2018 Dodge Durango
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 232 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 14th highest complaint count among 25 Durango model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 9 involved a crash. 5 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/moduleNov 7, 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles. A malfunction in the antilock-brake system (ABS) module may incorrectly illuminate the brake lights and disable the ABS and electronic stability control (ESC). In addition, the vehicle operator may be able to start and shift out of Park without the brake pedal being applied.
A vehicle that can be started and shifted out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in a vehicle rollaway. Disabled ABS and ESC systems can reduce vehicle handling and control in certain driving situations. Brake lights that incorrectly illuminate can fail to properly indicate the driver's intention to following traffic. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the integrated pressure transducer and update the ABS module software, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 94B. This recall replaces previous recall number 22V-426. Vehicles previously remedied under 22V-426 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 24V838000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/moduleJun 9, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles. A malfunction in the antilock-brake system (ABS) module may illuminate the brake lights, and allow the vehicle to start and shift out of Park without the brake pedal being applied.
A vehicle that starts and shifts out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash without prior warning and/or injury to others outside of the vehicle.
This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 24V838. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed. The remedy includes updated HCU/ABS module software that prevents the HCU/ABS module from falsely reading pressure in the primary circuit. FCA has decided to do a two-Phase Campaign remedy schedule. Phase 1 began November 17, 2022. Phase 2 begin date has not been determined yet. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed July 28, 2020. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 29, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z48.
Campaign 22V426000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiring, front underhoodAug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Campaign 18V524000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringMay 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Campaign 18V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionMay 1, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Charger, Durango and Challenger, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, Chrysler 300, and RAM 1500 vehicles. An incorrect transmission park lock rod may have been installed in the transmission.
If the incorrect park lock rod is installed, the transmission may not shift into 'PARK' and keep the vehicle from moving, increasing the risk of unintended vehicle movement and the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U43.
Campaign 18V280000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
232 reports, newest first.
Exterior lighting, Jun 30, 2022
Not just mine but many Durangos from 2014-2022 has a defect in which the rear light bar which has no seal gets wet and burns the led light out, this needs to be addressed and recalled asap, I also have pictures of random Durangos I’ve seen at night with the light out in the same spots.
Electrical system, Jun 23, 2022
Radio/Nav System Change radio stations on its own. The display goes off/on by itself. The nav system suggested wrong location after an address is typed in. It makes the headlight beams goes on and off. The nav does not retain the settings anymore. I called Dodge and the nav/rad system was replaced at no cost to me. Problem resolved.
Exterior lighting, May 27, 2022
Track lighting starting to fail. Water accumulation inside the bottom passenger side of track light. 44,000 miles on vehicle. No damage. Presents safety issue with rear visibility. Can cause short in wiring, causing potential fire.
Vehicle speed control, May 18, 2022, crash
on May13th I was slowly pulling into my garage : as I was slowly easing my foot off the brake (but still in contact with the brake pedal), the car suddenly accelerated. I pressed my foot hard on the brake but was unable to stop the car. It was traveling very slowly with only about 5 feet to go when it suddenly accelerated. It struck the water heater which is situated against the rear wall of the garage with enough force to make my neck and shoulders hurt. There was a rubber trash can in front of the heater that may have absorbed some impact. There was a dent in the bumper. Inside the house, on the other side of the wall, the paint and plaster were cracked and somewhat displaced and a bureau pushed away from the wall. This acceleration happened without any warning. This also happened to my 2015 Dodge Durango in Feb 2019. The situation was almost identical; I was almost done pulling into the garage with my foot lightly on the brake when the car suddenly accelerated and struck the water heater, denting it and causing mor extensive damage to 2 walls inside the house. I had my own mechanic and the dealer evaluate that car and they couldn't find anything wrong. I did see reports of this happening to other 2015 Durangos at low speed. We traded in the 2015 Durango to the dealer because of the accident and their assurance that they'd never seen this happen (at the time it wasn't reported in any 2018 Durangos) and we bought the 2018 Durango that was involved in the May 13 acceleration. I plan to call the dealer but am not sure how to remedy the problem
Seats, May 17, 2022
The active headrest restraint deployed in the vehicle with no collision. It deployed randomly. It looks like there is a broken part inside the headrest. I just bought the car. I have complained to the dealer because it wasn't like that when I test drove it but I saw it after I bought it and was driving it home. Could have happened during the final detailing.
