I have a 2017 R/T with 27k on it and no issues with Coolant. I'll keep and eye out and report if anything happens. I'd absolutely take it in and get it checked out.

 

Water pump is known issue.

 

X 2 on the water pump being a likely candidate. Hopefully, the issue falls under your powertrain warranty since you are beyond 36K.

Don

 

I had almost the identical issue on my 2015 R/T - 68K miles. I would smell coolant and very occasionally have some drips on the ground, and the overflow tank would disappear.

I suspected water pump as well, but took it to the dealer and they determined the radiator had a leak and replaced it under my MaxCare warranty.

Hope you can ge yours sorted out!

Chris

 

No coolant down on the splash shield???
Often a slow leak can accumulate there and not reach the ground.

 

Noticed the coolant smell on my '17 R/T at 19K miles. Had Durango towed in and was told the water pump had failed and it was replaced under warranty.

At 23K miles, I noticed the coolant was low. There was also a very faint coolant/burning smell. Had it towed in and was told the radiator had a very slight crack in it and was replaced under warranty.

With the water pump I could see coolant on the other engine components. When the radiator was leaking, I didn't see any coolant. My guess is that it was a small enough crack that the leaking wasn't easy to see.

 

Oil filter cooler adapter can crack and leak coolant. It's about a $250 part.

 

Dealer just checked the vehicle and informed me that the left tank on the radiator is cracked. Estimated replacement cost is about $1,300 - $600 for the radiator and the balance for the labor which is apparently a 6 hour drop and involves disassembling the nose of the truck. Needless to say I almost fell off my chair when I heard this.

Do I have any shot at getting this covered by Dodge? The truck was delivered in May 2017 which is less than 3 years old, but has 46K miles. A crack in the radiator seems like a manufacturing defect as the truck has never been in an accident. Is there corporate number I can call to complain? Any advice here?

What causes a radiator to "crack", especially at this mileage? Manufacturing defect or some operational issue? The truck has never been in an accident or overheated.

If I wind up paying for the repair, is $1,300 reasonable or am I getting fleeced?

Thanks
James

 

Yes, you can call Chrysler and ask for a goodwill repair. Explain the issue, disappointment and ask them for help. You have to ask for help....not just complain. That is the key. You might have to pay a small fee...$250 or so, but a lot less than $1,300.

 

Thanks for the tip on the goodwill repair. I called Chrysler and explained the issue - they opened a case and indicated that someone will follow up within a day or so. Fingers crossed that they will stand behind the vehicle...

The service advisor at the dealer indicated that 3.6L models typically have radiator problems and R/T Hemis have water pump failure.

 

Looks like you can buy the factory OEM HD radiator for $328 on-line from a Mopar dealer. Rockauto has HD radiators starting at $67. Not sure I'd put another OEM one in with that short a service life.
Charging $1,000 for labor to swap out is INSANE.

Get a quote from a local repair facility IF you have to come out of pocket.
I'm sure you can get it towed somewhere else and still be way ahead of the dealer price.

 

Thanks Chase. The dealer told me that the radiator part is about $600 - assume this is the "MSRP" price? Can they actually inflate the part cost over MSRP?

For labor, they claim it's a 6 hour job and involves disassembling the nose of the vehicle. Can anyone familiar with the job comment on this?

Also, they claim that the $1,300 total cost includes a 10% discount given that I purchased the vehicle there - so apparently I should feel good about this price

 

Thanks Chase. The dealer told me that the radiator part is about $600 - assume this is the "MSRP" price? Can they actually inflate the part cost over MSRP?

For labor, they claim it's a 6 hour job and involves disassembling the nose of the vehicle. Can anyone familiar with the job comment on this?

Also, they claim that the $1,300 total cost includes a 10% discount given that I purchased the vehicle there - so apparently I should feel good about this price

Radiator list price is $469. Not $600 and they should not be up-charging over list price.
I'm sure they are going to charge you for new hoses, probably a thermostat, coolant and then of course there's the misc. shop fee. What I always want to know is if they are using distilled water to mix the coolant with to get the 50/50 mix. Today it seems the dealer doesn't want to do a repair job unless its at least $1,000. Its not worth their time otherwise. I use them for warranty, and then punt them to the curb.

 

I found the same as Chase 300. Mopar on-line is showing $325.96. I see aftermarket from CSF, Crown, OSC, Spectra and Sherman priced from $135-$365.

 

Like I said, find an independent shop.
The dealer should be fighting FCA with you to pick up the tab. They can get on the phone for you, tell FCA you're a good customer and need some help with the bill.
I would not give them business otherwise, I'd have it towed out of there.

 

Looks to me like you can remove and replace the radiator without taking the front end off. While the job my pay 6 hrs per FCA, I promise you those mechanics have shortcuts like this one.

 

The dealer called and indicated that they replaced the radiator, flushed the coolant, and tested for leaks. While testing, they discovered that the fan module is wobbly and cracked and therefore not working properly. They claim that this may be the reason that the radiator developed a crack. Replacement will be another $800-900 which covers the part, they will not charge labor.

