Problems · by component

2004 Dodge Durango engine and engine cooling problems

249 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Dodge Durango cite engine and engine cooling, 22% of all 1,115 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
249
22% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
13
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“2004 DODGE DURANGO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A DEFECTIVE ENGINE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIGOROUSLY AND THE NOISE GREW LOUDER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD A CONTINUOUS OIL LEAK. *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 27, 2018Engine and engine coolingODI 10965491
“I HAVE A 2004 DODGE DURANGO SLT 5.7L HEMI. NEVER HAD ANY BIG ISSUES WITH IT UNTIL IN 2014 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND LOUD KNOCKING NOISES FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY AN ABRUPT SHUT OFF. I TRIED IMMEDIATELY TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT WHEN I LOST POWER STEERING FROM THE ENGINE CEIZING AND COULDN'T CORRECT MYSELF ENOUGH SO I WENT DOWN THE HILL OFF THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WHILE TRYING TO BREAK WITH NO BRAKE BOOSTER ANYMORE AS WELL. I ENDED UP RUNNING INTO A COUPLE SMALL TREE'S AND FINALLY STOPPING . AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND I ONLY JAMMED MY FINGER AND HURT MY BACK SOME BUT I ONLY MISSED A LARGER GROUP OF TREE BY INCHES. MY FRONT BUMPER WAS RIPPED OFF, MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS BROKE AS WELL AS MY GRILLE AND MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE "HYDROLOCKED" AND A PISTON ROD PUNCHED THROUGH MY ENGINE AND BROKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS INTERNALLY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE ENGINE IS GONE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE PEOPLE THAT HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEIR 04 AND 05 DODGE DURANGO WITH THE 5.7L HEMI. APPARENTLY THE WATER RUNS RIGHT DOWN ONTO THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 12, 2015Engine and engine cooling, Equipment, Unknown or otherCrash reportedODI 10763307
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A CAR WASH AND RAINY CONDITIONS. PRIOR TO STALLING, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE COWL SCREEN WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE INJECTOR O-RING, PLUG WIRES, AND GASKETS AROUND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 19, 2014Engine and engine coolingODI 10626308
“I HAVE HAD THE CAM POSITION SENSOR FAIL APPROX. 5 TIMES. WHEN THE SENSOR FAILS OR STARTS TO FAIL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND OCCASIONALLY WHILE THE LIGHT IS ON THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF THE BRAKES WILL NOT WORK. THE SAID SITUATION WHEN THE BRAKES WILL NOT WORK HAS OCCURRED 7 TIMES. AT TIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL LIGHT UP AND BE NOT LIT WHEN THE TRUCK IS RESTARTED. ON ONE OCCASION MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK, THE LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE CAM SENSOR, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND SHE ROLLED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 11, 2014Engine and engine cooling, Service brakesODI 10609967
“WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO 5.7 HEMI THE SVC 4X4 LIGHT WENT ON AT THE TIME I WAS DRIVING 35MPG IN 70 DEGREE WEATHER AND DID NOT HAVE MY 4X4 ON. I TOOK IT THE MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE 4X4 SHIFT MOTOR, SO I BOUGHT A NEW 4X4 SHIFT MOTOR AND THEY REPLACED IT BUT MY 4X4 WAS STILL NOT WORKING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANIC SHOPS AND THEY KEEP SAYING ITS THE 4X4 SHIFT MOTOR SO I EXCHANGED THE NEW 4X4 SHIFT MOTOR THINKING IT WAS DEFECTED AND ONCE AGAIN BOUGHT A NEW ONE AND HAD IT REPLACED AND AT THIS POINT THE MECHANICS DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IT COULD BE BECAUSE IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 12, 2013Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10543320
“I AM ALSO ADDING TO THE RAPIDLY GROWING NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT MY 2004 DODGE DURANGO SLT 5.7 HEMI HAS WITH THE BLOWN ENGINE. AS MAJORITY ON THIS SITE HAVE EXPRESSED, MY DURANGO WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF WITH MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT REGULAR INTERVALS. I BOUGHT MY DURANGO USED IN 2007 WITH 1 OWNER PRIOR TO MYSELF. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE RECALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL PANEL, ALONG WITH THE EGR VALVE 2 YEARS BACK AND ENGINE STALLING IN THE RAIN. THE FIRST TIME MY ENGINE IDLED POORLY WHILE IN THE RAIN WAS AROUND 2008. AS MANY OTHERS HAVE STATED IN THEIR FORMAL COMPLAINTS, I DROVE HOME FROM WORK WITH NO PROBLEM. AS I RETURNED TO MY TRUCK 15MIN LATER I WENT TO START THE IGNITION AND THE ENGINE KNOCKED AND SHUT DOWN. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE IGNITION AGAIN, AND ONCE AGAIN THE ENGINE KNOCKED, SHAKED AND HAD SHUT DOWN ONCE MORE. AFTER THE 3RD TIME STARTING THE IGNITION, I GOT NO RESPONSE JUST A CLICK. I LET MY TRUCK SIT FOR A DAY AND HAD IT TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC. AFTER CHECKING MY FUEL PUMP, STARTED, BATTERY, AND ALTERNATOR, MY MECHANIC FIGURED THE ROOT OF MY PROBLEM HAD BEEN MY ENGINE HAD BLOWN. AFTERWARDS, I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE WITH ENGINES IN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 29, 2013Engine and engine coolingODI 10532545

Showing 6 of 249 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.