Through my research I have found that the second generation Dodge Durango's, have a real problem with the front cowl, it seems that every time that it rains heavy or I drive through a an automatic carwash. Doing so caused the engine to run pretty horrible.on August 27 we got a very bad rain in town while driving home that night, I parked my SUV went into my house and a few hrs later I go to leave for work and I start the engineer and after a few hard knocks the engine goes boom. I sent it to a mechanic and they said that I blew a rod through the engine block on my number 6 cylinder due to hydrolock. I feel that Dodge should make a recall on the second generation Durango's and replace the front cowl with a better design that does not allow water to leak through the cowl and kill motors. As speaking for the customer this we should not have to pay 185 dollars for a design update for free along with labor.

- Grand Ledge , MI, USA

While driving at approximately 55 mph the engine stalled. I was able to pull it off the road safely and put it into neutral. I then restarted the car and continued my drive. This same thing happened approximately 1 week later when I was traveling 35 mph. I again had to put the car in neutral and restart. This time I was not able to pull over since I was on a busy street. Luckily the car behind me did not hit me. One week later the engine went out (per another complaint that I sent in last night). Dodge has a problem with this engine and should be held accountable for replacements.

- Carrollton, OH, USA

My wife and I purchased a 2004 Dodge Durango one year ago. Luckily the engine went out while the car was in our driveway. The engine only had 139,044 miles on it. Dodge has a history of the hemi engine going out. If this would have happened while my family was in the car in traffic and someone would have gotten injured or killed there would not be enough money in the world to fix it. Why hasn't Dodge admitted that there is a problem with this engine and recalled them?

- Carrollton, OH, USA

My 2004 Dodge Durango limited stalls at slow speeds and when coming to a stop and also while making turns. Have had at dealership and they cannot find out what is causing this since there are no engine codes. Vehicle is becoming very dangerous to drive due to this issue. Durango has a 5.7 hemi engine. Why is there no recalls on this issue when it involves over four years of production" are we waiting on a incident like Toyota had before we react" this has happened to Durango's with mileage low to high. Please help us now on this issue before it happens to you. Thanks !

- Hamilton, OH, USA

On August 15, 2013, got up got into my 2004 Durango with a 5.7 lit hemi engine and proceeded to drive to work as usual on my week day the vehicle showed no performance problems no check engine light or any other warnings on this vehicle arrived at work at approximately 10:30 a.M. and parked it, the car sat all day until 6:30 P.M., I came out from work got into my car started it up and it shut back down I tried to start it once again, I ended up calling my roadside assistance to tow the vehicle to a shop the car showed symptoms that it might be a starter, so an attempt to do an engine diagnostic was done on August 16, 2013 at a local Goodyear and they stated that the engine would not turn at all, they even attempted to hand turn it and to no avail it would not. At this point they said they did not have the capacity to fix it and I would have to have it towed to a shop that does major engine work so I did have it towed on August 16, 2013 to car czar and the said they were going to do a no crank, no start test on my car and on August 17, 2013 it was determined that the engine was totally seized and would not turn at all and that I would need a new engine. This auto care center also informed me that they could not fix this problem because this particular vehicle has special bolts and I would have to take it to a dealer also in my research for a new engine I ran across 41 pages of complaint from others with this same make and style of vehicle and they also describe the same problem with this car, I no some one who has also experienced the same problem with this same make and model, I bought my car off a carmax car lot a little shy of 2 years ago and it had one owner before me a very high maintenance vehicle and I'm a single mother with children I can't afford to take this kind of loss plus I'm still paying on it this is really sad.

- ,Sacramento, CA, USA

I pulled out of my apartment and began to accelerate up an incline. I heard a loud thump, all of the lights on the dash flashed and the car died right there approximately 60 yards from my door. After having it towed all over the place, I was informed that my engine had seized. I was very confused because I am always adamant about maintaining the vehicle and all of the regular work had been done. Dodge would do nothing because the vehicle's warranty had expired. Because I still owed money, I was forced to pay over $6,000 getting a replacement engine. Separate incident 08/17/2013 started vehicle after work. Got to work fine with no indications of trouble, engine was shaking violently, thick smoke sputtering from tail pipe. Reading engine codes saying fuel injector open. Spent 200 getting injection system checked with no success. Mechanic saying that the computer system is bad in the vehicle which is likely to cost upwards of $1000 from Dodge. Bottom line, this product is a complete disgrace, and I feel like the thousands of people affected by this terrible product should be compensated. I have almost had to pay for this car all over again with the time and money I have had to invest in repairs.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

My 2004 Dodge Durango sat outside in the rain while I was away on a trip when it returned and restarted it, I heard a load pop and the engine idling rough, got out to check and seen and smelled oil coming out of the side of the engine block. Motors toast, good job Chrysler for a quality product!

- Toledo, OH, USA

I have a 2004 Dodge Durango, when it rains it shake while driving and then the engine would make some noise have it check out it was nothing, at the end of February I had park at home for the weekend when it came to Monday wanted to go out car would not start, tried to power charge the battery started but died right after, had it check out mechanic guy said my engine is gone and I'm still making payment towards that car and it's about 3,000 or more to get another engine. It's not right that all of these people are complaining about the same problem, something need to be done right away. So now the car is just sitting there, while I'm making payments on it.

- Brockton , MA, USA

I was taking off from a traffic light and I heard a pop sound and the engine shut off. I got the vehicle of the road and had towed to a repair shop. They said engine is shot something in the valve train broke loose and hit the piston. I have changed the oil and filter every 3-4000 miles since I have owned this vehicle. I have found by checking the internet that there are thousands and thousands of complaints for premature engine failure for a 2004 Dodge Durango with 5.7L engine. It is obvious that Dodge new about this because the problem seemed to go away in 2005 models.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while parked, the engine failed to start after rainy weather. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several days but noticed a knocking sound coming from the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed to determine the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.

- Ham Lake, MN, USA

Drove vehicle on 7-26-13 everything running fine went to drive on 7-29-13 and started truck just to hear a loud bang and thump checked out by mechanic and it has a busted #7 connecting rod and engine block is shot and cant even rebuild this is a real problem that needs to be addressed quickly before any more hard working americans have to dump 4500-6000 dollars in their vehicle because some one wants to cover up a real problem.

- Wichita, KS, USA

I have owned my 2004 Dodge Durango hemi for just over a year. It had 86K miles. My family recently went on vacation for a week and returned home on July 27th, 2013. My husband needed to move my Durango so he could get to an electrical cord. When he turned the key my Durango made an awful noise that could be described as numerous people sitting there banging hammers on my engine. I don't know a lot about vehicles but I know enough to know that's never a good noise. I still owe money on my vehicle, and I am unable to drive it. Not to mention the cost it would be to replace the motor. I have read online that rebuilding the motor is a poor choice because something about the way the engine is built, it does not allow for all the pieces of medal to exit the motor after a rebuild, only resulting in a ticking time bomb for the motor to fail again. The reason for the engine failure is rain. Or car washes. I stopped driving my Durango in the car wash and during rain because it would stall out and run extremely rough. Dodge knows this is an issue, I am not the only one to complain about it but yet Dodge will not stand behind their product. If Dodge wont stand behind their product, I will never be a Dodge owner again. ----2004 Dodge Durango limited - engine failure at 86,004 miles.

- Barrington, NH, USA

I only had the darn SUV since 02/12.it rained very bad Friday night 7-26-13 and when I went to start the car the next morning the engine sounds like a hammer is in it or something I know I always had engine problems whenever I got a carwash but nothing like this time it's not drivable and I hope someone can get everyone a recall on these no good engines or motors whatever now I'm stuck in debt!!! its ticking and I don't know the next step to take.

- Roseville , MN, USA

2004 Dodge Durango limited 5.7L hemi had a knocking noise, took it to the dealer and based on their visual and hearing inspection suspected to be the flywheel ring; dealer stated that they needed to take the trans out for a final assessment. Dealer stated that there was not issues with engine. A week later while driving at approximately 55mph a loud noise and smoke came from underneath the vehicle. The engine stopped and lost power breaks and power steering. Towed the vehicle to the dealer and I was told that there is a hole in the engine block by the 8th cylinder and engine was sized. Dealer found metal parts (piston rod parts) all over the engine compartment. Contacted Chrysler hq and I was told that there are no reports of such failure and they were not interested into looking at this problem. The vehicle had less than 106K miles. The vehicle was not repaired as the repairs (parts and labor) exceeded the book value of the vehicle. This looks like a metallurgy issue of the piston rod and Chrysler should address it.