If the fan module was wobbling or cracked, shouldn't I have heard some noise from the engine compartment? I've been checking the engine frequently recently while running due to the coolant smell and I did not hear anything. Second, if the fan was not functioning properly - shouldn't I have noticed something abnormal on the temperature gauge or received a check engine light? Something doesn't feel right about all this.

Anyhow, I opened a case with Chrysler and apparently they are going to work with me. Not sure what that means, but hopefully they will offset the bulk of the repair which is now up to $2,200.

Ugh...

 

While testing, they discovered that the fan module is wobbly and cracked and therefore not working properly. They claim that this may be the reason that the radiator developed a crack

Interesting...being attached to the radiator, if it was out of balance I suppose it could put stress on the radiator. I've heard of a fan blade breaking off and puncturing the radiator...but typically that is on older vehicles or ones with high mileage.

 

You are getting fleeced. I JUST did this repair on my 2013 two days ago. It is a PITA but can easily be done without removing the whole front end. You simply remove the cross member. Also DO NOT allow them to charge you 800 dollars for the engine fan. You can get them online for less than 200 buck and they are only attached by a plug and a pin for the plug wire. The fan sits ON the radiator, sliding into some hooks. With two people it's something you could do in 10 minutes with zero skill needed. How nice of them to offer this service free of labor charges (since you have to take off to replace the radiator anyway)...in the mean time they are making another 600 bucks off of you on the part.

I'm a poor mechanic and did the repair myself (as well as the water pump) in about 8 hours total, taking breaks along the way. I had a shop quote me 450 for their labor to install, since I had already purchased the radiator (120 on amazon for heavy duty version).

 

Fan for 88 bucks on amazon.

Radiator Fan Assembly for Dodge Durango 11-18/Grand Cherokee 11-17 Standard Duty Cooling https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWN1GO2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dimaEbN4K0MRD

 

Funny you mention that the dealership told you that water pumps go on the R/T's and radiators on the others. When my pump went they said the same thing. Then when my radiator cracked they said it was a common problem on the R/T as well. And by the way, no accident, overheating, etc. on my Durango either to cause the crack.

 

I think its a common problem on all 2011+ durangos. Typically the leak is at the top left (drivers side) portion where the plastic housing is. I read up on radiators in these threads a ton and its obviously either a design or manufacturing issue. I'll be holding on to my receipts just in case.

 

My truck was finally completed yesterday. For anyone interested here are the final charges for the job:

• Radiator part - $537.95
• Radiator labor - $688.39
• Coolant exchange - $104.93
• Cooling service kit - $60
• Antifreeze fluid - $29.15
• Fan module part - $834.90

Grand total = $2,196.25

Now for this price I think I am fair in expecting that the repair should be done well. Unfortunately here's the list of issues I observed when picking my truck up from the dealer yesterday:

• Pink antifreeze spilled on the grill and front bumper
• Antifreeze (in puddles) all over the bottom of the engine compartment, as well as on the engine and fuse box covers
• Strong smell of burning antifreeze coming in through HVAC - had to put all the windows down
• Overflow tank not filled - fluid was barely present in the bottom of the tank

I drove back to the dealer and fortunately they cleaned up most of the mess and topped the fluids.

However this morning I observed the following:

• missing trim clips on the front trim by the hood latch
• plastic engine cover not secured to the engine, just laying slightly cock-eyed on the top

Is this experience the norm for Chrysler dealer service? This was my first significant repair on the truck and I would have expected better from a backwoods garage.

 

I hope your new coolant is purple, and not pink. If not, I believe they have installed the wrong coolant. For that kind of money, I would be livid! Unless they have changed (again) the color of the coolant, it should be purple.

Don

 

Hey Don - the new antifreeze in the overflow looks pink to me, not purple. Can you point me to what should be used on the 2017 R/T?

Engine bay still smells like burning coolant after putting about 100 miles on since the repair. Hoping this is just continued burn-off and not another leak...watching the overflow level closely.

 

Check out this thread. There is a coolant chart there. I am not aware of any updates beyond the purple stuff.

Wrong coolant in my 5.7 durango

Whenever I bought my durango I noticed the coolant was orangish and thought it must be a different type of coolant or some corrosion in the radiator underneath it that’s making it appear that way. Regardless I was going to do a flush Upon buying my first jug of g0-5 I discovered it was actually...

www.dodgedurango.net

Don

 

The coolant in my '14 which was built 08/14 did not have purple coolant but pink colored coolant, so not sure saying one should have purple coolant is correct. Looks like it was purple in some vehicles and pink in others.

 

Its hard to do that repair without getting coolant all over the place. Unless you are seeing a noticeable drip anywhere (or pooling on your splash guard) I wouldn't be too concerned about the smell.

Man, they did you no favors on that bill. None.