The Durango, a familiar midsize SUV from Dodge that’s been hanging around for some time now, has been a consistent seller for Dodge throughout the years despite its dated appeal. The Durango was never a fully sorted SUV, to begin with, and now, multiple iterations later continue to be on the same path, if only slightly better. Though the complaint and recall numbers have seen a reasonable dip in the years, 3 recalls and 100 complaints on the 7th iteration of what essentially is the same vehicle are far from what we would tag impressive. Does spending a base price of $29,995 on this dated Dodge make sense in the company of crowd favorite SUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse, the Ford Explorer, and the Honda Pilot? This section would give you a brief idea.
2018 Dodge Durango SUV Problems, Issues, Complaints, Recalls, and Which Year to Avoid
Updated on: April 28, 2022
Senior Editor
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2018 Dodge Durango User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Engine- Random engine stalls and inability to start/crank accompanied by an ‘engine malfunction’ warning have been some common issues on vehicles equipped with the 3.6 V6 Pentastar engine. A faulty voltage regulator chip was traced to be the issue and was later replaced under the recall (ID 18V524000).
- Transmission- Unintended shifts have been a common transmission complaint on the 2018 Dodge Durango. Users complain about the unit shifting into neutral from the drive and reverse modes without warning and also face difficulty in engaging/disengaging to/from “Park” mode. Even though the latter issue was fixed under a recall (ID-18V280000), the former issue did not.
Electric System complaints
- Infotainment- Occasional freezing and restarts, intermittent “adjust clock setting” notifications that block the rest of the functions, and registering ghost touches have been some widespread issues with Radio/infotainment on the 2018 Dodge Durango. Vehicles that are equipped with the updated Uconnect 8.4-inch system have these issues more in common. Delamination of the screen is also pretty common and this causes the display to not register hand touches. Since most of the issues were not software-based, most of the users with complaints found they needed an infotainment system replacement. Even though the replacement was available under warranty, owners were charged for the initial complaint diagnosis.
- Taillights- The rear center-mount lift gate brake light stops working on low mileage cars. Faulty seals on the light cover cause rainwater to enter it, shorting the bulbs and preventing them from working properly. Batches of the 2018 Dodge Durango with faulty brake light casing have been replaced with new units.
Structural Complaints
- Fuel filler neck- Faults/ manufacturing defects with the fuel filler neck on the 2018 Dodge Durango causes it to cut off the fuel nozzle before the fuel tank gets completely filled with gas. A replacement fuel filler neck provided by Dodge later through the dealer is said to fix the issue.
- Rear suspension strut- Premature rear suspension failure is another common issue on the 2018 Dodge Durango. Squeaking sounds and excessive body roll are precursors to this issue as noticed. Owners also complain about not receiving the part replacement under warranty and long waiting periods for the spare given the immense backorder on it.
Safety Complaints
- Airbag- Not a widespread issue, but definitely something to be concerned about. Owners state about faulty airbag systems flashing warning lights intermittently and even incidents where the system fails to deploy the airbags in the event of a crash. At least three crashes have been reported by the NHTSA with two separate recorded instances of injuries.
2018 Dodge Durango Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
9th August 2018 |
18V524000 |
Voltage regulator may fail and cause an engine stall. |
The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no-start condition, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began on October 2, 2018. |
|
2 |
17th May 2018 |
18V332000 |
Cruise control cannot be canceled. |
When using cruise control, if there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, which can increase the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began on June 4, 2018. |
|
3 |
1st May 2018 |
18V280000 |
Incorrect transmission park rods installed. |
An incorrect transmission park lock rod may have been installed in the transmission which may not shift into “Park” and prevent the vehicle from moving, increasing the risk of unintended vehicle movement and the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began on June 28, 2018. |
Should you buy a used 2018 Dodge Durango?
Butch looks, variety of engine options, and decent levels of practicality have been aspects that helped the Dodge Durango stay afloat despite being around in the same outlook for a long time now. The Durango was never a reliable SUV in its lifetime per se, but given the low intensity of aftereffect of these complaints, made this midsize SUV a constant seller for Dodge. We do see that it still has a considerable number of complaints on its name after all these years, but given that most of these already have available fixes, it shouldn’t be a tough one to own. As usual, this SUV does not come in as a top recommendation from us, but given the time it has existed, would be a decently trusty choice at least in its standard engine trims.
