2001 Dodge Dodge Truck

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2001 DODGE DURANGO SPORT AND OUR CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND OUR OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO. IT DID THIS 3 TIMES OVER A 2 MINUTE PERIOD. WE PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL, AS WE HAD JUST HAD IT CHANGED A WEEK AGO. WE HAD OIL AND IT THERE WERE NO SHAVINGS IN IT. WE SAT THERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN RESTARTED THE DURANGO THINKING IT WAS A BAD SENSOR. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, WE STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE AND A FOUL SMELL. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND HAD THE DURANGO TOWED BACK TO OUR HOUSE. WHEN WE GOT HOME WE CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER JUST TO BE SURE IT WASN'T A BAD FILTER. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND SLUDGE IN OUR OIL. WE GOT ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT SEVERAL DURANGO OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THAT DODGE HAS NOT HAD ANY RECALLS FOR THIS. THE DURANGO IS OUR MAIN FAMILY VEHICLE FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 WHICH INCLUDES 2 INFANTS. THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR WE HAVE OWNED THE DURANGO AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEST 2 TIMES EVERY YEAR. WE ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO EITHER REPLACE THE OIL PUMP OR THE ENGINE IF NEEDED. *NM

WHILE ON MY WAY TO HAVE MY DURANGO SERVICED FOR THE RECALL TO IT'S BALL JOINTS, MY OIL PRESSURE DROPPED, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE CAR DIED. ALL WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM. I HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED AT A LOCAL MECHANIC. I HAD A USED ENGINE PUT IN AND THE OLD ENGINE WAS TRADED IN ON THE NEW ONE. *AK

A GASKET TYPE PART ON THE FRONT OF THE CAB BELOW THE WINDSHIELD AND UNDER THE HOOD KEPT COMING LOOSE. I PUT IT BACK AND IT CAME LOOSE AGAIN. IT FIT ONTO A LIP BUT WOULD NOT STAY. HALF OF IT EVENTUALLY FELL DOWN ONTO THE ENGINE AND CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING THE CAP OFF MY FREON CHARGER ALLOWING ALL MY FREON TO ESCAPE AND A HOLE IN MY AIR FILTER CASE ALLOWING DIRT IN THERE. I TOOK THE REMAINING PIECE OFF AND DID NOT REPLACE IT. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THE DODGE IS NOTORIOUS FOR THIS AND THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THAT PART STAY IN PLACE IS TO HAVE SOMEONE RIVET IT TO THE BODY OF THE TRUCK. HAD THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS GASKET FALLEN, IT WOULD HAVE BURNED ALL MY ELECTRICAL WIRING. MY 2001 2500 DODGE DIESEL HAD 90,000 MILES AT THE TIME. *JB