Most common 2020 Dodge Durango problems
Share of the 55 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Durango complaints by model year
Best Durango years: 2020, 2024, 2022. Years to avoid: 1999, 2005, 2000, 1998. Compare all years →
2020 Dodge Durango recalls (2)
Air bags › Critical fasteners
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.
Remedy: 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.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
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.
Remedy: 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,…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 Dodge Durango:
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early…
What 2020 Dodge Durango owners say
Lights all 22 →
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 …
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. …
Electrical system
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.
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.
Engine & cooling
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.
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.
2020 Dodge Durango engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 22 / 17 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 14 / 22 / 17 |
| 6.4L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Dodge Durango a good car?
Based on 55 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Durango rates better than average: 85% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Durango at the same age. It is one of the best Durango years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Dodge Durango?
The lights — 22 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tail lights. Next are the electrical system (9) and engine & cooling (7).
How many recalls does the 2020 Dodge Durango have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2020 Dodge Durango, the most recent from April 22, 2021 (critical fasteners). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Durango?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2024 and 2022. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2005, 2000 and 1998. See the full Dodge Durango years comparison.
At what mileage do 2020 Dodge Durango problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 30,000 miles; 71% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.