Steering, Engine, May 14, 2022
My engine is not cooling while my vehicle drives more will the transmission cool down now my transmission won’t work the correct way
Electrical system, Apr 28, 2022
radio and navigation screen, is ghost touching. Just changes settings randomly and often.
Other or unspecified, Apr 19, 2022
The touchscreen continuously freezes and displays a prompt about adjusting the clock settings. The screen pops up repeatedly and beeps making the rest of the touchscreen functions unusable.
Air bags, Apr 12, 2022
The driver side headrest deployed on its own
Electrical system, Mar 12, 2022
Electrical system wiring failure/error front under hood.
Exterior lighting, Mar 9, 2022
unknown. I have a dodge Durango that the racetrack lights on the tailgate not all are working and I've seen some with all the lights out causing a safety hazard.
Engine, Mar 5, 2022
2018 Durango GT purchased at 30k miles and the oil pan gasket was already worn and leaking oil. Tensioner and pulley also failed. Seems like Mopar utilize low quality parts in general, as minor as they may seem they are vital for me to operate my vehicle safely.
Electrical system, Feb 7, 2022
I have a 2018 DD, and my radio screen is doing the same thing. The screen looks like it has a huge bubble, the "adjust clock " notification constantly pops up, the screen freezes up; where I can't use any of the functions (no radio, no back up camera, no control over the thermostat, no navigation, cant answer the phone etc). I have to disconnect my battery just to get the screen to go off because it wont shut off after the vehicle is turned off.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Jan 21, 2022
I noticed an air bubble looking thing on my radio screen. You can see it in the attached video which is just one example from recent. Then my screen starting doing things on it's own. Changing from on thing to the next on it's own. I spoke with my mechanic who was having similar issues and told me about a group he is part of because there are so many people with this same issue. The screen is delaminating and causing what people are referring to as ghost touches. I think this is a safety hazard because it is distracting to have your screen changing constantly. It will make phone calls on it's own, change from heat to AC and turn the fan from high to low. Having your AC blasting in the middle of winter is no treat. Having your heat blasting summer won't be great either. This is a safety issue as well. This is all controlled by the screen. Imagine someone has epilepsy and this crazy screen causes a seizure? I have contacted Dodge and my local Dodge dealer. Nobody wants to acknowledge the issue because I am out of warranty. Warranty or not it's a safety issue that needs addressed before it causes someone to go off the road due to distractions of the radio doing whatever it wants and controlling all kinds of things in your vehicle. I know I am not the first person to reach out or report this issue. I really hope there is something that can be done before someone gets hurt. Thank you for your time and consideration. I wasn't able to get the filed uploaded for the video but when I hear from someone I will try again.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 20, 2022
My 2018 Dodge Durango radio screen is delaminating from the top of the screen working its way down the screen. The screen also freezes up. To the point where the screen is stuck on even when the vehicle is off. When the screen is stuck I can't control any settings, radio, navigation, back up camera won't show, I can't answer the phone hands free. I'm afraid is draining my battery when it stays on like that, I have to disconnect the battery just for the screen to shut off. The adjust the clock notification constantly pops up on the screen. Its unsafe to have to keep disconnecting the battery in an effort to save my battery. It's unsafe to have to take my eyes off the road, to press the button to close out the adjust clock notification. It's unsafe to not have access to my back up camera to check my surroundings. It's not safe when you have no control over your thermostat. It's not safe to not have access to handsfree function when answering a call. The problem has been diagnosed by the dealership, and they say I need to replace the whole radio. The first appearance of the problem was around January of 2021, that's when the screen started pealing, then the adjust the clock notification started popping up during the summer of 2021 and the screen freezing and won't shut off started January 2022.
Exterior lighting, Jan 15, 2022
Water Intrusion caused rear lift gate "racetrack light" tail lights including license plate lights to become inoperable. This poses an obvious risk to safety as the lighting is relied upon by drivers, in dark conditions, to detect the rear of my vehicle. If a driver behind me were to fail to detect the rear of my vehicle, in dark conditions, they could easily collide with the rear of my vehicle. If this were to happen, there is a great possibility that persons in either vehicle could be seriously injured or killed. A simple Google search of this issue would reveal that there are hundreds if not thousands of complaints on the same issue. So far dodge has refused to acknowledge this manufacturer's defect or the possible safety implications it can cause.
