2021 DODGE DURANGO Electrical System Problems

This specific year and all models in 2021 Durango’s including SRT, GT, GT Plus , TnG , vehicle has a known issue with the driver side DRL ( Daytime Running Lights) completely going out and not working very early into its life . I believe this is a safety issue that the manufacturer should fix themselves as it’s a defect wiring / headlight issue that is affecting thousands of customers. SECONDLY, this car comes with an issue in the taillight not being properly sealed and allowing water into the LEDS , burning them out and being needed replaced . Both of these issues comes from the manufacturer/ factory and are safety issues/risk known in thousands of Durangos which should definitely be recalled .

Radio works for years it gets a update, it stops working, months of back and forth with software people say I’ll need to pay for a diagnostic to have them replace it, I paid got it on paper that a software update killed radio and software team told me to kick rocks. Pay out of pocket for an update I didn’t want killing my radio. Feels beyond illegal and I see others on forms with same exact problem and situation

My vehicle experienced failure of both the driver-side DRL (Daytime Running Light) and the passenger-side front turn signal within a short period of time. On this model year, both components are part of a sealed LED headlight assembly with no replaceable bulbs. The only repair option is full headlight assembly replacement, quoted at $800–$1,200 per side plus labor. This is a safety issue because front DRL and turn signal failure reduces vehicle visibility to oncoming traffic. Online reports show numerous other 2021–2023 Durango owners experiencing the same problem with the LED DRL/turn-signal assemblies, suggesting a pattern of premature failure. Stellantis has also faced known issues with sealed LED lighting on the Durango’s ‘racetrack’ taillight assemblies, indicating a broader LED reliability issue on these vehicles. I am requesting NHTSA review this as a potential safety-related defect, as owners are forced into high-cost headlight replacements due to non-serviceable LED modules failing early.

My vehicle experienced failure of both the driver-side DRL (Daytime Running Light) and the passenger-side front turn signal within a short period of time. On this model year, both components are part of a sealed LED headlight assembly with no replaceable bulbs. The only repair option is full headlight assembly replacement, quoted at $800–$1,200 per side plus labor. This is a safety issue because front DRL and turn signal failure reduces vehicle visibility to oncoming traffic. Online reports show numerous other 2021–2023 Durango owners experiencing the same problem with the LED DRL/turn-signal assemblies, suggesting a pattern of premature failure. Stellantis has also faced known issues with sealed LED lighting on the Durango’s ‘racetrack’ taillight assemblies, indicating a broader LED reliability issue on these vehicles. I am requesting NHTSA review this as a potential safety-related defect, as owners are forced into high-cost headlight replacements due to non-serviceable LED modules failing early.

My 2021 Dodge Durango drivers side daytime running light went out around 55000 miles. I do have an extended warranty through the manufacturer, but was informed that this is not a covered part despite it being a known issue and a “max care warranty”. The reason being that it is considered a “bulb” however to replace it requires the entire new left headlamp assembly to be replaced, per the dealership. This is a high cost of around $1650. Regardless of the cost, This is a safety issue and a concern for myself as well as others on the road. A quick search shows this is a known and ongoing problem with the 2021 dodge durangos in particular the drivers side daytime running light which does not have a safe, cost effective fix. I ask for you to take a look at the many people who have been impacted and the safety concern associated with this.

PLEASE READ LETTER IN THE UPLOADED DOCUMENTS

Vehicle has less than 50k miles on it, DRL-driver went out and the entire head unit needs to be replaced which costs over 1k. Common problem with this vehicle. Poses a safety risk while driving with the lighting failure

Rear tail light has water intrusion which causes malfunction. Driving at night, can be extremely dangerous as the rear lights are damaged and do not light up, making the vehicle more difficult to see

The daytime running light on the drivers side stopped working. Appears to be a very common problem on 2021 durangos. After inspection of the headlight assembly, it appears the DRL are 2 separate strips which makes it highly unlikely that both LED strips failed at the exact same time. This leads me to believe the issue is electrical. I dont want to replace the headlight assembly with an underlying electrical issue and dodge does not want to take responsibilty and investigate further. They want to replace the headlight assembly. This is an ongoing issue with many durangos and it needs to be properly addressed

Rear brake light got water in it and now the brake light is partially out.

I have been having issues with the start button, the engine cranking but not turning over. It will crank for 30 seconds, not start, all the lights come on and usually on the second attempt the car will start. Also I have powered off the radio while driving for a second, then the screen will not turn back on.

Racetrack taillight got water inside of it. Full Rear taillight is now not functioning and I have no brake lights.

I attempted to pull off from sitting @ a red light & the System Electronic Stability Control along with shift selector illuminated. At that time it causes this vehicle to not move. Transmission light came on as well & everything is blinking

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the infotainment system was independently switching devices on and off. The contact stated that he had observed that the message "Box Error Disconnecting - Take Vehicle to an Authorized Dealer" was displayed intermittently. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that system software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken back to the same dealer several times for the failure where the vehicle system was switching on and off or shutting down other systems. The contact was advised that if he was using the navigation system during his trip the system was shutting down. The same failure occurred when the heat was engaged and was switched to AC. The contact stated that the same failure was occurring while using the defrost system and was switching to AC. The contact stated that after each appointment with the dealer ,he was advised that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failures reoccurred. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

Mileage: 67,000

I've read a bunch of complaints about the drivers side daytime running lights having an electrical issue and the lights stop working. It's a common theme that it's only the drivers side which indicates faulty wiring which could possibly lead to a fire sometime. Ours is now not functioning. It just stopped working yesterday and I started to investigate it on my own.

