NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Dodge Durango. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
I was on a road trip, this is the second time it happens. A small rock hit my a/c condenser causing the Freon to leak out. It happened 2 years ago after owning the car for a few days and had to pay over $1500 and happened again today. I have to bring it to the shop to see if I have the same issue. I just feels that I can’t be the only one this has happened to
In my 2021 Dodge Durango, I noticed my daytime running light on the drivers side was out. I thought that’s weird because I have had the car for less than 3 years. When I googled the problem to find the part to replace, I quickly learned there were thousands of complaints about the same problem. This part costs $1,400 for one single headlight replacement because it’s not possible to just replace a bulb. I called the dealership and they let me know that I can bring it in with a $250 fee for checking the problem. I will be required to pay the fee if it is not covered under warranty. In their words, if a fuse is loose or malfunctioning then I have to pay $250 plus however much it costs to fix the problem. If the headlight needs to be replaced then I do not have to pay the $250 fee because it’s apart of my 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. I cannot afford to pay $3,000 every two years for a set of new headlights when this seems like a major flaw in design along with thousands of customers reporting this is happening to them as well. I live in Washington state where it is dark, gloomy, and rainy throughout the entire year. I would consider daytime running lights a safety concern if not functioning properly on a daily basis and constantly needs to be repaired. My car never warned me or sent me a message that there was a problem. I had someone tell me who physically saw the issue. I attached screenshots of just one website with thousands of comments reporting the same issue.
I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN MY VEHICLE TOLD ME PUT MY CAR INTO PARK. I LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING AND CONTROL OF MY ABILITY TO PUT MY CAR INTO OR OUR OF GEAR. I HAD STARTED TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROLS AND MY CAR HALTED TO AN ADRUPT STOP AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO HAVE ANY CONTROL OF ITS FUNCTIONS. DUE TO BEING IN TRAFFIC I ATTEMPTED TO THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND IT DID NOT ALLOW, I WAITED APPROXIMATELY 5 MIN, AT THAT POINT IT ALLOWED ME TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART AND IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME. AFTER WAITING APPROXIMATELY 10 MIN. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION MODULE WAS REPAIRED ON 6/13 AND A FEW DAYS LATER CUT OFF AFTER REPAIRS.
Drivers side daytime running light is out. Manufacturer defect plenty of dodge Durango vehicles are having the same common issue From 2021-2023 Durangos
My 2021 Durango is suffering from the a burnt out racetrack light. This is an manufacturer issue and is common across all Durango's with the racetrack tail light, I hope that Dodge issue a recall to fix this problem since it's this common, my vehicle is only 3 years old.
Driver side day headlight stopped working. Some in the warranty period and some out. A quick search online shows a lot of Durango owners having the same exact issue.
The driver's side Daytime Running Lights (DRL) no longer operate. It is available for inspection. DRL have become a regular safety feature to improve visibility in daylight hours. I have not taken it to a dealer, as I do not want to be charged hundreds of dollars in "labor" for them to tell me it doesn't work. I have done research online in Forums and on YouTube, and have confirmed that there are numerous people with the same year, make and model who's driver's side DRL have stopped working just before or just after the 36,000/3 years. For example, my car has 46,000 miles on it when the DRL stopped working. Other's on the Forums who have had their vehicle inspected by the dealerships have confirmed that the entire light assembly needs to be replaced, at a cost of $1300, not including labor. There were no warning lamps or indications that the light went out, I saw my reflection in another car that was in front of me. There is no reason for an LED DRL to go bad after less than years and/or 46,000 miles and the owner then expected to buy a replacement part that costs $1300.
SOS Emergency notification service does not work. Unable to call or be located if an accident or emergency occurs.
Start/Stop feature says it is unavailable causing vehicle to not shut off when stopped as well as causing vehicle to give message saying Start/Stop feature unavailable due to hood open which then causes vehicle to shut off once stopped and requires vehicle to be shifted into park and restarted for message to come back on. This issue happens when driving and once stopped causes vehicle shut off in traffic causing huge safety concerns and issues.
Driver's side daytime running light burned out after 3 years.
Water intrusion into the rear taillights causing LED assembly to burn out. This potentially renders the vehicle not visible to other drivers at night time without running lights.
The liftgate light assembly (racetrack light) has defective gaskets which have allowed water to enter the assembly. The light now has a short resulting from the water and randomly flashes or goes out. This is troubling when following the vehicle as you cannot tell if it is a brake light coming on, hazards, or what the purpose of the random flashing light is.
The component I am referring to is the fuel pump and fuel sending unit. The vehicle has starting issues, when starting it gives about 30 seconds of continues cranking before starting. Sometimes the vehicle will go through that cycle—unable to turn off at any point and eventually quit on its own. The only way to be replicated is roughly after being idle for 30 minutes- and then having the car turned off and on again. Or by happening randomly-at a stop light with the auto start feature turned on. This provides a hazard as there is moving traffic and the car can stall or not start in time. The vehicle is currently at the dodge dealership getting repaired however there are multiple complaints about this happening on many website forums. Unknown if the issues was reproduced by dealer, however they ran a test and determined the fuel pump was running lower than the specified PSI as per the manufacturer—but I never got the true reading. Unknown if the dealership went into detailed inspection of fuel pump. There are no warning lamp signs or any codes sent through the OBD II monitor.
Forward collision service warning came on me vehicle when there was nothing near my car and the weather was only slight rain. Why hasn’t this issue been a recall when I’ve read dozens of other complaints for this same issue.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while her mother was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle that had slammed on its brakes. The contact stated that the proceeding vehicle then crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that her mother was involved in a four-car pileup. The air bags did not deploy. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a lot. The contact's mother sustained arm and neck inquires. Medical attention was needed. The contact's mother received medical attention. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled a gasoline odor in the interior of the vehicle. As a result, the contact started to feel physically ill, potentially compromising his health. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V115000 (Structure), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.
On 11/4/2023 I turned off my Durango. 10 minutes later I turn it on and it makes a clicking noise and wouldn't turn over. After 10 attempts to start I let it rest for the evening. The following day 11/5/2023 I try to restart and it stalled. After 5 more attempts the vehicle stalled after 10 Seconds each time. 11/6/2023 I contacted my insurance company to have my vehicle towed because it wasn't drivable to the local dodge dealership. After 4 days they diagnosed the problem as an Egr valve. They contacted other dealerships to purchase one and there wasn't any available. They also said that the part is on back order with no date for the future. Prior to the Durango refusing to start there was no warning lights on. The vehicle died in my relatives yard thankfully and not during operation otherwise it could have been fatal. The problem has been confirmed by the local dodge dealership and is available at that location for inspection. I have no documentation yet as it's still sitting at the dealership waiting for the back ordered part to magically arrive
Headlight Assembly DLR failures
The driver side DRL has gone out. Passenger DRL is working perfect. Looked at dodge forums to see if others are having the same problem and there is MANY of the same complaints!
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with two-piece lug nuts. The contact stated that he had been working on the vehicle changing the tire and damaged the lug nuts causing lug nuts to bulge. The contact stated that he was concerned about removing the damaged lug nuts for fear of stripping the thread on the bolts. The contact stated he contacted a local dealer, the manufacturer, and the manufacturer of the lug nuts and was informed that there would be no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,500.
The Driver's Side headlight Daytime Driving Light and Blinker stopped working at around 40k miles. We currently have have about 85k miles on it. The dealership stated is till cost over $1,000 to replace the headlight as the LED DRL and Blinker is not replaceable and the entire unit must be replaced.
The Durango Hydroplaned and after I inspected the tires I noticed very bad wear patterns on the front tires at 17,500 miles both the inside treads on the front tires are completely worn off. I brought the car to the dealer and they confirmed the durangos alignment is out causing the tires to wear. They inspected the back tires and those were worn as well I feel like there is some type of manufacture defect and assembly defect causing the tires to wear prematurely. The pireeli tires have a UTQG: 500 A A rating that should wear to about 50K miles
I have an open safety recall on my 2021 Dodge Durango R/T. Upon receiving the paperwork in the mail I brought my car to a dealer to get it assessed. During that appointment, it was decided that I did need the recall part to be ordered and replaced. The dealer sent me on my way. I called back today to get an idea of when this would be performed and unfortunately, they said Chrysler did not have any parts available and that my part had effectively no ETA on it. I called Chrysler Customer Care to see what they could do in helping me locate the part. The service person on the other end of the phone told me that the car was safe to drive and there was absolutely NOTHING they could do for me and that I would have to wait. I then informed the service person I used to be a manager of a parts department for the CDJR brand and asked about the program that Chrylser has to expedite parts for customers. I have first-hand experience dealing with the expedition team and they always pulled through when I had my customers call in the past (less than a year ago). They would be able to acquire a part that had no ETA and get it to me usually within a week which was incredible for the safety needs of (at the time) our customers. The service person then informed me they had no idea and reiterated that there is nothing they can do and the vehicle is safe to drive. I need to put this complaint in because I have an open safety recall on my vehicle and the company that owns the recall and the part can not give me any estimation of when it will be taken care of and it is to be taken care of in a reasonable amount of time. I don't know who defines what reasonable is but having no estimate at all is certainly not justifiable. This recall is holding back business and personal driving because we as customers do not feel safe driving these long distances knowing that our vehicle could kill us or someone else due to this part flying off of our car and causing an accident with little to no warning.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the rear spoiler detached and struck the rear windshield. The contact pulled over and located the part. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V115000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Transmission cooling lines rub frame of vehicle causing lost in coolant.
An error pop up occurs frequently which blocks the screen (including the backup camera view) until cleared. The error message says “Uconnect Box requires service. Please visit an authorized dealer” This pop up occurs at random and can happen several times in a row. The spontaneity of the error means it can suddenly cover the backup camera view as you are backing up.
The car has been having intermittent electrical problems and was brought to the dealer many times for repair. The "radio" system has been replaced twice after various electrical problems occurred. The car has also intermittently had a problem where the engine revs excessively and the car does not handle the way it should. It's almost like its a manual transmission that's not being shifted properly. The only way to stop the problem is to turn the car off, and back on which resolves the issues. It generally would then not recur for months. The dealer has not been able to reproduce that problem. Yesterday, while driving the car in heavy traffic, the engine revving problem happened twice. The second time I became very concerned and was trying to get out of bumper to bumper traffic to a safe place. While attempting to get to a place where I could pull the car over, I was moving forward very slowly (had released the brake, but not touched the accelerator) when the car in front of me was stopping again. I braked, and the car lurched forward with force and hit the other car. I braked harder and the car again lurched forward, hitting the other car a second time. I threw the car into park which stopped the motion. There were no serious injuries but both cars sustained damage and I called roadside assistance to tow my car to the dealership because I felt it was not safe to drive. The dealer repeatedly tells us there is nothing wrong with the car. Someone could have been killed or seriously injured. I am requesting an immediate investigation. There were no warning lights. This just happened, so the insurance has not inspected the car yet. It is at the dealership. The only "warning signs were the intermittent electrical problems which have occurred since we have owned the car. The engine revving intermittently started happening about a year ago. The problem with the car accelerating or jerking forward while breaking happened for the first time yesterday
On two separate occasions, while driving car engages into automatic braking with nothing in front of it.
Periodic starting failure. Vehicle will not turn over immediately. It has a push button start. The safety of my children is at stake if my vehicle does not start during cold winter months when the outside temperature is below freezing. I am not sure I won’t shut off mid travel. It was suggested to be the type of fuel so I bought premium and it didn’t help.
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The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the frequency module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, My Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM FIAT (4650 E Pickard St, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858; (989) 773-6343) where it was diagnosed that the frequency module needed to be replaced but the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.
The Durango seems to have a defect that should be a recall. If you look up the issues online everyone has the same issue. It puts yourself and others at risk because you may be unaware that your light is not working properly. Please see description below that is right online: Symptoms: Water inside the housing, dimming, flickering, or total failure of the light bar. Causes: Defective sealing allows water from rain, snow, or car washes to enter the assembly. Safety Risk: The issue is subject to a class-action lawsuit (2014-2023 models) alleging the failed lights create a safety hazard. I only found out because someone was behind me and said that my lights seem to be going bad. There are forums all over with all durango's being effected. This needs to be a safety recall.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that he noticed that water was leaking into the taillights on inclement weather days. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. Additionally, the contact sent photos of the failure to the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that they could not replace the taillights under warranty because no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving on three separate occasions at highway speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The horn was beeping. Additionally, the windshield wipers, the brakes, and the power steering functionality became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed there was corrosion on part numbers: 68490871AA (PCM, ECM, ECU Control module) and 68499393AA (PCM, ECM, ECU Control module). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.
The contact owned a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph and turning in an exit veering to the right when the vehicle began reducing in speed and the vehicle was displaying numbers counting down on the instrument panel. The contact pulled to the side of the road where they turned the vehicle off and waited approximately 5 - 10 minutes before turning the vehicle back on and driving to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure therefore they were unable to diagnose the cause. The vehicle had not been repaired. Approximately 3 weeks after while driving approximately 40 mph when attempting to go on a roundabout when the vehicle began displaying the count down on the instrument panel. The contact attempted to apply the brakes however the vehicle continued to accelerate forward causing the contact to drop into the center of the roundabout. The air bag failed to deploy and the contact hit their head on the steering wheel. The contact also received whiplash and medical attention was needed. The contact was injured from the neck down the back. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 44,722.
