- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- A loose or missing fastener may cause the side curtain air bag to deploy incorrectly, increasing the risk of injury.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2020 Dodge Durango Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 56 complaints about the 2020 Dodge Durango with NHTSA, most often about the lights (23) and the electrical system (9). Those complaints describe 3 fires and 5 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in April 2021 for the critical fasteners. For comparison, the 2019 has 145 and the 2021 has 208.
NHTSA data checked
AFar fewer problems than a typical Durango year, for its age
#83 most complained-about 2020 vehicle
- Complaints
- 56
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 5
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2020 Dodge Durango problems
Share of all 56 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2020 Dodge Durango recalls 2
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 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. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
- The risk
- The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- 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, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
What owners say
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
56 complaints about the 2020 Dodge Durango
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 3.
I'm here to report yet another Gen 3 Dodge Durango "racetrack" liftgate light assembly experiencing water/moisture ingress. This issue has been ongoing since the 2014 model year when the racetrack lighting was introduced. The issue is, overt time, water makes its way into the assembly, eventually causing one or more sections of the LED's to stop working. The failure of the assembly leads to reduced light directed from the rear of the vehicle outward, which in my opinion IS a safety issue in the dark. This...
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assembly installed is over $1000.00 at a dealer, and the vehicle just looks trashy once the failure process begins. For the most part, it's not if but when this process will begin for a Gen 3 Durango. The racetrack on my '20 SXT Plus Durango began to show signs of water ingress around 4 years of age, with less than 50k miles, which is of course beyond the warranty. This situation is 100% wrong for a vehicle in the Durango's price class., let alone the safety aspect.
Purchased in [redacted] from Tri Star Motors in [[redacted]] with approximately 18,000 miles on it. In [redacted], I noticed some flickering on the passenger side racetrack light and water entrapment after a somewhat heavy snowfall. After some research, I removed the drain bolt and drained the water out. I left the drain bolt off so that water would not get trapped in it again. I have kept an eye on it to make sure the condensation dried up and keep monitoring for any issues with brake lights. So far, it has not...
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affected my brake lights, rear view camera or back up lights. For the most part, it is just dimmed in that passenger lower side of the racetrack light itself and still flickers some. I do worry about the integrity of the wiring now and if any issues will arise. Especially the integrity of my brake lights. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
My 2020 Dodge Durango experienced a severe interior dashboard fire that appeared to originate in the center dash/radio area while the vehicle was parkedin driveway. The fire caused extensive melting and burn damage throughout the dashboard, center console, wiring, and surrounding interior components. The infotainment/radio area and electrical wiring sustained significant destruction, resulting in the vehicle becoming unsafe and unusable. After inspection, the dealership indicated that the radio or related electrical components may have overheated. The estimated repair cost was approximately $33,000 due to the extent of the electrical and interior damage.
Tail light not working, was replaced, replacement also malfunctioning.
While driving normally, not in an accident, the active head restraint system failed and slammed into my head. If there was traffic this would have likely caused an accident because it was unexpected, severe, and abrupt while leaving me disoriented and with a persistent headache. This is absolutely ridiculous and unsafe.
Back lights. Bottom of right is out and bottom left is starting to go out. Water collects inside the lights.
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that upon leaving a parking lot, the air bag warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test to determine the cause of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V280000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case number was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 77,528.
1, The rear taillights fill up with water making it difficult to see the lights when breaking. 2, The engine had to be repaired due to power failure and was told that the cams and lifters were worn out on drivers' side at 85000 miles. The garage said this should not have happened. And that they have had to repair other vehicles too and Dodge would not cover it.
The rear tail lights and the rear "race track" running light have allowed water to enter causing premature failure of a large portion of the light(s). These are not user serviceable parts and should be completely sealed from the elements. Eventually, the entire 'marker light' portion of the the taillights and race track with be completely non-functioning causing the vehicle to have no rear illumination except brake lights when the vehicle headlights are on. It started out as one small section but has rapidly progressed.
Water had accumulated in the racetrack led light in the center of the trunk. Causing light to short circuit and lose taillight, license plate light, and back up lights as well.
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.
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that moments after starting the vehicle and while driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact suddenly felt a sharp burning pain in the buttocks area. The contact immediately stopped the vehicle and discovered a burn hole in the clothing and a skin burn to the buttocks. While inspecting the vehicle, a burn hole was discovered in the front driver's seat cushion. During the incident, the contact indicated that the seat heat was in the on position and no flames...
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or burning odor were present inside the vehicle. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer, who indicated an electrical fire had occurred inside the front driver's seat and the entire seat needed to be replaced. The cause of the electrical fire was not determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that an engineer would inspect the vehicle, but no inspection occurred, and no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Vehicle has begun (and is getting worse) to crank with no start on first attempt. I know there was a recall on earlier model for the fuel pump relay.
When accelerating, the vehicle tends to lose all power and starts to decelerate and check engine lights comes on, also states the start stop function is disable. Really tough trying to drive on highways because of this happening quite often.
Puerto Rico State Government vehicle (Policia de Puerto Rico). Front panel lights show a Warning/safety panel light related to Air Bags. Same as Dodge Charger that have an urgent safety recall by Dodge.
When accelerating to pass another car in front of us on a 2 lane highway we experienced a loss of power and all instrumentation flashed on/off/on, then it posted a check engine light and stated that auto start stop wasn't working. Power came back and we finished the pass but it could have resulted in a head on collision.
The racetrack lighting on the tailgate had water in it and dodge refused to repair or replace...now I have no racetrack lighting and no tag light and they still will not help.
Manufacture defect, steering column rubbing against brake line causing brake line to rupture causing damages with possible danger of fire or possible collision
After vehicle battery replacement, infotainment system not working properly, to include the backup camera not engaging in reverse.
The TIPM (totally intergrated power module) is faulty. The dealer has confirmed this. I have a crank no start on my vehicle. When being inspected the dealer also showed me a melted fuse in the tipm which Is very concerning. This issue occurs daily multiple times a day. There were no check engine lights to help diagnose this issue.
I was driving and the passenger active headrest exploded randomly without any impacts happening
There is a software defect that could result in injury or death: if you forget to turn the car off and exit the car with the car key, there is no warning. I am hard of hearing and sometimes do not notice that I did not turn the car off because I cannot hear the hum of engine, and, because the car uses a key fob, rather than an ignition key, you can leave the car with the key but while the car is still on. I park the vehicle outside, but if I parked it in an attached garage carbon monoxide could seep into the house,...
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something that is known to occasionally result in deaths. The car's software knows that the car is on and knows that the key fob has left the car. At that point, there should be a beep of the horn to warn the driver that something is amiss. Seems like a serious liability issue for the car company and something that would be easy to fix: a software update.
My rear wheel on the driver side of the vehicle would not allow me to go or roll like the other three tires so I had to come off the road and head to the nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care to try to get help for my vehichle, due to having a warranty on my tires until 2028. My safety and the safety of others was put at high risk, as I could not control the swaying movement of the vehicle and assumed I must have popped a tire or something was caught underneath my car and was preventing me from driving properly with...
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womping and knocking sounds. After confirmation of the problem, by Firestone I was informed that what occured should not have happened and is a manufacturer problem and was noted on the bill I had to pay a week later to drive my vehicle. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to it happening. My oil was changed and tires were rotated as part of regular maintenance at the dodge dealership were I reside on or around September 2024 and they did not inform me of any issues. I work minutes from my home and only drive a few miles each day. About 2 years ago I purchased this vehicle at 62,000 and have only accumulated 16,000 miles and currently sit at 78,000. I am asking for this request to be reviewed, and the cost be reimbursed and my vehicle to be scheduled for inspection for consumer safety and peice of mind.
The break lights do not have a proper seal and the LED lights are shorted out on the rear exterior brake lights. This is a safety issue and should be recalled.
Dodge Durango: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 | 0 | A |
| 2023 | 39 | 2 | A |
| 2022 | 62 | 7 | A |
| 2021 | 208 | 8 | C |
| 2020 | 56 | 2 | A |
| 2019 | 145 | 4 | B |
| 2018 | 234 | 5 | B |
| 2017 | 214 | 2 | B |
| 2016 | 161 | 3 | B |
2020 Dodge Durango vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Dodge Durango | 56 | 2 | A | |
| 2020 Ford Explorer | 1,257 | 33 | F | Compare |
| 2020 Subaru Outback | 906 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2020 Hyundai Palisade | 543 | 5 | C | Compare |
| 2020 Ford Edge | 331 | 4 | B | Compare |
| 2020 Subaru Ascent | 325 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2020 Toyota Highlander | 323 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 241 | 3 | A | Compare |
| 2020 Chevrolet Blazer | 224 | 3 | F | 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 2020 Dodge Durango
Does the 2020 Dodge Durango have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2020 Dodge Durango: critical fasteners (April 2021); camera (September 2020). 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 2020 Dodge Durango?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the lights (23), electrical system (9), engine & cooling (7).
How many complaints has the 2020 Dodge Durango had?
56 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 1, 2020 and the latest on October 23, 2026. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 3 a fire, and together they report 5 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2020 Dodge Durango a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 89 out of 100 (grade A: far 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 2020 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