Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 5% | — |
| 2021 | 15 | 7% | 29,000 miles |
| 2020 | 4 | 7% | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 1% | 130,000 miles |
| 2018 | 5 | 2% | 29,000 miles |
| 2017 | 10 | 5% | 37,000 miles |
| 2016 | 6 | 4% | 50,000 miles |
| 2015 | 21 | 4% | 49,000 miles |
| 2014 | 26 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 2013 | 9 | 1% | 50,000 miles |
| 2012 | 2 | 0% | 115,000 miles |
| 2011 | 9 | 1% | 70,000 miles |
| 2008 | 4 | 4% | 138,000 miles |
| 2007 | 5 | 2% | 69,000 miles |
| 2006 | 17 | 2% | 89,000 miles |
| 2005 | 21 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 2004 | 35 | 3% | 89,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 2% | 157,000 miles |
| 2002 | 8 | 2% | 76,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 1% | 120,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 0% | 12,000 miles |
| 1999 | 17 | 1% | 65,000 miles |
| 1998 | 10 | 1% | 80,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Vehicle Sudden Unintended Acceleration - Safety Complaint Vehicle: 2022 Dodge Durango Weather: Rain Situation: The vehicle was at an almost complete stop at a red light and in a 5 feet distance from the car in front. Without pressing the accelerator, the car suddenly surged forward at significant force and hit the vehicle in front of us. There was no driver input on the accelerator. The incident appeared to be caused by an electronic or computer malfunction, possibly related to moisture from the rain. This could have resulted in serious injury or death if another vehicle had not been in front of us to stop the acceleration. Please investigate this issue, as it represents a major safety risk.
Taillight is retaining water and causing my taillights to go out. This is a very well known issue as the dealer was aware of this issue with a lot of Durangos. The dealer offered no repair as there's not be a recall and the warranty on my Durango is up. My rear hatch/lift gate is also off and rubbing near the bottom causing the paint to be worn and now beginning to rust. There's are definitely a quality issue with Dodge as there's many other Durango's affected by this.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while opening the rear hatch, he noticed a bolt inside the hatch from the rear spoiler. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the rear spoiler to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to not having the parts available. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the rear spoiler detached from the vehicle and hit the highway. The contact parked the vehicle and retrieved the rear spoiler. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V842000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled a gasoline odor in the interior of the vehicle. As a result, the contact started to feel physically ill, potentially compromising his health. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V115000 (Structure), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.
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. …
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.
There is a problem with the rear middle light on the lift gate. Water is getting into them and shorting them out then leading it to need a replacement. This is an on going issue with dodge Durangos. Something needs to be done with this design flaw on the Durango's because they charge 1400 for the part plus labor for it to be replaced when the light wasn't built right
I was in a collision, going 70 on the expressway. Guy in front of me slammed on his breaks with no one in front of him. I had no time to stop, slammed into the back of his car. Not a single airbag deployed inside the vehicle, the whole front end was smashed in.
Related recalls (3)
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Dodge Durango vehicles. The rear spoiler may not be aligned properly with the roof, possibly resulting in damage to the spoiler during liftgate use.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace or repair the spoiler and align the liftgate as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 10, 2026.
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Dodge Durango vehicles. The rear spoiler may not be aligned properly with the roof, resulting in damage to the spoiler during liftgate use.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear spoiler, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 9, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Structure › Body
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Dodge Durango vehicles. The rear spoiler may not be aligned properly with the roof, resulting in damage to the spoiler during liftgate use.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear spoiler, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Durango years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (35), 2014 (26), 2005 (21), 2015 (21) and 1999 (17) model years. Body complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Dodge Durango body problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 26V-528 (hatchback/liftgate, Aug 13, 2026); 23V-115 (hatchback/liftgate, Feb 23, 2023); 21V-842 (body, Oct 28, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Durango body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles; 40% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (157 mentions), followed by the body › door (16).
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.