I keep receiving error messages on my vehicle, I spoke to a dealership and they stated that there is in fact for a recall.
#1 The word " Air bag ! " notification would display on dashboard, #2 An "SOS" message on radio screen. #3 Red light on rearview mirror at or near emergency button. this would occur intermediately at start up, and or during driving at times. Vehicle was dropped off Wednesday, October 12, 2022 and is currently at "Bill Snethkamp Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram" 16400 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 where i was told that it has a seatbelt issue which can cause airbag issue, and due to safety concern, my vehicle will have to stay..
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to pull to the left, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact felt a vibration in the steering wheel, and the vehicle pulling to the left or the right while driving downhill or on the highway. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with wheel alignment and steering wheel failure. The wheels were aligned, and the steering wheel was adjusted; however, the failure recurred two more times. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,854.
The transmission slips during initial acceleration and causes the driver to dangerously accelerate ahead unexpectedly.This has been occuring since I purchased the vehicle in July of 2021.
All four tires have worn down after only 18,600 miles. They are bald after only minor use.
I had 4 Pirelli tires that were down to 3/32 to the point where the threads were showing near the inner sidewall on the tread in under 15000 miles. Tire information: Pirelli Scorpion Zero All/Season run flat tires Tire Size: 295/45/ ZR20 (110Y) M+S My safety as well as others would've been at severe risk if I wouldn't have replaced my tires. They would've blown out near the inner sidewall on the tread. I brought my vehicle in to the dealership to have an alignment and all specs were in spec which would indicate there shouldn't have been premature or uneven wear on the tire. They did confirm that under 15000 miles is extremely premature for these tires to be worn. The tires have only been inspected by the dealership, nobody else at this time. There were no lights on the dash indicating any sort of issue. I called Pirelli about the issue and they stated that there is no mileage warranty on the tires put on at the time of manufacturing. They stated that this complaint was "definitely not the first they have heard and it is not uncommon for premature wear to occur" but couldn't provide any further comment.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while opening the rear hatch, he noticed a bolt inside the hatch from the rear spoiler. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the rear spoiler to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to not having the parts available. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the rear spoiler detached from the vehicle and hit the highway. The contact parked the vehicle and retrieved the rear spoiler. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V842000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound detected. The contact became aware that the spoiler had partially detached and was dangling from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V842000 (Structure) for which the VIN was included. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 31,911.
I own a 2020 Dodge Durango. The daytime running lights malfunctioned after one year of use. The vehicle warranty does not cover this issue, and all dealers and insurance companies will charge over $1200 to repair the lights. This issue has been known to affect the 2020 Durango model since its release. The lights cannot be repaired by replacing a bulb; instead, the entire headlight module must be replaced. Dodge has stated that this issue is considered normal wear and tear on the vehicle, even though they acknowledge that it is a known issue. Dodge does not know why the lights malfunction after just one year, but their resolution is to charge the consumer to replace the module and also advises that the issue may recur after the repair.
I was driving on the freeway in clear weather, no traffic, and smooth driving. Suddenly, the rear spoiler made a loud sound and broke free from the vehicle. While it was falling, it also broke off a large portion of the rear wiper, and both rear wiper and rear spoiler crashed onto the freeway behind me. All I could see was a small hose and a wire hanging out the back. I pulled off the freeway and took pictures of my mileage as well as the affected areas of the vehicle. Dodge has a recall for this exact problem on some VIN's of the same model year as my vehicle, but my specific VIN is not covered by the existing recall. The existing Dodge recall reference number is Y73.
Sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving. The shatter was accompanied by a very loud noise. Dealer has been contacted and the sunroof will be replaced under warranty.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 63 MPH, the power steering assist warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel became firm. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer stated that no failure was found. The dealer suggested that the power steering control module software be updated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer approved the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 1,000.
April del 2022 manegava a velocidad mínima y kise frenar y no agarro bien los frenos y terminé pegándole a una moto enfrente de mi
Water accumulates in the rear light bar. This has caused the LEDs to start flickering. This could cause issues in traffic, especially at night if the LEDs are flickering or not working completely. This issue is well known in the Durango community. Mopar is also aware of this. I can always see some water in the light bar after every rain. This vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet. There are no warning lights associated with this issue. I first noticed the water after owning the vehicle for about 1 year.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V140000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.