2018 Dodge Durango Problems and Recalls (227 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2018 Dodge Durango is Electrical (21% of 227 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 227 complaints · 5 recalls
What problems show up on the 2018 Dodge Durango?
48 of 227 filings named Electrical (21% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Lights (44 reports).
There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Electrical, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2017 has 211 reports on file; this year has 227. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Electrical 48 complaints · 21.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 9
- Fires 0
- Injuries 5
- 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.
“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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 48 | 21.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 44 | 19.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 21 | 9.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 14 | 6.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 10 | 4.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 7 | 3.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 6 | 2.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 4 | 1.8% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 4 | 1.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 71 | 31.3% | 3 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.
- Campaign 18V280000 was reported 32 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V332000 was reported 94 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V524000 was reported 178 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V426000 was reported 1,032 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V838000 was reported 1,914 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V280000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V332000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V524000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V426000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V838000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE19014 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Electrical, and Brakes.
-
Recall campaign 18V280000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- If the incorrect park lock rod is installed, the transmission may not shift into 'PARK' and keep the vehicle from moving, increasing the risk of unintended vehicle movement and the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U43.
-
Recall campaign 18V332000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 18V524000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
-
Recall campaign 22V426000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- A vehicle that starts and shifts out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash without prior warning and/or injury to others outside of the vehicle.
- Remedy:
- This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 24V838. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed. The remedy includes updated HCU/ABS module software that prevents the HCU/ABS module from falsely reading pressure in the primary circuit. FCA has decided to do a two-Phase Campaign remedy schedule. Phase 1 began November 17, 2022. Phase 2 begin date has not been determined yet. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed July 28, 2020. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 29, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z48.
-
Recall campaign 24V838000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- A vehicle that can be started and shifted out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in a vehicle rollaway. Disabled ABS and ESC systems can reduce vehicle handling and control in certain driving situations. Brake lights that incorrectly illuminate can fail to properly indicate the driver's intention to following traffic. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the integrated pressure transducer and update the ABS module software, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 94B. This recall replaces previous recall number 22V-426. Vehicles previously remedied under 22V-426 will need to have the new remedy completed.
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
Showing 8 of 227 complaints · page 1 of 10
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Back to back error codes P0300 P0108 P1404 P0172 Rough running engine. Very strong smell of fuel at two different times while driving. Vehicle not responding to gas pedal while driving on highway. Repairs at thousands of dollars.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The passenger side active headrest restraint deployed at 3mph in a parking lot. There had been a safety recall for apparently my vin is not covered per dodge. [XXX] If this would have happened on the drivers side at highway speeds, it could have been deadly. The vehicle is at nyle Maxwell in Killeen and the passengers side is being replaced via extended warranty but my issue is getting the divers side replaced BEFORE it hits me in the back of the head. I spoke with dodge customer service and I was advised to submit a complaint. I think the model year range and trims should be expanded as this is still clearly an issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
June 11, 2026 Re: Unexpected Passenger-Side Active Head Restraint Deployment – 2018 Dodge Durango R/T To Whom It May Concern: I am reporting an incident involving my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T equipped with leather seats. Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2018 Dodge Durango R/T Seating: Leather Interior Affected Component: Passenger-Side Active Head Restraint (AHR) Mileage at Time of Incident: 126,207 miles Date of Incident: [XXX] Description of Incident: While traveling on the roadway on [XXX], the passenger-side Active Head Restraint (AHR) suddenly deployed without warning. There was no accident, collision, sudden stop, or any other event that would reasonably trigger the system. The vehicle was being operated normally at the time of the incident. My [XXX] son was seated in the front passenger seat when the headrest unexpectedly deployed and forcefully struck him in the back of the head. The deployment occurred without any impact to the vehicle and caused immediate concern for his safety and well-being. Following the deployment, the headrest remained in the deployed position and appears to require repair or replacement. Given that the system activated without a collision and made forceful contact with an occupant, I believe this represents a significant safety concern. I am aware that similar incidents have been reported by owners of Dodge Durangos and other Stellantis vehicles equipped with Active Head Restraint systems. NHTSA has previously investigated complaints involving headrests deploying without a crash and causing injuries to vehicle occupants. My incident appears consistent with those reported failures. I respectfully request that this incident be documented and investigated as a potential safety-related defect. Please advise whether there are any recalls, technical service bulletins, customer satisfaction programs, warranty extensions INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Headrest on driver seat ejected at a stop and threw my wife’s head forward.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving, the passenger front headrest suddenly popped forward hitting the passenger in the back of the head aggressively and unexpectedly. No accident involved or any aggressive braking. The vehicle/headrest is available for inspection upon request. The safety of my passenger was put at risk as it punched them in the back of the head. It gave her an instant headache and mildly upset stomach. I have not taken the vehicle to the dealership yet, planning to try and go this week. The headrest has not been inspected by anyone besides me yet. No error messages or lights before or since the event.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Water in racetrack tailgate taillights
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The electronic stability control(ESC) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. However, on other occasions, when the vehicle stalled, the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, where it was diagnosed with starter failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2018 Dodge Durango?
Owners named Electrical most often — 48 of 227 reports (21%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2018 Dodge Durango?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Electrical, and Brakes. 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 2018 Dodge Durango?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. 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.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.