I hear that! My main car is a BMW 2001 X5. It has 174000 miles on it and still runs like a dream. Dodge could learn a lot from a quality auto maker. they just make junk.
We purchased our '04 Durango to replace our beloved 1995 Grand Cherokee. We wanted something with a bit more interior room and something with more towing capacity to pull a small camper. The ONLY reason we got rid of the Jeep was it had 200K miles on it and it would NOT run on gas with ethanol added; but ran fine on 100% gas. It was hard to find in my area so we decided to stop fighting the issue and upgrade to a newer vehicle. I found the Durango at a local dealer and the price was slashed because it was when gas prices spiked a few years ago and everyone was in a panic getting rid of big vehicles with V8s. Dealerships couldn't get rid of them so I was able to score a major deal and got it of 12K when it booked for nearly 17K. The Jeep had a 5.2L Magnum with was the modern MoPar 318; an engine that has been around since the 60s. At 200K miles it still ran great (on pure gas) but since this vehicle was pre-OBDII, it didn't have the newer technology (knock sensor) to deal with poor quality gasoline. So when you filled up with 10% ethanol gas, it knocked and pinged like crazy. We really, really regret selling the old Jeep now. I actually wanted a WJ (99-04 Grand Cherokee) but my wife wanted something bigger.
I have an 04 Durango with the HEMI. Everytime it rains or I run it through a car wash, it dies. It misses real bad, stalls then check engine light stays on for weeks. My mechanic said it is the o2 sensor but he has changed them all. The throttle body sensor was replaced and the crank positioning sensor was replaced. The damn thing keeps leaving me stranded. We are doing another car wash test on Friday. Take it to the car wash and hook the computer up to it and see if we get any error codes. The dealer was useless. They don't have a clue. I love my Durango but I hate being stranded. Time for a new car?
we had the same exact problem w/ our 04 durango for months. ideled really hight in the rain or after car wash and then started even stalling. check engine light would go on, no codes were coming up, nobody could figure it out, we once found a service bulletin saying it was the cowling, and we ordered a new one from dodge. 2 days later our engine blew. be careful i don't know if there is any connection but we replaced the engine w/ a jasper engine and it has never done it again.
My Durango was running ruff after a car wash or a good rain. My mechanic pulled the coils and found rust on the last two spark plugs on the right side of the engine. I think they are cylinders #7 and #8. Number 8 had thrown a code so I replaced the coil and my mechanic put silicon gel around the coil tube to keep water from the spark plug base. I did not replace the coil on #7 but we did gel the outside of the coil tube (coil tubes have a ribbed rubber ring to keep water out of plug port). These changes seem to have put an end to the ruff idle when the roads are wet. Coils were @ $45. I did the above repairs about 3 weeks ago. I do plan to check every coil and silicone each coil tube this coming week. This is a very easy task. There are 2 little set screws holding down each coil. Once screws are removed pull up on coil tube. Then silicone rubber ribs. Carefully push tube back on to spark plug. Of course, disconnect wire to coil and only do one coil at a time.
Today driving my just bought 2weeks ago as a as is no warranty Durango driving down the highway doing 72 mph then all of sudden bam clank and a whole bunch of smoke out the back. No signs of anything no lights no noise this truck ran great and very very clean. Thats why I bought it. So now I had it towed to the Dodge place to have them look at it. I do see the rod out the passager side of the engine block. I wish I would have looked at the problems with the 04 durangos with the hemi. So I guess If anyone has any answers I would love the help. And myself being a mech I looked this Durango over very good and did many test before I bought it.Funny everything checked out great. Thanks
Pull the cowl off and get some black adhesive from auto store. Run a bead along the windsheild (Bottom) And replace cowl. OR the dealer sells the new version cowl.Water is running into engine compartment and getting engine/coils/wires. wet..Causing the engine to stall and hard starts after rain or car wash...
Keeter, I and the other Durango owners feel your pain and fustration. The Durango 5.7 is a great vehicle and now that I have replaced the motor with a low mileage 08' power plant I have not had another critical failure. As a mechanic (not professionally) we check the the rings, listen for knocking, etc. Unfortunately, piston rods don't make a noise until they totally fail. If you read through the other 04' Durango forum members whose motors have failed we all have the same comment "the motor was running great and then....). There is a forum member that wants to launch a class action suit against Chrysler. I replied to his blog that I would join the suit if it ever comes into play. You could do the same but at the end of the day, I got the most relief from knowing that my analysis of the truck was on spot as was our other Durango brother and sister owners. Cost of repairs were @ $6,000. I had a warranty luckily so my out of pocket was about $2,000. The truck has been generally great since the replacement.
Can I use a 08 engine for my 04 Durango? I do not want to reapir this car to have the same problem with a used motor. The 04 engine is made with garbage metal! Were the problems fixed with the 08 engine?
Unfortunately later Hemis are not a direct replacement. There are some difference in the electronics and some internal (for the better) differences. Not impossible, but a bit more than an easy swap.
It makes feel a little better that I am not the only one with this problem. Shame on Chrysler for trying to sweep everything under the rug.
2004 Durango 5.7l Hemi just hit 100,000 miles
2 weeks ago we get stranded out in very rural eastern Washington, truck would start (with a jump) then immediately die, ended up having it towed 61 miles to the dealership where they said the computer needed to be reprogrammed for the key fob and that was what was causing the security system to kill the ignition. Had to replace the battery. Other than needing to think about new brakes sometime soon, the dealership said the truck was running great.
1 week and 300 miles later, my wife goes out to the truck and starts it up and there is a ticking sound coming from the engine. I go out and listen to it and it sounded like a lifter ticking. I told her not to drive it and I would get to it later in the week.
1 week later, I go out this morning to see what might be the problem, started it up and an awful knocking sound comes from the engine. Immediately shut off the engine knowing something other than a lifter is the problem. Now there is an oil pool in the driveway.
My wife starts reading online and finds this forum....
Now considering what to do next, I guess start looking for a new truck. Definately not a Dodge. What a load of crap!
Omg! I drive my 04 Durango (Hemi) every single day. Not one time have I had a problem. Ok So yesterday was my birthday. I load my 2 kids into the vehicle to head out. Start the car. Blam! Ticking. It was a great birthday for me! I had to get a ride to work. Was almost late. When I got home, I saw there was oil everywhere on the passenger side. A nice pretty hole through the motor. Now I see there are TONS of people like me out there! The car dealer where I got the car from said, "Sorry!" What is wrong with these motors?? I wanna be part of the lawsuit
I have an 04 Durango sitting at the dealer right now because they say a rod broke and they have to change out the small block on the Hemi. Not sure on the cost yet because of the holiday but guessing at least $5k. Sad thing is-it only had 80000 miles on it and every recommeneded maintenance was done on it at the same dealership, plus my wife drove it 95% of the time and she is extremely good to her cars. I am so irritated I could spit nails. I will not be buying another Durango for sure. I owned a Durango before this and 2 Dakotas but am pretty condifent that I wont be buying more Dodge products. I am SO disappointed, peed-off, and frustrated, especially after reading the other posts. The mechanic was surprised when he told me what the problem was "because a Hemi should run for 200000 miles"-yeah, right.
YES!!!! and holy crap. If I would have known I would have all these problems after I bought this POS I surely would not have...... after I got all the recalls fixed, (instrument cluster, A/C switch, radio) my wife goes out today to take my kids to lunch and it sounds like a rod is comming through the block. Of couse I am at work. I have always wanted a Darango and with 5 kids it was a wonderful fit. Now even with regular oil changes and recommended matinance I am paying for have an expencive boat anchor. I seen someone was taking class action sign me up........ I can't aford another vehical or to replace an engine every 97k miles.
Really the only recourse we will have is if the Government leans on them and makes them do something!
The early generation Hemi engines are -L E M O N S- and usually fail because of a broke connecting rod. This type of failure is usually UNHEARD of unless an engine is run without oil or severely abused.
