Dodge Repair: 05 Durango hemi: instrument cluster/ignition switch

Question
2005 Dodge Durango Limited Hemi
Around 72000 miles
Purchased new and always serviced at Dodge dealer.

October 14, 2014

On the way to work the check engine light comes on and then all dash/check engine lights light up. I park at work and when I take the key out the car keeps running. When the car does stop, I go into work and start to call my husband. A coworker calls to tell me my lights and alarms are all going off.  Dodge says to bring it in for service.  

Check engine and dash lights are on and the alarm goes off for them.  They say a lot of codes come up. It could be a problem from a recall. They then change story to "can't duplicate the problem" and need to contact technical support. At one point they say that they did a reset and checked and sprayed?? all the modules but conflicting stories say that might not have happened.  They say they don't know what is wrong so we pick up the car on Friday, October 24.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

I was getting ready for work when I hear the car alarm going off. After we get the alarm off, the outside lights are still flashing. Inside dash lights are on and will not turn off but car does not want to start. We tried 3 times then waited as we called dodge. On the 4th try it started but will still run after taking key out.  

I take it to dodge and they want me to leave it running. Check engine light and others still on. After several days they still don't know and will contact tech support. I decide to contact Chrysler. The first tech confirms that they have no idea and escalate it to a claim.

Tuesday November 4
Chrysler claims department contacts me and asked a few more questions. They still have no idea but will be working with their technicians.

Friday November 7

Local dodge service center calls and guy says we can pick up the car because they "can't duplicate the problem".  The girl in the service department that we have been dealing with no longer works there. After we explain the we know that the check engine etc lights have been on, the alarm has went off for them and they have noticed that the car kept running after cutting it off, he then said there were quite a few codes and then compared it to a Christmas tree and having to go light by light to determine the problem.

Chrysler corp contacted me back and they still don't know what is going on but to give them a few more days to work with their technicians.

They still have my car and have had it for 20 days.  If dodge can't fix their own cars then who can.  I don't think I am being unreasonable to expect more than 72000 miles from a car and that repairs should not take this long.

The Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Protection has suggested I take it to another mechanic for a diagnostic and take that information back to dodge.  She said to contact them again if there is no resolution.

She also was concerned about safety issues when I mentioned to her about having to replace 3 or 4 plastic seat belt clips in the past and that I have at least two more broken at this time.

This is the last dodge for me.

November 14. Chrysler contacts me and they still have not tried to get the codes.  They want a few more days. I said another week but I have to do something soon.

Answer
That is very interesting. The history of the 2004 and 2005 Durango does show there was a recall for an overheating integrated circuit located in the instrument cluster and it was supposed to be replaced (the order for recall was issued in the spring of '07 and you should have received that and had the cluster replaced. If that didn't happen then that may explain all the lights illuminating on the cluster.
Also I would have to suspect the ignition switch was not being turned off when you removed your key from it, so that is why the engine would keep running. There are many circuits powered by that switch so it remaining "on" in at least part if not all the circuits would be likely to cause some strange behavior.
I would try to recall whether you were contacted to bring in the truck for that recall. Also there is a lot of wiring going on in the cluster which might have been damaged due to the overheating if that original cluster is still the. The ignition switch even has a circuit that goes directly to the cluster so these all may well be entangled as the result.
Keep pushing on Chrysler and the Dealer. You are doing a great job of asserting yourself.
Please read the PS (below) and respond to it.
Thanks,
Roland