2016 Dodge Durango Problems

The Rear License Plate Light bulb (right) was out and I went to have the bulb replaced. I was quoted over $1100 from the dealer, as the LED racetrack lighting was not properly sealed and is collecting water. The collection of water within the light compartment has caused corrosion within, and the wiring to disintegrate. This is a commonly known, yet not addressed safety issue by DODGE. My vehicle will not pass the MA Safety Inspection at the end of the month. I have read on-line many, many complaints, as well as have spoken to other Durango owners who have experienced this same problem. I have already replaced the racetrack lighting ONCE on this vehicle due to water collection and the brake lights not properly working. THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

Rear racetrack led lighting is failing. One segment has gone dark. You can only replace the entire assembly for over &1500. I found on line there is a class action lawsuit regarding exactly what I am seeing

We had an issue with an error message in the middle of driving that stopped the acceleration of the vehicle, this seems to be common, looking at forums online. The inspection request is acceptable. The message we receive is "Shift to P before changing gears". The vehicle will stop in the middle of traffic and sometimes require a complete restart before being able to shift to drive. This has put myself, my wife, and two children in immense danger as the vehicle can stop at any point in time in oncoming traffic. We've taken it to a dealer who inspected the shifter and they didn't see any issues they couldn't replicate the issue happening. Two separate mechanic shops also cannot replicate this issue consistently. it hasn't been inspected these problems didn't have any warning messages prior to the problem occurring.

The Rear License Plate Light bulb (right) was out and I went to have the bulb replaced. I was quoted over $1100 from the dealer, as the LED racetrack lighting was not properly sealed and is collecting water. The collection of water within the light compartment has caused corrosion within, and the wiring to disintegrate. This is a commonly known, yet not addressed safety issue by DODGE. My vehicle will not pass the MA Safety Inspection at the end of the month. I have read on-line many, many complaints, as well as have spoken to other Durango owners who have experienced this same problem. I have already replaced the racetrack lighting ONCE on this vehicle due to water collection and the brake lights not properly working. THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

Driving in the left lane of an interstate highway at 75mph, in moderate traffic, in daylight hours, clear weather, with my young son. Sudden, unexpected decrease in engine rpm resulted in unannounced, approximate 40 mph reduction in speed. The instrument cluster illuminated stating “ service transmission continue in D. Do Not Shift or Turn Engine Off”. Such an unforeseen event, without brake light illumination, resulted in several following vehicles to take evasive actions, thus preventing a potential mass casualty accident. I was able steer towards the right shoulder at the greatly reduced speed of 35mph, collect myself, check on my upset son and try to make sense of what had happened. At this point panic began to set in. I called my Father & he was able to provide the next step being to deliver the vehicle to the local Dodge dealership. Those few miles were miserable since the dash was still presenting dismal warnings, there was reduced power and the vehicle acted like it was in a very low gear. The dealership was closed, so the vehicle was parked on lot however, once the engine was turned off the battery power remained on. Unable to lock, turn off or change any electrical device. We returned the following day and spoke to the service advisor who stated, “the vehicle had entered the Limp Mode” Addition research states it is a safety feature that activates when a critical issue is detected by a computer. Well, I guess the engineers never thought about such a radical transformation at highway speeds….without brake lights! Such a device should never allow an automobile to suddenly and without notice, startle the driver with annunciations while simultaneously downshifting and reducing engine rpm.

WHILE MOVING THE CAR LOSES POWER, SHIFT TO P THEN DESIRED GEAR AND COMES TO A STOP. NOT ABLE TO STEER.

3 malfunctions within a month time frame. The car will start and run normally. Then it will suddenly come to a halt because the engine will continue to run but the transmission knob will not be able to move, and the entire electrical panel lights up. Repeated attempts to use the push button start to unlock the transmission knob and be able to start car fail. This has happened 2 of the 3 times on major roadways in traffic. PD was called for last incident. The car has been to the dealer 3 times, dealer is unable to replicate problem and unable to pull codes from computer every single time. Vehicle has been inspected by dealer every single time. No warning lights or lamp or messages have appeared prior to this issue. The last incident - as described on major roadway - my children were in vehicle. This is a complete and dangerous issue, still not being addressed. The car had come to a light, stopped, the auto engine had kicked in, and when time to move, the entire panel lit up and transmission knob locked once again.

My car showed all kinds of notices on the screen and was not turning on correctly and shaking while driving or standing. I took it to the dealer and was told my entire engine will have to be replaced due to oil sludge on the engine and this will cost be around $9000. I’ve been researching and it seems this tends to happen a lot to dodge car engines. My car has under 60,000 miles.

Vehicle is going into park while driving, when it does that I have to come to a stop and restart the vehicle. I almost got into an accident and I’m scared for my life driving this. The dealership charged me to change the alternator, the batteries and I still have the same issue.

Oil leak from top of the engine, Vehicle has being well maintained barely has 61,000 miles, well taken care of, oil leak from top of the engine, theres more people having this issue, possible cause: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdKLx_INOAY or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm5yuuv5KeI theres alot of issues with this leaks and is expensive repair. i was doing my monthly check up and i found this oil leak. did some research and theres other vehicles with the same Engine size 3.6 wit the same issue.

The back axel on the driver side snapped while going 75 down the highway. Causing major damage and totally the car.

My wife was driving down the road when out of no where her headrest just deployed slamming into the back of her head. After examining the headrest it was clear that a plastic piece had deteriorated causing the headrest to release.

Was driving and the vehicle stalled well driving, Had a hard time trying to stop and could barley steer the vehicle. Vehicle was flashing shift to park. This has happened two times to me now and I took it to the dealership and it happened to them as well. The radio screen sometimes doesn't light up and it will freeze and won't let you do anything, when cell phone is connected via blue tooth it will disconnect and then reconnect and randomly turn the volume all the way up and music will start playing, A/C will randomly kick on when I didn't have it on due to it being winter time and use only the heat now. rear brake light the race bar part of it is out and Mopar won't replace, Hood of the vehicle has rust bubbles and the lift gate has rust, I asked Mopar about the warranty and they said I missed the expiration date and they would not cover it. Three of the tires keep losing air and I am now on my second set of tires in a year and two months, Valve stems replaced two times as well.

The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while her daughter was taking out an item from the trunk, the rear liftgate inadvertently closed on her back. The contact stated that her daughter's back was badly injured. The contact stated that her daughter was taken to the hospital and was informed that she needed to see an orthopedic surgeon. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer for diagnosis or repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

On August 6, 2026, at approximately 6:00 a.m., I was driving my 2016 Dodge Durango northbound to work at approximately 60 mph. It was dark and the roadway was slightly wet from overnight rain. While traveling in the left lane under normal driving conditions, I suddenly heard a loud pop and the driver’s Active Head Restraint/headrest sprung forward, striking me hard in the back of the head. The impact caused my head to be thrown forward and caused me to swerve. I immediately pulled over to determine what had happened. After exiting the vehicle, I discovered that the driver’s headrest had sprung open and forward. There had been no collision or other impact immediately before the headrest deployed. I continued to work after the incident and developed a mild headache. Later that day, I began experiencing soreness in my neck. The unexpected deployment occurred without warning while I was traveling approximately 60 mph and created a serious safety concern because the impact caused me to swerve while driving. I have photographs documenting the condition of the headrest immediately following the incident.

Passenger active headrest deployed while parked on driveway.

WHILE REVERSING TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE CAUSING THE TIRE TO COME OFF AND CAUSING A COLLISION.

I HAVE BEEN WAITING 2 MONTHS FOR A SHOCK FOR A LEASED VEHICLE.

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor in the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed the strong fuel odor. The contact was employed by an independent mechanic, so the independent mechanic inspected the vehicle; however, the contact was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I have owned a 2013 Dodge Durango Citadel and traded it when it got to 100K because the fuel pump failed and now I own a 2016 Dodge Durango Limited and I'm currently at 99K miles and this fuel pump has failed. There needs to be a recall on the fuel pumps with the Dodge Durangos. The car will hesitate to start and malfunction while in traffic and that is dangerous to the driver and other vehicles. This can cause a crash because the vehicle will stall and not operate. The issue was confirmed by the Dodge, Jeep and Lincoln dealer with both vehicles I've owned. There were no indications that this component was failing other than the hesitation to start a month prior and the hesitation went from every few days to every single day.

I TOOK MY 2016 DODGE DURANGO TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE (NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY) BECAUSE THE BOOSTER DEVELOPED A VACUUM LEAK INSIDE UNDER THE DASH. AFTER REMOVAL, WE FOUND THE BOOSTER WAS FILLED WITH WATER. I FOUND A RECALL FOR EARLIER YEAR DODGE DURANGOS FROM 2011-2014 WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE (SAFETY RECALL T59 / NHTSA 17V-572), AND THE FIX WAS TO INSTALL A SHIELD TO PROTECT WATER FROM ENTERING. MY BOOSTER ALREADY HAD THIS SHIELD AND WAS INSTALLED CORRECTLY, YET IT STILL FILLED WITH WATER. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN AUGUST 2019, SO I HAVE NO SERVICE HISTORY AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION TO THE PICTURES, I ALSO TOOK A VIDEO SHOWING THE WATER, PLEASE SEE THIS LINK: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/5BD3JWUNFE4

KEY FOB MESSAGE KEY FOB HAS LEFT VEHICLE WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, DRIVING HIGHWAY, STOPPED AS WELL AS PARKED. AT TIMES UNABLE TO GET IN TO CAR. OTHER TIMES WHEN IN VEHICLE THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. ALSO, TRANSMISSION COMMAND IN DRIVE THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO FORWARD AND IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BACK UP AND WHEN IT DOES IT MAKE A NOISE.

