2012 Dodge Durango Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 71,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

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 tight and hard to…Owner complaint, filed 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 completely dead battery. It…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality when the failure occurred. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after placing the vehicle in park(P). The contact stated no warning lights were…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 100,000 miles

Sudden loud knocking then pop, started smoking pulled over immediately. Due to rod bearing failure rod went through block and all oil came out. Vehicle is available for inspection. Drivers safety was at risk because vehicle lost power and was unable to exit the roadway in a timely manner. No warning was given other than heard a couple of…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 59,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

There have been several times where I am stopped at a light or stop sign and the car stalls. It happens when I try to start going from the stop, not while I'm stopped. I believe this an issue that has been recalled already, but obviously, it did not fix the problem. My vehicle will also not turn over sometimes. It just continually try to…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Vehicle has been recalled 2 separate times for fuel pump wiring harness which causes no start and possible stall. Vehicle is still having no start issues after being serviced for recall.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 49,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

I took my Durango to Albany ga to dodge dealership for recall on brake booster water shield repair plus the other recall they fixed one recall and say they can't fix brake booster recall cause they say they will not have part available til a year later which I have concerns about my safety of recall not being repaired for a whole yearOwner complaint, filed 2025

Repaird brake booster shield in 2016 under recall p14 NHTSA 14v-154 at the dealership, no I have the same problem because the booster shield was installed incorectly and there is another recall t59 but dealer is trying to tell me last time t was n alternator and having me wait over a week for apt to fix it, totally irresponsible and…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 121,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 87,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving lost all steering - steering wheel spinned with no control to the wheels. Vehicle was in motion on road lost all control of steering. Was able to stop vehicle before vehicle veered into other lane or ditch. Had to call tow truck to move vehicle out of roadway and towed to dealership. Dealership replaced steering column…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 98,500 miles

My power steering started to go out intermittently about a month ago. We were sure if it was a glitch since the car can sometimes be glitchy,like the radio functions not working or the car cuts off but is somehow still running. Anyway, on 18 aug, I noticed that the power steering would go out if you don't press the break paddle. Again…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 128 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

upon approach to a left turn yield, I attempted to accelerate into traffic when the automatic transmission failed into 4th gear ( transmission shift solenoid) and was unable to shift up or down through the gears and was unable to shift into the drive position. there were no other indications of failure prior to this point, I.E no engine…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The contact owns a 2012 dodge durango. On several occasions, the vehicle would not immediately start. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to canandaigua chrysler dodge (2591 rochester rd, canandaigua, ny) where the starter was replaced multiple times; however, the failure continued. Recently, the fuel pump was also…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 46,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 73,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Hard, front collision with deer, spun several times before rolling over a couple times down a small hill. Side air bags deployed but front did not deploy resulting in severer and additional driver injuries including but not limited to chest contusions, spleen hematoma and concussion. He was hospitalized and has a long road ahead. Car was…Owner complaint, filed 2021

On nov 28 2020 I was involved in a motor vehicle accident in my 2012 dodge durango. I was traveling about 45 MPH on a dry 2 way road, when another vehicle pulled out in front of me and I was unable to avoid a collision. The accident was bad enough to flip the other vehicle and cause their airbags to deploy but the airbags in my vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 130,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 46,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 dodge durango. While driving 55 MPH, the headlights stopped illuminating. The contact switched the lights on manually in order for them to work. The failure occurred intermittently. The contact notified the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be duplicated. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 23,000 miles

Since the vehicle was purchased in 2012 the air conditioning does not actually cool when the remote start is used. We live in arizona where ambient air [VIN] is over 110 degrees fahrenheit, and has been seen in the 130s, 4 months a year. I have used a thermocouple to measure interior [VIN] of the durango and I have seen it up to 160…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 2,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 87,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated. Approximately three weeks later, while stopped at a light, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The gear shifter was shifted to park(P) to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 190,000 miles

I purchased my 2012 Dodge Durango two years ago and it has been one of the most stressful issues I have ever hadz. Two days after purchasing it all the lights lit up my dash board the head lights wouldn’t go on the heater or air wouldn’t work and my windows in front would not roll down. This usually happens when I start it in the morning…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The truck was in park and idling. We were not moving. There were no abnormal lights on the gage cluster. Out of knowwhere the head rest exploded forward and hit the back of my father-in-laws head. He is OK but it was a hard hit and left him sore. Luckily we were not driving on the freeway.Owner complaint, filed 2023

As driving down the road my passenger side headrest deployed into the back of my passenger's head.*dt consumer had a whiplash. Dealer was contacted.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 287,815 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Was driving on Hwy at 65 mph. Rear drivers side tire blew out. Sidewall split and cause the tread to detach. Caliber Collision has pictures of the damage. I had to immediately pull to the side of a busy hwy at dusk. Just managed to get off the road. Called 911 but they didn’t stop to talk to us. AAA towed me to Caliber Collision. Total…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Hankook roadhandler h/t tires on an suv -severe tire defect this tire was not listed in choices so I choose roadhandler sport -my tires are roadhandler h/t , they are suv tires, unsure of size car was not handling well and felt funny at times when driving, I had some other issues with the car so brought it to garage and they notified me…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 40,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 55,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

We put our durango away each winter and doesn't get driven until we bring it out in the spring. 2 years ago I pulled it out in the spring. I found 2 oil puddles where the rear wheels sat. All the oil had leaked out of the rear shocks. I had them replaced by my mechanic at a cost of $450 each, using dodge original parts. I went into our…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 35,000 miles

My durango started making noise in the back end, and seemed unstable at times handling, and even worse when towing. The noise was most pronounced going slow over bumpy roads, like a clunking noise. Upon researching I discovered that these vehicles are known for having problems with the rear self-leveling shocks. These shocks are not a…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 60,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The forward crash warning shuts off automatically while I'm going down the road. It also gets stuck in park if this happens while I'm sitting still. I have to restart the car to get it out of gear. It also randomly tells me that adaptive cruise is not availableOwner complaint, filed 2021, at 125,000 miles

This car is a danger to everyone. It randomly cuts off shutout warning. I took it to a mechanic shop and they advised there was a recall that causes the car to stall out and I needed to take it to the dealership to have the work done. I took it to the dealership who said they completed the work and we left. Less than a week later the car…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

My wife was driving down the road probably about 40 or 45 MPH when she heard a loud pop and the car began to handle weird and making all kinds of noise. She got it to a nearby parking lot where I met her to look at it. At first glance I could not find anything wrong except for the exhaust appeared to be broke so I had her drive it home…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 115,000 miles

While driving down a 2 lane highway the vehicle lost power and once pulled over on the shoulder we noticed a funny smell and flames coming under the hood. The car burned up and its totalled. Luckily noone is hurt. *dt photos attachedOwner complaint, filed 2019, at 110,000 miles