2018 Dodge Durango Exterior lighting Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that a section of the rear light was inoperable. The passenger’s side light was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the tail light needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11749577

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

Mileage

100,000 mi

Water in racetrack tailgate taillights

NHTSA ID

11730341

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

The tailgate light has gone out on my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T. Researching online has lead me to discover that this is a known issue that is costing customers thousands of dollars due to a known design flaw. The tailgate light goes out and usually leads to the brake lights and backup camera going out. I do not know when the brakes lights may glitch or go out which can cause an accident. I asked the service person at the dealership about the tailgate issue in May of 2025 when the tailgate light was intermittently going in and out. I was told to call the 800 customer service number. There’s no warning for the tailgate light failing and leading to the failure of the brake lights and backup camera.

NHTSA ID

11695961

Incident

Oct 10, 2025

Rainwater or going through a car wash leaks water into backend lighting compartment which leads to backend lights not working. You can see the water into the lights. Water leaks out the backend when you open or close the back door. No brake lights could cause accidents. Wiring also corrodes and needs replacement due to water corrosion.

NHTSA ID

11671214

Incident

Oct 14, 2021

Purchased this vehicle used from a dealership and a few months later the racetrack light malfunctioned and stopped working which is also connected to my license plate light. The dealership refused to cover the expense of the light which to my surprise was over two thousand dollars, an expense I was not prepared for and now I am at a loss. They tried to negotiate that I should pay for half the cost when the car was purchased of their lot less than a few months with a major malfunction like this. Upon further research I find out there is a class action lawsuit against FCA about this issue. I do not have the money for this repair unless I borrow the money, if so can I get reimbursed though FCA?

NHTSA ID

11661737

Incident

Mar 14, 2025

Rear Racetrack LED lightning is failing due to water intrusion. This could also possibly cause electrical issues to the license plate lights and back up camera. When in bad weather, other drivers could fail to see the back of my car, and could get into an accident. Yes, dealer stated that the cost is 1500 to fix. The Durango has 60K miles. Dealer only. No warning just a fellow driver reported my Racetrack light flickers and dim.

NHTSA ID

11659700

Incident

May 1, 2025

The rear race track rail has water build up at the bottom of it and it fried the lights so they don’t work anymore.

NHTSA ID

11651569

Incident

Mar 28, 2025

Center lift gate racetrack light failed due to water getting into seam and shorting out that light and the license plate light. The whole unit needs to be replaced due to a faulty design which is going to cost over $2000

NHTSA ID

11648092

Incident

Mar 12, 2025

After our cold winter here in PA when temperatures were -8 I noticed my tail light had a section not working and after looking at it I noticed a crack and water in that part. I started looking at replacing it until I seen it was going to be $2,000.00 just for the light. Will the Durango's that have these issues because of faulty parts pass state inspections until Dodge figures out what to do?

NHTSA ID

11647753

Incident

Jan 15, 2025

Water in racetrack lighting in rear tailgate. Also, license plate lights are not working either. Should be mfg problem to repair/recall

NHTSA ID

11645179

Incident

Feb 17, 2025

Racetrack Tail light burned out and can effect driving safety issues, water got in there and the automaker know about this problem and they won’t fix it , I have to pay out of pocket.

NHTSA ID

11640509

Incident

Feb 2, 2025

My tailgate lamp also known as the race track lamp it's collecting water every time I take it into the car wash which it now cost part of my life to burn out which can be a safety issue if all of it completely goes out

NHTSA ID

11630477

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

I have noticed moisture in the rear tailgate light which houses the rear camera, license plate light, reverse lights and a larger(racetrack) tailight. I have drained the light a couple of times and noticed a small portion of the light was dim. This has been going on probably a year. Last night our son was driving behind and noticed the whole tailgate light had gone out along with the license plate light. There is no way to service this light it has to be replaced. The replacement light at the dealer was $1480. To me that is not an option. This is definitely a safety and consumer concern in my book.

NHTSA ID

11613065

Incident

Sep 5, 2024

Tail gate LED brake light fills with water and cause the light to stop working. Because of the design it has the potential for the driver behind not to see the brake lights which can result in an accident. Reported issue to the dealership and the insurance company that I took extra exterior insurance from and they said it happens all the time and wants me to pay hundreds out of pocket. This is a manufacturing defect because it happens to many of this model it’s not fair to the customer. I see many other Durangos with the same issue. Dodge should compensate the customers.

NHTSA ID

11592973

Incident

Mar 21, 2022

The rear taillights are filling up with water and burning the rear lights out which causes safety for other not being able to see the rear of the car. I know 3 other people that have the same issue on there dodge durango. You have to take the bolt out to drain the water. There is no seal or gasket inside preventing water from going in also can cause other electrical problems which is not safe.

NHTSA ID

11585333

Incident

Apr 23, 2024

The center hate LED brake light has water in it and shorted out making visibility of the rear of the vehicle hard to see at night. Dealer told me this is a very common issue and wants over $1000 for me to order another. Dodge needs to fix this and make it right as it's a design issue. This is a serious safety concern and will not drive with my family in the vehicle until able to fix it.

NHTSA ID

11584283

Incident

Apr 15, 2024

Water is getting into the tail lights which is starting to burn the lights out. It's a safety concern especially at night time. They're should be a recall on this issue as fixing it is costly. A lot of people are being affected by this.

NHTSA ID

11579988

Incident

Mar 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the driver’s side tailgate LED light had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that water had gotten inside the lighting enclosure. The dealer stated that the area where the tailgate racetrack light was located needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.

NHTSA ID

11579219

Incident

Mar 25, 2023

Mileage

83,000 mi

Water entered into the rear tail light from rain and shorted the light and caused it to stop working. And is burnt out. This doesn’t have a bulb to replace it’s the entire running light system.

NHTSA ID

11578453

Incident

Mar 18, 2024

There is a problem with the rear middle light on the lift gate. Water is getting into them and shorting them out then leading it to need a replacement. This is an on going issue with dodge Durangos. Something needs to be done with this design flaw on the Durango’s because they charge 1400 for the part plus labor for it to be replaced when the light wasn’t built right

NHTSA ID

11575875

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

There is a known problem with the rear brake lights allowing water into it. It can ruin the electrical and cause brake lights to go out without the drivers knowledge and could cause and accident. Lucky I was able to fix it for now.

NHTSA ID

11574810

Incident

Jul 13, 2023

Rear tail lights are out. All the Dodge Durangos on the road are ! Safety hazard for people behind me and me! Initially part of the light went out tonight the whole light went out . Cam shaft has went bad twice

NHTSA ID

11571544

Incident

Feb 12, 2024

The "racetrack" lights have pooling water in them and are now not working at all. the back end of the truck is a hazard as you are not able to see it.

NHTSA ID

11570567

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that after having the car washed, the racetrack lights and license plate lights became inoperable. There was an abnormal burning odor detected while driving at unknown speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact called the local dealer and was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

NHTSA ID

11568730

Incident

Dec 29, 2023

Mileage

62,000 mi

My racetrack light in back has blown LEDs due water getting inside. I’m to the entire light and back up camera needs replacement. It’s a major issue according to other owners who have the same problem.

NHTSA ID

11568208

Incident

Jan 1, 2024