Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Both of these engines are OHC and you can blame some of on it on lack of maintenance. The timing chain has to be changed at 100K miles. That is very expensive maintenance.
This is the main advantage to old fashion push rod engines; they are hands down more reliable because they use a very short timing chain. But the 5.7L suffer from the same poor quality control and die frequently.
Only reason I purchased was to transport dad as he doesn't drive anymore and had to be sure and make it through winter to his house, my rear wheel drive doesn't cut it so went out and bought this. Looks like a BIG mistake and most likely will have to dump for parts or at least tires I just purchased in Dec. Car drove great aside from the few stalls due to the issue, but no way am i going to put my life or anyone elses in danger. Has anyone had any luck in figuring this out , doesn't seem fair that Chysler can get away with indangering so many as i've read hundreds of same issue.
While being tested at the service shop the engine blew a hole in the side of the block
Does anyone know if Chrysler is doing anything about this?
This issue of spontaneous rod failure is WELL KNOWN in early hemis but if you go to a dealership they will claim they NEVER HEARD of such a thing even when they have likely seen several hemi with big holes in them in their shop.
So if the truck it itself is paid for an still in nice shape; I would say source a used low mileage hemi (preferable 2005 and later) and have it installed. If you rather not invest a bunch of money in; put it on Craigslist for $3500 or something and unload it.
I've just finished a six month battle with a SC dealership, trying to get my credit card company to chargeback the $7,400 repair. They used the old manifold in replacing the 5.7L hemi. I was not successful. The only way is to sue the dealership for negligence. This of course is impossible for a working guy. The only way is to never buy a Chrysler product again. Remember your tax dollars were used to bail this company out.
Jan 11, 2013 (12:44 pm)
My motor just blew. My mechanic said he had never seen anything like it before. It was the #8 rod. If this happened to you, you need to file a complaint at (888)327-4236 safercar.com You will need your vin#.
I keep reading the same complaint so I'm posting to hopefully get some people calling in to the government. So far they have lodge 32 complaints on this matter. I asked what is the magic number & there is none. When they notice a pattern they will investigate.
If there are enough complaints the gov will issue a recall & will make them reimburse us.
Thanks - J
NOW; I do not know if they have pulled the pan off the engine an examined the rods.
LIKELY one is bent that caused the engine to seize.
This is very bad; but it can be WORSE. Because normally the the bent rod breaks and knocks a hole in the side of the block. If you can get this engine in the hands of a competent mechanic; replacement of the rod/piston will likely fix this issue. Last time I checked the rod/piston combo was about $60 each. x8 that is $480. So in this case the hemi is fixable and should be reliable from here on. IF the engine "throws" the rod; kiss the whole thing goodbye.
I am trying to figure what is wrong with my Durango. The issue I am having is that something is killing my battery. I think it is electrical because I have a brand new battery, alternator and the starter has been replaced too. But I noticed that when I turn my car off that the radio would stay on. So I started taking the face off the radio. And at first that solved the issue. But now that doesn't work. So I need help to try and figure it out. I have also noticed that my radio panel stays hot when the car is on. What do I do?
If something will kill a fully charged battery overnight this has to be a large current drain on the order of seveal amps. A competent technician should be able to track the problem down.
If there are any aftermarket accessories install (like a car amp or something) I would check that kind of thing first.
Check for relays (in the relay bank) that are could be stuck in the on position. Monitor the current drain on the battery (very small is normal; keeps the clock going, etc). And pull one relay at a time and see if the current drain disappears. That will give you an what circuit the problem is in.
This happened in the cause of our '04 Durango a couple days before it slung a rod.
Many believe water is getting into the cylinder via a KNOWN defect in the plastic intake.
Usually you will experience rough running and a cylinder misfire code when it rains or in the car wash etc. The factory plastic cowl is known to dump water directly on top of the engine.
Normally this wouldn't harm anything, but if the intake is leaking it will suck water directly into a cylinder; it will flash steam in the hot engine and on compression the rod cannot hold up to this kind of cylinder pressure and can damage the rod.
If your Durango gets rained on and the intake leak is present, water can run directly into the cylinder so the engine hydrolock on startup. The starter motor produces tremendous torque can literally bend a rod. When the engines runs, the rod breaks, kiss it goodbye.
The weak connecting rods, cracking intake manifolds and leaky cowl are all KNOWN ISSUES with Chrysler and they did nothing to fix them or knowledge responsibility.
Keep in mind with the 04 Durango was produced Chrysler was owned by Daimler Chrysler.
Daimler was intent on running Chrysler into the ground and pillaging Chrysler assets to prop up it's own Mercedes brand that was languishing because of poor quality.
The 5.7L Hemi design is brilliant. A real triumph in power and efficiency. The same can be said for many of the new ".7" design engines of this era. All made a lot of power with small displacement with good fuel economy.
