was off to the dealership.

- Winthrop, ME, USA

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