I experienced the rod failure 6 months after buying my 04' Durango. Luckily, the dealer strongly reccomended getting a used car warranty that he offerred. Should have known something was up then but as everyone on this blog says this is a great truck until.....BANG rod shoots through the block without any warning. The warranty replaced it with a used 08' Hemi with 35,000 miles. Cost for replacement $2,000 for complete used motor, $4,000 for labor, fluids, spark plugs (16), and wires. Knock on wood, I'm coming up on 2 years and the motor is running great. Does anyone know if the more newer motors have the same problem? What little research I've done it seems the problem is with the 04's. If that is the case then it means Chrysler knew of the problem and fixed it. HOPEFULLY! Let's get that law suit started!
I have done quite a bit of research on these 04 Durango and why the engine 5.7l hemis die in these vehicles and generally not the trucks even though the engines are identical and the vehicle weight is about the same. What I'm finding is it has something to do with the AWD system in many cases. Most trucks have part time 4wd, but many of the Durangos are equipped with AWD. All wheels driven all the time. In this case if one or more tires are a little low this effectively is giving a smaller diameter tire on one of the axles. This translate in to a high load on the engine and high load at a less than ideal gear ratio on the transmission means engine lugging. This is when the engine is subjected to high loads when it is not in it's power band (low RPM). Picture this as driving a car with a manual transmission and trying to start off in 3rd gear rather than 1st. The engine will struggle getting the mass of the vehicle moving because it makes little power at low RPM. This is NOT good for any engine. Many newer engines (Dodge, GM, Ford alike) use a manufacturing technique and press connecting rods from powdered iron. These rods are NOT up to the stress of a forged rod which is what has been used in the past.
I replaced my '04 POS with an '05/55K mile durango engine. That was 2+ years ago and I've put 30K miles on it since with no problems. However, I seldom take it on long trips because I have this nagging suspicion that its going to crap out on me again. God willing I'll soon be able to get rid of it for a used Toyota or Nissan full sized SUV. (after I've checked the blogs for problems with these vehicles)
I know guys that race their hemi trucks and cars (Chargers) and even use NOS, with no issues. The issue is very rare with vehicles newer than 2005. This is an early production problem.
I think that we have become the latest victim of 2004 5.7 engine failure. After a week of dashboard engine trouble lights and codes that had me change the EGR valve and air cleaner and also heaing a slight rocker arm clatter the big problem happened. When my wife started the car this morning it clattered and banged as if it has a valve was inside of one of the driver side cylinders. It still runs but there is a HUGE problem. ( and when I say it runs I mean for a total of 10 seconds) I guess that I will call Dodge in the morning.
An issue that is rather common in 5.7L Hemis, but not as catastrophic is valve spring failure. I have seen several cases where a simple valve spring replacement fixes the problem. In some cases it will cause the engine to swallow a valve but that usually does not happen. The symptoms are usually it is "missing" on a cylinder and there is valve train noise.
We have our fingers (and toes) crossed that this might be the case. In the short amount of time that I did hear the engine run (and I do have a glimmer of hope because it sill runs and is not pouring out oil) I noticed that other than the very loud ratteling and banging it was running smothley with a one cylinder miss. T.B.C.
If the noise is a "very loud ratteling and banging" then it's probably a broken rod, it just hasn't punched through the side of the block. Also, a rod punching through the crankcase won't necessarily cause oil to "pour" out, since it's mostly down in the oil pan.
The hemi holds 7 quarts of oil, if you actually throw a rod, it is going to knock a hole in something and the oil will be hitting the ground. A loose rod will make a racket too, but since it is still connected to the crank and piston it won't destroy the engine. The common failure is a rod just breaks for no good reason.