But cost cutting drove quality down and all these engines suffered. The worst being the 2.7L v6 powering many of the mid size cars. The lower end of the engine isn't designed with enough "beef" to hold up to poor quality gasoline (any gas with ethanol). So at 100K miles these engines are usually done.
If there is water in the engine the effect is one of the piston hit a "brick" on the compression stroke. This kind of stress will usually weaken the rod.
Ours quit 2 days after a no-start morning. It rained that night if I recall.
If indeed you do have a bent rod (check the valvetrain first just in case) it is possible to fix it.
The last time I checked a replacement OEM rod/piston was $60 each.
It is possible to fix this without the expensive of a replacement engine.
The common sequence of events in these failures looks like this usually.
Won't start-
After a while starts and then immediately throws a rod, hole in the block. Engine is scrap
or
Won't start-
After a while starts and seems to run fine. Short time thereafter throws a rod, hole in block. Engine is scrap.
BUT, removing the engine, repairing it and re-installing it is cheaper than removing, replacing, installing.
Street price on a running used engine is usually $1500-3000.
The lower end is pretty narrow, the crank fits into the journals with little clearance to spare.
To remove the crank you have to unbolt it from the flex plate and you cannot get to that unless you remove the transmission.
The piston will have to come out the top if you are to attempt this in vehicle.
I'm glad you got it going!
My engine was running badly right from Day 1. I took it into several mechanics including my local Dodge dealership several times. Just 4 months after the install I have a massive antifreeze loss with no leaks from the system. My mechanic found a blown head gasket! Promar Engines warranty was a complete joke. Any excuse at all not to cover repairs for their inferior workmanship. My local machine shop looked at the head gasket and said they are using inferior parts!
BS Reason #1 I was I didn't return the core in time. Complete garbage since they knew I'm in Canada and I had to drive the block over the border to ship as they wouldn't ship the return from Canada. I was in constant contact with them and they knew exactly then the block would ship. Not once did they say that I was late with shipping the block and warranty would not be covered.
BS Reason #2 was that the block overheated. Complete garbage again since it was a head gasket that failed due to their crappy workmanship and parts. Without any pics of the heat tabs they installed he said they were melted. Even if they were melted it was because of loss of coolant from the blown head gasket.
I have been in touch with another Durango owner from this message board that has also had problems with a ticking lifter from Promar. These guys are complete scammers. Warranty is non-existent.
Email me if you want more details about these crooks.
Look at it this way: the spring breaks thus not pushing up the valve. The valve slams into the piston head a few hundred or thousand times not letting it go all the way up, sometimes twisting the piston just a little with each contact. After a few hundred or thousand times, it twists or breaks the piston rod which then slams into the side of the block a few dozen times until it breaks through.
Those of us that have had these Durangos for a while and are enthusiasts are familiar with this problem, and recommend taking the still running Hemis (03-04 Rams and 04-05 Durangos) to the shop and replace the stock springs AND RETAINERS with some quality springs/retainers (like from COMP cam). Order some online and have a local shop install them (NOT A DEALERSHIP) since many times the parts that the shops/dealerships get are OEM factory or cheap overseas parts, and prone to failure just like the original parts were. Quality brands like COMPcam do not have these weaknesses as they are designed for heavier use, tracks, racecars, drag strips, and so on.
Glad I changed my plans for travelling for thanksgiving.
I have had the Durango for 3 years now and have had no trouble at all from it other than all the door and window gaskets are deteriorating. Overall it is one of the best vehicles I have owned.
Add my 2004 Durango to the list. We'll maintain, never raced.
Threw a rod doing less than 25 mph. About 85,000 miles ( aprox. 128000 km). If I known there was an issue maybe could avoided the pain and inconvenience. My Durango 5.2 1999 had double the mileage, no problems.
Obviously, not my driving or maintenance. The manufacture needs to take ownership of the problem, or risk future clients.
I recently purchased an 04 Durango limited with the 5.7hemi May of 2013, for $8K. It had 113K miles the guy told me he got the car from a dealer friend and it had a noise in the engine so he replaced it with a used engine with 109K miles. I was happy the guy was honest with me and said no problem checked it out it ran and drove perfect with lots of power. He was able to sell me a used car warranty (thank god). We drove it that summer and pulled our pop up which we used an 01' Blazer for in the past. This Durango pulled like a dream no problems. We had a rain storm on the way home on the one camping trip and I remember opening the hood at the gas station just to check the oil. I noticed a steady flow of water running onto the center of the engine, I even showed my wife saying that does not seem right but still we had no problems so I ignored it. Early December my wife went to start it in the morning and it sounded like a jack hammer. I made arrangements with the warranty co and had it towed to my local garage. They said a rod was through the block the warranty paid for a reman long block and we have it back running great I still get the water dripping on the engine and have tried to stop it with weather stripping but it still leaks were the windshield wipers go through. The garage said they seen no signs of water in the engine but I really think it was hydolocked. How else would rod break under no load?