Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated
Year to avoidBest year
Crash ratings for the Durango Pursuit police vehicle are left out. NHTSA files its recalls and complaints under the regular Durango name, so they appear here.
3 safety recalls for the 2016 Dodge Durango
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, 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, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles.
During the assembly of the engine, the fuel rail crossover tube may have been damaged, which, over time, may result in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly for damage to the fuel rail crossover tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S85.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 10, 2016, to April 28, 2016 and equipped with a 3.6L engine built at the Saltillo engine plant.
In the affected vehicles, the left front brake caliper may crack due to being made from an incorrect material.
Risk: A cracked brake caliper may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front left brake caliper and depending on its casting date, replace it, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on May 12, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S16.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured December 9, 2015, to January 14, 2016.
NHTSA listing: DURANGO. Dodge campaign S16.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2016 Dodge Durango; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Active head rest inadvertent deployment
Preliminary evaluation PE19014Closed Feb 25, 2026 (opened Sep 9, 2019)
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… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: DURANGO. Component: Seats (front assembly, head restraint).
Vehicle rollaway
Preliminary evaluation PE16014Closed Jan 25, 2024 (opened Dec 16, 2016)
Basis – On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-014 to investigate 43 vehicle rollaway incidents with operators alleging they had shifted to Park and then exited… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: DURANGO. Component: Powertrain (automatic transmission, control module (TCM/PCM/tecm), gear position indication (PRNDL)).
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 161 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Durango. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Headlight or exterior light problems22 · 14%
Median 51,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 35 reports with mileage
Electrical system40 · 25%
Median 49,500 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Powertrain30 · 19%
Median 23,100 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Engine16 · 10%
Speed control9 · 6%
Air bags6 · 4%
Body structure6 · 4%
Most named: body (5)
Unknown or other26 · 16%
Median 18,900 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Dodge Durango recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Durango drew the most (167) and the 2016 drew 52.
Owner complaints
2016: 161 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Dodge Durango
Model year
Complaints
2011
800
2012
640
2013
640
2014
787
2015
505
2016
161
2017
215
2018
234
2019
146
2020
56
2021
208
2022
62
2023
39
2024
14
2025
8
2026
15
Safety recalls
2016: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Dodge Durango
Model year
Recalls
2011
8
2012
10
2013
11
2014
11
2015
4
2016
3
2017
2
2018
5
2019
4
2020
2
2021
8
2022
7
2023
3
2024
0
2025
0
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 161 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Dodge Durango, the problems described most are headlight or exterior light problems (22), stalling or shutting off (12), and wiring, fuse or short-circuit problems (9). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Dodge Durango safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Dodge Durango earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2016 Dodge Durango?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2016 Dodge Durango. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Feb 25, 2026.
How do I check if my Durango has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Dodge dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: DURANGO.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.