Some oil will come out of course, but only what drips out flowing down the sides of the crankcase or thrown out by the crankshaft while it's still spinning. If the broken rod spins around and punches a hole in the oil pan (not likely) then likely more oil will be thrown out. My understanding of the rod problem in the 5.7 is that it breaks up close to the wrist pin and the majority of the rod stays intact, and when it drops down below the bottom of the bore it gets forced against the side of the crankcase and punched through. Agreed though it could be a loose bearing, but by the description it doesn't sound that way.
I have owned my 04 Durango with the Hemi for a little over 2 years and haven't had any problems. Until 1 cold (about 36 degrees) morning my wife went out to start it for work and it made a loud clank. I went out to inspect and to discover the 5" hole in the side of the block. Always kept fluids changed and motor tuned up. There were no signs of it going to throw a rod. What's even worse is the SUV only has 120k on it. From what I have read on the internet my problem is not anything new. This sounds like a common problem with the 04 model and Dodge should be held responsible for their product. If all the owners that has had this same issue would get together and file a class action law suit maybe we could get them to fix this major issue. I don't have the $4k-6k its gonna take to fix this motor that Dodge knew was an issue.
I want to REMIND everyone that a "class action lawsuit" will NOT get you compensation for your bad engine. It will only enrich lawyers and maybe get you a check for $15; you share of a settlement. The only way this will see the light of day is for the government involved. FILE A COMPLAINT with the NHTSA. When there are enough people complain about this issue they will take action. I'm not a fan of our government but i really distrust lawyers for the scheming thieves they are. www.NHTSA.gov
Do you really think the NHTSA will do anything though? They are mostly only concerned with safety issues. I don't know if they would think a blown engine is a safety issue.
Its absolutely a safety concern ours happened while traveling on the highway at 70 mph. Thank god my husband was driving and not me as I would of probably freaked out. Bottom line something needs to be done, we paid 5300 for new motor because we still owed money and had to fix it.
i had the same problem! i was driving it down the road and CLANK, rod through the motor! bought another motor (used) and 6 months later...CLANK! same thing happened! do you know if there is any recalls on the 5.7 hemis? where should we call or what should we do? does chrysler have any idea of this problem? any help or suggestions would be great!
and i forgot to add that our 04 durango actually caught fire from where the rod went through the block and oil got on the exhaust while we were driving down the road (me, my husband and my 1yr old son)! Thank god we caught it in time! we arent rich...but hopefully this problem can get fixed! but will we be safe?
My Duango had a broken crank and seized engine, I called and filed a complaint with dodge, they actually sent it to a case worker..he as well as all the mechanics around here have NEVER seen this problem before... i asked them about the oil sludge problems that their vehicles have their comment was that if the owner doesnt get a "proper" oil change which consists of flushing out the system.... I called his bluff ( says NOTHING in owners manual) and he changed that story to using oil that doesnt burn well in their engines like for instance Pennzoil! I of course mentioned all the cases that were online and he said that you only get one side to the story.... All he kept saying was I understand where you are coming from! They dont want to admit that their product it absolute GARBAGE!
Yes the Dodge Dealership in Olando told me the same thing about my transmission problems that I had my car in for 7 times. They changed all kinds of part and charged lots of money. I finally took mine to a transmission place and got the transmission oil changed and it was fine. As all this was going on, my boyfriends 2004 Dodge Ram (74,000 Miles) the fluid from the radiator leaked into the engine oil. This is after they had cleaned the fuel injectors. They gave me a case number and manager as well...he must have been about 18 years old. Nothing was ever solved, just said the hemi's are notorious from transmission problems. Good luck with Dodge.
