We purchased our car new in May 04. We drove our car 2 days before the engine failure and all was fine. We have had no major issues with the vehicle. I got in the car the other morning and tried to start it and it made this loud noise like rocks or marbles in the engine. Then it would not start. After a few attempts to start, the engine started but has a very loud knocking noise. Had it towed to a Dodge dealership. They said the camshaft and pistons need to be replaced. But haven't really torn the engine apart to diagnose everything. They said this is not a known problem....Right! Total cost to rebuild the bottom half is $5,000.00. The service guy told me it was one of the cleanest engines he has seen too. I told them that was too much and they went down to $4,100.00. But we found another licensed shop to rebuild for $2,700.00 with tax. The shop doing the work has 3 other Durangos at his shop with the same problem. The Dodge dealership also charged us $90.00 for diagnostics and $13.00 plus change for supplies. ? Our receipt just shows charge for diagnostics. We asked they also add to record the cause but they handwritten the possible problem on our paperwork. Is it because they don't want that in the system? I'm curious. We have purchased many Chrysler/Dodge products but no more especially if Chrysler will not come clean about this KNOWN problem with this engine. This engine should have lasted a lot longer than 90,900 miles. It's not the 70's anymore. I forgot to add.... The Dealership said that they sold over a million and a half of these vehicles and this is a fluke that it happened to a few of them. I have checked other vehicle complaint boards such as edmunds.com and this is a known problem.

I am currently an owner, paid in full, of a dead Dodge Durango 5.7 limited. I now call it my 55 thousand dollar yard ornament. I was at a stop light. The light turned green. With a car in front of me and a large delivery truck next to me, I proceeded to go through the light. As I was crossing the intersection, with no audible warning, with no dash board warning, the engine blew! It was like a bomb went off! I'm sure it scared the people driving next to me! The engine had completely shut down. I had no power steering or brakes. I managed to pull of the road into a parking lot. I got out and looked under the truck and saw oil pouring out of the engine! I had just had the engine serviced and oil change done just a week prior. It came out with a supposed clean bill of health. Real bad news is that my extended warranty has expired by 20 days! I've done some research and found that catastrophic failure for this engine is common! there are tons of complaints about this engines failure. Also found out that Chrysler new about the problem, changed the rods to stronger ones and didn't even bother doing a recall!!! It's going to cost almost 8000.00 dollars to install a new engine and Chrysler or the dealer ship doesn't really give a crap! Merry fricking Christmas! I'm looking into a class action law suit. So if any one out there knows if there has been on started or knows how to start one, please contact me!!

I have/had a Dodge Durango I bought new in December, 2003. I really loved the car and had all the maintenance done on it when suggested. I have all the paperwork on it. Like others, the car started running rough when it rained and would stop at a stop light (for a few seconds). The car never died though. On 12/27, I went to the store and came home -- everything was fine. I got in the car the next day and TRIED to start it up and all of a sudden there was a horrific noise. I thought -- actually kind of hoped it was an animal under the hood. I got out and checked under the hood and nothing was there. I had the car towed into the dealership (where all my maintenance was done) and was informed the next day that it was the engine. I had bought the Hemi because I thought it would run forever. I have owned other cars where I always get over 200K miles on them before getting rid of them. I am extremely disappointed and would NEVER purchase another Chrysler/Dodge product. I have been on other websites where this looks like a problem with the engine - the rods are not forged. I wish the government would issue some kind of recall.

A Rod broke while I was driving and the engine seized. No one, including Dodge, is able to get this motor - it's on back order. I was told it could be 4 months or more to get a NEW one from the manufacturer. I've had numerous resources check in to getting a used engine and there turns out to be only 2 available in the US and the cost of the USED engines is around $4000 (not including shipping or labor). After much research it turns out that the 2004 and some 2005 engines were made with a different type of steel rods that turned out to be a weaker steel and a disaster. I've seen numerous complaints of this same issue happening to people - some folks replaced the motor only to have the same thing happen again in as little as 6 months. So, for Christmas this year I got a pile of scrap metal - my 2004 Dodge Durange that i can't even sell or trade in - NO ONE wants it!!!

I love my dodge i have gotten the oil changed every 3,000 miles and whatever was due to be done was done. Friday i filled up with gas, the hurricane was coming so we were getting things ready. I got home parked the dodge in the same place i have for years (bought the vehicle new in 2004) we went through the hurricane with problems but our live and our home is good. So Sunday I thought I would go to town and check on my moms house. Got in the dodge turned the key and it sounded just like i had a metal bucket filled with nuts and bolts in the bucket and was shaking it. I immeditly swithed the key off-thinking maybe the wind blew something into the motor so i lifted the hood but could not see anything in the way so this morning i had the dodge towed. I went to the dealership before the dodge got there to tell them what happened. Well they called me a couple of hours later and said the rod went threw the motor and oil is coming out, so I went to the dealer and went in and asked did you start the vehicle? they said yes we had to find out what was going on. I told them there was NO oil coming out of the bottom at my house nor when it was towed away. I feel they tried to start it and kept try until it blew up. That kind of engine should last 200,000 miles- i had a 1976 Gremlin and I got 320,000 out of it and only used quaker state oil and the car did not quit i traded it (that was a wrong move). They say to replace the motor with a new one is 7250.00 i do not know what to do-first I do NOT have that kind of money. there is nothing wrong with the body or the interior it is in great shape, I tried so hard to do all you are suppose to do to keep the vehicle in great working order.

After reading all these bad things, I do not think I did anything wrong. But I do Not know what to do now. if anyone can tell me are the new motors the same as these motors?

I got lucky enough to have mine leave me stranded on the highway on my 8th wedding anniversary! Just cruising along, goen about 70 miles an hour when my car started to shimmy. I felt I had had a blow out! I proceed to pull over to the side of the road when I start hearing a bell and looked down to see my oil light had come on. Shut it right down and turned on my hazards.

After we had it towed and had someone look underneath, I had 1 noticeable hole in the block and 2 in my oil pan!! WTH!!! It had been a really reliable car up until then. No notice and then BAM! I am the proud owner of a Dodge piece of sh*t Durango that looked as if the underneath had been riddled by a bunch of bullets. If only the lender will consider loaning me an additional $6000, I can replace the motor and continue to be a loyal paying customer of a "running" Dodge Durango.

While on the interstate I noticed a vibration while applying the gas. It went away when I lifted. No lights or noticeable engine noise. I nursed it about 4 miles to the next exit. The engine stalled when I stopped with an Engine and Oil Pressure light coming on. It wouldn't start again. No fluid under the car. I had it towed to a dealer who concluded a rod or valve was thrown and two cylinders hydro-locked with coolant inside the pistons. Internal damage was extensive. I'm looking at an engine replacement or writing off the car. I had no problems with this engine previously and I held to a regular maintenance schedule. Not happy about this at all. It was a good vehicle until this happened. I looked up the blogs on Edmunds and noted dozens of 2004 Hemi's failing without warning in the 80-115K mile range. Something is going on with this model engine.

Its time for my Durango to get its inspection, so while I'm there i get the oil changed (Monday 3pm). With the oil change comes an 'DNA' of your vehicle (diagnostic test of vehicle)...no problems. Tuesday @around 5pm I'm at a red light, the light turns green and iI step on the gas and BOOM...the worst noise I have ever heard from a vehicle. I immediately pull over to see whats going on, look under the truck and I see oil pouring out. My first thought was "what the #%&! did they do to my truck. After having it towed back to the shop, we make sure they did everything they were supposed to(oil,cap,ect) Upon further inspection we see a big hole in the side of the block. How in the world can A vehicle be fine one day, and then blow out an engine the next day..if someone has the answer (Chrysler), could you please tell me.I really loved that truck, but unless they help me with my problem, it will be the last dodge I buy. I will also try and deter anyone from buying anything from dodge/Chrysler. I know its going to be hard but maybe if enough people complain something may get done.

