2003 Dodge Durango Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HIS MOTHER WHO OWNS A 2003 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATE THAT WHILE HIS MOTHER WAS DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR WITHOUT WARNING TEMPORARILY AND THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. LEITH CHRYSLER JEEP (5500 CAPITAL BLVD, RALEIGH, NC 27616, (919) 867-5907) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000.

TRUCK WILL NOT GO INTO PARK.

THIS COMPANY CLAIMS TO SELL CHRYSLER FLUID THAT WHICH ALMOST KILLED MY DRIVER AND ME BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITIES AND OTHER ISSUES AND FOR USING DEXRON FLUID IN THEIR PRODUCT. THEY ARE ADVERTISING THIS TO OTHER CHRYSLER OWNERS. I HAVE RESEARCH AND LOCATE A FEW DOCUMENTS WHERE THIS COMPANY MISLEAD ME AND USED DEXRON INSTEAD OF CHRYSLER FLUID ATF4 WHICH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DEXRON. TRANSTAR TRIED TO PASS THE BLAME WHEN MY 2003 DURANGO WAS WORKING PERFECTLY UNTIL USING THEIR FLUID WHICH CAUSE MY TRANSMISSION TO OVERHEAT AND DESTROY IT. I ONLY ASKING THEM FOR FILTER. THEY CLAIM TO BE EXPECTS IN TRANSMISSION AND WHO KNOWS WHO ELSE THAT SELL THIS BAD PRODUCT TO OTHER CHRYSLER/DODGE OWNERS. HTTPS://WWW.TRANSTAR1.COM IN THE LETTER FROM TRANSTAR THEY UPFRONT ADMITTED FAULT OF USING THE WRONG PRODUCT AS THEY CLAIM ITS GOOD FOR CHRYSLER/DODGE, WHEN IT HAS NOT.

MY DODGE DURANGO WILL NOT GO INTO PARK, WILL SHIFT WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE AND WILL NOT START UNLESS VEHICLE IS IN NEUTRAL - I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILD AND THE PCM CHANGED AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND NO OTHER PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS FROM HAPPENING. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE MONEY TO HAVE A DEALER TAKE A LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF THEY KNOW WHAT IS WRONG. *JS

AT AN IDLE ENGINE REV,S UP AND DOWN,REVS UP ENOUGH TO MOVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE BRAKES ON,TRANSMISSION SLIPPED A LOT ESP ON THE HIGHWAY,WILL ALSO DROP INTO PASSING HEAR AND SPEED UP SOMETIMES ON ITS OWN. VERY DANEROUS TO DRIVE SOMETIMES.SPEEDS UP BY ITS SELF ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS TIL WE DROVE ALMOST 5 HRS ON VACATION TO GATLINBURG AND BEFORE WE EVEN GOT INTO TOWN THE CHECK GAUGE LIGHT CAME ON AND REALIZED THE TEMP GAUGE WAS IN THE RED. NEVER LEAKED COOLANT OR SMELLED ANY ANTIFREEZE. THE NEXT DAY AFTER LETTING IT SIT OVERNIGHT IT SEEMED FINE NO CHECK LIGHT WAS ON DROVE IT BACK STILL NO ENGINE LIGHT ON AND TEMP WAS FINE,FEW WEEKS LATER ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! THE VALVE TRAIN STARTED TICKING. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP (KINGS CJD) AND FOUND A FAILED ROCKER & TAPPET HAD REPLACED 4 DAYS LATER WAS DOING IT ON THE DRIVER SIDE,TOOK IT BACK THAT'S WHEN IT TOOK THEM A FEW DAYS TO FIGURE OUT IT WAS LEAKING COOLANT DOWN INTO THE CYLINDERS. CHRYSLER DIDN'T HAVE CYLINDER HEADS AVAILABLE IT TOOK OVER 2 MONTHS FOR US TO GET THE PART (NOT FROM CHRYSLER) AS FAR AS WE KNOW THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE PART AVAILABLE. 28 PLUS PEOPLE ARE ON A WAITING LIST TO RECEIVE CYLINDER HEADS THAT ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE! REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR LEAKING VALVE COVERS ON BOTH SIDES,STILL DEALING WITH ISSUE OF POSSIBLE LEAK AROUND CRANK SEAL ON TIMING COVER. CHRYSLER DOES SEEM TO GIVE A DARN ABOUT OUR TIME AND MONEY WASTED FOR THE SUPPOSED REPAIRS THAT ARE NOT FIXED!! HAS ANYONE ELSE READING THIS HAD ANY ISSUES REGARDING CYLINDER HEADS???? I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE 28 PLUS PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR THE SAME PART FOR THE SAME MAKE & MODEL VEHICLE SAME ENGINE 4.7 V8 OBVIOUSLY THEIR IS A MANUFACTURE ISSUE NOT AN OWNER ISSUE!!! THAT'S JUST A TASTE OF WHAT IS GOING ON THEIR IS PLENTY MORE AND CHRYSLER JUST KEEPS TELLING US IM SORRY AND THAT'S IT IM SORRY!!! WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CASE MGRS AND NOONE SEEMS TO BE CARING. *TR