I'm very familiar with the different generation of Chrysler transmissions. The "hemi" automatic transmission, the 545RFE auto transmission is actually an excellent transmission, and much better in design than earlier iterations which were based on the ancient TorqueFlight 727 3 speed (designed in the 50s) with the addition of a overdrive module stuck on the rear. This is a A518. The A518 4speed auto (and the hydraulic and electronic controlled version) were good, but outside issues killed many of these prematurely. #1. INCORRECT TRANSMISSION FLUID. Even mechanics believed the myth that Dexron II was "the same" as ATF 3+ or 4+. And since Dexron was less than half the price; why pay more? They are totally different, and running Dexron of any kind drastically shortens the life of a Chrysler 4 speed automatic. If ANYONE suggests you run anything than AFT 4+ transmission fluid in your hemi powered vehicles, IGNORE THEM COMPLETELY; no matter what expertise they pretend to have. #2. Poorly designed fluid cooling circuits in some vehicles. Some vehicles (Jeeps for one) had a "non drain back" check valve in the cooler line. This was a good idea but poorly executed. The valve would clog and negate the purpose of the cooler circuit thus running the transmission too hot, and shortening it life.
The 545RFE was a all new design and had has a few quirks. But I very rarely hear of complete catastrophic failures of these which was much more common in previous generations. The problem is dealership service departments SUCKS at many dealerships. They hire shade-tree mechanics that are NOT certified on these transmissions. They don't read the service bulletins (or service manuals), so they throw parts at them that don't solve the problem. Like I said in an earlier post; most dealership owners are NOT interested in providing good service. They are interested in MONEY and they make that by moving a large volume of easy fixes through the service bays. Hard problems they blame on the customers. If you are getting bad service at a dealership, FIND ANOTHER. This is a reality in the car business now a days.
I have a 2004 dodge druango with a 5.7 hemi with 78,500 miles on it... Went to start it for a nice long drive with my family and heard a god awful noise coming from the engine, it almost sounded like a tree branch got sucked into the fan. Went to try to start it again and would not turn over! Had it towed to my mechanic thinking it was just the starter.... they replaced it and it would still not turn over, they looked into it a little more and determined that my engine seized.... they said that I had a broken crank, and that the crankshaft position sensor was loose from the mount and behind the starter.... Guess I know why my starter needed to be replaced... needless to say they told me that I needed to replace my engine! Wonderful... right before christmas.... I am a stay at home mother with 3 children under 5 and we are down to 1 vehicle..... I figured that I would call the company and see if they would cover anything, and if they had ongoing problems with this engine (of corse NOT!). The first call I made i got a woman that just blew me off, the second time I called my case got passed higher up.... They basically told me that I needed to take it in to the dealership to figure out the "Cause" of the seizure.... Now my sister had the vehicle before me and she was very good at maintenance but bad a keeping recipts....so obviously it wasnt neglect... This Diagnosis is going to cost anywhere from $500-$3000 just to find out what the cause was.... Then MAYBE they would cover some of the new engine.... The kicker is the mechanic I spoke to at the dealership told me that if the engine was seized then they would not be able to determine the cause and that dodge would not cover the cost of the diagnosis..... So basically I would be out the$500-$3000 AND would still have to buy the engine!!!!!!!!!!! I REFUSE to pay for the diagnosis so there is NOTHING that dodge will do for me, not even offer a discount! I am going to complain to the NHTSA and hopefully everyone else thats having problems with this POS engine does too, then maybe Dodge will do a recall on this engine!!!!!!
Can anyone tell me what engines are compatible with a 2004 durango... Or what years of durango hemi engines I can use... I have to replace mine at 78,500 miles and DO NOT want the same'04 POS hemi back in it!
Dont waist your time.... I had the same problems and they wanted me to pay for a diagnosis and IF they cover anything that charge will be included, but my theory, they will find any loophole possible NOT to cover anything! Even with receipts they find some reason not to pay!
Before you start wondering about what else you can put in your defunct durango, lets look at the big picture. The older "LA" type engines are obsolete because they cannot meet the more strict EPA emissions. This is why the new 4.7 and 5.7(hemi) were developed. The older (and very reliable) engines WILL NOT work in the 2nd gen durango ('04 and up) because the electronics systems are not compatible. The cruel reality is you cannot get away from this cheap. My BEST advise is to located a direct replacement engine, and pay a local honest mechanic to install it; then SELL YOUR DURANGO and try to recoup the some of your investment. An easier route would be just trade it in as is on something else. If you can escalate this with Chrysler customer care you might get a concession on a trade in. Some have suggested contacting the media on this; I say go for it. It is a cover up and the issue is well known but they are forbidden to acknowledge that it is a real problem.
Prices very greatly from area to area but I purchased another '04 5.7L hemi with only 60K miles from a wrecked Durango. Engine was $1600. I paid a mechanic that was a family friend to install it. Labor, oil, plugs, etc totaled $1600. So we got away much cheaper than the $5500 dealer estimate for the same job with a re-manufactured engine. Over all I'm not endeared to Chrysler products anymore. The old "Ma MoPar" would have NEVER put an engine in a vehicle that has such poor quality internal parts. And that company was an AMERICAN one. Ma MoPar is dead. After being raped by the Germans, and now the Italians are pimping her out just to sell crappy Fiat cars in the US. What is this? The return of the Axis powers? Sheesh.
I had purchased a 2004 Dodge Durango Limited all wheel drive V-8 Hemi 5.7 liter in 2008-09. It ran fine. I had oil changes done transmission done when it was required every 3000 miles. I did not have a problem with it until this year in October-November 2011. I had notice that when I had my radio running it, the whole panel would get so hot it would just turn off, then when it cooled off you could turn it back on, but it was so hot you could smell a light scent of a wire smell burnning. So i didn't turn that on for about two months and I had called the Dodge place and ask if there maybe some kind of recall on to fix this problem and they said No. The next thing that went wrong was my truck would just stall out in the middle of the road, I could restart it and it ran rough, and tried stalling at stop signs or red lights, so I again Called the Dodge place and ask if they had a recall on the durangos for stalling out problems again they said no. so i went to 89 octaine and it seemed to work a little better but would stall out if it was rainning.In either Oct. or Nov. of this I had all of my oil changes and everything that was up for maintence done so I had them all done. Well after I drove out of the lube place my truck started dying out again so I called them up and ask why it was doing that, they didn't know, but they looked at it again and said all of the fluids were fine and they didn't miss anything. The last time I drove my truck was the day before Christmas and it was fine. Today I got into my truck and cranked it up and all I heard was this very loud knocking noise, which I thought maybe it might be the fan belt that might have been broke or another belt or my fan hitting the ratator, but No that is not the problem , I think I have 93,000 miles now ,when i bought it the mileage was 57-59000. What is this knocking noise as I have not driven it since I heard that noise when I cranked it up . Can someone help me or give me a number to the dodge manufacturing place so I can call them
My daughter and grandson made a 4 hour trip to her dads. The Dodge run fine going down but when they got in it 2 days later to come home it made this awful noise. We got them back home and her father took it apart and the same problem as everyone else and rod went through the block. I went online to check out if anyone had the same problem and there 100's of you. There has to be some way of getting Chrysler to help with issue. I wonder if getting a hold of your local TV station and see if they will check it out. I sent an email message to our local station. We need to let people know. I got online when she had the problem and had know ideal. This isn't safe. Good Luck everyone.
My engine overheats. Top radiator hose swells, and the coolant is not circulating. Of course this not my first issue. It's past time for an engine recall.
there is nothing you can do that i know of. i just bought the neighbors 04 hemi durango (136,000mi) across the street with a shattered rod. i found an engine from an 05 ram with 36,000 miles in a bone yard in wisconsin. put it in and now were running fine. i was beyond disappointed when i seen the internals of this 04 engine and i understand that if they were to make a recall, every engine would have to come back. they are ticking time bombs. good luck, my neighbor was quoted 9000.00 at the dealer and 5800.00 at the corner garage by my house. i found an engine for 2100.00 and put it in myself, took about 4 days.
It sounds like your thermostat is not working. Mechanically, the thermostat regulates the coolant that circulates through the engine. When the motor is cold the thermostat restricts the flow of coolant allowing the engine to reach normal operating temperature faster. As the engine and coolant warms up the bi-metal in the thermostat relaxes and allows the coolant to flow unrestricted. The thermostat is located between the radiator and the engine coolant return port, which is located at the end of the top radiator hose. I would replace the hose and thermostat. The cost of the repair shouldn't be over $100.00. I hope this helps!
I agree Jeff. Luckily, I purchased a warranty along with my 04' Durango. The Warranty Company located a used low mileage (35,000 miles) 08' motor which was installed. The truck has run great since the exchange. I will add, now that I know this is such an issue and class action probably won't work, we all should take Chrysler to Small Claims Court. File for the maximum claim limit and see what happens. It's been two years for me at this point(since I purchased vehicle) so I am concerned with the statue of limitations. Each state is different so I would check your local jurisdiction. Small Claims courts have a lower burden of proof as to allow the general public to pursuit legal remedy without baring the cost of legal representation. I am currently looking into this remedy and I am interested with any input from our forum members.
Comments
The ONLY reason we got rid of the Jeep was it had 200K miles on it and it would NOT run on gas with ethanol added; but ran fine on 100% gas. It was hard to find in my area so we decided to stop fighting the issue and upgrade to a newer vehicle. I found the Durango at a local dealer and the price was slashed because it was when gas prices spiked a few years ago and everyone was in a panic getting rid of big vehicles with V8s. Dealerships couldn't get rid of them so I was able to score a major deal and got it of 12K when it booked for nearly 17K.
The Jeep had a 5.2L Magnum with was the modern MoPar 318; an engine that has been around since the 60s. At 200K miles it still ran great (on pure gas) but since this vehicle was pre-OBDII, it didn't have the newer technology (knock sensor) to deal with poor quality gasoline. So when you filled up with 10% ethanol gas, it knocked and pinged like crazy. We really, really regret selling the old Jeep now. I actually wanted a WJ (99-04 Grand Cherokee) but my wife wanted something bigger.
to keep water from the spark plug base. I did not replace the coil on #7 but we did gel the outside of the coil tube (coil tubes have a ribbed rubber ring to keep water out of plug port). These changes seem to have put an end to the ruff idle when the roads are wet. Coils were @ $45. I did the above repairs about 3 weeks ago. I do plan to check every coil and silicone each coil tube this coming week. This is a very easy task. There are 2 little set screws holding down each coil. Once screws are removed pull up on coil tube. Then silicone rubber ribs. Carefully push tube back on to spark plug. Of course, disconnect wire to coil and only do one coil at a time.
There are some difference in the electronics and some internal (for the better) differences. Not impossible, but a bit more than an easy swap.
2004 Durango 5.7l Hemi just hit 100,000 miles
2 weeks ago we get stranded out in very rural eastern Washington, truck would start (with a jump) then immediately die, ended up having it towed 61 miles to the dealership where they said the computer needed to be reprogrammed for the key fob and that was what was causing the security system to kill the ignition. Had to replace the battery. Other than needing to think about new brakes sometime soon, the dealership said the truck was running great.
1 week and 300 miles later, my wife goes out to the truck and starts it up and there is a ticking sound coming from the engine. I go out and listen to it and it sounded like a lifter ticking. I told her not to drive it and I would get to it later in the week.
1 week later, I go out this morning to see what might be the problem, started it up and an awful knocking sound comes from the engine. Immediately shut off the engine knowing something other than a lifter is the problem. Now there is an oil pool in the driveway.
My wife starts reading online and finds this forum....
Now considering what to do next, I guess start looking for a new truck. Definately not a Dodge. What a load of crap!
If I would have known I would have all these problems after I bought this POS I surely would not have...... after I got all the recalls fixed, (instrument cluster, A/C switch, radio) my wife goes out today to take my kids to lunch and it sounds like a rod is comming through the block. Of couse I am at work. I have always wanted a Darango and with 5 kids it was a wonderful fit. Now even with regular oil changes and recommended matinance I am paying for have an expencive boat anchor. I seen someone was taking class action sign me up........ I can't aford another vehical or to replace an engine every 97k miles.
