I bought this 2004 Dodge Durango 5.7 hemi AWD 4 years ago from a guy in Arizona. I have put 10,000 miles since buying it. Nothing but electronic issues.

The first damn thing was that I pulled a u-haul trailer across town maybe 20 miles one day. The next day, I started my Durango and could not get it out of park gear & had no tail or brake or turn signal and no radio. So after checking every fuse and relay could not find out WTF was the issue. So I stare at the ass of Durango thinking it's maybe some thing to do with the big factory electric plug.

I found nothing wrong except the center top brake light was black & burned including the female plug. So I replaced the female end & new bulb for the center top brake light. Still had nothing working. Damn. I checked the brake light switch. And still nothing. I'm getting pissed off. I then pulled the inside drivers kick panel fuse box out.

And I could not believe the corrosion & mold that was in all the C1,C2,C3,C4,C5 & relays & fuses. I took the fuse box apart & the circuit board was full of corrosion and all the wires were also full of corrosion. So I had to use 99% Rubbing alcohol to clean all of it. Then I used electric grease, the same as you use on your 12v light when plugging new bulbs in. That fixed that issue.

I reported my finding on Dodge Forum. Since I found out that this has been a big issue & so many could not figure it out. After further checking to see WTF why there was so much corrosion in that kick panel. I found out that Dodge knew about this issue and never fixed it or recalled it to be fixed, but I have a factory sunroof and anyone that has a factory sunroof you will have the same issues when it rains.

The sunroof leaks & Dodge did not make the holes big enough. And they get plugged with dirt & etc. and the rain water fails to drain to another place besides right into the kick panel. What a pain in my ass. So I put silicone all around the fuse box to keep water out. No issue with that issue after fixing it.

But now in July, my AC clutch would not engage, so no AC, no cold air. I checked all fuses & relays. Checked the freon - it was all good. The only way I could get clutch to engage was to jump a relay and it would work. So I knew I had a bad ground somewhere & as of today in Nov 2020 i have not been able to find that damn bad ground and I have tried over & over to find it. I'm pissed off .

So the next day after the AC clutch issue: I back out of my driveway & the AWD on it own goes from AWD to 4 X 4 Low and is locked in that mode. The SVC light came on in the dash. I pulled back into my driveway after backing up pulling forward driving around the block. Doing everything the manual tells you to do to get out of locked 4X4 mode. I drove it home & parked it & pray that it can burn. I have checked every thing that affected with AWD -4X4 high -4X4 low system, including Selector AWD switch, Shift motor, I even replaced the FCM front control module for $1,400 thinking it must be bad. But Hell No.

Nothing fixed after months of trying to fix it. I have talked to mechanics about it & they tell me nothing except join the rest of the million of owners with same issues. Now I own a 2004 piece of sh*t AWD Durango that I cannot drive, pay insurance & tags on and only thing its good for is maybe plant flowers in. I know that a lot of Dodge Durango 2004 to 2006 have same issue.

Why does Dodge not recall this crap? I have read that some owners have had their AWD go into 4X4 low mode going down the freeway at 65 to 70 mph and destroys every thing. This is a safety issue, by coming to a sudden stop or crashing due to AWD shifting on it own. Dodge needs to recall now 2004 & 2006 Durango now.

ONE note I forgot to mention - Dodge had a recall of my air bags and I took it in the day before this AWD went from AWD to 4X4 low mode. I called chapman chevy where airbags were replaced the day before & they said it did not have any thing to do with the AWD issue. Sounds a bit strange to me.

Update from May 30, 2021: Update on my 2004 Dodge durango 5.7 hemi .This is what i found i had replaced the FCM and that was a waste of $1400 hundred dollars . So i started looking for a new transfer sh*t motor witch was looking for a needle in a hay stack no luck . I could find a few but none were the D-244 transfer shift motor .Then to find out Dodge has quit making any new parts for 2004 Dodge Durango due to all electrical issues they have had .And the AWD & 4x4 issues .So i am not the only 1 that had this issue with Transfer case going from AWD to low or high on its own . So i finally found a new shift motor that was the right one thank god .I found that the old shift motor u shake them if there bad it sound like a led ball rolling back and worth inside it .New ones do not make any noise .So now it all back running good .keeping my fingers crossed .! thing after your SVC 4x4 light is still on and only way to get it off your cluster is at a dodge dealer cost about $100 dollars to get it reset takes about a hour or that what they charge you for . ! thing it drove me nuts on this project .It all happend the day after i had my durango in for Air bags recall next day it went into low 4x4 on its own .I called the dodge dealer And ask them of course they said nothing to do with AWD system .Well cost me about $1600 dollars and alot of nightless sleep thinking about it .Hope this helps everybody out .William Ulery

