1998 Dodge Durango Electrical Problems

While driving your truck around 7:30 p.m., you noticed it losing power and saw smoke in your side mirror. You pulled over and your truck caught fire, which required the fire department to respond. They had to remove the boot around the 4-wheel drive lever to extinguish the flames, and your truck was destroyed. The fire likely originated from an electrical short circuit or damaged wiring in the 4WD system area.

Your engine suddenly shuts off while idling, and even after a mechanic replaced the fuel injection lines, the problem keeps happening. You've also noticed that your ceiling light turns on by itself when you press the accelerator, and you hear a banging noise from the front of the vehicle when you press the brake pedal—a mechanic couldn't figure out what's causing these issues. The fixes may involve replacing fuel system components, investigating electrical connections, and diagnosing the front-end noise source.

THE ODOMETER SAYS "NO BUS". *TR

I OWN A 1998 DODGE DURANGO AND I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM OLYMPIA WITH MY SON IN THE BACK SEAT, HE WAS A SLEEP. THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND I DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I SMELT A FUNNY SMELL AND IMMEDIATELY GOT MY SON OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE THEN WAS ENGULFED IN BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH, THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS SOON FILLED WITH FLAMES, ALL THIS HAPPENED WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES. THE VEHICLE HAD 141,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD NO PREVIOUS SIGNS OF PROBLEMS. THE POLICE REPORT AND EVERYTHING STATES THE FIRE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE ORIGINATING FORM UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, WE ONLY HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE AND IT DOES NOT COVER WHAT HAPPENED. I JUST KEEP THINKING WHAT IF MY OTHER TWO CHILDREN WAS IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME, THEY WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN A SLEEP AND IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HARD FOR ME TO GET ALL THREE OF THEM OUT 2,5 AND 7 ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER SCENARIO'S LIKE THIS? THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED THE DASH, SEATS, ETC ALL MELTED AND BURNT. THE FIRE DEPT. WAS DISPATCHED AND THEY HAD TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. I CAN PROVIDE POLICE REPORT, ETC. THAT WILL BACK UP WHAT WE JUST SAID, THE FIRE DID NOT AFFECT ANYTHING UNDER THE HOOD, JUST THE INTERIOR. *TR

WHEN TRAVELING ON HWY 70 CHICO CA. TO QUINCY CA WHEN SWITCHING HEAD LIGHTS FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM LIGHTS WENT OFF. *JB

NAR 02/28/2003 MR DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE *CB

WHILE DRIVING ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD SHUT OFF, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO CONSUMER.*AK

WHEN TURNING ON HEADLIGHTS IN OR OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF OR DIM UNTIL CONSUMER PLAYS WITH KNOB, AND HEADLIGHTS GET BACK TO NORMAL.*AK

VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT BIGELOW MOTORS IN BELLEVILLE,NJ (973) 759-4220 ,WAITING FOR A COMPUTER TO BE DELIVERED. ALSO, THERE ARE FOUR OTHER DODGE DURANGOS' WAITING FOR THE SAME COMPUTER AT THIS DEALERSHIP.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY. SHE WAS DRIVING IN DESSERT AND ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW, AND STRARTED SMELLING WIRES BURNING. SHE WAS INSIDEOF PARKING LOT, AND VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL CRACKLE IN DASH WHEN USING LEFT BLINKER, THE CRACKLING NOISE GOES FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO THE CD PLAYER. *SLC

CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND HEARD A BUSZING NOISE. LATER THAT DAY, VEHICLE STARTING SHAKING AND MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. THEN, CONSUMER TURNED OFF CAR. TRIED TO RESTART, AND IT WOULD NOT. 3 HOURS LATER, TRIED TO START AGAIN, AND THERE WAS NOTHING AT ALL.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WENT TO PULL OVER AND CUT OFF. MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. CONSUMER COULD HEAR CAR ARKING.*AK

BATTERY SUDDENLY DIED, PREVENTING ENGINE START. ALL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY PRIOR TO INCIDENT, BUT BATTERY TESTED COMPLETELY DEAD AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE. ATTEMPTED JUMP STARTING AND CHARGING BATTERY WITH NO RESULTS. *AK

PCM FAILED. MJS

BATTERY REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS. MJS

BATTERY.

BATTERY FAILED. MJS

BATTERY FAILED. *YC

BATTERY FAILED.

CONSUMER DROVE 2MILES PARKED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY, 10 MINUTES LATER THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THE HORN STARTED TO BLOW CONTINUOUSLY. BOTH FRONT TIRE EXPLODED . THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IS HOLDING VEHICLE UNTIL FIRE MARSHAL COMES TO LOOK AT VEHICLE ON MARCH 09 1998. *AK

HORN ON STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT OPERATE AT ALL. TOOK TO DEALER OVER 2 MONTHS AGO. DEALER SAID THAT PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR THE HORN. AS OF THIS DATE, PARTS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. *AK

ELECTRICAL: DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10MPH AND SMELLED WIRES BURNING, STOPPED VEHICLE AND GOT OUT AND THE SMELL GOT STRONGER. GOT BACK INTO VEHICLE AND DROVE ANOTHER 25 FEET, AND NOTICED THE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. PULLED OVER AND CALLED FIRE DEPT . VEHICLE TOTALED. CAUSE OF FIRE LOOSE NUT ON POWER SOURCE BOX. *AK