- The problem
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
- The risk
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Vehicle safety record
2016 Dodge Durango Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 161 complaints about the 2016 Dodge Durango with NHTSA, most often about the lights (53) and the electrical system (40). Those complaints describe 23 crashes, 1 fire and 13 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in May 2018 for the wiring. For comparison, the 2015 has 505 and the 2017 has 214.
NHTSA data checked
BFewer problems than a typical Durango year, for its age
#70 most complained-about 2016 vehicle
- Complaints
- 161
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 23
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 13
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2016 Dodge Durango problems
Share of all 161 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2016 Dodge Durango recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 10, 2016, to April 28, 2016 and equipped with a 3.6L engine built at the Saltillo engine plant. During the assembly of the engine, the fuel rail crossover tube may have been damaged, which, over time, may result in a fuel leak.
- The risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
- The fix
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly for damage to the fuel rail crossover tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S85.
- The problem
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured December 9, 2015, to January 14, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the left front brake caliper may crack due to being made from an incorrect material.
- The risk
- A cracked brake caliper may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front left brake caliper and depending on its casting date, replace it, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on May 12, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S16.
What owners say
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161 complaints about the 2016 Dodge Durango
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 7.
On September 4, 2026, the front passenger Active Head Restraint (AHR/headrest) in my 2016 Dodge Durango unexpectedly deployed and struck my daughter in the back of the head. The vehicle was completely stationary and parked in a parking lot after leaving her doctor's appointment. I had started the vehicle, but we remained parked talking for approximately 1-2 minutes. There was no collision, impact, sudden stop, or other event involving the vehicle. Without any warning, we heard a very loud popping/banging sound. I...
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initially turned toward the rear of the vehicle because I thought the noise had come from behind us. My daughter, who was seated normally in the front passenger seat, then told me that something had hit her head. I saw that the passenger head restraint had suddenly sprung open/deployed. It struck the back of her head with enough force to push her head forward. There were no warning lights, messages, or other symptoms before the deployment. The vehicle had not been struck or moved when the deployment occurred. The head restraint remains in the deployed position and has not been reset or repaired. I photographed it immediately after the incident, and the vehicle/component is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a Dodge dealer, manufacturer, insurance representative, police, or independent repair facility. This unexpected deployment put my daughter's safety at risk because a safety restraint designed to protect an occupant during a collision instead deployed without a collision and physically struck her head. I am concerned about the potential for head or neck injury and about this occurring unexpectedly to other occupants.
On August 6, 2026, at approximately 6:00 a.m., I was driving my 2016 Dodge Durango northbound to work at approximately 60 mph. It was dark and the roadway was slightly wet from overnight rain. While traveling in the left lane under normal driving conditions, I suddenly heard a loud pop and the driver's Active Head Restraint/headrest sprung forward, striking me hard in the back of the head. The impact caused my head to be thrown forward and caused me to swerve. I immediately pulled over to determine what had...
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happened. After exiting the vehicle, I discovered that the driver's headrest had sprung open and forward. There had been no collision or other impact immediately before the headrest deployed. I continued to work after the incident and developed a mild headache. Later that day, I began experiencing soreness in my neck. The unexpected deployment occurred without warning while I was traveling approximately 60 mph and created a serious safety concern because the impact caused me to swerve while driving. I have photographs documenting the condition of the headrest immediately following the incident.
Passenger active headrest deployed while parked on driveway.
We had an issue with an error message in the middle of driving that stopped the acceleration of the vehicle, this seems to be common, looking at forums online. The inspection request is acceptable. The message we receive is "Shift to P before changing gears". The vehicle will stop in the middle of traffic and sometimes require a complete restart before being able to shift to drive. This has put myself, my wife, and two children in immense danger as the vehicle can stop at any point in time in oncoming traffic. ...
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We've taken it to a dealer who inspected the shifter and they didn't see any issues they couldn't replicate the issue happening. Two separate mechanic shops also cannot replicate this issue consistently. it hasn't been inspected these problems didn't have any warning messages prior to the problem occurring.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor in the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed the strong fuel odor. The contact was employed by an independent mechanic, so the independent mechanic inspected the vehicle; however, the contact was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an...
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independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The Rear License Plate Light bulb (right) was out and I went to have the bulb replaced. I was quoted over $1100 from the dealer, as the LED racetrack lighting was not properly sealed and is collecting water. The collection of water within the light compartment has caused corrosion within, and the wiring to disintegrate. This is a commonly known, yet not addressed safety issue by DODGE. My vehicle will not pass the MA Safety Inspection at the end of the month. I have read on-line many, many complaints, as...
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well as have spoken to other Durango owners who have experienced this same problem. I have already replaced the racetrack lighting ONCE on this vehicle due to water collection and the brake lights not properly working. THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
Driving in the left lane of an interstate highway at 75mph, in moderate traffic, in daylight hours, clear weather, with my young son. Sudden, unexpected decrease in engine rpm resulted in unannounced, approximate 40 mph reduction in speed. The instrument cluster illuminated stating " service transmission continue in D. Do Not Shift or Turn Engine Off". Such an unforeseen event, without brake light illumination, resulted in several following vehicles to take evasive actions, thus preventing a potential mass casualty...
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accident. I was able steer towards the right shoulder at the greatly reduced speed of 35mph, collect myself, check on my upset son and try to make sense of what had happened. At this point panic began to set in. I called my Father & he was able to provide the next step being to deliver the vehicle to the local Dodge dealership. Those few miles were miserable since the dash was still presenting dismal warnings, there was reduced power and the vehicle acted like it was in a very low gear. The dealership was closed, so the vehicle was parked on lot however, once the engine was turned off the battery power remained on. Unable to lock, turn off or change any electrical device. We returned the following day and spoke to the service advisor who stated, "the vehicle had entered the Limp Mode" Addition research states it is a safety feature that activates when a critical issue is detected by a computer. Well, I guess the engineers never thought about such a radical transformation at highway speeds....without brake lights! Such a device should never allow an automobile to suddenly and without notice, startle the driver with annunciations while simultaneously downshifting and reducing engine rpm.
Rear racetrack led lighting is failing. One segment has gone dark. You can only replace the entire assembly for over &1500. I found on line there is a class action lawsuit regarding exactly what I am seeing
Electrical issues involving specific fuses in the vehicle where the f13 fuse constantly fries and melts into the fuse box. Causing an electrical burning smell. No warning lights come on. Certain aspects of the car stop working like the blower motor.
This past week our 2016 dodge durango citadel driver side headrest pop out during the night while parked overnight outside our house. My wife discover the pop out headrest the next morning when she open the door to drive to her work. We are unable to return the head rest to its original position.
I have owned a 2013 Dodge Durango Citadel and traded it when it got to 100K because the fuel pump failed and now I own a 2016 Dodge Durango Limited and I'm currently at 99K miles and this fuel pump has failed. There needs to be a recall on the fuel pumps with the Dodge Durangos. The car will hesitate to start and malfunction while in traffic and that is dangerous to the driver and other vehicles. This can cause a crash because the vehicle will stall and not operate. The issue was confirmed by the Dodge, Jeep and...
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Lincoln dealer with both vehicles I've owned. There were no indications that this component was failing other than the hesitation to start a month prior and the hesitation went from every few days to every single day.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shut off and the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle failed to restart, and the contact waited for approximately 1 hour later and the vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a TIPM failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to approximately 5 different dealers where it was diagnosed...
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with the same failure. The vehicle was repaired approximately 5 times however, the failure recurred each time. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V530000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that upon visual inspection, the contact became aware that the rear exterior lighting was not functioning properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was unknown.
Was driving and the vehicle stalled well driving, Had a hard time trying to stop and could barley steer the vehicle. Vehicle was flashing shift to park. This has happened two times to me now and I took it to the dealership and it happened to them as well. The radio screen sometimes doesn't light up and it will freeze and won't let you do anything, when cell phone is connected via blue tooth it will disconnect and then reconnect and randomly turn the volume all the way up and music will start playing, A/C will...
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randomly kick on when I didn't have it on due to it being winter time and use only the heat now. rear brake light the race bar part of it is out and Mopar won't replace, Hood of the vehicle has rust bubbles and the lift gate has rust, I asked Mopar about the warranty and they said I missed the expiration date and they would not cover it. Three of the tires keep losing air and I am now on my second set of tires in a year and two months, Valve stems replaced two times as well.
Vehicle is going into park while driving, when it does that I have to come to a stop and restart the vehicle. I almost got into an accident and I'm scared for my life driving this. The dealership charged me to change the alternator, the batteries and I still have the same issue.
