2020 Dodge Durango
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Exterior lighting is the leading concern among 55 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 21st highest complaint count among 25 Durango model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 3 involved a fire. 5 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, critical fastenersApr 22, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Dodge Durango vehicles. The Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC) fastener may be loose or missing.
A loose or missing fastener may cause the side curtain air bag to deploy incorrectly, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will tighten or replace the fastener, free of charge. Owner notification letters were sent on May 7, 2021. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y16.
Campaign 21V280000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraSep 10, 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
Campaign 20V191000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
55 reports, newest first.
Exterior lighting, Sep 16, 2026
Purchased in XXX from Tri Star Motors in [XXX] with approximately 18,000 miles on it. In XXX, I noticed some flickering on the passenger side racetrack light and water entrapment after a somewhat heavy snowfall. After some research, I removed the drain bolt and drained the water out. I left the drain bolt off so that water would not get trapped in it again. I have kept an eye on it to make sure the condensation dried up and keep monitoring for any issues with brake lights. So far, it has not affected my brake lights, rear view camera or back up lights. For the most part, it is just dimmed in that passenger lower side of the racetrack light itself and still flickers some. I do worry about the integrity of the wiring now and if any issues will arise. Especially the integrity of my brake lights. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 2, 2026
My entire lighting system in back of truck stopped working. The racetrack lighting system. The license plate lights done. I cannot drive the car at night because I will get pulled over. Dodge saying it is not covered under the extended warranty I purchased.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 11, 2026, fire
My 2020 Dodge Durango experienced a severe interior dashboard fire that appeared to originate in the center dash/radio area while the vehicle was parkedin driveway. The fire caused extensive melting and burn damage throughout the dashboard, center console, wiring, and surrounding interior components. The infotainment/radio area and electrical wiring sustained significant destruction, resulting in the vehicle becoming unsafe and unusable. After inspection, the dealership indicated that the radio or related electrical components may have overheated. The estimated repair cost was approximately $33,000 due to the extent of the electrical and interior damage.
Exterior lighting, May 8, 2026
Tail light not working, was replaced, replacement also malfunctioning.
Seats, Apr 30, 2026
While driving normally, not in an accident, the active head restraint system failed and slammed into my head. If there was traffic this would have likely caused an accident because it was unexpected, severe, and abrupt while leaving me disoriented and with a persistent headache. This is absolutely ridiculous and unsafe.
Exterior lighting, Apr 25, 2026
Back lights. Bottom of right is out and bottom left is starting to go out. Water collects inside the lights.
Air bags, Mar 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that upon leaving a parking lot, the air bag warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test to determine the cause of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V280000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case number was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 77,528.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 28, 2026
1, The rear taillights fill up with water making it difficult to see the lights when breaking. 2, The engine had to be repaired due to power failure and was told that the cams and lifters were worn out on drivers' side at 85000 miles. The garage said this should not have happened. And that they have had to repair other vehicles too and Dodge would not cover it.
Exterior lighting, Feb 11, 2026
The rear tail lights and the rear “race track” running light have allowed water to enter causing premature failure of a large portion of the light(s). These are not user serviceable parts and should be completely sealed from the elements. Eventually, the entire ‘marker light’ portion of the the taillights and race track with be completely non-functioning causing the vehicle to have no rear illumination except brake lights when the vehicle headlights are on. It started out as one small section but has rapidly progressed.
Exterior lighting, Jan 18, 2026
Water had accumulated in the racetrack led light in the center of the trunk. Causing light to short circuit and lose taillight, license plate light, and back up lights as well.
Engine, Dec 11, 2025
Under heavy load or high RPM the engine starts shaking badly and the engine loses power and is very unresponsive to throttle. After 30 seconds of light use the problem goes away but comes back immediately upon heavy load or high rpms. There is a technical service bulletin about this, TSB: 09-011-25. The computer indicates a severe misfire on cylinder #1. I first took the Durango to my mechanic since it is out of warranty. The replaced the coil on cylinder #1 and all spark plugs, but the problem continued since the issue is a manufacturer's defect inside the engine. When this occurred the engine light came on the dashboard but nothing prior to the shaking, only after the shaking started.