- West Milford, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle made a loud unusual noise and failed to start. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 86,000.

- Barrington, NH, USA

I am adding my 2004 Dodge Durango slt 5.7 hemi to the growing list of those with blown engines. Like many on this site mine was well taken care of with maintenance performed at regular intervals. I bought it brand new and was the primary driver for nine years. Besides the recall for the electrical panel, the only problem I had with it was decreased reliability of the air conditioner and the engine stalling in the rain. The first time the engine idled poorly in the rain was around 2009. It seemed to be intermittent and anyone I spoke to about it said that water could not get in the engine and it checked out fine. I truly enjoyed driving this vehicle and planned to drive it until it fell apart, which came sooner than expected. I drove from Florida to Ohio and back Dec 2012 and had no issues at all. On July 12, 2013 I drove to work and home with a perfectly performing Durango. On July 13, 2013 it rained heavily for several hours and I stayed home all day. The next morning when I went out to go to work it would not start. When I tried to start it only clicked and would not turn over. After several hours of research, a new battery, starter, and ignition fuse, we finally turned the engine manually to get it started. That's when the knocking engine was revealed. The water entering the engine during the heavy rain caused the engine to hydra lock and that is why it would not start. I am truly amazed after my research on this site and others that there have been hundreds of other 2004 Durangos that this has happened to that clearly proves that this was a defect in the year model. The older models last for 200,000 to 300,000 miles. My husband has a Ram truck with 175,000 miles and still runs fine. I would truly hope the company would recognize this and offer some type of reimbursement to the owners of these vehicles. This incident caused me much emotional and financial strain.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

It started with what I thought was just an egr problem about two years ago, and I replaced it. It kept dying, especially when it was raining pretty good, and I thought something was getting wet. I thought it was the starter or battery, and replaced the battery. A few days before the last incident, it didn't want to start again, so I thought I guessed wrong and was going to replace the starter. May 3, 2013, on the way to work, it started running real rough, and the check engine light started flashing. It was raining very hard. I pulled over, and smelled burned oil, and then saw a multicolored sheen on the wet, rainy pavement. The engine died before I got the hood up. I can start it, but it sounds like someone is inside with a hammer. The guy that towed it said it threw a rod out the driver side of the engine, by the motor mount. It starts, but sounds like someone is inside the engine with a hammer. From what it sounds, the rod broke, and went through the side of the engine. With almost 700 complaints, something should be able to be done. I owe almost $8000 on this car, and it will cost at least half of that to fix it. It isn't worth anything the way it is, and it costs more to fix it than it is probably worth. A simple internet search brings up all of these same symptoms for this 5.7L hemi engine, without even mentioning the issues. There are that many problems with it. It isn't a safety issue when you lose all power steering, brakes, and pour out oil at highway speeds in the rain? please do something. Thank you.

- La Grange, MO, USA

When starting engine piston connecting rod broke, this is a problem with the 2004 Durango with thr 5.7 hemi engine.

- Roanoke, VA, USA

Vehicle was running fine until storm came through dumping continuous rain on vehicle. I went to move the vehicle later that day and noticed standing water on drivers side floorboard/carpet. It was soaked! I went to start the engine it didn't respond initially so I turned ignition backwards (off direction) and tried to restart. At that moment it started very rough and made a loud noise from the engine and continually does so whenever it is started now. I can't and don't drive it. Looking closer under the hood apparently water is getting inside the engine compartment when it rains. The black material lining under the hood was soaked also. On the engine there were water droplets and most components of the engine had dried water marks/streaks throughout the compartment.

- Salem, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while traveling 60 mph, the motor suddenly failed. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where it was found that a rod in the motor had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000.

- West Point, MS, USA