Exterior lighting, Jan 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the taillights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the taillights to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Suspension, Dec 21, 2021
The 2018 Dodge Durango has a blown rear shock. I have wore shocks out but never seen blown seals. The car barely has 50k and is not covered under warranty, or my extended warranty. They are on backorder and apparently this is not a new problem. The soonest I can get a shock is the 23rd of next month. It is not safe to drive.
Engine, Dec 3, 2021
Doing some checking problems with this particular vehicle it seems that the water pump/ radiator has problems. My vehicle has a anti-freeze leak when at idle leaving a stream in the driveway. Thus causing a problem for pets and wildlife. The engine warning light has come on. The a/c compressor makes a noise also. FYI.
Electrical system, Dec 2, 2021
The Uconnect Radio has started to delaminate and causes the system to randomly change between radio, satellite radio, navigation, clock, etc. This fully integrated system also controls A/C, Heat, rear backup camera, all adjustable functions in the vehicle, and is unsafe when this happens. Dealership offers to update the radio but it has nothing to do with the software it's the touchscreen. Diagnosis and repair is around $1500.00 to $2000.00 not covered under warranty. This issue is with all models of Dodge Chrysler with 8.4" Uconnet radios as seen in the online forums.
Engine, Nov 5, 2021
MY CAR IS A DODGE DURANGO SRT8, YEAR 2018 , VIN# [XXX], WITH ONLY 20,000 MILES AND THE ENGINE TRANSMISSION BROKE. IT IS UNDER GUARANTEE AND THE DEALER HAS BEING COMPLIANT. I AM AFFRAID THAT IN THE WEB MEDIA MORE OWNERS WITH THE SAME ENGINE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AS ME. THERE IS A NOTIFICATION THAT THE ENGINE HAD A FACTORY ERROR IN THE MANUFACTURING, THEY MENTION A PARK LOCK ROD CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I AM SEARCHING IF THERE IS ANY RECALL, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS BEGINNING TO FLOURISH. PLEASE I WILL APPRECIATE MORE INFORMATION AND SUGGESTION FROM YOU OF WHAT SHOULD I DO. THANKS. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Electrical system, Sep 30, 2021
My radio screen cover is separating and looks like a big air bubble which causes the radio system to change stations and the system is not usable. So when you’re using the navigation system it cuts off the navigation system and the whole system starts to reboot. I was backing up in a reboot and he couldn’t and it affected the back up camera. I went to the dealer in Waldorf Maryland, and they told me that they had several people who complained about this the attendant said they had at least one a day they came here for that problem.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 16, 2021
The display screen seems to be separating from the internal screen. The this separation is causing touch input that is not done by me. It causes random changes including the display of the back up camera while driving in a forward motion. This can be alarming to the driver as it makes you think your vehicle has come out of gear into reverse as well as serve as a general distraction. The first few times it happened to me, I slammed on breaks in traffic almost causing an accident. The dash/console also randomly reset itself.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 5, 2021
The racetrack light strip on the trunk isn’t water tight. Rain water, melting snow, car washes, etc, cause water and condensation to build up inside the light. This builds up and fries the LEDs in the rear taillights. This then caused an electrical problem that caused a headlight to malfunction. Dodge/Chrysler refused to help me with this. I had to replace it out of pocket and 2 months later my new one had the same problem. I see tons of Durango’s on the road with burnt out taillights due to this issue. The part is over $1,000 and is always on back order because of how often it fails. My car has less than 30k miles and has never been in an accident. This is a safety issues as my taillights are less visible and it causes other lights, such as my headlight to fail as well. They will not issue a recall, this is ridiculous. An over $40,000 car that isn’t waterproof and the manufacturer won’t remedy the problem.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 12, 2021
Since the latest update the radio will intermittently without notification reboot which will also occur when using navigation. It also has caused the vehicle to display a blue screen when in reverse. With the blue screen displayed the driver is unable to see objects, pedestrians, or vehicles that maybe in their path of reverse travel. Rebooting while driving causes an unnecessary distraction to the driver especially if the driver was relying on navigation while traveling in an unknown area. This happened in a previous radio and was subsequently replaced.