The early generation Hemi engines are -L E M O N S- and usually fail because of a broke connecting rod. This type of failure is usually UNHEARD of unless an engine is run without oil or severely abused.
www.NHTSA.GOV
Agreed though it could be a loose bearing, but by the description it doesn't sound that way.
I'm not a fan of our government but i really distrust lawyers for the scheming thieves they are.
www.NHTSA.gov
They gave me a case number and manager as well...he must have been about 18 years old. Nothing was ever solved, just said the hemi's are notorious from transmission problems. Good luck with Dodge.
The A518 4speed auto (and the hydraulic and electronic controlled version) were good, but outside issues killed many of these prematurely.
#1. INCORRECT TRANSMISSION FLUID. Even mechanics believed the myth that Dexron II was "the same" as ATF 3+ or 4+. And since Dexron was less than half the price; why pay more? They are totally different, and running Dexron of any kind drastically shortens the life of a Chrysler 4 speed automatic.
If ANYONE suggests you run anything than AFT 4+ transmission fluid in your hemi powered vehicles, IGNORE THEM COMPLETELY; no matter what expertise they pretend to have.
#2. Poorly designed fluid cooling circuits in some vehicles.
Some vehicles (Jeeps for one) had a "non drain back" check valve in the cooler line. This was a good idea but poorly executed. The valve would clog and negate the purpose of the cooler circuit thus running the transmission too hot, and shortening it life.
The 545RFE was a all new design and had has a few quirks. But I very rarely hear of complete catastrophic failures of these which was much more common in previous generations. The problem is dealership service departments SUCKS at many dealerships. They hire shade-tree mechanics that are NOT certified on these transmissions. They don't read the service bulletins (or service manuals), so they throw parts at them that don't solve the problem.
Like I said in an earlier post; most dealership owners are NOT interested in providing good service. They are interested in MONEY and they make that by moving a large volume of easy fixes through the service bays. Hard problems they blame on the customers. If you are getting bad service at a dealership, FIND ANOTHER. This is a reality in the car business now a days.
The older "LA" type engines are obsolete because they cannot meet the more strict EPA emissions. This is why the new 4.7 and 5.7(hemi) were developed. The older (and very reliable) engines WILL NOT work in the 2nd gen durango ('04 and up) because the electronics systems are not compatible.
The cruel reality is you cannot get away from this cheap. My BEST advise is to located a direct replacement engine, and pay a local honest mechanic to install it; then SELL YOUR DURANGO and try to recoup the some of your investment.
An easier route would be just trade it in as is on something else. If you can escalate this with Chrysler customer care you might get a concession on a trade in. Some have suggested contacting the media on this; I say go for it.
It is a cover up and the issue is well known but they are forbidden to acknowledge that it is a real problem.
Prices very greatly from area to area but I purchased another '04 5.7L hemi with only 60K miles from a wrecked Durango. Engine was $1600. I paid a mechanic that was a family friend to install it. Labor, oil, plugs, etc totaled $1600.
So we got away much cheaper than the $5500 dealer estimate for the same job with a re-manufactured engine.
Over all I'm not endeared to Chrysler products anymore. The old "Ma MoPar" would have NEVER put an engine in a vehicle that has such poor quality internal parts. And that company was an AMERICAN one. Ma MoPar is dead. After being raped by the Germans, and now the Italians are pimping her out just to sell crappy Fiat cars in the US.
What is this? The return of the Axis powers? Sheesh.
there is nothing you can do that i know of. i just bought the neighbors 04 hemi durango (136,000mi) across the street with a shattered rod. i found an engine from an 05 ram with 36,000 miles in a bone yard in wisconsin. put it in and now were running fine. i was beyond disappointed when i seen the internals of this 04 engine and i understand that if they were to make a recall, every engine would have to come back. they are ticking time bombs. good luck, my neighbor was quoted 9000.00 at the dealer and 5800.00 at the corner garage by my house. i found an engine for 2100.00 and put it in myself, took about 4 days.
again, good luck
hope all goes well for ya.
jeff