In my 2004 Dodge Durango at 80mph the 4lo light started to blink on and off. On a hot summer day roads were dry, I went to make a left had turn. Found out that the truck would not turn due to the 4wd was engaged with out me knowing. It appears that the truck did it by itself. The transfer case motor engages with the key fob and the truck off. Now I cant get the dome light to turn off and the rear hatch says its open. Turns out as we speak the transfer case motor and the power door locks are currently functioning as we speak. Keys are not in the vehicle and the truck is off.

I have made many trips to various dealerships in and out of my state to see if anyone can fix this. I filed a complaint and yet nothing. Dodge really needs to step up to the plate and recall this issue, but they wont. I was told that it is too old and there are not many left on the road to recall. There have been deaths caused by this issues.

I think its time for a class action law suit. Contact me if interested

Car goes into 4wh drive lock without requesting for it to do so. Causes steering to become very heavy and pulls down on the motor causing unstable idle. Car has quit in turn after deciding to switch to 4 whl drive lock on its own... if my wife was driving she would not be able to control the car and would run into other cars waiting at the light. This is a really really bad thing. Took into dodge dealer and they told me it is a problem with the transfer case motor and sensor ...all sort of same issue showing on the internet ... this is a defect and should be replaced under a recall. This will kill some one eventually if it hasn't already done so. Dodge is ignoring this problem. This problem goes away every two weeks or so then surprises me when I least expect it...UGGH

My 2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED is taking up space in my garage, until the 4x4 shifting on its own while driving or just while I am watching tv is resolved. I thought about selling it but I do not want to be responsible for killing a family. Obviously DODGE DOES NOT SEEM TO GIVE A RATS ASS.... I can not believe that the employees of DODGE FROM THE CEO TO THE GUY OR GAL WHO PUTS THE TIRE CAPS ON CAN EVEN SLEEP AT NIGHT. Ohh it must be because their beds are stuffed with all our money that we have dumped into their unsafe and unreliable vehicles. Just tell people what the fix is to their DODGE problems and a lot of people like me will get them fixed and probably go on our merry way! Is this too much to ask DODGE?

My whole family was driving to dinner when BAM the 4x4 on this Dodge Durango kicked in and sent us over a curb. The Dodge Durango would not move after we stopped unless we pushed down on the gas until the front wheels squealed and jerked us off the curb and through the parking lot. I shut down the DODGE DURANGO -hint hint- checked out what I could. I saw nothing unusual. I got back in, started it up, went into reverse then forward all wheel drive was working as normal. Now this issue happens every day. Can't wait till I drive through a gas station or something. Not really I disconnected the transfer case wiring so that when I try to make a turn it can't attempt to kill me or my family.

Dodge should at least put out a letter for fix before DODGE is responsible for a family or two getting hurt or killed! This problem is all over the web for multiple year DURANGOS. Won't be long. I have already checked out transfer case, wiring, TCM or BCM switch on the dash. Come on DODGE admit you're faults and make this right. At the very least tell me and probably thousands of other what the REAL fix is. Thanks DODGE for your help and your COMMITMENT TO SAFETY as worded on YOU'RE website. GOOO DODGE!!

Update from Jun 6, 2015: OK it has been months since i posted this complaint. I have been to AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALERSHIPS to try and figure this issue out and THEIR OWN TECHS CAN NOT EVEN ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM LET ALONE TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT. I have taken this 2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED to other shops also and they give me the same excuse as the DODGE DEALERSHIP-----WE CAN NOT SEEM TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. Then as soon i pull into my driveway it happens again. At least the independent shops have not charged me for checking my 2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED OUT. There are many complaints on the net about this issue and sooner or later its going to bite DODGE right in their .........