FaultScore

Dodge Durango headlight problems

1,118 of the 19,338 complaints filed about the Dodge Durango are about the lighting — 6% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2014.

1,118

Complaints

6%

Share of all complaints

4

Crashes

22

Fires

Lights complaints by model year

1998 Durango 19 1.7%

Median failure at 76,497 miles

1999 Durango 27 2.4%

Median failure at 77,256 miles

2000 Durango 10 0.9%

Median failure at 99,000 miles

2001 Durango 21 1.9%

Median failure at 74,000 miles

2002 Durango 11 1.0%

Median failure at 17,530 miles

2003 Durango 45 4.0%

Median failure at 98,000 miles

2004 Durango 34 3.0%

Median failure at 83,000 miles

2005 Durango 16 1.4%

Median failure at 109,000 miles

2006 Durango 17 1.5%

Median failure at 46,500 miles

2007 Durango 12 1.1%

Median failure at 67,041 miles

2008 Durango 1 0.1%
2011 Durango 31 2.8%

Median failure at 80,000 miles

2012 Durango 26 2.3%

Median failure at 63,500 miles

2013 Durango 19 1.7%

Median failure at 92,000 miles

2014 Durango 260 23.3%

Median failure at 60,000 miles

2015 Durango 198 17.7%

Median failure at 50,000 miles

2016 Durango 53 4.7%

Median failure at 50,000 miles

2017 Durango 80 7.2%

Median failure at 42,250 miles

2018 Durango 55 4.9%

Median failure at 40,000 miles

2019 Durango 45 4.0%

Median failure at 30,500 miles

2020 Durango 21 1.9%
2021 Durango 81 7.2%

Median failure at 46,500 miles

2022 Durango 25 2.2%

Median failure at 59,000 miles

2023 Durango 9 0.8%
2024 Durango 1 0.1%
2026 Durango 1 0.1%

What owners said

2022 Dodge Durango Connersville, IN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11758942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango San Antonio, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

There is a daytime running light (DRL) malfunction with both headlights, it started with the drivers side slowly going out and now the passenger side is slowly going out. This is happening to several Dodge Durango owners of the 2021 model and can be found in the Dodge Durango forum online. The dealer stated it’s an out of pocket expense because the DRL is out and the entire component needs replaced. This is inaccurate because when I turn off the DRL settings the turning signal flashes orange fast so this tells me it’s not completely out and the headlights themselves work. My car has been this way for over a year because I can’t afford to spend $1500+ per light replacement and for the dealer to claim it has to be an out of pocket expense is not okay because the point of LED lights are because they use less energy while lasting 25x as much so it doesn’t make sense that they stopped turning on versus the non LED. While driving around I’ve seen SEVERAL Dodge Durango with a DRL out or both or one out and the other half way out so this confirms it’s a manufacture issue. I came across forums of people with this issue and full extended warranty coverages where they’re being told it’s not covered. Dodge(Mopar) needs to address this for the consumer as it causes a safety issue when the left/right turning signals are not properly displayed. The car wouldn’t pass a safety test. Myself and several Dodge Durango owners are currently at risk of being in a car accident due to this malfunction. The full assembly does not need replaced. Please look this over and issue a safety recall as my family and I are at risk because I can’t afford a $3000 headlight replacement that isn’t even needed. That’s just the dealer and Mopar trying to make more $$$ while not worried about the safety of their customers.

NHTSA complaint #11758224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Dodge Durango Brooklyn, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Vehicle Headlight with built in DRL and Ambiant Turn signal with only 7779 miles on the dashboard, purchased brand new in 2023

NHTSA complaint #11756068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2020 Dodge Durango Old Bethpage, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My entire lighting system in back of truck stopped working. The racetrack lighting system. The license plate lights done. I cannot drive the car at night because I will get pulled over. Dodge saying it is not covered under the extended warranty I purchased.

NHTSA complaint #11754292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango Newtown, CT

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Drivers side daytime running lights out. I’ve noticed about a dozen more dodge durangos running lights are also out. Seems to be a manufactured problem. A lot of forums and conversations on Reddit complaining of the same. It cost about 500 dollars to replace the headlight and takes all day due to dismantling the whole front bimper and plastic components to get access. A really bad design

NHTSA complaint #11754067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Dodge Durango Chesterfield, MI 1 injured

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I own a 2022 Dodge Durango. During normal loading and unloading of cargo with the liftgate open, I have sustained three separate lacerations to my forearm and wrist from the exposed, sharp inside corners of the rear taillight assemblies. The injuries have occurred on both the driver-side and passenger-side taillights during ordinary use of the cargo area. Each incident resulted from simply reaching into or removing items from the rear cargo area. The taillight corners are extremely sharp and are positioned where a person’s arms naturally pass while using the cargo area. The cuts were severe enough to leave permanent scars, and I have photographs documenting the injuries. After experiencing these injuries, I found that other Dodge Durango owners have reported similar lacerations from the same taillight design. Based on my experience and these other reports, I believe the rear taillight assemblies present an unreasonable risk of laceration during normal, foreseeable use of the vehicle. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate whether this design presents a safety defect and determine whether further investigation is warranted.

NHTSA complaint #11753150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Dodge Durango at 100,000 miles Ontario, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that a section of the rear light was inoperable. The passenger’s side light was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the tail light needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA complaint #11749577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango New London, OH

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Rear racetrack style taillight assembly had faulty gaskets when purchased, allowing for water intrusion of the taillight assembly, causing water damage to the electrical components in the light assembly and shorting the LED Lights.

NHTSA complaint #11746753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2014 Dodge Durango Portland, OR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Water leaks into and pools in the tail lights causing the tail light to go out. Other drivers can't see the back of the car at night thus increasing risk of rear end collision. The problem was confirmed by the dealer and I was told that it is a very common problem on this model and that the manufacturer refuses to cover the $1600.00 repair cost. There were no warnings that the light had gone out, so this is very dangerous because it's possible that you drive around for many months without realizing that your tail light is not working.

NHTSA complaint #11743817 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Dodge Durango at 31,000 miles Worcester, MA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2022 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that during a routine maintenance appointment, the mechanic discovered that the rear license plate light had become inoperable due to moisture and corrosion. The contact was informed that the rear racing track lighting assembly, which included the rear brake lights, needed to be replaced. The rear racing track lighting assembly was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 31,000.

NHTSA complaint #11742739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Dodge Durango Biloxi, MS

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My vehicle is a 2022 Dodge Durango, and suddenly, about a month ago, the driverside day-time running light stopped working. This seemed strange because it's an LED light and they generally last the majority of the vehicle's life, but certainly longer than four years. Then I started to notice other Durangos locally with the same problem, all with the driver's side daytime running light only. I've checked multiple online forums as well and confirmed that this is a widespread problem. I contacted the FCA hotline to report this problem and to see if Dodge had either addressed this problem or would be willing to. Each time the representative denied having a single complaint about this problem, which I knew to be false after the second time, because I knew there was at least one, MINE from the first report. This repair cost over $1600, and is still not done because the headlight assembly for the driver's side is on back order. Yes, the driver-side headlight assembly is on back order, but not the passenger-side one. When asked why the passenger side is not on backorder, but the driver-side one is, I was told it's because there seems to be a widespread problem with the ones that came on the vehicle from the factory, and replacing them has caused a backorder. To add insult to injury, Dodge's own warranty does not cover this problem, and neither do their expensive extended warranties, because the problem is considered to be a "sealed beam", not the headlight assembly itself, even though the only way to replace the headlight assembly.

NHTSA complaint #11742233 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango Frisco, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 44,000 MILES

NHTSA complaint #11740803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango at 56,000 miles Owensboro, KY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver-side headlight would not illuminate during nighttime conditions. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed as needing both front headlights to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

NHTSA complaint #11740337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango Mansfield, OH

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The Driver side Daytime Running Light (DRL) has stopped working. This is not a replaceable bulb, an entire head lamp assembly must be purchased, its also not really a user replaceable item. It involves removing the from bumper cover an other body parts. Im reporting this because this is a common occurrence on 2021 and up model year Dodge Durango and Im hoping you get enough reports to force a recall. Lighting is required for safety, it should not be something thats so difficult and expensive to repair, AND it should not be happening so frequently on this specific DRL in this vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11739953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Dodge Durango Randallstown, MD

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The rear taligate track light for brakes is not working. Some of the lights are out when braking

NHTSA complaint #11739840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango Magnolia, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The DRL failed - seems like it is due to a faulty ground connection on CANBUS.

NHTSA complaint #11738225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango Woodland, PA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The driver's side LED headlight has gone out. It is LED and suppose to outlast the vehicle. Headlight works but turn signal doesn't in the front. This unit is over $1,000 to have replaced and multiple people are complaining about it happening to their Dodge Durango RT's as well.

NHTSA complaint #11737899 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2020 Dodge Durango Merced, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Tail light not working, was replaced, replacement also malfunctioning.

NHTSA complaint #11736626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Dodge Durango Woodland Park, NJ

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My life turn signal and parking light stopped working, my problem is the whole headlight assembly needs to be replaced just because these two items don’t work. The dealer wants over $800 for the part. Why don’t they issue a warranty or a recall on this item? It’s too much to pay just because turn signal and parking light doesn’t work.

NHTSA complaint #11736018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Dodge Durango Clearwater, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

2024 Dodge Durango (SXT Plus, GT Plus, RT trims) Update to my prior complaint regarding a dangerous shifter defect. Defect Description: While driving and pressing the accelerator (no brake, no shifter button pressed), the transmission shifts into Neutral without warning. The vehicle loses propulsion. The instrument cluster does not display or warn that it is in Neutral — no chime, no message, no clear gear indicator. This matches NHTSA Recall 26V262000 (FCA 39D), where the instrument panel fails to show gear selection in other 2024–2025 Stellantis vehicles. Widespread Issue: I have replicated this multiple times on my SXT Plus, a GT, and RT models. Other owners in Durango groups report the same. This is a systemic defect across Dodge Durango trims and likely the broader Stellantis/Chrysler/Mopar lineup. Related Lawsuit: This also appears connected to the class action [XXX] et al. v. FCA US LLC d/b/a Stellantis (Case XXX) regarding defective Uconnect 5 systems in 2022–2024 Durango's and similar models. My Background: I have worked in transportation most of my career, hold FDOT Advanced MOT certification, and am completing my undergraduate degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA).I request NHTSA investigate this shifter and instrument cluster defect across affected Durango models. This has nearly caused a collision and endangers the public. Available: videos, records, owner statements. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11735349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Dodge Durango problems