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.
Service brakes, Feb 21, 2025
During driving the catalytic converter rubbed through both rear brake lines and was rubbing on fuel line as well. 100% stock vehicle with no modifications and has never been in an accident. Checked similar vehicles at local dealership and they seem to have the same issue with brake lines rubbing against exhaust
Steering, Dec 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked, and the contact depressed the brake pedal but was unable to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V154000 (STEERING). The failure mileage was 48,000.
Power train, Oct 28, 2024
Every time I start my 2020 Dodge Durango I hear and feel a hard shift into reverse. No transmission fluid loss, just increasingly louder & feeling if the shift change. ***Vehicle started this @ 20,000 miles and only has 32,000 on it now.
Power train, Oct 4, 2024
Transfer case failure. Several other owners online are reporting the same issue. Why has a recall not been issued for a flawed part, that makes the vehicle u drivable and could grenade while driving.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 7, 2024
While driving the engine began to vibrate violently and the check engine light turned on. Luckily I was close to the dealership because I live in a small town with one major road. I was able to quickly slow down without crashing or causing an accident and slowly drove to dealership. If I was at any significant speed I could have crashed injuring myself and my two small children.
Exterior lighting, Aug 19, 2024
Rear racetrack taillight collects water and the leds short out making the taillight not work
Air bags, Seat belts, Jun 19, 2024
Drivers seatbelt buckle does not register, resulting in active chiming of the unbuckled seat belt alarm and disengaging of the airbag system. Driver must hold the seatbelt with downward pressure continuously in order to register the seat belt and return the vehicle to normal operating condition, and turn off the airbag system warning signs and chiming. Dealership refuses any assistance without payment despite being a vehicle safety system.
Exterior lighting, May 17, 2024
Rear taillamp goes out and is a safety issue , it is a known issue, there is a similar problem with years 2021 and above and a recall was issued , water gets in the light and causes problems , it also causes the license plate light to go out in which a cop can stop you and issue you a ticket , the light has failed in all sorts of ways that can be a safety issue in the day or night , it's all over the forums and general internet, my light has water and is starting to fail as well as the license plate light , I asked a police officer and was told if stopped they may issue me a ticket , im disabled with issues in my arm and can no longer be able to be handy with tools , seeing this is a widespread issue and a recall has been issued for other years why has this 2020 and previous years have been overlooked , it is a Hazzard if you cannot see rear taillights and if your vehicles plates cannot be seen by traffic cameras for bridges, tolls or street cams for various reasons that can include security issues as well as safety.
Exterior lighting, Apr 1, 2024
The rear tailgate bar has been going out due to water leaks. Whenever it rains, water is pooled up inside the light and is causing the light bar to dim.
Engine, Mar 6, 2024
Leaking transmission oil cooler, due to clamp installation by factory. Known issue which dodge created service bulletin for but does not correct sending bill to consumer, for manufacturer defect
Exterior lighting, Jan 31, 2024
The L.E.D light strip on the back of the car completely failed so now the whole middle of the rear is non working. Without this working now it is not as safe driving at night because other vehicles might not be able to notice me as well as usual. This has been a continuing problem with absolutely no interest in fixing it or repairing the problem with the manufacturer or dealership which is costing consumers alot of money out of pocket for somthin they shouldn't be responsible for. When this occurred there was no warning signs no sign of any damage at all and not even any water built up inside the components , I have seen other vehicles that had what looked like a cup of water in there light and it still was working except for maybe some dim areas but with my situation I don't see how my whole component could just fail all together more going on then just water getting in it.
Seat belts, Jan 14, 2024
My driver side seat belt doesn't roll back up after it is taken off. I have to manually force the belt to go up. This happened to my wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee and there was a recall on hers. This seems to be the same issue. I am afraid that the seat belt will eventually malfunction.
Exterior lighting, Jan 3, 2024
The rear lift gate "racetrack" tail light and license plate light bar to include backup lights just stopped working. I suddenly have extremely little visibility of my car from the rear at night. The contact stated with the taillight removed, It is apparent that a deficient factory assembly process resulted in taillight wires impeding the weather seal designed to keep water out of the tail light electronics. The presence of water and corrosion/rust in the immediate area supports this.
Exterior lighting, Dec 24, 2023
The tail light burned out because of water intrusion. I understand there is a leaky gasket that lets water in and, in time, this moisture ruins the LED taillight. Mine gave way at 45k miles. One section on the left started fading, then the whole taillight burned out. I was reading on the Internet a lot of people report the same issue for a number of years, how is this still happening, can you please help?
Vehicle speed control, Oct 22, 2023
I just bought a 2020 Dodge Durango GT PLUS AWD on Thursday 10/19/2023. On Saturday 10/21/2023 while driving this vehicle on the highway, it started accelerating on its own. I had not used the cruise control and was not attempting to use it. It accelerated from 42 mph to 65 mph with no assistance from me. I used the brake and it did slow down. However, every time that I removed my foot from the brake it would continue to speed up again. I drove approximately 10-15 miles to the dealership right then and the entire time I did not touch the accelerator. While exiting the off ramp, the car continued to attempt to accelerate so I had to continuously hold the brake pedal. As I merged onto the road off the highway, it stopped accelerating so I pressed the gas and it started to sputter and not accelerate. I put my hazard lights on and as I'm attempting to coast to the side of the road, the car began accelerating on its own again. Luckily, I was almost at the Dodge jeep dealer. I made it to the dealership and a manager drove the vehicle in the parking lot and it continued to speed through the parking lot on its own. The vehicle was left with the service department. I bought this vehicle as a safer and more comfortable vehicle for my [XXX] mom to drive and ride. Now I'm scared for her to drive it or ride in it. If she was the driver and this occurred, I wonder what the outcome might have been. It's still in service so I have no idea what the problem it. The message board did show 2 messages as this was occurring. Service throttle control and push start has been disabled. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Exterior lighting, Structure, May 7, 2023
Water intrusion into racetrack tail light. This has apparently been an issue for ten years on this style of light on Durangos with no recall or fix offered. There are hundreds of YouTube videos on how to drain water by removing a bolt, applying silicone caulk or other random fixes. Now my rear tail light is so dim it's nearly undetectable and the dealership wants to charge $1600 to fix it. But I read that even though dealers replace the lights, the problem persists because the problem with design is not fixed. No warning lights to tell me my light was out. My son told me he noticed it when I visited him a few days ago. No inspection has been done. You can see water inside that's filled up the light component. I drive this vehicle less than 1000 mi per month. It can pretty much be inspected at any time in my driveway. The problem doesn't need to be confirmed by a dealer. I can take a picture. It's water in a tail light. Very obvious.
Power train, Electrical system, Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the "Service Shifter" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact then stated that while driving at 65 MPH, several messages appeared on the instrument panel and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective shifter control module. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 29,980.
Electrical system, Engine, Apr 4, 2023
The start stop system is the Durango is terrible! That was my first problem. My second issue is, out of nowhere. We now have inner engine issues. The engine will not hold compression, but there are no leaks! I have only had a vehicle for six months! Now I am paying on a vehicle. I cannot drive and cannot afford fix!
Suspension, Vehicle speed control, Wheels, Jan 14, 2023
The UConnect system in the 2020 Dodge Durango SRT has been compromised. the vehicle has experienced major safety concerns and life threatening issues for the driver. All components from body telemetry to speed control breaking fuel consumption electrical the brain itself the GPS the tracking equipment and software. Somebody a(hacker or Toyota) is remotely hacked and controlling the system just like the voluntarily recall of Jeep. However the UConnect system is a Toyota product or I was lead to believe. The Uconnect system has failed. It has been hacked. The malware has affected every component of the the Dodge Durango. The vehicle needs to be recalled and bought back. Taken off the road. The defective software makes the vehicle a death trap and a malware networking hub. I fear for my life and the safety of my life because of this vehicle. This has been a daily occurrence since 06/14/2022, When I purchased the vehicle.
Structure, Nov 22, 2022
Rear lift gate opens while driving and will not latch or stay closed. This has happened three times. The second time $10,000 in I-pads for work fell out on the road. Taken to dealership and repaired twice and now it has been sitting at dealership for 3 weeks for the third repair. The last time it happened my grandson had to sit in the cargo area to hold it down due to snow while daughter drove across town to dealership. This is an ongoing issue and many complaints about this online.
Exterior lighting, May 26, 2022
The center liftgate "racetrack" lamp assembly experienced water intrusion and pooling in the lower RH corner between the clear outer lens and red LED light strip. The concern and defect were confirmed by the local Dodge service department and replaced under the vehicle manufacturer's Basic Limited Warranty. Observation of other 2014-2022 Dodge Durango models with the same lamp assembly and water intrusion problem indicates a partial or full failure of the outer red LED racetrack light band will eventually result. Such a failure could increase the probability of rear-end collision in low visibility or nighttime conditions due to insufficient illumination of the vehicle's rear. Note: the lamp assembly is a sealed, non-serviceable, component and must be replaced as an entire unit.
Exterior lighting, May 19, 2022
It is well known in the Dodge Durango community that the main tail light housing on these vehicles was not properly sealed from weather elements. Over the course of time, water intrusion will cause areas of the tail light to burn out, gradually leading to the entire system to fail. Dodge is well aware of this but does not offer any repair outside of warranty period if this happens on factory housing. The repair cost for this is astronomical considering this is a defect straight from the factory. Dodge needs to make it a point to create a recall for the Durango to have the tail light properly sealed and reinstalled at no cost to the owner. When these lights burn out this causes a massive safety hazard at night.
Exterior lighting, Jan 20, 2022
Bought vehicle new in 2020, has 41K miles. Tonight, I noticed when arriving home that the entire center light on the lift gate is not functioning. I also do not have tag lights and my rear camera is non-functioning. At night, the back of the vehicle is not lit very well without that center light plus the tag is not illuminated. I appears this is a common issue with the Durango. I feel is poses a serious risk due to the rear lighting not functioning.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Nov 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 DODGE DURANGO. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph with the cruise control on but not engaged. The contact stated they attempting to accelerate the vehicle however the vehicle had a delayed response. As they passed the vehicle they felt the engine shift underneath their feet. The contact stated that when they removed their pressure off the accelerator pedal they felt the vehicle accelerator activate on its own accord. The vehicle felt as though it activated the cruise control as if it was driving on its own causing the contact to attempt to apply the brakes however the vehicle failed to stop. The contact floored the brakes however they failed. The contact had to avoid other traffic. The contact stated that during this time they often came within the 3 feet parameter for the Collision Warning to activate however it failed to do so each time it should have. They put their foot on the accelerator where a warning light that stated service regarding speed warning light. The contact lifted the accelerator backwards with their foot to release some of the pressure and pressed the brake at the same time for the vehicle to eventually relieve its own control where the contact was able to control the vehicle. The contact stated that it wasn't till about three minutes later they were able to pull over and come to a stop. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who were unable to locate the service history. The vehicle had not been diagnosed and or repaired. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 26,7500.
Electrical system, Nov 5, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that he auto-started the vehicle while it was in the driveway. The contact stated as he came outside, the vehicle was on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was totaled. The approximate failure mileage was 11,200.