Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2006 Dodge Durango stalled out in the middle of traffic and caused me to be injured in a rear end collision because my PCM shut my engine down per design of the vehicle because my oil sending unit had a faulty wire and my PCM thought I didn't have any oil in my car which disabled my car completely by design of the manufacturer to keep my engine from damage because it thought I had. O oil. I have a faulty design product and not enough warning. I have been off work for a year with the injuries from the accident and luckily I wasn't hurt worse. My car shut down immediately without proper warning someone could be killed I have photos and a service repair documents stating the faulty oil sending unit disabled my vehicle..updated 09/21/17 updated 10/23/17..updated 11/13/2017 updated 7/18/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the front of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames while parked in her employer's parking lot. The fire department came and put out the flames. There was no police report filed and the contact was told it was her responsibility to have the vehicle towed. The front end was charred and burned out. There were no injuries. The dealer and manufacturer had not been contacted yet. The failure mileage was 253,000.
While driving down the highway, without any warning, my 2006 Dodge Durango stalled out. I still had radio and power steering, so I pulled over to the side of the road. I restarted my Durango, the check engine light was on, but was able to continue without any further issues. The same type of issue happens sporadically, regardless of weather or speed. There are times, after sitting at a light or stop sign, when you press the gas to go the gears are slow to engage and actually start moving. Sometimes the Durango shifts roughly as you accelerate or decelerate. As time has gone on the problem has become more persistent. I finally took my Durango in to our mechanic and he replaced the EGR valve and the throttle position sensor. Within 2 weeks of these parts being replaced, my Durango again began stalling out. …
I was driving during a rainstorm and my 2006 Dodge Durango started sputtering and stalled on the highway. We were fortunate enough to get the vehicle to the side of the road. After my car was towed & looked at by a mechanic I was told that water was running down the windshield & dripping directly on top of the air intake. The mechanic told me it was a common problem for the 2004 through 2006 models. After doing some research I found this to be true. I spoke with Dodge and they told me that it was a design flaw and I could purchase a replacement updated cowl part # 55362453ak this part is supposed to divert the water away from the intake. I also found out that no bulletin has been issued for the public. In my opinion a vehicle that stalls because of the rain is an issue. It typically happens when the vehicle hits a 100000 miles due to the weather stripping failing. …
Vehicle ran hot on this date,follwing the next day itshowed no problem. For the past 2 year at a stand still for about 5-10 minutes vehicle gage monitor is going up showing signs of running hot. I would imediately shut the engine off for about 1 minute. Then crank back up. The gage would go down back to normal status. If I come to another stop at a stop light it will go up again. Took vehicle to the shop several times to get it checked, accessor finds nothing wrong with it. It's a funny thing winter months my SUV would never run hot. Here in south carolina it is getting hot and the problem has now started again. I have had 3 to 4 incidents with my vehicle running hot 2015 and is sure more are to come. As usual I shut the engine off to make the gage go back to normal. And yes the running hot light does come on. We just don't understand what is going on. …
While driving my Durango will just shut off (it doesn't run rough or sputter, it just shuts off) leaving me with no power steering or braking. I will coast to the side of the road, put it in park, then try to start it again. Most times it will start right up and other times it May take 2 - 5 minutes. This will happen about once or twice a month for the past couple of years. Otherwise it runs fine before and after it shuts off on me. One oddity that I notice is that all the gauges seem to work fine except the speedometer drops to 0 even through I am still coasting along. The engine light does not come on during this. This is very dangerous as I have almost hit other cars before since I loose my steering and braking abilities.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle, crashing into a wall. The contact sustained injuries to the shoulder. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belts did not restrain the contact. The contact called roadside assistance and they disconnected the battery. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The manufacturer advised that they would investigate the crash and the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer determined that the air bags did not deploy because the speed of the vehicle did not trigger air bag deployment specifications. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Durango. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V313000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. In addition, while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle seized without warning. The contact was able to merge over to the shoulder and restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 143,000.
Common problem persists with this model exhaust manifold bolts are faulty and cause a exhaust leak on both the driver and passenger side of the engine costing around 1,000 to fix. Mine has the same issue when you have a cold engine you hear a ticking noise and it is caused by bad parts from the factory. This repair is very common on these models. This issue is a major issue with changing them due to breakage of the manifold bolts that cost extreme amounts to fix and sometimes if repaired wrong costing a engine replacement.
Driving vehicle and it started to stall. Felt like the front end was ready to give out. Vehicle has been at the Dodge dealership where it was purchased brand new. Mechanic is unable to determine the problem. All major maintenance and repairs have been at this dealership. Vehicle has 214,000 miles, but has always been reliable. Can't understand why it has taken a week to diagnose the problem. Had vehicle towed by aaa to dealership.
Engine complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 68 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Dodge Durango, 8% of the model year's 852 complaints. The component named most often is engine (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Dodge Durango engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Dodge Durango, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Dodge Durango engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.