Have a 2004 Dodge Durango Limited. Loved it to death and had very few problems with it. Drove it about an hour and a half away from home to go camping and it drove perfect just like always. We drove it for the last time Saturday night up to the campstore for wood and still it was running perfect. We went to start it on Sunday afternoon and the engine made this terrible noise like something was flapping around clunking metal so my husband turned it off right away, we look down and oil is pouring out. Our connecting rod went through our oil pan and we now need to replace the engine. Dodge still has not done a recall on this motor even after this same exact thing has happened hundreds of times, many probably not reported. I called Dodge to ask for assistance in the bill and was out of luck because I had over 100,000 miles. I would think that when you pay 35,000 to 40,000 for a vehicle, the manufacture should stand behind it a little more. My family will no longer be purchasing any Dodge/Chrysler vehicles in the future and I will let everyone I know how shady they are being regarding this KNOWN problem.

We drove all over the place the day before without any problems. My husband went to leave on Monday morning to run an errand and when he started it he heard a loud clicking sound. Upon investigation...he found a hole in the oil pan and we had it towed to the Dodge dealer where we purchased it new in the summer of 04'. They called the next day and said it was Engine failure and it would cost $6500.00 to fix. Are you serious???? No engine lights, smoking, noises....nothing until the morning he went to start and found the oil on the ground. I did have a problem twice with the engine just dying while i was in driving it....and was powerless to steer it or use the brakes...luckily both times I was in very little traffic. It started right back up both times as soon as I put it in park and turned the key. We have maintained the vehicle the entire time we have owned it and cant understand how they can just charge us for an engine when it was nothing that we did....and by reading the complaints on this site and others...it is apparent that it is a common problem for the 04' Durango's and the 04' Rams and even the 04 Jeeps....why isnt Chrysler doing something about this?

Last month, my Durango passed away. The engine had never given me a problem. No rough running, no skips or bumps, not anything one could perceive as a warning. The last time I drove the car, the engine performed as usual, taking a highway trip and getting it's usual fuel economy along the way. I took care of this engine. However, the very next time I got in the car, the engine failed on start-up as I turned the key. Horrible loud metal noises lead to less loud, but equally disturbing banging noises in the timing of the engine. I knew it was a goner.

I had the vehicle towed to Dodge, where they reported that a rod bearing had gone and with it taken out a piston and cylinder. The engine was dead. I would be saddened, but looking on sites like this one and others, I see a pattern of start-up or low-idle engine failures on this car. Dodge wanted nothing to do with my complaint to them, and refused any assistance on the repair. The dealer, of course, couldn't wait to get me to talk to their sales man, who happily offered me $450 for the vehicle. Used engines are pricey for this make, according to my repair guy, because the Ram trucks use them too, and they keep blowing. Great Dodge. Just great. Thanks for nothing. You will not be seeing this sucker in your dealerships again.

Update from Apr 6, 2011: Just thought I'd update this: On the tear down, it became apparent that a rod went through the block on this too. Nice quarter-sized whole. Bought a used engine and replaced it. Upon picking it up, the mechanic strongly urged me to get rid of the vehicle. Fun.

I walked out one morning - and tried to start my Durango and bang, the motor went. I was told that a rod broke and went through the side of my block. The day before I had driven it and never had any warning signs. I maintain my vehicle as required. I contacted Chrysler - and they directed me to have it towed to a Dodge dealership. Unfortunately the dealerships in this area are not trust worthy and over priced. Chrysler, at my own expense, wants me to have this dealership tear down my engine to find the cause, because "the maintenance records can't prove the cause". I found that your maintenance of a vehicle will not support any mechanical issues for assistance from Chrysler. They expect you to pay thousands to get a "diagnosis" from a dealer, then they will give you an answer. Chances are they will find some reason to not help with the cost of repairs and you will get stuck with a lot of expense for diagnostics and then still not have your vehicle repaired. Ridiculous. This is our 11th Chrysler product - never had this problem and I will NEVER buy another one.

I purchased my 2004 Durango SLT 5.7 liter Hemi brand new off the lot in January 2004 with 53 miles on it. Today she has 114, 426 miles. Had all routine maintenance done when recommended by dodge dealer, oil changes, fluid flushes, brakes, tires. NEVER had any issues with it besides the electrical dash board recall that was taken care of very nicely by the dealer. No complaints there. I drove it across country to Virginia and back twice, ran like a CHAMP. go out one day to warm it up on a cold morning and it makes a sound like it ate itself and shook so i turned it off. I saw oil on the ground underneath it and thought it was the transmission, after crawling under to take a better look i find a silver dollar size hole in the block on the passenger side just above the oil pan. The chunk of the block that was knocked off has some nicks on the inside face of it like something inside the engine hit the block and knocked a hole in it. i'd had the oil changed on December 2nd. I knew my Durango wouldn't last forever, but i expected to have it for longer than 6 years. WHY CHRYSLER WHY ?? ? ?

I've been searching the web in an attempt to find out what the problem is with my suv. when i start my engine, the rpm is all over the place. i'll drive it and it acts as if its having trouble shifting gears. I can be at a stop light and parked with the engine running and it will just stall, I have not received an engine light. i've taken it to firestone and certified transmission and no one has a clue. unbelievable! there is something terribly wrong and i'm afraid i'm going to end up stuck somewhere and i will not be happy!! i think i'm going to check with the gentleman that was interested in a lawsuit against chrysler because i think they are aware of the issue, but are ignoring it. very similar to toyota.

I have a 2004 dodge Durango that had engine failure with no warning. I drove my truck to work that morning no problem what so ever. When i finished work later that night I went to start my truck it would not start. It just gave me a click sound and that was it. So my friend thought it might be my battery so we hooked my battery to his and started to charge my battery. After about 30 min i went back to start it it still made a click sound but it was more then one like it was trying start up. So I ended up leaving my truck at my job to have the mechanic look at. So we hooked it up to a more powerful battery it started up but sounded like a lawn mower so I cut it off. I had it towed and the mechanic inspected it and called me at work and told me the engine was done. The engine block had a hole in it. It really sucks because it happened with no warning, I took very good care of my truck oil changes etc.....for this to happen it put me in a bind. I hope someone reads all the complaints about the same problem and do something about it i could use a new car right about now.....thanks dodge for making life more difficult......

I'm having the same problem everyone else is having with my 2004 Durango. I've taken the car to the dealer and they couldn't find a problem. Why now, my car isn't under warranty! I don't feel safe in this car with my family. I'm afraid its going to leave me stranded somewhere. I turn on my car and the rpms are jumping up and down in. While I'm driving down the street the car jerks like its going to take off or just stall. Please if anyone has any idea on what we can all do to have Chrysler fix this problem let me know. lori.allen@rcn.com

On 12/20/09 I went to warm up my car for church. When I turned the key all I got was on click. Not good. Considering my car only had 50,000 miles on it I figured I needed an alternator or something like that. We had it towed to C&C Dodge Toyota and they said after looking at it the engine failed and it need replaced!! What! This car has ran perfectly until today and had been serviced every 3,000 miles or earlier. Upon disassembling the engine they claim they found water in it??? What? Well since we have all the oil change receipts and a waranty we figured we were ok. No, guess again. They said the waranties don't cover neglect of the vehicle. This is the statement they are using to justify engine failure in a very well maintained car.

We have all our maintenance records so why are they aloud to not honor their waranty when they can not tell positively how this could happen to my car? After reading several websites it seems I am not alone. It appears several vehicles under waranty have been denied repairs and these companies are getting away with ripping us off.

I already griped about my 2004 Durango. Engine blew up after just 78,500 miles; routine maintenance, and regular oil changes. I went into yhe dealer, Arena Dodge, and showed them the blown-out engine parts that were in my driveway. Is this what I should expect after just 78,500 miles? Well, they did the right thing. The Service Mgr said he'd make some calls to Chrysler, and he did, and they agreed to cover all of the cost over $1,000. Needless to say, I was a happy camper. I also said I'd tell my story on-line since I griped on-line. Now I'd like to just get my car back and drive it. I'd like to keep it for a couple more years, then get another. Now I can say that I would go back to Arena Dodge.