Ok so after a long search process we decide to get a new Durango Citadel. My wife was leaning towards the Acadia and I convinced her to buy the Durango mainly because of the Hemi power. We were going to take delivery last evening, unfortunately when the salesperson was going to put the temp permit in the back window the liftgate would not open. It beeps and you hear a few clicks but it would not open.

So they keep the vehicle overnight and we leave. Today they said they replaced the latch mechanism with parts from another new Durango and all was fine. They bring the Durango to my work to deliver it, I try the power lifgate and it seems to work fine. They said they tried it 10-12 times at the dealer so I say fine and he gives me the keys. I pick my wife up and she wants to put her bag in the back, guess what? The power liftgate refuses to open either manually with the handle or by using the dash switch or remote. It beeps and you hear a clicking but it does not release and won't open - same thing that happend at the dealer the night before Arrgh!!!!! Any ideas???? The only thing I can see is the gaps on either side of the liftgate are not quite even so maybe it is not aligned properly from the factory? I guess it is going back to the dealer tomorrow morning again. Not a good way to start with a new vehicle, my wife is ready to blow her top.

 

Sorry to hear this, real bummer.

Not a fix, but if my memory serves me correctly, if you pull twice on the handle (Car unlocked) it puts the power lift into manual and you can pull open the tail lift that way.

Let us know how you get on.

 

I tried the manual release to no avail. It still would not open the liftgate. I dropped it off this morning and am hoping they can discover the issue. I really like the vehicle otherwise but the liftgate is something my wife uses everyday so it is one of those things that just has to work. Our salesperson gave me a different 2011 Durange to drive for the day which is great. We are coming out of 2007 Durango which we had no issues with at all and I think Dodge has really made a lot of improvements since then so I am hoping for the best at the moment. Thanks.

 

When the technician at the dealer plugged in the scan tool the liftgate started working again for some reason but they found no fault codes. They have a call in to the Star tech team at Chrysler to see what they may say. They are keeping it overnight. Hopefully all will be well but electrical gremlins concern me more than a mechanical fix. I am trying to keep my wife happy and positive, she was looking forward to a new vehicle and I am feeling a little guilty at the moment.

 

Could easily be a loose fuse, either under the dash or under the hood.

 

It is likely a loose connection or a failsafe setting getting tripped, probably also from a loose connection.

All of the connections and fuses, etc are prepped in Toledo and the dealer you bought the car from, not at the assembly plant. When humans are involved, things happen.

In terms of your thoughts on something being misligned at the factory, I assure you that is not possible. I personally witnessed each Durango getting robotically measured to less than a 1 millimeter tolerance. Per vin #, they know exactly where every hinge, handle, etc is to be placed and has been placed. The robots scoop in on the vehicle in mass and one Durango by one Durango at a time they are checked and rechecked. The measurements are recorded and that vehicle moves on only if it passes the preprogrammed tolerances. It is impossible to misalign any of the panels, latches, etc.

NOW... Your dealer jumped to old school solutions to "fix" a new school problem. Taking apart another working vehicle to "fix" yours... only to find out that didn't get it done and now, plan B. They have yours not working and the other not at a factory setting now. Since I mentioned that a lot of the prep is done at the dealer and you know now the dealer is less than stellar in their decision making prowess, perhaps you should find another dealer to work with. It would be a shame to blame the Durango vehicle for the dealers human shortcomings.

IndyD

 

So where does Toledo fit in the process? Don't they drive the vehicles off the assembly line and do some QC and testing at the factory? The vehicle my wife wanted they did not have in stock but had one coming from another dealer on trade that had what options she wanted and was the charcoal instead of black which is what she originally wanted, but she decided charcoal was fine with her.

Not sure what they do at the dealer when they PDI these vehicles. My salesperson has been great to work with though and we did not shop any other dealers as we bought our last Durango from him.

 

Citadel,

Sorry to hear about the problems with your new Durango.

If the technician cannot locate the problem they should refer to the tech tip listed below which is the only thing I could find regarding the latch. Perhaps it may help them. PM me with your VIN and keep me update on what the dealer says please. Thanks...

TT9002366
Liftgate Latch, Drive Unit, and Control Module

 

Update. My dealer got it to fail again. Star tech team recommended replacement of basically all components, module, motor, etc. 5 days for parts. My wife was not ok with that since she paid for the vehicle on Monday and had yet to drive it. Sales manager located another vehicle for her and we picked it up tonight, exactly the same color and equipment. She drove it home and is happy. Excellent customer service.