2004 Dodge Durango Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the 5.7L Hemi V8 losing a connecting rod and punching a hole in the engine block, frequently with no warning light beforehand, along with engine stalling while driving. Water intrusion under the cowl — from rain, car washes or wiper-area leaks — comes up repeatedly in both the stalling and the rod-failure reports. Electrical complaints center on instrument-cluster and interior lighting problems, water entering wiring, and key fobs that stop working.

1. 1
   Engine

   Hemi V8 connecting rod failure / hole in engine block

   • 317 complaints (28%)
   • median 115,000 mi at 9.2 yrs old (304 state mileage)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,500 (median of 51 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2020

   Complaints describe a loud bang or clanking followed by the engine quitting, sometimes on startup, sometimes at highway speed, with oil on the ground and a hole in the block. Several owners say the vehicle was regularly maintained and that no check-engine or oil-pressure light came on beforehand. Repair shops quoted engine replacement, and some owners noted difficulty finding a replacement engine. Dealers and the manufacturer are described as declining help once the vehicle was out of warranty. Mostly reported between roughly 70,000 and 150,000 miles, on both start-up and while driving.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for any knock or tick at cold start and immediately after startup, and check for oil residue or a repaired/replaced engine. Ask for service records showing regular oil changes and whether the engine has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle drove fine on 01/15/2013. I went out to start it on 01/16/2013 and there were a really loud metal on metal sound. It sounded like there were rocks in the engine. I quickly shut the engine off. I had it towed to a local repair shop and I was told that the engine failed. A rod broke and put a hole in the block. The vehicle has been serviced regularly and there were no prior issues. No warning light at all.”

   NHTSA complaint #10494456, filed 2013-01, 117,000 miles

   “Was going to leave for work, started my truck to an instant horrible knocking sound! Never even put it in drive. Had it towed to my mechanic, and was informed that there was a hole in the engine block, caused by a rod. No warning signs or check engine/oil lights ever came on..”

   NHTSA complaint #10437971, filed 2011-12, 92,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls while driving, sometimes in rain

   • 288 complaints (26%)
   • median 85,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (251 state mileage)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 21 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2024

   Owners describe the engine shutting off without warning at parking-lot speeds and at highway speed, with all gauges lighting and power steering and brakes losing assist. Restarting usually requires shifting to neutral, and some report it happens mainly in rain or after a car wash. Complaints frequently state the dealer could not reproduce the fault or find a cause, and that the vehicle was returned unrepaired. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to about 130,000 miles, with several owners noting rain or wet conditions.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has ever stalled and under what conditions, and whether the cowl/wiper-area water leaks have been addressed. A scan for stored codes and a test drive in wet weather can be informative.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2004 Dodge Durango stalls frequently...almost daily. I took the vehicle to the dealer after the first incident and the technicians were stumped and seemed unaware of the issue, which I have since learned is not uncommon. The stalls frequently occur at parking lot speeds, but have occurred while doing 50 km/hr and while under power. The higher speed stalls are a concern as the stall also kills power braking and steering. To restart the vehicle, you have to put it in n and turn ignition. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10297549, filed 2009-12, 80,000 miles

   “Dt: vehicle has random shut off while driving at all speeds. The dealer checked the vehicle multiple times. They claimed the computer could not find the cause of the problem. . This started happening about 2 months after it was purchased. Around oct 1, 2004.”

   NHTSA complaint #10129349, filed 2005-07, 10,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Water leaking into wiring and instrument cluster

   • 386 complaints (35%)
   • median 101,763 mi at 9.0 yrs old (335 state mileage)
   • 75 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 43 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2026

   Complaints describe water entering the junction block or wiring under the dash, causing erratic gauges, interior lights that stay on, smoke or burning smells from the driver's side dash, and in some cases fire. Several owners mention the instrument-cluster recall repair having been performed and problems continuing afterward. Keyless entry fobs also stop working, leaving manual unlocking that sets off the alarm. Spread from roughly 55,000 to 130,000 miles, often after rain or following recall work.

   Recall 07V092000Recall 03V5280006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for damp carpet or evidence of water under the dash, confirm whether the instrument-cluster recall remedy (07V092000 / 03V528000) was completed, and test all interior lights, gauges and both key fobs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2004 Dodge Durango has 55,000 miles on it. Both keyless entry fobs quit working. The only way to unlock my truck is manually, via turning the key in the door. Every time you do that, the alarm goes off. I researched this online, to find out that a lot of people have the same problem, even cars still under factory warranty. (those under warranty, said Dodge wouldn't fix them). This is completely unacceptable. There's no reason Dodge can't have a recall and fix this key issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10219106, filed 2008-02, 50,000 miles

   “While driving my 2004 Dodge Durango the speedometer functioned erratically and the interior lights would not go out. I pulled off to the side of the road, turned vehicle off, restarted and no change. Continued driving home when smoke started coming out from under the dashboard on driver's side only, and the vents on driver's side. Immediately turned vehicle off in the middle of the road-ran to a home. He grabbed fire extinguisher-no flames under the hood - he disconnected battery. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10358288, filed 2010-09, 62,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transfer case shifting into 4WD/4LO on its own

   • 48 complaints (4%)
   • median 125,000 mi at 11.8 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • filed 2004–2021

   Owners report the SVC 4WD light coming on and the vehicle engaging four-wheel drive or 4LO without input, sometimes at parking-lot speed and sometimes at highway speed, with the drivetrain binding and the wheels feeling locked during tight turns. In some cases restarting or disconnecting the battery temporarily clears it. Complaints describe dealers diagnosing a transfer case replacement, and some owners chose not to repair it. Reported from about 100,000 to 250,000 miles, typically during low-speed turns or steady highway driving.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test slow full-lock turns in a parking lot and watch for binding, wheel lock-up or a 4WD service light. Ask whether the transfer case or its control module has been serviced or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Transmission motor case actuator switches on and off on it's own or when I hit the unlock button on the remote. The svc 4wd/4lo service engine lights come on and off at random times as I am driving. At times it won't move although everything is on and was running fine a moment ago especially when you come to a stop or slow down.”

   NHTSA complaint #11329179, filed 2020-06, 147,500 miles

   “My 2004 Dodge Durango limited 4x4 5.7 hemi has experienced the same transfer case issues that many other owners have experienced. The vehicle will randomly try to shift itself into 4 wheel drive low without the driver changing the switch from the awd to the 4lo position. Fortunately we were moving slowly when it occurred but this could be very dangerous at higher speeds as all four wheels lock up and the vehicle cannot be turned. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10734019, filed 2015-07, 102,000 miles

Buying note. These are older, high-mileage vehicles, so a pre-purchase inspection focused on engine noise, cooling-system condition, water intrusion under the dash and four-wheel-drive operation is worthwhile. Ask for service records and confirm whether the airbag and instrument-cluster recalls were completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.