VEHICLE STALLING. *TR

2003 DURANGO CUSTOMER STATES THAT SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR, IT SHIFTED INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW WHILE DRIVING**CC THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER 4 SEPARATE TIMES FOR REPAIR AND THE LAST TIME THEY WERE CHARGED A DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED.*TR

I CURRENTLY HAVE 65,000 MILES ON A 2003 DODGE DURANGO SLT PLUS. THIS VEHICLE IS 4X4 AND HAS NEVER BEEN USED FOR TOWING. I WAS GETTING A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END AT ANYTHING OVER 2700 RPMS. ALSO, I WAS HAVING A DRASTIC LOSE OF POWER ON THIS DURANGO AS WELL. I TOOK IT TO MY TRANSMISSION MECHANIC AND IT WAS FOUND TO BE TROUBLE IN THE TRANSMISSION. I AM HAVING TO GET THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT ALREADY AT 65,000 MILES. *AK

MY WIFE HAD OUR 2003 DURANGO IN TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR SERVICE ONE MORNING A FEW WEEKS AGO, SINCE IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND WAS STEERING FUNNY AND VIBRATING/CLUNKING. THEY TOLD HER IT WAS STILL UNDER WARANTY AND A PART WOULD HAVE TO BE ORDERED (TRANSFER MODULE) FOR THE CONTROL OF IT BUT IT WAS OK TO DRIVE TILL IT CAME IN AND COULD BE REPLACED. NONE WERE AVAILABLE AND CLEVELAND SHOWEDED THEM ON BACK-ORDER. MY WIFE DROVE TO OIL CITY, PA TO PICK UP PARTS FOR ME AND IT CAUGHT FIRE ON THE WAY ( SHE HAD TALKED TO THE DEALER A FEW MINUTES EARLIER ON HER CELL PHONE AS THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING WORSE AND THEY ASSURED HER IT WAS OK). SHE HAD TO PULL OVER AND CALL 911. THE FIRE AND POLICE WERE QUICK IN RESPONDING AND THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AFTER A TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. NOW THE DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MY WIFE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED. *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL SWITCH INTO FOUR WHEEL LOW. THE INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES AS IF IT IS IN FOUR LOW. THE LAST TIME WE WERE TRAVELING 35 MILES PER HOUR AND IT HAPPENED. I'VE READ ABOUT THE VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND BELIEVE THIS IS ONE MORE. THE KEY FOBS QUIT WORKING AND WE HAD A STRANGE "P D ONE" MESSAGE FLASH ON THE ODOMETER. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE SEPARATE TIMES AND THEY HAVE TOLD US WE WERE SWITCHING THE KNOB. THEY WON'T BELIEVE US BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN. THIS, ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPLAINTS MAKE ME THINK THESE ARE VERY UNSAFE VEHICLES TO BE ON THE ROAD. *JB

2003 DODGE DURANGO 2WD SLT HAS HAD TRANNY FAILURES CONSISTING OF ELECTRONIC COIL PACKS THAT CONTROL THE BAND LOCK-UP IN TRANNY FAILING TO ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED MY SPOUSE TO BE STUCK SEVERAL TIMES AND IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES. I HAVE FOUND THAT THE COST AND THE AVAILABLE PROCEDURE TO FIX IT IS TO PUT ANOTHER TRANNY IN IT WITH POSSIBILITIES OF SAME PROBLEMS. *NM

TRANSMISSION DISENGAGES WHEN ACCELERATING. DEALER REP COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND SAID THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING THE PROBLEM. *JB

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THERE IS METAL IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, THE DIFFERENTIAL HAD COMPONENTS IN IT THAT CAME APART AND SHATTERED THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED THE MECHANIC STILL HAS THE VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE I CAN GET THE OLD PARTS

I AM DRIVING 2003 DODGE DURAGO. ON 3-12-04, I WENT TO A CAR WASH. I SHIFT THE LEVER TO N, AND THE PRNDL SHOWED THE N POSITION. WHEN THE WASH DONE, THE DYE STARTED, I FELT THE CAR WAS GOING BACKWARD. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL I HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. THE CAR WASH MECHINE STOPPED, I NOTICE THAT THE PRNDL WAS ILLUMINATING HALF OF THE R, THE CAR WAS CHANGED TO REVERSE! THE SIMILAR THING HAPPEND BEFORE. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING ON THE LOCAL ROAD(45 MILE/HOUR), IN A SUDDEN, I HEARD STRANGE LOAD NOISE, THEN I SAW THE PRNDL SHOWING "2" INSTEAD OF THE "D". ANOTHER TIME, THE GEAR WAS CHANGED FROM "D" TO "N" WHEN I WAS DRIVING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH REAR DRIVESHAFT DROPPED TO GROUND, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, BUT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK CONSUMER'S WIFE SUSTAINED A BLACK EYE, LACERATED LIP, AND MID BACK PAIN FOR WHICH SHE'S GOING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR. CONSUMER EXPERIENCED WHIP LASH, AND HIS 9 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SUSTAINED LOWER BACK PAIN. HIS SON WAS SHAKEN UP. AS OF 10/21/03, NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE. *PH

CONSUMER CALLED ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE IGNITION ON, IT REVERSED BY ITSELF WITHOUT SWITCHING THE GEAR INTO REVERSE. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NO INVESTIGATION IS OUT YET. *PH