AutoUtility currently tracks 229 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Dodge Durango. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 86 complaints (37.6% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 9 filings cite a crash, 5 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 229 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Electrical System (86 reports • 37.6% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Exterior Lighting (55), Brakes & Traction Control (30)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 9 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 5 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
229
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
9
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
0
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
5
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2018 Dodge Durango

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 37.6% of complaints

Electrical System

86 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 1 crash report
#2 Problem Area 24% of complaints

Exterior Lighting

55 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
#3 Problem Area 13.1% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

30 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

  • Campaign #22V426000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
  • Campaign #24V838000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#4 Problem Area 10.9% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

25 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
#5 Problem Area 9.2% of complaints

Seats & Interior

21 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
🩹 1 injury report entry
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Dodge Durango

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA ODI ID: #11754642
Filed: 08/04/2026

"Back to back error codes P0300 P0108 P1404 P0172 Rough running engine. Very strong smell of fuel at two different times while driving. Vehicle not responding to gas pedal while driving on highway. Repairs at thousands of dollars."

Incident Date: 06/15/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Exterior Lighting NHTSA ODI ID: #11749577
Filed: 07/10/2026

"The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that a section of the rear light was inoperable. The passenger’s side light was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the tail light..."

Incident Date: 01/01/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Seats & Interior NHTSA ODI ID: #11745257
Filed: 06/19/2026

"The passenger side active headrest restraint deployed at 3mph in a parking lot. There had been a safety recall for apparently my vin is not covered per dodge. [XXX] If this would have happened on the drivers side at highway speeds, it could have been deadly. The vehicle is at nyle Maxwell in..."

Incident Date: 06/17/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SEATS
Seats & Interior NHTSA ODI ID: #11743620
Filed: 06/11/2026

"June 11, 2026 Re: Unexpected Passenger-Side Active Head Restraint Deployment – 2018 Dodge Durango R/T To Whom It May Concern: I am reporting an incident involving my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T equipped with leather seats. Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2018 Dodge Durango R/T Seating: Leather..."

Incident Date: 06/10/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SEATS
Air Bags & Restraints NHTSA ODI ID: #11737703
Filed: 05/13/2026

"Headrest on driver seat ejected at a stop and threw my wife’s head forward."

Incident Date: 05/13/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: AIR BAGS,SEATS
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Dodge Durango

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Dodge Durango 503 26 4 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Dodge Durango 160 23 3 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Dodge Durango 209 9 2 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Dodge Durango Current Page 229 9 5 Current
2019 Dodge Durango 140 4 4 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Dodge Durango 73 5 2 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Dodge Durango 191 9 8 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Dodge Durango 56 2 7 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Dodge Durango 34 2 2 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Dodge Durango 13 0 0 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Dodge Durango 7 0 0 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Dodge Durango 0 0 0 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Dodge Durango

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 69 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 37 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 35 1 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 19 0 0 1 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 10 0 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 10 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 8 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 4 1 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 3 1 0 1 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 1 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
EQUIPMENT,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,WHEELS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 1 0
SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (229). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (2)

1 OPEN 1 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA21002
Opened: 2021-09-17 • Currently Active

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE19014
Opened: 2019-09-09 • Closed: 2026-02-25

Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment

Affected Component: SEATS

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early Warning Reports identified driver...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.