Drive lights on driver side always stop working or work improperly, after looking into it I see its such a common complaint and always on drivers side, dodge refuses to look into it although it cant be a coincidence that its always on Durangos and always on the driver side exact same light. Theres was no warning lights on dash and fuses are good.

All electrical systems are periodically malfunctioning. This includes power windows, door locks, lane assist, heating and cooling/climate controls, heated steering wheel, screen displays, radio controls, steering wheel controls, shifter, etc. all of these things will turn on and off by themselves while driving. Lane assist has frequently turned on and off while driving and jerks the steering wheel. Park assist turns on and off while driving. The vehicle does not always turn off with the push button stop and has to be attempted several times. I have been locked inside my vehicle because the electric locks will not release without several attempts. Power windows frequently do not work. Back hatch frequently will not release, leaving the back of the vehicle inaccessible. It has shifted into neutral by itself while driving requiring me to pull to the side of the road and physically move the shifter back and forth. It was taken to the dealership where they stated there were so many error codes they could not clear them all. I am currently waiting on an electrical wiring part that they say will fix it because they’ve “seen this before”. It is 1000 miles beyond the basic warrantee and my purchased extended warrantee will not cover the $700 repair because it is considered normal corrosion wear. It is really not safe to drive and it has taken weeks for the dealership to address the issue, waiting on an ordered part that may fix it.

Known issue of major electrical problems. Fuse block, alternator, and batteries needed to be replaced after car completely died while driving, leaving us stranded at major intersection. Daytime running light also died.

Driver side headlight Dlr LED running and turn signal went out.

Start/Stop feature says it is unavailable causing vehicle to not shut off when stopped as well as causing vehicle to give message saying Start/Stop feature unavailable due to hood open which then causes vehicle to shut off once stopped and requires vehicle to be shifted into park and restarted for message to come back on. This issue happens when driving and once stopped causes vehicle shut off in traffic causing huge safety concerns and issues.

Water accumulates in the rear light bar. This has caused the LEDs to start flickering. This could cause issues in traffic, especially at night if the LEDs are flickering or not working completely. This issue is well known in the Durango community. Mopar is also aware of this. I can always see some water in the light bar after every rain. This vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet. There are no warning lights associated with this issue. I first noticed the water after owning the vehicle for about 1 year.

April del 2022 manegava a velocidad mínima y kise frenar y no agarro bien los frenos y terminé pegándole a una moto enfrente de mi

Forward collision service warning came on me vehicle when there was nothing near my car and the weather was only slight rain. Why hasn’t this issue been a recall when I’ve read dozens of other complaints for this same issue.

Headlight Assembly DLR failures

An error pop up occurs frequently which blocks the screen (including the backup camera view) until cleared. The error message says “Uconnect Box requires service. Please visit an authorized dealer” This pop up occurs at random and can happen several times in a row. The spontaneity of the error means it can suddenly cover the backup camera view as you are backing up.

The car has been having intermittent electrical problems and was brought to the dealer many times for repair. The "radio" system has been replaced twice after various electrical problems occurred. The car has also intermittently had a problem where the engine revs excessively and the car does not handle the way it should. It's almost like its a manual transmission that's not being shifted properly. The only way to stop the problem is to turn the car off, and back on which resolves the issues. It generally would then not recur for months. The dealer has not been able to reproduce that problem. Yesterday, while driving the car in heavy traffic, the engine revving problem happened twice. The second time I became very concerned and was trying to get out of bumper to bumper traffic to a safe place. While attempting to get to a place where I could pull the car over, I was moving forward very slowly (had released the brake, but not touched the accelerator) when the car in front of me was stopping again. I braked, and the car lurched forward with force and hit the other car. I braked harder and the car again lurched forward, hitting the other car a second time. I threw the car into park which stopped the motion. There were no serious injuries but both cars sustained damage and I called roadside assistance to tow my car to the dealership because I felt it was not safe to drive. The dealer repeatedly tells us there is nothing wrong with the car. Someone could have been killed or seriously injured. I am requesting an immediate investigation. There were no warning lights. This just happened, so the insurance has not inspected the car yet. It is at the dealership. The only "warning signs were the intermittent electrical problems which have occurred since we have owned the car. The engine revving intermittently started happening about a year ago. The problem with the car accelerating or jerking forward while breaking happened for the first time yesterday

Periodic starting failure. Vehicle will not turn over immediately. It has a push button start. The safety of my children is at stake if my vehicle does not start during cold winter months when the outside temperature is below freezing. I am not sure I won’t shut off mid travel. It was suggested to be the type of fuel so I bought premium and it didn’t help.

On several occasions the informatic system makes a loud boom and the screen starts pixelating and shuts down, then randomly restarts. I have been to the dealer several times and once the replaced the system and it is still happening almost causing me to have a collision.

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, it caught fire without warning. The contact stated that the fire extended to the house, which also caught fire. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department, who informed the contact that the source of the fire was electrical. There was no police report filed. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 22,000

YOUR VEHICLE'S AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT RECENTLY INDICATED THE AIR BAG SYSTEM MAY NOT BE WORKING PROPERLY. THE AIR BAGS IN YOUR VEHICLE MIGHT NOT INFLATE IN A COLLISION, OR THEY COULD INFLATE WITHOUT A COLLISION IF YOU DO NOT GET THE REQUIRED SERVICE. HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED AT YOUR DEALERSHIP. THE SOS EMERGENCY ALERT OPENS UP ON THE SCREEN AND STATES IT COULDN'T CONNECT PLEASE HAVE VEHICLE SERVICED AT DEALER. ITS DISTRACTING AND CAN CAUSE YOU TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT

Mileage: 1,280

YOUR VEHICLE'S AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT RECENTLY INDICATED THE AIR BAG SYSTEM MAY NOT BE WORKING PROPERLY. THE AIR BAGS IN YOUR VEHICLE MIGHT NOT INFLATE IN A COLLISION, OR THEY COULD INFLATE WITHOUT A COLLISION IF YOU DO NOT GET THE REQUIRED SERVICE. HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED AT YOUR DEALERSHIP. THE SOS SYSTEMS COMES ON THE SCREEN AND IS VERY DISTRACTING WHEN DRIVING. THEN IT STATES IT COULDN'T CONNECT TO SOS SYSTEM AND CONTACT A DEALER. RED LIGHT COMES ON THE DASH AND ON THE REARVIEW MIRROR. ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK.

Mileage: 1,280

THE STEREO SYSTEM/HEAD END EMITS A VERY LOUD NOICE RANDOMLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE SOUND IS SO LOUD THAT THE IMMEDIATE INSTINCT IS TO GRAB FOR THE VOLUME CONTROLS DISTRACTING THE DRIVER FROM THE ROAD. NONE OF THE VOLUME BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL OR DASH HAVE ANY EFFECT. THE SOUND ONLY GOES AWAY WHEN THE UCONNECT SYSTEM CRASHES AND REBOOT AUTOMATICALLY. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE SEQUENCE IS INITIATED WITH THE FORWARD COLLISION SENSOR. AT LEAST ONE EVENT SEEMED TO BE WHEN A CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME VERY CLOSE IN A TRAFFIC CIRCLE WHERE I HAD TO APPLY SIGNIFICANT BREAKING. ANOTHER EVENT SEEMED TO BE AT THE LOCATION WHERE MY PREVIOUS DURANGO GAVE A FALSE POSITIVE FCW AT A CURVE IN THE ROAD NEAR A UTILITY POLE. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT HEADS DOWN TIME FOR THE DRIVER DUE TO THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 1,000

I PURCHASED A 2021 DODGE DURANGO GT FROM ARRIGO DODGE- FT PIERCE ON 12/31/20. THE PICTURE THEY HAD IN THE ADVERTISEMENT SHOWS A SPORT HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS IN ANOTHER COUNTY SO THEY DELIVERED IT AT NIGHT TO MY HOME. BEFORE PURCHASING IT, I ASKED THE MANAGER TO DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE HOOD WAS IN FACT THE SPORT HOOD IN THE PICTURE ADVERTISED. HE CALLED & CHECKED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE HOOD WAS THE SPORT HOOD. IT WAS DELIVERED WITH A DIFFERENT HOOD. I BELIEVE THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISEMENT. I WANT THE HOOD THAT THEY PROMISED ME. NOW THE EVEN BIGGER ISSUES. I WAS WASHING MY VEHICLE WHEN I DISCOVERED A CRIMPED RUBBER PART ALONG THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSENGER DOOR. THEN A PAINT DEFECT AROUND THE WINDOW. THEN THE DOOR BEING CROOKED AND NOT LINED WITH THE VEHICLE. WITH ALL THE DAMAGE TO THE DOOR, I BELIEVE THERE WAS TROUBLE ON THE PRODUCTION LINE. THERE IS ALSO A PIECE MISSING ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR PANEL AT THE LATCH TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE PART IS NOT THERE. THE BOLT IS EXPOSED. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR, WHEN OPENING, THERE IS A BLACK HOSE THAT COVERS ELECTRICAL WIRING. THAT PART IS PULLED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE WIRES ARE HANGING. I PAID $49,000 FOR THIS VEHICLE. IT IS CLEARLY NOT PUT TOGETHER WELL. IT HAS DEFECTS EVERYWHERE. ARRIGO DODGE WANTS TO TRY TO REPAIR IT. THESE ISSUES ARE NOT REPAIRABLE, THESE ARE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I AM REQUESTING A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WITH THE CORRECT HOOD AS ADVERTISED. I DID NOT SPEND ALMOST $50K FOR A DEFECTED VEHICLE THAT THEY WANT TO PATCH UP. PLEASE HELP ME.