1999 Dodge Durango engine and engine cooling problems

“I HAVE A 1999 DODGE DURANGO AND I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 60 MPH, OUT OF NOWHERE THE VEHICLE JUST SHUTS DOWN AND A SEMI TRUCK WAS AN INCH FROM STRIKING MY VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. THE SEMI LEFT SKID MARKS THAT WHERE 25 FEET LONG. I HAVE REPLACED THE PCM, CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, CAMSHAFT SENSOR AND THE IGNITION COIL AND STILL NO FIX. THIS IS MY ONLY CAR AND I HAVE TO GET TO WORK EVERYDAY, I HAVE NO OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND I CANT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR. I FEEL THAT MY LIFE IS IN JEOPARDY EVERY TIME I DRIVE THIS CAR. I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL NEAR MISSES SUCH AS THIS ONE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE A SOLUTION IS FOUND? *TR”

“ABOUT A MONTH AFTER BUYING MY 5.9 SLT DURANGO I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75MPH AND THE ENGINE STALLED AND I LOST POWER STEERING AS WELL AS POWER BRAKES AND THE ODOMETER READ NO BUS. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES IT TURNED BACK ON AND DROVE JUST FINE THE REST OF THE DAY. IT WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES OUT AT THEN TIME OF THE FAILURE. WE TOOK IT TO SEVERAL SHOPS AND FINALLY FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM (PCM/ MAIN COMPUTER) AND WE WERE SHOCKED THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL AFTER HEARING HOW OFTEN THIS OCCURRED. $1200 DOLLARS LATER IT RUNS AMAZING. THE PROBLEM DID GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIXIT. THE LONGEST WE HAD TO WAIT WAS 45 MINUTES BETWEEN STALL AND START UP. WE ALSO INSTALLED A K&N COLD AIR INTAKE SYSTEM THAT HAS A HEAT SHIELD AROUND THE COMPUTER. I LOVE DODGE AND AM SAD THEY HAVE NOT YET MADE A RECALL ON THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. *TR”

“WE EXPERIENCED WITHIN 1 WEEK OF PURCHASE (MARCH 2011) THE FREQUENT STALLING OUT, ALONG WITH TOTAL LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY HUNDREDS OF 1999 OWNERS. THE PROBLEM OCCURS IN PRIMARILY HOT SUMMER WEATHER, BUT HAS ALSO OCCURRED IN SPRING AND FALL WEATHER WITH ANY TEMPS OVER 70 DEGREES, ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY.THE ACTIONS REQUIRED ARE TO RAISE THE HOOD, WAIT FOR THE UNIT TO COOL (OR COOL IT ARTIFICIALLY WITH COLD WATER OR ICE PACK) UNTIL THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART. OVER A YEAR PERIOD OF EXPERIMENTING, I HAVE LESSENED BUT NOT CURED THE PROBLEM. ALL THE SOLUTIONS ARE RELATED TO INCREASING THE AIRFLOW TO THE CPU/PCM AREA, WHICH CHRONICALLY OVERHEATS DUE TO ITS LOCATION. IF DODGE WOULD RECALL THE 1999 MODEL, I CAN IMAGINE EITHER OF TWO SOLUTIONS AT MINIMAL COST. (PHOTOS OF MY SOLUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.) IF THE AIR GUARD TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE RADIATOR HAS THE TOP HALF REMOVED, THEN IT IS SIMPLE TO INSTALL AN INTAKE TUBE OR SHAFT TO DIRECT AIR THRU THE GRILLE TO THE PCM. A PLASTIC, EASY INSTALLED UNIT WOULD BE THE LOWEST COST SOLUTION. FAILING THIS, THE RELOCATION OF THE PCM WITH A MOUNTING BRACKET KIT AND A HARNESS EXTENSION…”

“VEHICLE DIES AT STOP LIGHT. I PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE. VEHICLE ENGINE CRANKS BUT DOESN'T FIRE. ON ODOMETER DISPLAY IT SAYS NO BUS. FUEL PUMP NOT COMING ON WHEN IGNITION IS TURNED ON . I WALK TO PARTS STORE AND BUY FUEL PUMP RELAY ,OR CIRCUIT BREAKER. PUT IT IN , FUEL PUMP COMES ON ENGINE STARTS . WIFE IS DRIVING IT TWO DAYS LATER . VEHICLE DIES IN BUSY INTERSECTION . NICE PEOPLE PUSH HER OFF THE ROAD WAY. SHE CALLS ME , I TELL HER TO TAKE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PARTS STORE AND GET NEW ONE. SHE REPLACES BREAKER ,SHE'S ON THE ROAD AGAIN. SO NOW I DO SOME READING FIND OUT CIRCUIT BREAKERS JUST GET HOT STOP WORKING , COOL DOWN AND WORK AGAIN. SO SOME THING IS DRAWING TOO MUCH CURRENT. REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER , BIG PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT. VEHICLE DIES TWO DAYS LATER. NICE MAN PULLS ME OFF THE ROAD. I LEAVE VEHICLE SIT FOR AN HOUR . VEHICLE STARTS BACK UP. SO I JUST GO ON VEHICLE DIES ON ME ALL THE TIME. FAST FOOD LINES ,BUSY INTERSECTIONS, IT DIES EVERY WHERE , EVERY TEMP. I DON'T LET MOMMY DRIVE IT ANYMORE. I DON'T TRUST IT TO CARRY MY BABY ANYMORE. I CANT SELL IT . I HAVE READ ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING SAME EXACT PROBLEMS . THEY SAY…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS SHE NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120000. UPDATED 06/05/12*LJ UPDATED 06/07/12 *JS”

“WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY SHUT OFF LOSING POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. AFTER SITTING FOR 10 TO 30 MINUTES IT WILL RESTART AND RUN FOR AN ADDITIONAL DISTANCE UNTIL SHUTTING OFF AND REPEATING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AGAIN. IT WILL SOMETIMES PERFORM NORMALLY FOR DAYS UNTIL ONCE AGAIN QUITTING FOR NO REASON. MULTIPLE COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITHOUT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. DODGE DENIES THERE BEING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BUT THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME CONDITION BEING REPORTED ON INTERNET SITES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. *TR”