Dodge Durango Engine Problems by Year

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 727 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Dodge Durango. For the Dodge Durango, that's 0.35 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, close to the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Engine complaints

727

Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models

Per 1,000 sold

0.35

2015–2022 cohorts

Share of all complaints

15.8%

of 4,588 complaints for this model

Engine recalls

2

NHTSA campaigns, all years

Dodge Durango engine complaints by model year

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.

Dodge Durango engine complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year
Model yearEngine complaintsPer 1,000 soldShare of all complaintsCrash / fire / injuryEngine recallsEngine TSBs*
20089—9.3%1—11
20090—0%0—17
2011WORST184—23.1%14—17
2012WORST149—23.4%711V48700024
2013WORST120—18.8%8—30
201476—9.7%5—39
2015400.628%3—42
2016160.2310.1%1—83
2017290.4213.9%2—70
2018260.3911.5%0—75
2019270.419.6%1—78
202090.1612.3%0—91
2021250.3812%222V28400095
2022100.1818.9%0—86
20235—15.6%0—44
20242—22.2%0—45
20250—0%0—35
  • Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
  • Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
  • Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
  • No row for 2010: NHTSA's complaints data returned no records for that year under this model's names.
  • *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.

Common Dodge Durango engine problems owners describe

We searched the narratives of all 727 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.

Stalling or shutting off while driving249 · 34.3%
Misfire or check-engine light127 · 17.5%
Smoke, burning smell or fire82 · 11.3%
Overheating or coolant loss67 · 9.2%
Knocking, ticking or rattling53 · 7.3%
Loss of power or limp mode44 · 6.1%
Engine failure, seizure or replacement43 · 5.9%
Oil consumption or oil leaks34 · 4.7%
Timing chain or belt3 · 0.4%

Dodge Durango years to avoid for the engine

2011 Dodge Durango

184 engine complaints (23.1% of the year's 797). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.

2012 Dodge Durango

149 engine complaints (23.4% of the year's 637). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recall 11V487000.

2013 Dodge Durango

120 engine complaints (18.8% of the year's 640). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.

Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Dodge Durango years to avoid.

Dodge Durango engine recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Dodge Durango model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.

  • 22V284000 · 2022-04-28 · 2021 models

    The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may stick open, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.

  • 11V487000 · 2011-09-29 · 2012 models

    CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHRYSLER VEHICLES, INCLUDING 200 AND TOWN AND COUNTRY MODELS, DODGE VEHICLES, INCLUDING CHARGER, DURANGO, GRAND CARAVAN AND JOURNEY MODELS AND JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 31, 2011,…

Related research

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 Dodge Durango have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 184 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Durango, 23.1% of all 797 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (86 complaints). 14 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2012 Dodge Durango have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 149 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Durango, 23.4% of all 637 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (65 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 11V487000. 7 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2013 Dodge Durango have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 120 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Dodge Durango, 18.8% of all 640 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (53 complaints). 8 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Which Dodge Durango years have the most engine complaints?

2011 (184), 2012 (149) and 2013 (120), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.

What are the most common Dodge Durango engine problems?

In the 727 engine complaints, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (34.3%), misfire or check-engine light (17.5%) and smoke, burning smell or fire (11.3%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.

Is this a engine failure rate?

No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.

How we count

Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Dodge Durango model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.

Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.

These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

Sources

  1. NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  3. Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration