- A police chief in Indiana has blasted Stellantis after suffering a spate of engine failures.
- Merrillville Police Chief Konstantinos Nuses claims a design flaw in the SUVs’ engines makes them useless for police work and says he has been forced to sell them at a loss.
- Nuses previously used Ford Interceptors but struggled to buy new models during the pandemic, so turned to the Durango.
An Indiana police chief sick of his unreliable Dodge Durango patrol cars has written an open letter to his town’s citizens slating Stellantis and apologizing to taxpayers for spending their money on a fleet of duds.
Merrillville Police Chief Konstantinos Nuses claims his Durangos have suffered multiple engine failures due to a problem with the oil cooler, and says that most of the affected SUVs weren’t battle-worn hacks, but had covered fewer than 15,000 miles (24,000 km). And now Nuses says he will be forced to sell the trouble-prone SUVs at a loss and replace them with more reliable vehicles.
Related: 1 In 5 Of Indiana’s State Police Dodge Durangos Are Down And Stuck In Repair
“The situation is not just disappointing, it is fundamentally unfair,” Nuses wrote. “All of us – taxpayers and police departments alike – have paid for a compromised product, and Dodge has failed to take responsibility or provide a viable solution.”
Nunes explained to townsfolk that he previously relied on Ford Police Interceptors, but struggled to get hold of replacements during the pandemic. He turned to his local Dodge dealer and bought an unknown number of Durangos which were marketed by Stellantis as being suitable for police work.
But starting in late 2022 the SUVs began to experience catastrophic engine malfunctions. The out-of-commission Durangos placed an additional burden on the Merrillville fleet and Nuses claims dealers were unable to provide a suitable fix to ensure the problem wouldn’t happen again. Nuses letter says he is exploring “all possible avenues” to limit the pain on the taxpayer and his budget, and it seems creating a PR nightmare for Stellantis is one of them.
“The Dodge Durango Pursuit meets or exceeds all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards and is subject to severe operating conditions to which the standard, retail version of the Durango is immune,” Stellantis said in a statement sent to NBC5Chicago.
“Further, certain oil-cooler issues are difficult to detect, which may lead to collateral damage and a highly complex remedy. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our valued police-community customers and are working to expedite service for any affected vehicles. Since the model launched in 2018, it has been deployed with thousands of police agencies across North America, and overall feedback has been exemplary,” the company added.
However, Merrillville isn’t the only police force in Indiana to have trouble with its Durangos. The Indiana State Police (ISP) revealed in June that 39 of the 218 Dodge Durango SUVs it has alrewady receieved, had suffered mechanical problems that temporarily removed them from service. The ISP ordered a total of 516 Durangos in May 2023 for around $25.8 million, or around $50,000 a pop. At the time, it noted that the average downtime for an engine replacement/repair is four to eight weeks.
However, Merrillville isn’t the only Indiana police force struggling with Durango issues. In June, the Indiana State Police (ISP) disclosed that 39 of the 219 Dodge Durangos they’ve received so far had suffered mechanical problems that temporarily removed them from service. That’s nearly 20% of the fleet taken out of action. The ISP placed a $25.8 million order for 516 Durangos back in May 2023, at around $50,000 a pop. They also pointed out that when an engine fails, repairs or replacements drag on for four to eight weeks.
