Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. The contact entered the vehicle and noticed that there was evidence of an electrical fire. There were no flames visible; however, excessive smoke emitted inside the vehicle. The headliner and front bench seat were burned. In addition, the floor mounted cup holder, heater, and air conditioner control devices melted. All the windows and the interior of the vehicle were covered with heavy soot. The contact mentioned that the wires coming from the connector harness were burnt. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 06V339000 (electrical system). The failure occurred prior to being serviced per the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The dealer and manufacturer declined to repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 236,000.
Tl*- the contact stated that on 07/08/05 the 2002 Dodge Durango sport caught on fire in the middle of the night while parked in the garage. The fire was caused by the unused wire connector as mentioned in recall campaign# 06V339000 which stated that on certain sport utility vehicles equipped with front bench seats only, if fluid was spilled from the floor mounted cup holder an unused console power outlet connector located under the seat May become contaminated. The contact received a recall letter in 11/06 for the same problem that caused the fire. The contact called the manufacturer ,and was told that she would have to go through the insurance insurance company for reimbursement because the vehicle was repaired by someone else other than a Dodge dealership. The contact stated that the repairs done on the vehicle showed that the vehicle caught fire due to the wire connector. …
My VIN tag: ([redacted]) I replaced blower motor, resistor, and plug multiple times on my 2002 Dodge Durango and it keeps melting/burning up. If I leave it on low or medium fan setting eventually it will catch fire, I'm finally coming to you to see if you can help. Owners of the 1998-2007 Dodge Durango's & dakota's all have this problem many will have fires due to it and it's just a matter of time before there is a fatality from it! I was driving home after snow plowing and needed to defrost my windows so I put it on medium and within 6 minutes smelled a strong burning smell. Go home and the wiring had melted the fan, plug and harness. …
I had a 2002 Dodge Durango. I was driving it one day with my 2 young sons in it, and it caught on fire and nearly killed us all. It burned down to nothing. You can view pictures of it at w.bethelpark.com, go to the vol.fire dept photo gallery & look at pictures for aug. 4th 2003. Vehicle fire south hills village shopping mall, that is where I had to pull off the road. Dodge & Chrysler did absolutley nothing for me. I just want people to be aware of this, because if there is a defect, my warranty didn't do anything which was suppose to cover bumper to bumper for 3 years 36,000 miles and I only had 11,000 miles on it. This vehicle had to have a short or a defect, cause everything was factory. There is nothing left to it, please view the pictures at the web site I told you.www.bethelpark.com.
It started with a soft bell sound (e.g.like when you open a door), doors locking and unlocking, small light on the 4 x 4 knob going off and on, console light turning on and off and the 4 x 4 system was not working. All issues started a couple of months prior to 1/7/14. It was worked on by Dodge of woodbury, nj during the 1/7/14 week. Now, (5/12/15) there is a bell sound again on and off. Not sure if the 4 x 4 is working since I've had no need to use it. However, this is an electrical issue that is not going away fully!
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. While driving 15 MPH, the doors independently locked and unlocked continuously without warning. As a result, the battery became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the central timing module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,998.
Consumer stated that while driving she smelled an odor of burning rubber but didn't know that it was her vehicle. As soon as she put the turn signal on, all the dashboard lights started to blink. When the turn was complete she saw smoke coming from under the dashboard. The consumer managed to pull over into a mall parking lot and at that point the vehicle went up in flames.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the exterior lighting and instrument panel flickered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 193,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle failed to restart after numerous attempts. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Durango. While driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost power. The vehicle was able to restart after a few minutes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.. .updated 07-16-15
Related recalls
Electrical system
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with front bench seats only, if fluid is spilled from the floor mounted cup holder, an unused console power outlet connector located under the seat May become contaminated.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the console wiring connector for corrosion, clean as required, and install a cap to prevent additional fluid from contaminating the connector free of charge. The recall began on October 30, 2006.
NHTSA investigations
Fire under the driver's seat
Odi is aware of 10 reports alleging that a fire originates underneath the driver's seat.six of thefires occurred while the vehicle was parked with the ignition switch turned off (key not in the ignition).the subject vehicles are equipped with manual seats. This investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis, (ea06-011), to allow further investigation of the issue.
Vehicle under-seat fire
Daimlerchrylser corporation (dcc) will recall 35,103 my 2001-2003 Dodge durango vehicles equipped with front bench seats (recall # 06V339, see defect report for details).the subject vehicles are equipped with either front bucket seats or a 40-20-40 split front bench seat.vehicles equipped with front bench seat contain an uncapped, unused connector located under the front edge of the seat.the connector provides power…
Electrical complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 48 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Dodge Durango, 11% of the model year's 423 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › fuses and circuit breakers (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Durango electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-339 (electrical system, Sep 7, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Dodge Durango electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 5 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.