2020 Dodge Durango — Known Issues & Recalls

Water is getting inside your rear tail lights and rear running lights, causing them to fail prematurely. What started as a small issue in one section has rapidly spread, and eventually your marker lights and rear running lights may stop working entirely, leaving you with only brake lights for rear illumination when your headlights are on. Since these lights aren't user-serviceable, the seals need to be replaced or the entire light assemblies may need to be swapped out.

Water accumulated inside the center trunk LED light (racetrack style), causing it to short circuit. This failure knocked out your taillights, license plate light, and backup lights all at once. The fix will likely involve replacing the damaged LED light assembly and sealing it to prevent future water intrusion.

Your brake lights aren't sealed properly, causing the LED lights in the rear brake lights to short out and stop working. This is a safety concern since other drivers won't see when you're braking. The fix will likely involve replacing the brake light housings or resealing them to keep moisture out.

Your taillights have failed due to water and moisture getting inside the units, causing the decorative 'racetrack' style lighting to stop working completely. Your license plate light also stopped working from water damage. Replacing these units cost over $1,200. The fix will involve replacing the entire taillight assembly and license plate light to restore proper lighting.

Your vehicle's dashboard warning light indicates a problem with the airbag system. This is the same issue affecting certain Dodge Charger models that have been recalled for safety reasons. You should have this inspected by a dealer immediately to ensure your airbags will deploy properly in a crash.

Your Durango's keyless ignition system doesn't alert you if you exit the vehicle while the engine is still running — a particular concern if you're hard of hearing and can't hear the engine running. If you accidentally leave the car running in an attached garage, carbon monoxide could seep into your home, which poses a serious safety risk. The car's computer knows when the engine is on and when the key fob has left the vehicle, so it should sound a horn warning to alert you of the problem. This could be resolved through a software update.

After your battery was replaced, your infotainment system stopped working properly, including the backup camera which no longer activates when you put the car in reverse. This suggests the system may need to be recalibrated or reset after the battery work was done. A technician will likely need to perform a system reset or software update to restore full functionality.

When you accelerated to pass another vehicle on a two-lane highway, your engine lost power and all dashboard lights flickered on and off. Your check engine light came on and displayed a message about the auto start-stop system not working. Power returned and you completed the pass, but this power loss during passing could have caused a serious accident.

Your engine shakes badly and loses power when you accelerate hard or drive at high RPMs, then improves after 30 seconds of light driving before returning when you push it again. Your dashboard shows a severe misfire on cylinder #1. Your mechanic replaced the ignition coil and spark plugs, but the problem persists because it appears to be a manufacturer defect inside the engine itself.

When you accelerate, your engine suddenly loses power and slows down, triggering the check engine light. The start-stop feature also disables itself. This happens frequently, making highway driving difficult and unsafe.

While driving, your passenger seat's active headrest suddenly exploded without any collision or impact occurring. This is a spontaneous failure of a safety component that should only deploy during a crash.

Your airbag warning light came on while driving. You took your Durango to the dealer for diagnosis, and discovered there's a safety recall for this issue (NHTSA Campaign 21V280000), but your vehicle's VIN wasn't included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified and assigned a case number, but the problem wasn't fixed.

Your car's driver's seat caught fire while the seat heater was on, causing a burn hole in the seat cushion and burning your skin. The dealer confirmed an electrical fire occurred inside the seat itself, though the exact cause wasn't determined. The entire front driver's seat will need to be replaced to fix this issue.

Your steering column is rubbing against the brake line, which has caused the brake line to rupture. This defect creates a potential fire hazard and could lead to brake failure, increasing the risk of a collision. The steering column and brake line assembly may need to be inspected, realigned, or replaced to prevent further damage.

Your catalytic converter has rubbed through both rear brake lines and is also rubbing against the fuel line. This happened on a completely stock vehicle with no modifications or accident history, and the same issue appears to be present on similar vehicles at the dealership. This is a serious safety concern that could lead to brake failure or fuel leakage. The fix will likely involve repositioning or protecting the brake and fuel lines, and possibly replacing the damaged lines.

Your rear taillights are collecting water inside, making it hard for other drivers to see when you brake. Additionally, your engine experienced power failure at 85,000 miles due to worn cams and lifters on the driver's side—a repair shop indicated this shouldn't happen at that mileage and that Dodge has declined warranty coverage. Fixing this will likely require replacing the camshaft, lifters, and possibly resealing the taillight housings to prevent water intrusion.

Your vehicle is having trouble starting on the first attempt, and the problem is getting worse over time. You may need to crank the engine multiple times before it starts. This could be related to a fuel system issue, similar to a recall that affected earlier model years for fuel pump relay problems. The repair will likely involve diagnosing and possibly replacing the fuel pump relay or related fuel system components.

Your Dodge Durango's TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) is faulty, causing your engine to crank but not start multiple times daily. The dealer has confirmed the problem and found a melted fuse inside the TIPM, which is a serious electrical concern. Without check engine lights appearing, the issue is difficult to diagnose on your own. The fix will likely involve replacing the TIPM unit entirely.

Your rear driver-side wheel suddenly stopped rolling properly, forcing you off the road. You experienced severe swaying and heard knocking sounds, but no warning lights appeared beforehand. A tire shop confirmed this was a manufacturer defect rather than a flat tire or debris, and you had to pay for repairs despite your tire warranty covering the vehicle until 2028.

Your tailgate's racetrack lighting (the decorative light strip) has water trapped inside it, which has caused both the racetrack lights and license plate light to stop working. Dodge has refused to repair or replace the tailgate despite multiple requests. This is a cosmetic and functional lighting issue that affects your vehicle's appearance and visibility of the license plate at night.