RoadVitals

2017 Dodge Durango Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest May 8, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 210 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Dodge Durango submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesDriver assistance
Filed May 8, 2026

Runaway vehicle, police was called after car stopped and I was able to safely park it on the side of the freeway.also a police officer on motorcycle came the the scene to make sure I was able to get a towing scheduled. Dealership currently confirmed gas pedal accelerator needing to be replaced.

NHTSA ID
11736460
Incident
Apr 26, 2026
BrakesElectricalEngine
Filed Apr 29, 2026

The vehicle involved is a 2017 Dodge Durango. The primary systems malfunctioning include the engine cooling system, braking system, and electrical system. The engine repeatedly overheats while driving and has produced smoke from under the hood, creating a risk of breakdown or fire. The braking system is unreliable, with the brake pedal going down too far and not providing proper stopping power, increasing the risk of a crash. The electrical system malfunctions unpredictably, including windshield wipers and interior controls turning on and off without input. These issues have occurred multiple times and have left the vehicle stranded on the side of the road, including at night. This has placed the driver and passengers at risk in unsafe conditions and traffic environments. The problems began shortly after purchase and have been ongoing. The issues have not been properly resolved. A mechanic was supposed to inspect the vehicle, but it is UNKNOWN if a full inspection was completed. Warning signs included overheating temperature readings, smoke, weak braking response, and electrical irregularities prior to failure. The vehicle is currently not reliable or safe to operate due to these ongoing safety defects.

NHTSA ID
11734696
Incident
Apr 25, 2026
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jun 2, 2025

When backing with trailer or and hitch usage the car will not allow the driver to turn off the parking assist “off” button its been a ongoing issue with many dodge vehicles and the dealer ships will say a update is needed and charge for it. How ever we dont know when its needed and get stuck in a parking lot tryna back up or in the middle of a street trying to back up a trailer. When you turn it off the button will turn it self back on and brake as if it is an emergency so your stuck with a trailer on the vehicle and cant park.

NHTSA ID
11664476
Incident
May 25, 2025
BrakesElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jan 22, 2024

On my 2017 Doge Durango RT the “Racetrack” light has failed and created a safety issue for my vehicle. The LED light on the hatch has failed from poor manufacturing and has allowed water it get into the light shorting out the whole taillight. This has not only made a running light not work while I’m driving, but has caused the license plate light and the rear backup camera to fail. This is an over 1000 dollar repair. I will replace it for the safety of my family and those who drive on the roads with me. I have seen many other dodge Durango of the same model years that have a similar problem. There is a large online community who report the same issue. I hope this issue has not caused an accident for anyone else.

NHTSA ID
11567097
Incident
Jan 15, 2024
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Aug 11, 2021

The vehicle has a rear parking assist function. Via a Uconnect (touchscreen) system, the function can be enabled or disabled. The Uconnect system allows the operator to select whether the function will provide an audible warning or brake automatically if an object behind the vehicle is detected by any of 4 sensors installed in the rear bumper. The function can also be enabled or disabled via a physical button below the Uconnect system. I purchased the vehicle new and have owned the vehicle for 3 years. I have towed boats many times. Until recently, I was able to successfully use the touchscreen or physical button to disable the function when backing up with a trailer connected. Now I cannot disable the function or braking via either method. It appears to turn off for about 1 second before turning back on. I've tested in various conditions such as park/neutral, with/without a trailer, etc. to no avail. I thought I would try resetting software in the rear parking assist controller, so I disconnected both batteries and removed the proper fuse, but that didn't fix the issue. That got me worried because the failsafe should be that if the control system goes bad, the function should be disabled. I believe this to be true, because sometimes you need to back up to avoid collisions with irresponsible drivers, etc. If you are towing a trailer, you wouldn't be able to back up if the system failed. I understand about failsafe design from working on safety-critical aircraft computers. I reviewed the users manual and information online, and found that if connected to a trailer or exceeding 7 mph in reverse, the function should disengage. However, the function has NEVER, in 3 years, disengaged when towing a trailer, and I am unable to exceed 7 mph when towing due to the automatic braking. I tested this again by plugging a trailer into both factory-installed electrical receptacles provided with the tow package. I could not disable it. Other vehicle owners have the same issue.

NHTSA ID
11428632
Incident
May 15, 2021
BrakesEngine
Filed Sep 12, 2019

I DOWNLOADED AND SUCCESSFULLY INSTALLED A RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE UPDATE TO MY 2017 DODGE DURANGO THIS PAST SUMMER. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE DIFFICULTY SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS CHANGED IN THE TIMING OF THE THE AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF AND WHEN I TURN IT OFF. I HAVE OCCASIONALLY STARTED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT I HAD NOT TURNED IT OFF, BUT BACK ON. THIS IS AN AGGRAVATION ALL BY ITSELF, BUT THE REASON FOR MY REAL COMPLAINT WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL I HOOKED UP MY TRAILER. I FOUND THAT I CANNOT TURN OFF OR DISABLE MY PARK ASSIST. WHEN THERE IS A NEAR OBJECT SUCH AS A TRAILER, WHEN I TRY TO BACK UP, THE BRAKES LOCK ON. I DISCOVERED THIS WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON A BLIND CORNER TRYING TO BACK INTO A DRIVEWAY. I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY SO I HAD TO GO A MILE DOWN THE ROAD IN ORDER TO FIND A PLACE THAT I COULD U-TURN. I THEN HAD TO DETACH AND MANUALLY PARK MY TRAILER. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WAS A LITTLE SCARY NOT BEING ABLE TO BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO GET OUT OF HARMS WAY. OH, THE BEST PART, EVEN THOUGH THE SOFTWARE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY DODGE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS, I HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. THE SOONEST APPOINTMENT IS 2 WEEKS FROM NOW. BETWEEN NOW AND THEN I HAVE TO TAKE A TRIP TO CHICAGO AND PARK WHERE I KNOW I WILL HAVE TO PARK IN TIGHT SPACES.

NHTSA ID
11255042
Incident
Sep 12, 2019
Mileage
49,000 mi
BrakesSteeringVisibility
Filed May 4, 2018

WILD SHIELD WIPERS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE DURING HEAVY RAIN. STEERING WHEEL MAKES NOISE WHILE TURNING. BREAKS ARE NOT GOOD QUALITY.

NHTSA ID
11091980
Incident
Apr 2, 2018
Mileage
7,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Sep 25, 2017

WHILE DRIVING MY 2017 DODGE DURANGO CITADEL (6980 MILES) HOME FROM WORK, I HAD THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SET. I WAS IN A STEADY LINE OF TRAFFIC AND CARS LINED UP BEHIND ME. THE TRUCK STARTED TO STEADILY DECREASE IN SPEED, THERE WERE NO OBJECTS IN THE PATH OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CAR IN FRONT WAS AT LEAST 6 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD. WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, I THEN ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, MY BRAKES WERE NOT ACTIVE AS WELL. I PLACED MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO MOVE MY VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME MY STEERING HAD TIGHTENED AND I COULD NOT MOVE MY VEHICLE. I ENDED UP COASTING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. NOTHING WAS WORKING ON MY TRUCK. I COULD NOT OPEN MY DOOR OR LET MY WINDOWS DOWN. IT WAS LIKE I WAS TRAPPED INSIDE. FINALLY, I WAS ABLE TO GET MY WINDOWS DOWN AFTER 3 OR MORE MINUTES. WHEN THE TOWING SERVICE PICKED MY VEHICLE UP, THE BACK WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL UP AND MY LIFT GATE OPENED BY ITSELF. WE GOT THE LIFT GATE BACK DOWN MANUALLY. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IF YOU PLACED YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE, PUSHED THE START BUTTON IT JUST MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WILL BE LOOKED AT TOMORROW, 9/26/17. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIBLE, FATAL ACCIDENT. SOME TYPE OF INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE INTO THIS MATTER. MY SON AND I TRAVEL MANY MILES A WEEK AND THIS WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN FATAL IF WE WERE ON THE INTERSTATE ON AN INSIDE LANE.

NHTSA ID
11025472
Incident
Sep 25, 2017
Mileage
6,890 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .