2012 Dodge Durango Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 37about this part
- Share
- 6%of 640 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 49,958miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 37 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2012 Dodge Durango, 6% of the 640 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 49,958 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving my 2012 Dodge Durango I noticed my gear would shift to manual in the 4th gear without me having to move the gear stick. I did some research and found that this was common in a lot of Dodge/jeep/chrysler vechiles. I take my care in for regular inspections and make sure my car is running. I think this is a manufacturing mishap and needs to be addressed. I was told it was my transmission cycloid.”
NHTSA complaint #11160584, filed 2018-12, 103,000 miles“I currently purchased a 2012 Dodge Durango with the v-6 engine. I noticed a similar issue when starting out, at about 22 MPH to 27mph it feels like there is a power drop-off if accelerating normal. If you accelerate faster the drop-off is not present but a speeding ticket maybe coming. Current mileage 36,275.”
NHTSA complaint #10667833, filed 2014-12, 36,270 miles“I was driving 65 MPH when I noticed the 4wd low light come on without having switched to that setting. The car engine was racing. I came to a stop at a safe spot, shifted into park and switched the 4wd low knob to the normal position of awd. I didn't notice any issues for several months; the car was operational. Then, I was driving less than 10 MPH in 2wd on a gravel driveway. The car shifted into awd for a couple of seconds on a muddy spot, then the awd off light came on the dash, along with the service awd light. I took the car to a repair shop to diagnose the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #11252885, filed 2019-09, 100,000 miles“While driving down a residential street the vehicle jumped into 4th gear. I was going about 10 MPH because I was approaching a stop sign. After I stopped I proceeded to take off and the vehicle hesitated. Once it started to move I noticed the vehicle jerked a little and moved really slow but the RPM was really high. I parked the vehicle and had it towed to a Dodge shop near my house. They did a diagnostic test and told me they had to change the shift solenoid pack in the transmission. I agreed to the repair and paid $639.65 for the repair to be done. …”
NHTSA complaint #10995015, filed 2017-06, 170,100 miles“There's this weird looking aluminum tube about 7 feet long that twists and turns under the vehicle that carries the freon that supplies the cold air conditioning in my truck. So exactly where the tube goes next to the muffler it got corroded and I had to replace it with a new one. Almost $1k in parts and labor and truck only had about 60,000 miles on it and I had only used the air conditioning seldomly during 3 summers. The new aluminum tube that was bought had a thicker part right by the muffler, meaning engineers knew the original part was too thin in my opinion.”
NHTSA complaint #11021299, filed 2017-09, 60,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11010205Oct 30, 2024Plate - Planetary
- 10228020Apr 2, 2022Customer Satisfaction Notification V51 Reprogram Powertrain Control Module
- 10212248Mar 30, 2022Oil Filter If a Mopar Oil Filter is not available, use a filter that meets or exceeds USCAR36 specification and is compatible with semi and full synthetic oils. Recommended…
- 10194007Apr 17, 2021No Start Intermittently, Vehicle Requires Multiple Keyless Push To Start Attempts To Start Vehicle, Intermittent Key Not Detected Message
- 10221150Apr 16, 2021Gear Ratio DTC?s, Transmission Shift Concerns, Does Not Shift At Times, Shudders
- 10221097Apr 7, 2021Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during…
- 10121826Nov 9, 2016Steering Column If vehicle comes in for steering column replacement, verify column installed. Go to Info Column in Star Parts and open the flow chart to determine which column is…
- 10150546Apr 18, 2015RBZ Or RHB Radio Software Enhancements This bulletin involves upgrading the software on the RBZ or RHB Radio. The customer may experience one or more of the following. ? When…
- 10229966Oct 22, 2014MIL Illumination For P0730 And Transmission Shift Enhancements
- 10139799Oct 22, 2014FLASH: MIL Illumination For P0730 And Transmission Shift Enhancements This bulletin involves selectively erasing and reprogramming the Transmission Control Module (TCM) with new…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 20% |
| 2024 | 5 | 36% |
| 2023 | 9 | 28% |
| 2022 | 9 | 15% |
| 2021 | 10 | 5% |
| 2020 | 3 | 5% |
| 2019 | 13 | 9% |
| 2018 | 13 | 6% |
| 2017 | 23 | 11% |
| 2016 | 30 | 19% |
| 2015 | 38 | 8% |
| 2014 | 42 | 5% |
| 2013 | 34 | 5% |
| 2012 | 37 | 6% |
| 2011 | 51 | 6% |
| 2009 | 1 | 8% |
| 2008 | 4 | 4% |
| 2007 | 18 | 9% |
| 2006 | 55 | 6% |
| 2005 | 217 | 14% |
| 2004 | 99 | 9% |
| 2003 | 24 | 7% |
| 2002 | 71 | 17% |
| 2001 | 106 | 16% |
| 2000 | 120 | 11% |
| 1999 | 181 | 9% |
| 1998 | 103 | 11% |
Other parts of the 2012 Dodge Durango
347 complaintsEngine
141 complaintsFuel system
99 complaintsBrakes
75 complaintsSteering
42 complaintsOther or unknown
37 complaintsAir bags
28 complaintsVehicle speed control
24 complaintsExterior lighting
19 complaintsElectronic stability control
10 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
9 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2012 Dodge Durango
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology