Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was coming home. As I pulled in my garage, hit the brake to stop and put in park. The vehicle started winding up to a point where my foot on the brake didn't matter. It accelerated forward, going through the wall of my garage, through my backyard, thru a chain guard, and into the corner of the museum wall next door. I was finally able to stop it completely by shutting the vehicle off. Despite the speed and impact to the front of my vehicle, the airbags never deployed.
Was sitting at a traffic light and a driver pull up beside me on my drive side, and ask me was my car running hot because she saw that it was smokeing, and i told her no it's not running hot and i would check it out at the service station down the street. before i could pull off another car pull up on my passenger side and said that my car was on fire and that i needed to get out before it blows up and get on the ground. i got out and look on the passenger side and saw that it was on fire , i saw fire droping on the ground like plastic melting . …
Recall for cluster, dealership said they could not. Get the parts to fix it.they fixed the airbags said we could pick the car up, called the company that sent the recall letter they said I could buy the part,or I could call other dodge dealerships, I have not had a car since I got the do not drive letter which was in March,I also had to use my AAA to get it towed to fernley which is about 80 miles
While driving in rain my car stalls and gets shaky. I had it cut off in the midst of driving which can cause harm to myself and others. The cowl doesn't protect the components under the hood from moisture when it rain causing my vehicle not to function properly. As a result of this my engine light has displayed but goes away when it stops raining. Not a safe car to drive in the rain.
While driving my vehicle this morning my odometer completely shut off while on the freeway and all my little lights on the dashboard went on. My turn signals, as well as my brake lights stopped working as well.
I brought my vehicle to an Phoenix AZ dealership off of Black Canyon Highway or I-17 on Camelback for airbag safety recall and interior lighting recall and any others needed. When I dropped it off initially I parked on lot by the garage inc front of the rental car business directly in front. I exited my vehicle walking up to repair garage to make sure I could drive into it for recall repair. I walked back opened my driver's door and sat in the seat.(legally able to safely driver by entering through the driver's door) I drove it up there. Upon arriving after they provided the airbags recall, moved my dome light which was located on driver's door module that also has other functions,(moved to another module preventing an interior fire on long trips which I was moving for a job to Audubon MN that next few days) and I was unable to enter the vehicle by my driver's door. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Durango. While the vehicle was parked, the power outlet in the center console started smoking. The contact and the passenger found the source of the smoke, pulled the panel off the center console, and noticed the outlet was on fire. The contact extinguished the fire. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. On another occasion, the contact heard loud grinding noises coming from the engine. While driving 50 MPH and without warning, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted and driven to the contact's residence. Once home, the vehicle stalled. Upon further investigation, the contact stated that the spring separated from the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 135,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Dodge Durango. While warming up the unoccupied vehicle for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department was called and a police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent auction. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 07V092000 (electrical system) as a possible cause of the fire. The failure mileage was 140,000. Fire marshall determined the cause of the fire was wiring.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Dodge Durango. While driving 10 MPH, smoke began to enter the vehicle from the dashboard. Within minutes, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
My 2004 slt Dodge Durango was serviced for a routine oil change @42000 miles and the dealership did a routine point check evaluation. On feb. 10, 2007 @ 10:45 am while stopping at a traffic light, the vehicle began to lose speed before coming to a complete stop, the engine stopped responding & the panel lights started blinking on & off, then a burning smell started & smoke started to come out of the drivers panel and I exited the vehicle before physical harm could be done to me. I called 911 and they had the fire department to respond. My vehicle was completely engulfed with flames before they arrived. The entire interior of the vehicle was burned beyond recognition. It was extremely unnerving to be a part of this,I had not had any problems out of my vehicle before this horrible incident. …
Related recalls
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
On some sport utility vehicles, under certain operating conditions, an integrated circuit in the instrument cluster that controls interior lighting May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the cluster for damage and replace it free of charge. The recall began on April 2, 2007. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-140.
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
On certain sport utility vehicles built with a 5.7l, 4.7l, or 3.7l engine, the positive battery cable May contact the front suspension upper control arm mounting bracket.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the battery cable and, if necessary, reposition it away from the control arm mounting bracket. The recall began December 14, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
On certain sport utility vehicles, an instrument cluster circuit board capacitor May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the capacitor from the circuit board. Owner notification began on December 17, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
NHTSA investigations
Instrument panel fires
This investigation originated from complaints received by the agency reporting instrument panel (ip) fires on vehicles that were recalled(recall 03V528) by daimlerchrysler (dcc) to correct a defect that caused ip fires.the recall corrected a defect caused by a certain capacitor on the ip printed circuit board (pcb) that could crack and overheat.the fire could occur without warning while the vehicle is parked or in…
Instrument panel fires
This investigation originated from complaints received by the agency reporting instrument panel (ip) fires on vehicles that were covered under a prior recall (recall 03V528) by daimler Chrysler (dcc) to correct a cracked capacitor in the ip.dcc has now identified another condition that can cause overheating of an integrated circuit that controls interior lighting.this condition affects certain model year 2004-2006…
Electrical complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 243 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Dodge Durango, 22% of the model year's 1,115 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Dodge Durango electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 07V-092 (instrument cluster/panel, Mar 9, 2007); NHTSA recall 04V-578 (cables, Dec 8, 2004); NHTSA recall 03V-528 (interior/under dash, Dec 12, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2004 Dodge Durango electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 56 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.