Seats, Nov 18, 2025, fire
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that moments after starting the vehicle and while driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact suddenly felt a sharp burning pain in the buttocks area. The contact immediately stopped the vehicle and discovered a burn hole in the clothing and a skin burn to the buttocks. While inspecting the vehicle, a burn hole was discovered in the front driver's seat cushion. During the incident, the contact indicated that the seat heat was in the on position and no flames or burning odor were present inside the vehicle. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer, who indicated an electrical fire had occurred inside the front driver's seat and the entire seat needed to be replaced. The cause of the electrical fire was not determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that an engineer would inspect the vehicle, but no inspection occurred, and no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 17, 2025
Vehicle has begun (and is getting worse) to crank with no start on first attempt. I know there was a recall on earlier model for the fuel pump relay.
Engine, Nov 5, 2025
When accelerating, the vehicle tends to lose all power and starts to decelerate and check engine lights comes on, also states the start stop function is disable. Really tough trying to drive on highways because of this happening quite often.
Other or unspecified, Sep 29, 2025
Puerto Rico State Government vehicle (Policia de Puerto Rico). Front panel lights show a Warning/safety panel light related to Air Bags. Same as Dodge Charger that have an urgent safety recall by Dodge.
Engine, Sep 9, 2025
When accelerating to pass another car in front of us on a 2 lane highway we experienced a loss of power and all instrumentation flashed on/off/on, then it posted a check engine light and stated that auto start stop wasn't working. Power came back and we finished the pass but it could have resulted in a head on collision.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 4, 2025
The racetrack lighting on the tailgate had water in it and dodge refused to repair or replace...now I have no racetrack lighting and no tag light and they still will not help.
Steering, Service brakes, Sep 4, 2025
Manufacture defect, steering column rubbing against brake line causing brake line to rupture causing damages with possible danger of fire or possible collision
Other or unspecified, Jul 7, 2025
After vehicle battery replacement, infotainment system not working properly, to include the backup camera not engaging in reverse.
Electrical system, Jun 18, 2025
The TIPM (totally intergrated power module) is faulty. The dealer has confirmed this. I have a crank no start on my vehicle. When being inspected the dealer also showed me a melted fuse in the tipm which Is very concerning. This issue occurs daily multiple times a day. There were no check engine lights to help diagnose this issue.
Air bags, May 10, 2025
I was driving and the passenger active headrest exploded randomly without any impacts happening
Other or unspecified, May 2, 2025
There is a software defect that could result in injury or death: if you forget to turn the car off and exit the car with the car key, there is no warning. I am hard of hearing and sometimes do not notice that I did not turn the car off because I cannot hear the hum of engine, and, because the car uses a key fob, rather than an ignition key, you can leave the car with the key but while the car is still on. I park the vehicle outside, but if I parked it in an attached garage carbon monoxide could seep into the house, something that is known to occasionally result in deaths. The car's software knows that the car is on and knows that the key fob has left the car. At that point, there should be a beep of the horn to warn the driver that something is amiss. Seems like a serious liability issue for the car company and something that would be easy to fix: a software update.
Wheels, Apr 2, 2025
My rear wheel on the driver side of the vehicle would not allow me to go or roll like the other three tires so I had to come off the road and head to the nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care to try to get help for my vehichle, due to having a warranty on my tires until 2028. My safety and the safety of others was put at high risk, as I could not control the swaying movement of the vehicle and assumed I must have popped a tire or something was caught underneath my car and was preventing me from driving properly with womping and knocking sounds. After confirmation of the problem, by Firestone I was informed that what occured should not have happened and is a manufacturer problem and was noted on the bill I had to pay a week later to drive my vehicle. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to it happening. My oil was changed and tires were rotated as part of regular maintenance at the dodge dealership were I reside on or around September 2024 and they did not inform me of any issues. I work minutes from my home and only drive a few miles each day. About 2 years ago I purchased this vehicle at 62,000 and have only accumulated 16,000 miles and currently sit at 78,000. I am asking for this request to be reviewed, and the cost be reimbursed and my vehicle to be scheduled for inspection for consumer safety and peice of mind.
Exterior lighting, Mar 31, 2025
The break lights do not have a proper seal and the LED lights are shorted out on the rear exterior brake lights. This is a safety issue and should be recalled.
Exterior lighting, Mar 30, 2025
Taillight "racetrack" style went completely due to water and moisture. Had to spend over $1200 and some change just to replace the unit. No license plate light either due to water damage.