STEERING LOCKS WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY MAKING A LEFT LANE CHANGE OR TURN. THIS OCCURS MULTIPLE TIMES EVEN ON SHORT TRIPS (LESS THAN 10 MILES). NO WARNING LIGHTS

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE STORE ON DEC 8TH 2019. WHEN I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT ONTO MY STREET, MY WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I HIT THE CURB AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. A WARNING CAME ON THAT SAID "POWER STEERING UNAVAILABLE" (SEE PICTURE)

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango equipped with Sailun Tires, Tire Line: Atrezzo SVR LX, Tire Size: 265/50/R20, DOT Number: 1YJDBNULY0217. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH in the passing lane, the front driver's side had a blowout, causing the vehicle to be pulled into the grassy area towards the railing. The contact maneuvered the vehicle while the vehicle rolled 100 yards. The contact stated that upon inspecting the tire, he noticed that the tire was still attached to the wheel, but the tread had separated from the tire. The contact had not sustained any injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tire mechanic where the tire was replaced. The contact later became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21T018000 (Tires) however, the tire line was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The tire failure and vehicle failure mileages were unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango equipped with Windforce Tires, Tire Line: Performax, Tire Size: 285/60/R18, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle started to wobble. Upon inspection, she noticed that there were bubbles on the driver's and passenger's side rear tires. Additionally, the tire pressure reached 65 PSI. The vehicle was taken to the tire dealer and the driver's and passenger's side rear tires were replaced; however, the failure recurred with the driver's and passenger's side front tires. The dealer informed the contact that the tires were not covered under warranty and she would need to pay out-of-pocket for the replacement tires. The driver's and passenger's side front tires were not replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

MY CAR IS 16 MONTHS OLD, LEASED FOR 3 YEARS. ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS SUCH AS CAMERA NOT WORKING PROPERLY, LIGHTS NOT TURNING OFF INSIDE THE CAR, SOFTWARE IN THE CAR MALFUNCTIONING AND CREATING RANDOM ERROR MESSAGES ON THE SCREEN, AND TURN SIGNALS BURNING OUT WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LIFE OF THE CAR HAPPENED VERY OFTEN. WERE REPORTED 2-3 TIMES TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP BUT NO RECORD WAS MADE FOR US AT THE DEALERSHIP, ALTHOUGH MECHANICS SHOWED US HOW TO MANUALLY RESET THE COMPUTER OURSELVES, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO KEEP COMING BACK IN FOR IT. THIS TIME THE CAR CAME TO A DEAD STOP A FEW SECONDS AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN. WHEELS LOCKED UP AT ABOUT 20MPH SPEED. THE IMPACT OF THE STOP CAUSED ME AND MY TWO TODDLERS TO FLY FORWARD SINCE THE SEATBELTS DID NOT LOCK. MY 3 YEAR OLD WAS IN A CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT, SHE SCOOT FORWARD A LITTLE BIT, BUT MY SON WAS IN A TODDLER BOOSTER AND FLEW FORWARD DOWN THE MIDDLE ISLE ALL THE WAY TO MY FRONT SEAT. ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE CAR FLASHED ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY. CAR WAS BEEPING FOR A GOOD 2-3 MINUTES STRAIGHT. NONE OF THE BUTTONS WORKED! DOORS WERE LOCKED AND WOULD NOT OPEN, THE WINDOWS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT REACT TO THE BUTTONS. TOOK ME A GOOD FEW MINUTES TO GET THE CAR BACK TO FUNCTIONING, AND I DROVE IT IMMEDIATELY DOWN THE STREET TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I GOT THIS CAR. AFTER 2 DAYS OF THE CAR BEING THERE, WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY HAD FOUND NOTHING, REPLICATED NOTHING, AND THAT THE COMPUTER RECORDED NO CODES. WE CONTACTED DODGE CORPORATE, BUT WERE TOLD THAT NOTHING WILL BE DONE FOR US (BESIDES PAY THE 2 DAYS OF RENTAL CAR FEE WHILE THEY LOOKED AT OUR CAR). DODGE TOLD US CAR WAS "FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED" ALTHOUGH THEY CAN NOT GUARANTEE ITS SAFE TO DRIVE, THEY DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. TOLD US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS 2 MORE TIMES BEFORE THEY CAN OPEN A CLAIM AGAIN. REFUSED TO SWAP THE CAR OUT, TOLD US NOTHING THEY CAN DO.

The back axel on the driver side snapped while going 75 down the highway. Causing major damage and totally the car.