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.
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.
The seat belt fastener fell apart. Plastic casing separated and components that lock seat belt into fastener fell out. This is in the third row which is used rarely. Quick search online shows that this seems to be a frequent problem that has not been addressed by a recall. Considering the back seat (third row) is primarily for children given the limited leg room it is especially concerning.
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. The contact stated the driver side seat belt failed to unlock and was cut in order to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,543 and the current mileage was 85,553.
The outboard position seatbelt systems in the middle seat has the plastic latch cover missing. The metal of the latch is the only remaining part of both outboard latches. This was noticed when I went to install a child restraint in the vehicle. I have spoken to other owners who have had the same issue.
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. While the contact was installing the child seat in the vehicle, the seat belt latch plate cracked. The child seat could not be installed. She stated that this was the third seat belt to fail in the same manner. The first repair was made under warranty. The second repair was paid for by the manufacturer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the part for the repair was ordered. The manufacturer stated that the seat belt would be repaired for free because it was a safety issue. The failure mileage was 62,200 and current mileage was 62,223. Updated 12/17/08. Updated 12/18/08.
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. While the contact's son was sitting in the center of the middle row seats, the seat belt began to tighten around his stomach. He suffered bruising and whelps on his stomach. Every time her son moved, the seat belt grew tighter. The contact stated that the release button failed to release the seat belt and she had to cut the seat belt to free her child. She contacted a Dodge dealer in her area, but they could not explain the failure. The number of cylinders, engine size, and a valid VIN were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 60,000.
- Ewing, KY, USA
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I have a 2004 Dodge Durango slt from the beginning to present I have replaced the seat belt cover a whopping "4" times and have to do it again. It is made of plastic including the hooks on the back so everytime the seat belt taps on it just right it snaps the plastic brackets on the back and off it falls. I have also had to replace the stereo and am about to do it again. It sounds like it is trying to feed the cd. When you shut the front passenger door, it stops.
The contact stated two seat belts broke. She noticed this about 2 weeks ago. Prior to this the plastic piece on the seat belt that held the belt tightly did not do its job. The seat belts broke while they were installing car seats. One seat belt broke in the middle seat, and the other in the third seat. There was a plastic piece on the buckle portion. On one seat belt the plastic piece came completely off, and the other seat belt just had a crack in it. The contact took vehicle to the dealer, and they were going to fix it free of charge. Also, contacted daimler/Chrysler.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Glyndon, MN, USA