2012 Dodge Durango problems & reliability
640 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Durango, alongside 10 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
10 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Dodge Durango vehicles were involved in 37 fatal crashes with 10 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 347 | 54% |
| Engine → | 141 | 22% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 89 | 14% |
| Service Brakes → | 71 | 11% |
| Steering → | 42 | 7% |
| Power Train → | 37 | 6% |
| Unknown / Other | 36 | 6% |
| Air Bags → | 28 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 24 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 19 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 28 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 463 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 67,000 miles (middle 50% between 44,200 and 100,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The component or system failed or malfunctioned, is the accelerator, brakes, stirring and electrical. The car is available for inspection upon your request. The car is having problems coming to a stop and it is very difficult to control the vehicle because the steering becomes so hard when the power shuts down on the…”
Steering · filed Sep 7, 2026
“Vehicle was unable to start upon attempts in the morning. Was able to get it jumped and started. Less than 5 minutes later the dash lights along with radio lights began to flicker, the front windshield wipers activated, and the battery light came on. Immediately after the vehicle completely stopped, steering wheel got…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 19, 2026
“We were driving on the interstate in northern Kentucky when the battery alert LED appeared on the dash. We exited the highway while looking up info on possible car repair shops to go to when the vehicle stalled on the exit ramp. We immediately engaged the emergency flashers but they failed eventually due to a…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 16, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
- Post 14V-391 Headliner Fires
Recall Query RQ15003 · opened May 1, 2015 · closed Jul 6, 2016 · led to recall 15V879000
- Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
Defect Petition DP14004 · opened Sep 25, 2014 · closed Jul 24, 2015
- Headliner Fires
Engineering Analysis EA14001 · opened Jan 10, 2014 · closed Aug 12, 2014 · led to recall 14V391000
- Headliner Fires
Preliminary Evaluation PE13027 · opened Aug 19, 2013 · closed Jan 14, 2014
Technical service bulletins
207 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Durango. The 10 most recent:
COOLER - ENGINE OIL
112191 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
COOLER - ENGINE OIL
112192 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
SPEAKER - NONE
110603 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2026
SPEAKER - NONE
110604 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2026
Evaporator - air conditioning & core - heater
107614 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2025
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
Hose and tube - heater supply and return
103801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2025
Hose and tube - heater supply and return
103833 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2025
FUEL PUMP/LEVEL UNIT MODULE For vehicles with Saddle Fuel Tanks, need to determine if there are any DTCs in wiTECH. Follow Service Diagnostics published prior to making any changes. Review any existing SOL or TSBs…
9100494 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2025
Plate - Planetary
101232 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Dodge Durango has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Dodge Durango?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 67,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.