2008 Dodge Durango Problems: Fuel system (97 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Dodge Durango is Fuel system (39% of 97 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 97 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Dodge Durango?

38 of 97 filings named Fuel system (39% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (20 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 188 reports on file; this year has 97. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 Dodge Durango

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 38 complaints · 39.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 3
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 3
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 38 of 97 owner complaints (39.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 38 complaints, 39.2% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 38 · 39.2% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 20 complaints, 20.6% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 20 · 20.6% Engine (ENGINE): 5 complaints, 5.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 5 · 5.2% Steering (STEERING): 5 complaints, 5.2% of reports Steering (STEERING) 5 · 5.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 4.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 4 · 4.1% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 4 complaints, 4.1% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 · 4.1% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 4 complaints, 4.1% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 4 · 4.1% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 3 complaints, 3.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 · 3.1% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 3 complaints, 3.1% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 · 3.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 32 complaints, 33.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 32 · 33.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 38 39.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 20 20.6% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 5 5.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 5 5.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 4.1% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 4.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 4 4.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 32 33.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2008; the first recall shown was reported in May 2015. 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2008 Jan 2023 Recall campaign 15V313000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V313000 Recall campaign 16V352000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V352000 Investigation EA21002 ● Investigation EA21002
  • Campaign 15V313000 was reported 2,123 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16V352000 was reported 2,486 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 5
2011-Q2 Owner reports 5
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 7
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 3
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 3
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 11
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 4
2016-Q4 Owner reports 4
2017-Q1 Owner reports 6
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 3
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 15V313000
Recall campaign 1 16V352000
Defect investigation 1 EA21002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 15V313000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began for Chrylser on June 8, 2015. The recall for Mitsubishi started on June 24, 2015. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Mitsubishi owners may call 1-888-648-7820. Chrysler's number for this recall is R25. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V817 in its entirety. Vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Recall campaign 16V352000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 97 complaints · page 1 of 4
2023-01-29Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
NHTSA ODI 11504251
CrashFireInjuryDeath
the seatbelt was pulled to fasten and it just kept coming out and finally locked and will not recoil so passenger seat belt is inoperable
2022-02-06Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11450672
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Alternator having to replace. There is a ticking sound that has been going on and the alternator goes out. I have replaced this part twice and each time before it goes out it starts to tick. Also have a brand new battery installed and it is dead again! Each time the alternator goes out it kills my battery. 2008 dodge Durango.
2021-09-30Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11435076
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Was sold car today that mileage was non actual and wasn’t told and this is illegal [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
2021-06-23Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11421960
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My Car started smoking from under the hood and coming through the vents . It over heated . So then I opened up the hood and smoke with you coming out a bit crazy then something food from the engine like to hit me in the face but I do. It broke my dipstick oil stick the piece off. Now my car is running hot smoking and making a loud crazy noise sounds like it's going to blow up or something I don't know what to do help me please. my husband just recently passed so I'm on my own and I'm all by myself just me and my daughter so I don't know a lot about cars please help me
2020-09-13Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11354657
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL PUMP CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT HAS NEVER BEEN TOUCHED IT IS ALL FACTORY ORIGINAL AND I FOUND TWO OTHER HOSES OFF TO BOTH HAD NO CLAMPS ON IT FROM THE FACTORY THIS IS A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD AND I WANT TO BE REPAID FOR MY REPAIRS YOU SHOULD'VE ALREADY RECALLED THIS IT'S ON THE INTERNET AND IT HAS BEEN PROVEN IT'S HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE VEHICLES WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN RECALLED THIS IS A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD AND YOU'RE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT IS DODGE PAYING YOU TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT OR YOU AS CROOKED AS THE REST OF THE COMPANIES OUT THERE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT BECAUSE WHY IS IT ALL OVER THE INTERNET WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE THIS SHOULD'VE BEEN TOOK CARE OF YEARS AGO
2019-07-16Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11232241
CrashFireInjuryDeath
EVERY TIME THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED TO 3/4 OR MORE THERE IS ALWAYS A BACK SPLASH OF ABOUT 2-3 CUPS OF FUEL. IF ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING LONG COULD RUN DOWN SIDE OF VEHICLE AND IGNITE ON HOT EXHAUST PIPES.
2019-01-31Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11173225
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING ALL ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE, STEERING SHUT DOWN WITH NO NOTICE....NO LIGHTS OR STEERING WHILE IN THE DARK WILL GET ME KILLED
2018-04-11VISIBILITYUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11084611
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE DURANGO. UPON OPENING THE DRIVER'S DOOR, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS DRENCHED AFTER IT RAINED OVERNIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY BECAUSE THE ASSEMBLY FAILED AT LEAST TEN TIMES BEFORE WITHIN THE PAST TEN MONTHS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE FIRST OCCURRED IN JUNE OF 2017. AT THAT TIME, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CRYSTAL CHRYSLER/JEEP/DODGE IN BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA, [redacted]) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUN ROOF FAILED. THE SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND THE SUN ROOF WAS REPAIRED ONCE AGAIN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,000.
2017-11-30Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11051529
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ON NOVEMBER 24, 2017 CAR PURCHASED FROM PINELLAS AUTO BROKERS, INC. LOCATED AT 4600 66TH STREET NORTH, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA. THE NEXT MORNING, NOVEMBER 25, 2017,CAR WAS TAKEN FOR OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION. WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED FRAME RESTORATION AND THEN APPLY FOR A SALVAGE TITLE AFTER INSPECTION, NONE OF WHICH WAS DISCLOSED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. SALESPERSON ASSURED ME THAT NO VEHICLES COME TO THE LOT WITH ANY MAJOR DAMAGE, ONLY MINOR ISSUES. PER MECHANIC, NOT ROAD WORTHY AND IS OUTSIDE MECHANICAL LIMITS; NOT ONLY A DANGER TO THE PASSENGERS, BUT OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IN THIS CAR WITH MY 2 CHILDREN (AGES 3 & 6). MY MOTHER PAID FOR THE CAR VIA DEBIT CARD. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT RECOURSE I HAVE FOR SELLING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 Dodge Durango?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 38 of 97 reports (39%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Dodge Durango?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Dodge Durango?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources