2017 Dodge Durango Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year center on the rear tailgate light assembly: owners frequently report water collecting inside it, LED segments burning out, and repeat replacements. A second cluster covers intermittent electrical oddities such as flickering dash lights, self-moving windows and stop/start faults, while a smaller group describes refueling difficulty and rough low-speed transmission behavior.

1. 1
   Exterior lighting

   Water in rear tailgate light (LEDs burn out)

   • 69 complaints (32%)
   • median 43,250 mi at 3.3 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,455 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe condensation, pooling water or a cracked housing in the center liftgate light bar, after which individual LEDs or the whole bar stop working. Several report the assembly was replaced once or twice under warranty and the water returned afterward. Dealers reportedly replaced the light, resealed it, or attributed the problem to condensation; some owners were quoted substantial replacement costs once warranty coverage ended. Mostly reported between roughly 20,000 and 85,000 miles, often noticed during or after rain.

   What to check: Look for fogging, droplets or a visible waterline inside the liftgate light bar, and check that every LED segment lights. Ask whether the assembly has ever been replaced or resealed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2017 Dodge Durango had water intrusion in the lift-gate tail light. I had one replaced under warranty after I noticed that the lights had failed and could see the water pooling in the light. The replace tail light also has water pooling in the bottom part of the light. The dealer won't replace this one for free because the warranty had expired.”

   NHTSA complaint #11384879, filed 2020-12, 22,000 miles

   “Rear tail lights (Dodge calls it the 'race track') had water intrude into it and caused them to burn out. I ended up buying a used one from a junk hard and fixed where I feel the water was getting in. So far so good but it's a required by law to have it working as it's the only parking lights on the back. L would have rather had mine replaced with a new oe but not for $1500 for a new one.”

   NHTSA complaint #11279412, filed 2019-11, 45,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Intermittent electrical faults (lights, windows, dash)

   • 84 complaints (39%)
   • median 33,500 mi at 2.6 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe dash and exterior lights blinking on and off, the passenger window moving on its own, radio and driver-assist features dropping out, and occasional stalls or no-start conditions with warning messages. Some owners report the dealer could not duplicate the fault or replaced parts without a lasting fix. Reported from just a few thousand miles up to around 75,000 miles, sometimes in cold weather.

   Recall 18V3320003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Cycle the windows, lights, radio and driver-assist features on a test drive and watch for flicker or dropouts; ask whether the battery and charging system have been checked and whether any software updates were applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My left turning signal kept going out and coming back on. Then I noticed it was effecting the head lights. It seem like something is loose because sometimes if I hit a bomp they start working normal again. Now both head lights are out and the bulbs are fine.”

   NHTSA complaint #11317791, filed 2020-03, 58,000 miles

   “Leaving a friends house my '17 dd with 32k miles stalled out while I was in a turn lane on a busy street just at an intersection leading to the highway. The dash lit up with several likes and the only light I could catch was 'power steering issue car will cut off soon' the car was still in the 'run' position and turning to 'off' or 'acc' was not engaging. I could not move or push the vehicle as engage the neutral position was not happening. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11326262, filed 2020-05, 32,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh or delayed transmission shifting

   • 56 complaints (26%)
   • median 17,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe jerking or delayed engagement when slowing to a stop, hesitation before acceleration, and occasional rough downshifts, with some attributing it to the transmission's adaptive learning or software. Complaints also mention occasions where the vehicle would not shift out of park or dropped into neutral, requiring a restart; some dealers could not duplicate the behavior. Mostly reported under about 60,000 miles, often at low speed or just after a stop.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test several slow stops and rolling starts to feel for jerking or delay, and ask whether any transmission software updates have been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I started to back out of my daughters garage and felt the tire hit something. I didn't want to back over it so I pulled forward, put the vehicle in park, opened the door and started to get out. I got one foot on the ground and the vehicle took off in reverse. I was thrown back into the seat. The door being partially open hit a box which flung the door completely open. The door clipped the garage door jam and pushed the door into the front fender damaging it and the door. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11000211, filed 2017-06, 5,500 miles

   “Gear shift will shift from park to drive. Vehicle was parked while running and shifted to drive without anyone in the vehicle. Vehicle also shifted out of gear while stopped at a traffic signal. Would not shift out of park. Had to shutoff vehicle and restart it to get out of park.”

   NHTSA complaint #11390727, filed 2021-01, 59,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Refueling stops repeatedly / tank won't fill

   • 13 complaints (6%)
   • median 18,592 mi at 2.7 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners report the fuel nozzle shutting off every few seconds at the pump, making a fill-up take many attempts and the tank never reaching full. Complaints mention the capless filler and a check valve inside the tank, and describe dealers or mechanics recommending replacement of the fuel tank assembly. Some report the problem began after a couple of years of ownership. Typically reported between about 30,000 and 45,000 miles.

   What to check: Fill the tank during the test drive and note whether the pump clicks off prematurely; ask whether the fuel tank or filler assembly has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1. My fuel tank will not fill up all the way and will stop at each fill up. I have to manually keep trying to pump the fuel. Almost always I can never fill fully up. This is a known issue and needs to be resolved. 2. I also have an issue with my racetrack tail light with condensation and water getting inside. I have a faulty light as I have had my dealer check for cracks or openings.3. Auto start on/off jerky and sometimes does not start on time and will jolt forward when trying to accerate at stop light.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362173, filed 2020-10, 44,000 miles

   “There is a noise coming from the fuel tank (right side second row) I had taken the car to the dealership and they stays that there is no noise, they had brought another Dodge Durango with the same fuel tank and that particular vehicle did not make the noise as mine does.”

   NHTSA complaint #10980343, filed 2017-04, 5,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 25 complaints (12%)
   • median 32,000 mi at 3.3 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out or losing power on the road, sometimes with the instrument panel going dark or warning lights flashing, and on some occasions smoke or overheating with coolant loss. Owners report dealers either could not find a cause or replaced ignition coils, head gaskets or the oil filter housing; one complaint mentions repeated replacement of the oil filter housing. Reported across a wide range, from very low mileage up to roughly 100,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records covering ignition, cooling system and oil filter housing work, and check coolant level and for leaks under the vehicle before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the contact noticed that there was grey and white smoke coming from the tail pipe. In addition, the vehicle was running hot while the start and stop waring light and the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact mentioned that coolant was put in the vehicle to cool down the engine. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11307776, filed 2020-02, 80,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle stalled while utilizing the AUTO STOP/START feature. The contact was able to pull over. The shift to park message was blinking and the AUTO STOP/START exclamation was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the headlamp was inoperable. There was an abnormal knocking noise detected from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was unable to duplicate the failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11450277, filed 2022-02, 80 miles

Buying note. The most consistent theme is the rear tailgate light assembly, so inspect it closely for moisture and working LEDs and ask about past replacements. Also test the electronics, transmission behavior and a full refueling stop, and request service records for any engine or cooling work.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.