There is a design flaw with the coolant lines. The TOH coolant line makes contact with the rear heater return line and creates a coolant leak in that area. Due to the friction this caused a hole in the line. My car gashed out coolant and shut off on the highway. Only one flash on the dashboard that said engine overheating. This issue is a design flaw that could be Deadly. Luckily for myself I was traveling in the right line and had time to warn other drivers with hazards. Please investigate Dodge Durango vehicles for this Seriously potentially deadly issue.
The lighting system allowed water to enter the lights, causing them to fail as they filled up (from bottom to top) to the point that they won't properly indicate running lights or brake lights. This failure has been slowly occuring over the course of 4 years until it now fails to pass the safety inspection.
Intermittent start/stop, or extended start after driving for extended time. Vehicle fuel smell during if vehicle goes into an extended start mode. I have complained to Dodge about this problem. There was a previous recall on older and newer vehicles for TIPM module which caused similar symptoms I'm experiencing.
While my wife was driving our vehicle when the tire monitor light came on the dash. She made it home and showed me the tire. I thought she might have ran over an object on the road then began putting air in the tire. The tire started to inflate and rise then there was a sudden loud bang. I took the tire off the vehicle and saw that the inside sidewall of the tire blew out. The consumer stated that the tires are Cooper Discoverer SRX size 265/50 R20.
While moving the car loses power, shift to p then desired gear and comes to a stop. Not able to steer.
Oil leak from top of the engine, Vehicle has being well maintained barely has 61,000 miles, well taken care of, oil leak from top of the engine, theres more people having this issue, possible cause: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdKLx_INOAY or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm5yuuv5KeI theres alot of issues with this leaks and is expensive repair. i was doing my monthly check up and i found this oil leak. did some research and theres other vehicles with the same Engine size 3.6 wit the same issue.
Vehicle turns off while driving. The ignition button goes to acc. The cluster board then says to press brake and put vehicle in park. This is happening every couple trips
ENGINE CRANKS FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE STARTING
Component or system failed or malfunctioned: The engine It appears there is a common problem with the 3.6L V6 F DOHC 24V engines in the Dodge and/or Chrysler auto line. The problem is a misfire in cylinder #2. Which causes the car to shake when idling or stall when driving. This problem leads to very expensive repairs which requires a new engine. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer and a independent service center. The warning prior to a failure. Is the illumination of the check engine light and the engine code P0302.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango equipped with Sailun Tires, Tire Line: Atrezzo SVR LX, Tire Size: 265/50/R20, DOT Number: 1YJDBNULY0217. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH in the passing lane, the front driver's side had a blowout, causing the vehicle to be pulled into the grassy area towards the railing. The contact maneuvered the vehicle while the vehicle rolled 100 yards. The contact stated that upon inspecting the tire, he noticed that the tire was still attached to the wheel, but the tread had...
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separated from the tire. The contact had not sustained any injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tire mechanic where the tire was replaced. The contact later became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21T018000 (Tires) however, the tire line was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The tire failure and vehicle failure mileages were unknown.
Dodge Durango: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 56 | 2 | A |
| 2019 | 145 | 4 | B |
| 2018 | 234 | 5 | B |
| 2017 | 214 | 2 | B |
| 2016 | 161 | 3 | B |
| 2015 | 505 | 4 | D |
| 2014 | 787 | 11 | F |
| 2013 | 640 | 11 | D |
| 2012 | 640 | 10 | D |
2016 Dodge Durango vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Dodge Durango | 161 | 3 | B | |
| 2016 Ford Explorer | 2,466 | 15 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Kia Sorento | 1,263 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Ford Edge | 932 | 7 | C | Compare |
| 2016 Subaru Outback | 643 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 313 | 9 | A | Compare |
| 2016 Hyundai Santa FE | 238 | 3 | B | Compare |
| 2016 GMC Acadia | 236 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2016 Buick Enclave | 142 | 4 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2016 Dodge Durango
Does the 2016 Dodge Durango have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2016 Dodge Durango: wiring (May 2018); hoses, lines / piping, and fittings (November 2016); caliper (March 2016). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Dodge Durango?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the lights (53), electrical system (40), transmission & drivetrain (30).
How many complaints has the 2016 Dodge Durango had?
161 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 15, 2016 and the latest on September 4, 2026. Of these, 23 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 13 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2016 Dodge Durango a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 71 out of 100 (grade B: fewer problems than a typical Dodge Durango year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Dodge Durango years have the most complaints?
1999 (2,012), 2005 (1,567), 2004 (1,115). See every Dodge Durango year compared.
What should I do if my 2016 Dodge Durango has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data