Tuesday, September 22, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2021 Dodge Durango problems & reliability

199 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Dodge Durango, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
199
Recall campaigns
8
Fire reports
4 (2%)
Crash reports
9 (5%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.

NCAP overall rating
4 / 5 stars
Front 4 / 5 · side 5 / 5 · rollover 3 / 5
EPA fuel economy
17–21 MPG combined
City 18 · highway 25 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
559
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).

Federal crash records (FARS 20202023): 2021 Dodge Durango vehicles were involved in 33 fatal crashes with 14 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

ComponentComplaints
Exterior Lighting90
Electrical System40
Unknown / Other24
Engine22
Structure14
Air Bags10
Fuel/propulsion System10
Power Train10
Back Over Prevention9
Service Brakes7

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

All 24 reported components →

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Among the 27 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 31,911 miles (middle 50% between 6,350 and 56,500 miles).

under 20k
10
20–40k
7
40–60k
5
60–80k
3
80–100k
2
100–150k
0
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

20
21
22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • The driver side daytime running lamp no longer works after 55000 miles. The daytime running lamp (DRL) is an led light strip that requires the entire headlamp to be replaced. Anyone can inspect the issue at any time. The issue presents a risk to oncoming traffic who cannot see my entire vehicle especially at dawn /…

    Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 31, 2026

  • The vehicle’s manufacturer-installed infotainment system repeatedly displays an intrusive error message while the vehicle is being operated. The message obstructs the navigation display and requires the driver to manually interact with the touchscreen to dismiss it. This creates visual and manual driver distraction…

    Unknown / Other · filed Aug 30, 2026

  • Drivers side running light went out at 65k miles. Hundreds of complaints on same issue online. Not covered after bumper to bumper

    Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 29, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Technical service bulletins

559 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Dodge Durango. The 10 most recent:

  • Evaporator - air conditioning

    114538 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 10, 2026

  • Evaporator - air conditioning

    114537 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 10, 2026

  • Engine PNs: MY 24-26 WD/DT (5.7L) Code P00B is being misdiagnosed and incorrect parts are being installed causing over repair. Refer to SOL S2609000006 The IAFM Foam Engine Valley Cover (PN 53013735AB) does not provide…

    9100898 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 8, 2026

  • Passive Entry O/S Dr Handle Prior to replacing an inoperative passive entry door handle, perform Star Online S2623000040.

    9100900 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 8, 2026

  • Hose and tube - heater supply and return

    113803 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 2026

  • Telematics Box Module (TBM) Firmware Over The Air Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must SYMPTOM: exhibit/set the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): ●…

    08-294-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 25, 2026

  • Extended Crank Condition Due To Loss of Fuel Pressure Customers may experience the following: SYMPTOM: ● Extended engine crank condition. This bulletin involves performing a fuel pressure test and possibly replacing the…

    14-007-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 2026

  • Fuel Delivery Module Before replacing the fuel module for DTCs P0461 and P062A and other not start, long crank, fuel gauge accuracy and drivability issues, the technician should disconnect the electrical connector at…

    9100833 REV1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026

  • Before replacing the fuel module for DTCs P0461 and P062A and other not start, long crank, fuel gauge accuracy and drivability issues, the technician should disconnect the electrical connector at the pump and perform a…

    9100857 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026

  • Uconnect® Screen Turns Blank Or Black Customers may experience the following: SYMPTOM: ● The Uconnect® screen display goes blank/black at times.

    08-256-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2026

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 2021 Dodge Durango has 8 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 2021 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 31,911 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Dodge or NHTSA.