Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Dodge Durango owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2011 Dodge Durango caught fire. The roof above the passenger visor burn significantly. While driving the car the passenger said she smelled an electrical problem. Both of us have retired from the electronics field. Not realizing the severity of the electrical problem, I parked the car. We went away from the car for about ten minutes. Upon returning we open the door and entered the car. The car filled with smoke. We could hear the fire burning in the roof. We both jumped out. We flagged down some parking attendants. We opened the hood to get to the battery or fuse box. I monitored the light in the vanity mirrors and interior lights, while the attendants with book manual in hand, pulled fuses until the lights went out and the fire slowed to a stop. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. While the vehicle was parked, the front passenger side of the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police and fire report were filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V879000 (electrical system, interior lighting). The failure mileage was 101,000.
I was on my way to work today when I noticed a burning smell and then the battery light came on. Due to heavy traffic I couldn't pull to the side. I got farther down the road and heard a loud whining noise. When I arrived at work I contacted the local Dodge dealership to speak with the service department about this incident. I was told that it sounds like the alternator but that my vehicle was not covered in the recent recall since I have the 180amp alternator. The recall was only for the 160 amp alternators. I was shocked since my vehicle only has 61,000 miles on it. Researching this problem online I found numerous complaints from people having the same identical problem with the 180amp alternator (with the same make model and year) that caused the recall of the 160amp alternators. …
After having the campaign completed to remove the fuel pump relay from the TIPM, my fog lights and headlights began operating sporadically, then eventually after a few weeks stopped working. If I remember correctly, this happened at dusk, when I was driving and the headlights tried to come on automatically. I tried to replace the bulbs, but that didn't help. I took the car back to the dealership and was told the headlights and fog lights weren't receiving power from the TIPM, and that it needed to be replaced, at about $1,200 cost. This probably is so obviously related to the previous campaign, but I cannot get the dealership to participate in the cost. Please help!
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. While driving 45 MPH, a "tail light out' message displayed. The contact stated that the failure occurred frequently, and the tail light bulbs would fail to illuminate due to the wiring overheating and condensation within the casings. The vehicle was taken to newnan peachtree Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (53 hollz pkwy, newnan, ga 30265, [phone]) where the contact was informed that the tail light bulbs and wiring needed replacement, but there were no recalls for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was 141,379.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. While driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked and there was a sudden increase of engine rpms. Shortly after, the vehicle lost power and the rpms decreased. In addition, the vehicle failed to start intermittently and both turn signals on the mirrors failed to function. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. All warning lights on the instrument panel illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. While driving out of a parking space in the rain, water was noticed entering through the overhead map light unit. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 15V879000 (electrical system, interior lighting) at driver's village (5885 east circle drive cicero, ny 13039 [phone]). The contact also mentioned that the vehicle was equipped with a sun roof. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the leakage failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,326.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the headliner caught fire. A fire report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, but was not repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 15V879000 (electrical system, interior lighting) due to extensive damage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case, but the contact had not heard back. The failure mileage and VIN were unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V879000 (electrical system, interior lighting); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact experienced smoke fumes coming from the passenger side visor. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. Upon entering the vehicle, the contact noticed that the LED light for the interior of the driver compartment of the vehicle failed to illuminate without warning. The contact stated that this was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Related recalls
Interior lighting
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured December 3, 2009, to September 1, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the wiring for the vanity lamp in the sun visor may short circuit, after having been remedied for a prior recall for the vanity lamp…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealer will install clearance for sun visor wiring, protection from sharp edges, and replace the sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016.
Headlight complaints in other Durango years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2011 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the lights of the 2011 Dodge Durango, 4% of the model year's 800 complaints. The component named most often is turn signal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Dodge Durango headlight problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-879 (interior lighting, Dec 28, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Dodge Durango headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to lights 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.