CarComplaints.com Notes: When the 3rd-generation Durango was introduced in 2011 owners almost immediately started having a wide range of issues -- from water pump failure to stalling engines. Turns out the TIPM is to blame and those problems carried into the 2012 model year.
TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Modules) is responsible for controlling and distributing power to all the vehicle’s electrical functions. So when the TIPM starts acting up, so do all sorts of problems in the vehicle.
The problems have been so bad -- and replacement parts became so hard to find -- that a class-action lawsuit was filed against Chrysler focusing on the 2011-2012 Durango. The lawsuit accuses the automaker of ignorning the problem until it spiraled out of control.
We recently bought our 2012 Durango with the 3.6 engine with only 27,000 miles on it. For the most part we love it. This issue takes the cake for just being outright annoying.
When I get into this Durango in a suit and tie in Florida heat, crank the vehicle with the AC setting already on, put it in reverse pull out of a big parking lot and drive a half a mile down the road before it starts blowing cold air or any air for that matter out of the vents, that is REDICULOUS...
Sometimes it takes about 20-30 seconds for the AC to kick in and other times I'm out of my neighborhood before anything starts to even blow.
I looked this problem up on line first and saw a few complaints concerning this issue. Next, I called Dodge to see if this was supposed to be normal or should I take it to a dealership. They called my local dealership and spoke to a service manager and called me back to tell me that it was in fact normal and that they get a lot of complaints about it but if I thought it was unusually long to bring it in.
Their reasoning for this extended delay for the AC to come on is because everything is computerized so it take a while for it to compute. Of which I told them that is ridiculous considering the many other car manufacturers that have computer controlled AC's and they don't take that long to come on.
If I can get a video update of the problem later I will post it. For now we know that we are going to roast for the first few minutes we get into it until the AC decided to kick in.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
We recently bought our 2012 Durango with the 3.6 engine with only 27,000 miles on it. For the most part we love it. This issue takes the cake for just being outright annoying.
When I get into this Durango in a suit and tie in Florida heat, crank the vehicle with the AC setting already on, put it in reverse pull out of a big parking lot and drive a half a mile down the road before it starts blowing cold air or any air for that matter out of the vents, that is REDICULOUS...
Sometimes it takes about 20-30 seconds for the AC to kick in and other times I'm out of my neighborhood before anything starts to even blow.
I looked this problem up on line first and saw a few complaints concerning this issue. Next, I called Dodge to see if this was supposed to be normal or should I take it to a dealership. They called my local dealership and spoke to a service manager and called me back to tell me that it was in fact normal and that they get a lot of complaints about it but if I thought it was unusually long to bring it in.
Their reasoning for this extended delay for the AC to come on is because everything is computerized so it take a while for it to compute. Of which I told them that is ridiculous considering the many other car manufacturers that have computer controlled AC's and they don't take that long to come on.
If I can get a video update of the problem later I will post it. For now we know that we are going to roast for the first few minutes we get into it until the AC decided to kick in.
- Joe M., Apopka, FL, US