2021 Dodge Durango Engine Problems

Started having problems with the engine losing power and sputtering was told by a repair shop that the engine needs replaced it has been sitting since

NHTSA ID

11755126

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

I'm having issues with my 2021 Dodge Durango I have a recall on a rear view camera a recall on a rear spoiler a recall on the steering assembly a recall on the ESC light mail function ABS system loose airbags

NHTSA ID

11721618

Incident

Feb 16, 2026

Cooling systems failed caused the engine to blow without warning

NHTSA ID

11720004

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

The engine cooling system on my 2021 Dodge Durango GT failed due to ruptured coolant lines, including the rear coolant tubes supplying the rear air conditioning system and both transmission heater hoses. These lines carry engine coolant to the rear HVAC system and transmission. The ruptures caused coolant loss and engine overheating during normal operation. The failure appears related to the routing of the lines near the transmission housing, causing excessive wear not attributable to driver error. This model year has a documented history of similar failures. The vehicle and components are available for inspection and are currently at the dealership. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the vehicle overheated while I was driving at normal speed in traffic. A major overheating warning appeared while driving. Overheating in traffic creates a risk of sudden loss of power or the need to stop unexpectedly, which could result in a collision. Although I was able to drive slowly due to proximity to home, this condition would be hazardous on longer trips. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Dodge dealership, which verified failure of the coolant lines and provided an estimated repair cost of approximately $3,600. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealership. A third-party warranty provider (Warranty Solutions) denied coverage, and I am disputing the decision. The vehicle remains at the dealership because I do not feel it is safe to drive. No prior warning signs were present. The overheating warning appeared suddenly at approximately 62,000 miles. I noticed the smell of coolant upon arrival at the dealership, indicating an active leak.

NHTSA ID

11705425

Incident

Dec 12, 2025

Cylinders 5 misfire EGR valve malfunction

NHTSA ID

11669306

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

The heating hose exploded due to unknown pressure and ended up getting steaming, hot coolant, and all the cylinders and causing engine failure on a Dodge Durango that I purchased 80 days ago. and I have manufacturer, the dealer and an extended warranty, and after verbal and written promises, now I’m left with almost a $20,000 bill and no car and wasting money on rentals. I have filed to BBB and other complaints towards the dealership. I have tons of other people who have had similar problems with this year and model and newer.

NHTSA ID

11666371

Incident

May 27, 2025

Vehicle cranking but not starting until after turning off car and then starting it again. Happens after short trips and I go to start my car again after 1-2 hrs

NHTSA ID

11651540

Incident

Mar 29, 2025

I have been having issues with the start button, the engine cranking but not turning over. It will crank for 30 seconds, not start, all the lights come on and usually on the second attempt the car will start. Also I have powered off the radio while driving for a second, then the screen will not turn back on.

NHTSA ID

11650387

Incident

Mar 11, 2025

Driving in traffic when suddenly a large volume of smoke was pouring out from my vehicle obscuring the view of everyone behind me. Pulled over and shut down, found coolant all over engine bay and had vehicle towed to dealership. Dealership replaced hose assembly under warranty but was without vehicle for 6 weeks waiting on the part.

NHTSA ID

11647838

Incident

Oct 10, 2024

On [XXX] my Durango started leaking coolant and steaming while I was driving. The steam was rising through the openings in the hood and was getting on the windshield. The coolant was pouring on the ground. I had to stop the car to prevent it from overheating. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer and they told me a coolant hose had broken at the rear of the engine. I did some research on this specific leak. I have a friend with the same year and model/trim as my Durango who also had the same exact problem just past 30K miles. When I looked online, I can find many instances of this same failure. Here's one example that includes some excellent photos of the issue: [XXX] The Dodge PN for this failed component is: 55038042AJ. This part is common for 2011-2025 Durangos and is on at least the 6th engineering revision as evidence by is cross compatibility with 55038042AE, 55038042AF, 55038042AG, 55038042AH, 55038042AI. This issue is systemic and dangerous. The engine can lose all coolant and overheat without warning. It spills coolant on the roadway creating a hazardous condition and the driver's view can be obstructed by the coolant on the windshield and in the air. There was no advance warning of this failure and I don't expect this sort of failure when a vehicle is so new and well maintained. The dealer fixed my vehicle at a cost of over $1700 for this repair which was just barely past the manufacturer's warranty term for the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11647623

Incident

Feb 28, 2025

Car shut off while driving.

NHTSA ID

11644985

Incident

Feb 24, 2025

I noticed this morning when approaching the car that there was an oil spot under the car. I checked the oil and it is two courts low. There is oil puddled on the frame rails under the coolant reservoir. When I took the coolant cap off, there's nothing but oil in the tank. We have yet to have the car towed and inspected by a certified mechanic. The car drove normal and was within normal operating range when parked. Car has been serviced by a local certified shop at all intervals.

NHTSA ID

11623297

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and an alarm sounded. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to shift from park(P) to drive(D), the gear shifter became stuck in park(P). The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as needed after a while. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was towed to Newnan Peachtree Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (53 Hollz Pkwy, Newnan, GA 30265); however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then towed to John Thornton Chevrolet (1971 Thornton Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122). The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that bank #1 camshaft position actuator two (2) and the CAN BUS communication outline had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11621705

Incident

Oct 24, 2024

Mileage

80,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission was skipping gear. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to move forward or reverse. There were no warning lights illuminated. The check engine message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the transmission. The mechanic informed the contact that the parts to repair the vehicle were on back order. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ID

11613808

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

Mileage

84,000 mi

While driving paved road noticed a cloud of smoke behind the vehicle. Immediately pulled to the side of the road and shut vehicle off. After checking under the vehicle found coolant leaking from the engine compartment, there was no coolant in the expansion tank either. Any driving would have resulted in engine destruction. Called a tow truck. After waiting on the side of the road for 5 hours for tow truck, vehicle was taken to the nearest dealer on the flatbed. At the dealer, technician stated, it is a frequent occurrence on this brand of the vehicle, and they are very familiar with repairing it. Dealership repair, exposed burst/hole, from inside out, in the coolant hose. Glad it did not happen in the winter; I might not be typing this message.

NHTSA ID

11611692

Incident

Aug 23, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11594116

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

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

NHTSA ID

11590919

Incident

May 27, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11578160

Incident

Jan 2, 2024

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

NHTSA ID

11555128

Incident

Nov 14, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11509047

Incident

Feb 24, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11508486

Incident

Feb 10, 2023

Mileage

16,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11504725

Incident

Jan 2, 2023

Mileage

38,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, it caught fire without warning. The contact stated that the fire extended to the house, which also caught fire. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department, who informed the contact that the source of the fire was electrical. There was no police report filed. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11452461

Incident

Feb 11, 2022

Mileage

22,000 mi

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, THERE IS A CONTINUOUS CRANK BUT ENGINE NEVER STARTS. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY. ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS IS TO START IT WITH THE REMOTE START.

NHTSA ID

11408321

Incident

Mar 20, 2021

Mileage

100 mi