NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Durango. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Had an oil check in which they checked the breaks. Reported breaks as a 3. They recommended new brake pads. I only put 6000 miles on the car since I purchased it. It has 24747 miles and needs new rear brakes. I spoke to the service rep Jake and he could not do anything to help with repair. Feel like there is a problem with rear brakes going bad
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine overheated after idling for 10 minutes. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence and replaced the upper and lower coolant hoses and the thermostat; however, the failure persisted, and the coolant reservoir was significantly hot. A second mechanic diagnosed that the head gasket had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another mechanic to be diagnosed. The used car dealer where the vehicle was purchased was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 260,000.
My car has had 2 repairs for fuel pump relay issues. 2014 and 2020. recently, I noticed while driving my car will stall while accelerating on the highway. I had to pull over into emergency lane 3 times during 1 trip before, because the car stalled while driving. Just recently I noticed and took videos/pictures of the car going 40 mph but the RPM moving sporadically between 0-7000. It has always felt like a fuel pump issue but dodge servicers does not know whats going on. There was never a warning light until it stalled recently. Red lightning bolt popped up. I have pictures if that also.
I was driving on the freeway and my battery light came on on the dash and lost power to engine and smelled electrical burning in the engine. Safely exited freeway and found the alternator was smoking really bad. Had to get the suv towed home.
Orange car came on on dashboard after having the truck on cruise control and a car cut me off real close. The cruise control went off, the truck lost traction and it slipped while turning at a roundabout when it was raining.
I was in a blizzard a few days ago on the freeway & got caught in a ditch, but thankfully got out. I wasn’t going that fast & couldn’t due to not being able to see through the snow well so I can drive safely. In order not to crash because there were semi trucks around, I had to whip the steering wheel along with the weight of the car on the snow in order not to crash due to the car being big & it was sliding pretty heavy & somehow a couple things went out of wack after turning my steering wheel. Definitely a scary experience. It is very hard to turn out of no where, as well it’s rare at times when it turns just a little smoothly. Also, once when first pulling off, it makes a consecutive clicking noise coming from or by the tires. When I give it acceleration while turning, as well, it makes that clicking sound. Then there’s just something about the engine or the drive train that sounds off. I’m still learning as I go about fixing what needs to be done.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while exiting her residential driveway, driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that several warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she heard a noise that came from the engine compartment. The contact stopped the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle to perform an inspection under the hood. The contact stated that when the hood was raised, the contact noticed smoke and fire. The contact immediately closed the hood and the fire burned out. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed alternator. The contact was advised that due to the failure and the fire, the PCM, the valve cover gaskets, the battery, and the alternator needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact was informed that due to the fire, the labels for the alternator were not visible. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall that had a similar failure description, however, the contact's VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.
Chrysler has had a known issue with the ignition module nodes on its Dodge vehicles since 2013. However, they have failed to issue a recall on the 2011 and higher Dodge vehicles. My ignition module node is going out in my vehicle and the dealership will not recognize this as any kind of recall and is making me pay for the reprogramming and for the keys to be replaced in addition to a car rental. I am having to pay $800. This is a well-known and documented ongoing Nationwide safety issue. Dodge employees have received the attached bulletin making them aware of this known issue but has failed to initiate a recall. According to their attached safety recall report for previous Dodge years, The Ignition Node (WIN) Module on your vehicle may have unintentional movement of the Frequency Operated Button Ignition Key (FOBIK) from the “ON” to the “Accessory” position while driving. This could cause unintended engine shut off and increase the risk of a crash.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's wife detected an abnormally strong smoke odor inside the vehicle. The windshield wipers were inadvertently activated, and the instrument panel flickered. The battery warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact, his wife, and his mother-in-law were able to exit the vehicle safely. No injuries were sustained. The contact checked under the hood and saw flames coming from the alternator; however, the flames extinguished themselves before the firefighters arrived on the scene. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was first towed to the contact's mother-in-law's residence, then to the dealer, where it was determined that the alternator had malfunctioned due to the age of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V435000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
Engine stopped while driving and steering was pulling to the right..was able to start back up and park it..has p0303 code..and p0300 code pending...checked number 3 spark plugs. And engine seems to be burning oil..cleaned up spark plugs and white smoke is coming out driver side exhaust pipe..will try changing pvc valve next..
This SUV has had 2 recalls for the same fuel system relay problem, And now after approximately 2or3 yrs ago, and now it's doing the same exact thing again, you'll be driving down the road and it will just shut off and a red lighting built will show up, lucky we had a safe place to pull off the road and get stopped, but this is a very dangerous situation for my wife and kids to be in
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the battery warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact recharged the battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed alternator wiring and that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V435000 (Electrical System), however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
While driving without notice transmission light flashes and the 2011 Dodge Durango will not shift out of gear. I have had this problem in the past and told dealer but they always say they have no codes and on test drive cant confirm the issue. The first time it happened was around the 50 000 mile mark I thought nothing of it back then as I restarted the car it went away. Over the years it go worst to the point that it would happen at least once or multiple times during my daily commute it I told the dealership about it but no codes and they said on a test run no problems. I stopped driving the car in 2019 because it was too dangerous to drive daily especially in traffic due to the car unable to shift gears left me stranded in the middle of the freeway many times waiting to restart car and car would behave normal until the transmission light comes on where i have to power off durango and restart where ever it happens freeway stop signs lights or where ever it decides to happen. I want to get this car running again but dont have the money to fix an issue that i had when it was still covered by the extended warranty and now i have to pay out of pocket because im over the milage so this car has been sitting and i feel as i been ripped off because of al the issues. Im end up dying in this thing if i take it out. Ive donr the recalls and now i see another recall for the same issue that they said they fixed is been reissued im certain all of the issues is tied to the computer unit it i already had one replaced in this car because when i took it for the alternator issue when the car just died with no warning they told me it was fried. All the recall issues that have been mandated are all the issues i had car stalling not starting battery dead and drained fuel relay power module no power how is this not a lemon. this car is a saftey issue on so many levels. Im now trying to get this car running and im still having the same issues i have 129000 miles on it now
When slowing down the FWC warning comes on and the vehicle completely shuts down. I have to put it in park and restart it. This is very unsafe, as it happens at intersections, turnpikes, sometimes when turning causing BIG SAFETY ISSUES and we are lucky has not caused a crash yet.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and became aware there was smoke coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The contact opened the hood and saw that there were flames coming out of the alternator. The contact stated that her husband blew on the alternator and was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact was unaware if the vehicle was considered a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking lot and stated that smoke was entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and raised the hood. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the alternator. The contact stated that the alternator had melted in some areas. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V435000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH the vehicle lost drive power. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled and was not able to restart. The contact observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the fire was extinguished. The vehicle was restarted the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator, PCM, and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,529. Dodge Dealership who stated that the alternator burned from the inside out and caused additional damage to the PCM. Causing $3,000.00 worth of damage due to the faulty alternator. The FCA refuses to reimburse the contact for damages caused by alternator.
The alternator suddenly failed with no warning lights or lamps indicating a problem. I was driving when the car suddenly stalled and I managed to get home . Heavy smoke was coming from under the hood and when I raised the hood heavy smoke was coming up out of the alternator and I could smell burning wires. I had it towed to Elder Dodge and they confirmed that the alternator was burnt out and it fried the PCM and other electrical components. The safety issue was it could've caught the whole engine on fire and it could have caused a wreck with traffic behind us. I contacted the FCA and sent all information that they requested for reimbursement but they refuse to reimburse me for a faulty alternator that short circuited and caught on fire. I am contacting you for help with this matter so they will reimburse me for damages done to my Durango.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V813000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 136,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated after driving at approximately 40 mph approximately three miles the vehicle was parked. The contact stated there was a burning odor present. The contact was informed that the vehicle was smoking. The contact witnessed smoke emanating from the engine compartment and opened the hood. The contact observed fire emanating from the engine compartment. The fire was extinguished with a fire extinguisher borrowed from a nearby service station. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
With the initial incident with us as we were pulling into a roundabout & braking & turning to the left at some point and turning back to the right the engine stalls. All electrical was still working except for the engine and I smelled an odor of burning wire Seemingly coming from the center of the steering wheel. Shift into neutral hit the ignition and it restarts and everything‘s fine. After a couple times of this happening sporadically, we were notified there was a recall notice seemingly for this problem, but there was a wait while for the recall parts for the solution. With the subsequent occurrences there was no electrical smell, there’s no problem restarting it and there is no problem with any other electrical. Problem occurs with various levels of fuel. We had the recall work performed, and yet the problem still occurs, again, sporadically which makes it difficult to diagnose. The Dodge dealer service dept here, in Billings Montana, cannot seem to reproduce the problem. There are no error codes produced when it happens. It is becoming extremely dangerous. I wonder if anyone else has experienced that faint electrical smell like the first time coming possibly from the steering wheel. I think the recall was related to the fuel pump relay, but I think our problem has something to do with the wiring in the steering column. As I said, intermittently, the engine stalls upon braking with a slight turn to the left & then back to the right. It probably happens roughly once every three or four months and almost always any more pulling into a roundabout. Only once has it occurred other than entering a roundabout.
Was driving home car shut off battery Battery went completely dead had to tow to my house put a new battery new alternator and PCM Called NHTSA and they said my vehicle Wasn't On the recall list but I have the same problems as the vehicles that were on the recall list
Started idling rough and jerking when accelerating from a complete stop (traffic lights, intersections, etc) and when accelerating after braking in traffic.
Car dies while driving at speed. Also will die at low speeds such as when turning or parking or waiting at a stop light. Sometimes have to wait before restart if dies at speed. If dies at low speed will start right back up. Dealer says no codes. Even when it died while on the techs computer he could not see a problem. These cars have been notorious for electrical problems due to Totally Integrated Power Module. Fuel relay recall did not solve the issue.
Vehicle continues to die while driving. Fortunately the vehicle dies when slowing down to a stop or turn. It has been recalled for this twice.
There was a whirring noise associated with engine rpm. It appeared to be something driven by the serpentine belt. Within a few miles the battery charge light came on. I figured the noise was then the alternator. I stopped at a parts store to order one and when I came back out, smoke was billowing out of the hood. I opened the hood and it was coming from the alternator. It wasn't slowing down. I asked for some tools from the parts store to unhook the battery and then the smoke started subsiding. It appeared the alternator created a short and the battery was feeding the potential for fire. This all happen in the course of 4 miles. The day before I had parked this vehicle in a parking garage below a college building for a sporting event. This could have caught fire and potentially caused a lot of damage to other vehicles and building. I don't think I would have heard the issue at highway speeds either, and eventually the short caused the entire electrical system to fail (hooked battery up to put car in neutral to load onto tow truck). I currently have the alternator and ordered a replacement (with a core charge). The back of the alternator has some metal that had melted along with the back plastic housing. The bearings seem smooth. I noticed another recall with same vehicle and alternator but with electric hydraulic power steering with the alternator shorting to ground, but my vin is not affected by that.
The engine valve stem failed prematurely due to poor quality manufacturing. Due to this low quality product it has created low compression in the engine. This has triggered multiple codes such as misfire, ETC, and has affected the acceleration of the vehicle as well as performance and at times from even starting. My family's safety has been put at risk due to stalling of the vehicle in traffic.This was inspected by a proper mechanic who looked into my engine with a camera and used diagnostic tools. There was no lights active during fault..
Durango was T-boned on driver's side. Durango was turning left into a parking lot from a county road. Tahoe was going 50-55+mph in the same lane and direction as Durango. Durango put on left turn signal, slowed down to ~10mph, and turned left towards parking lot. At the same time, Tahoe sped up behind Durango, Tahoe tried to pass Durango on the left. Tahoe collided with left side of Durango, pushing it 30+ feet into the ditch. Tahoe drivers airbag deployed. No airbags deployed in the Durango. The Driver of the Durango smashed head/face into door column, causing concussion, whiplash, contusion to forehead/eyebrow requiring 8 stitches.
Alternator failed
Vehicle became unresponsive on the highway due to 220 amp Alternator overheating and frying the PCM as a result. Same exact issue as recall item T36.
Rear-ended into another vehicle. Car resisted braking
My cars fuel pump is being recalled which is causing starting issues and at times the car wont start. When driving the car it feels a bit of a lag or a loss in power. i have called for the recall parts to be fixed at the dealer for months now. they claim there is part issues or shipping issues on the parts. This an important part needs to be fixed and may cause more damage in the future to the engine if not fixed in a timely manner.
Car keeps stalling when pressing on the brake. even after the recall fix. Was only happening occasionally now more often. Happened on the expressway
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and making a turn or depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle would stall without warning. The contact stated that after each failure, the vehicle would be restarted and operate as designed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 128,450.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the temperature gauge was rising and the vehicle was overheating. There was also an antifreeze odor coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled off the road safely and added antifreeze to the coolant reservoir, and then drove home. A local independent mechanic diagnosed that the radiator and thermostat had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from above the driver’s side sun visor. The contact lowered the sun visor and saw red coals and black smoke coming from the headliner. The contact pulled into a parking lot to get water to extinguish the fire. Upon returning to the vehicle the contact saw flames coming from inside the vehicle. The emergency services were contacted and notified of the fire. The fire department arrived on the scene. When the fireman pulled down the headliner there were flames underneath the headliner. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police and fire report was filed. There was an injury reported. The fire department determined that the fire was caused by an electrical fault. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance provider had not determined if the vehicle would be a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 181,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The electronic throttle control (ETC) warning light was illuminated. After the vehicle cool down the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 164,000.
The vehicle shutdown and steering is not responsive. I have to quickly put the vehicle in neutral and power on the vehicle again without getting into an accident.
All current recalls have been performed on this vehicle. While making left and right hand turns after coasting down from a highway speed (55MPH or greater) the vehicle will stall. We will loose all power steering and brakes. No warning lights come on and everything appears normal except the engine is not running. Something in the fuel or electrical system is intermittently failing. I suspect it to be a "Dumb" device. Something that is told to turn on or off but there is no feedback to the computer to set a code when it fails. The vehicle is available for inspection at any time. This started occurring after one of the fuel pump relay recalls. It happens at random and is hard to duplicate, while we do have video of it, the dealer has been unable to duplicate it. The vehicle shows no codes, or anything wrong when it happens. Once the vehicle is stopped, shifted back into park, it will restart and run just fine. This has placed us in unsafe conditions in the middle of the opposing lane, in a turn, trying to restart the vehicle before another car comes around the turn. It is also hard to steer and stop a large SUV when power steering and brakes have been lost. There have been several close calls of getting the vehicle stopped prior to going off the road. The dealer has checked the vehicle over with no solution found for the issue. There has never been any warning lights associated with the vehicle stalling while driving. The vehicle does not know anything is wrong.
While driving lights on dash all flash, windshield wipers come on, horn won’t work, windows won’t work, headlights will turn off, speedometer drops to zero. Problem started a year ago. Took it to dodge and 2 independent auto repair places, with no fix. We were without the car for 4 months while waiting to see if anyone could find a fix-as far as we were told there was none. Car drove fine for a couple of months with some “minor” issues-lights flash speedometer drops- pull over turn car off- everything ok. Today full electric failure! EVERYTHING stated above happened at once, in addition to feeling like I could not accelerate.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that after start-up, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where she was informed that the wiring on the inside of the driver’s side belt buckle was defective. The contact was informed that the defect was related to the air bag failure and that the buckle needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle and that she would be responsible for repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 224,000.
vehicle keeps staling on road while operating, AND has THE BRAKES SYTEM failure. No brakes, brake booster had failed and also has recall part for brake booster.. the safety of my entire family was put at risk, I almost crashed into traffic. vehicle was taken to local dealership, was told FUEL PUMP relay has recall. no parts available, ONE YEAR LATER, STILL WAITING AND STILL NO PARTS AVAILABLE. VEHICLE HAS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. ITS APPEAR AFTER BRAKES SYSTEM GAVE OUT.
While at speed, the FCW light goes off and the vehicle looses the ability to accelerate. I usually have to pull over, shut down the vehicle, and restart it to continue. I have had all of the recalls completed as soon as possible, and the last one was completed several years ago. Similar things happened previously with this car but seemed to be fixed by recalls. This has only started happening again recently, say within the last month or two, and is happening with greater frequency.
The vehicle cuts off when you slow your speed down.
VIN: [XXX], MAKE/MODEL: DODGE DURANGO, YEAR 2011, MILES: 189,000 NO WARNING, NO MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT UNTIL AFTER TODAY 09/21/2021, ENGINE WONT TURN OVER, NOT BATTERY, BATTERY IS CHARGED, EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WORK, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT( ENGINE SYMBOL), & RED NOT YELLOW ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WHEN TURNING ON VEHICLE, MAKES A CLICKING NOISE WHEN TRYING TO TURN OVER. LIGHT THAT STAYS ON : MIL, LIGHT THAT ONLY STAYS ON BRIEFLY, ETC, VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN OVER TO START NO KNOWN RECALLS. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled randomly. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact stated that the “Forward Collision Warning- Off” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V530000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Every so often, while I’m driving, my vehicle totally shuts down in the middle of traffic as I slow down for a turn or to stop. The steering wheel becomes very difficult to maneuver, forcing me to stop exactly where I am, to shift it to park and crank it up again.
My stock alternator caught fire, and made my car completely lock up and shut down while I was driving. Upon further diagnosis my PCM was affected. There was a recall for that exact issue and in the year my vehicle was manufactured, yet my car VIN is not included! It’s the same issue from the recall
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently shift into different gears without warning. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,979.
We were sitting in the driveway, getting ready to go, and all of the sudden the passenger side airbag exploded open, without any warning hitting my passenger in the head. There was no warning at all, it just deployed. Apparently this happens quite a lot and now I am concerned about the driver's side doing it.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026