Problems · by component

2016 Dodge Durango power train problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Dodge Durango cite power train, 19% of all 161 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
30
19% of all complaints
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Driving in the left lane of an interstate highway at 75mph, in moderate traffic, in daylight hours, clear weather, with my young son. Sudden, unexpected decrease in engine rpm resulted in unannounced, approximate 40 mph reduction in speed. The instrument cluster illuminated stating “ service transmission continue in D. Do Not Shift or Turn Engine Off”. Such an unforeseen event, without brake light illumination, resulted in several following vehicles to take evasive actions, thus preventing a potential mass casualty accident. I was able steer towards the right shoulder at the greatly reduced speed of 35mph, collect myself, check on my upset son and try to make sense of what had happened. At this point panic began to set in. I called my Father & he was able to provide the next step being to deliver the vehicle to the local Dodge dealership. Those few miles were miserable since the dash was still presenting dismal warnings, there was reduced power and the vehicle acted like it was in a very low gear. The dealership was closed, so the vehicle was parked on lot however, once the engine was turned off the battery power remained on. Unable to lock, turn off or change…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2025Power trainODI 11675495
“The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that his daughter was in the passenger seat when she activated the push start button and the vehicle rolled backward while in the park position. The contact's daughter got out of the vehicle midway while it was rolling backward and sustained scrapes to her knees and elbows. The vehicle crashed into the neighbor's garage door. The rear windshield was shattered, and the rear fender and liftgate were damaged. No medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer informed the contact that they would reach out in 4 days. The failure mileage was 77,800.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 9, 2021Power trainCrash reportedODI 11439842
“3 malfunctions within a month time frame. The car will start and run normally. Then it will suddenly come to a halt because the engine will continue to run but the transmission knob will not be able to move, and the entire electrical panel lights up. Repeated attempts to use the push button start to unlock the transmission knob and be able to start car fail. This has happened 2 of the 3 times on major roadways in traffic. PD was called for last incident. The car has been to the dealer 3 times, dealer is unable to replicate problem and unable to pull codes from computer every single time. Vehicle has been inspected by dealer every single time. No warning lights or lamp or messages have appeared prior to this issue. The last incident - as described on major roadway - my children were in vehicle. This is a complete and dangerous issue, still not being addressed. The car had come to a light, stopped, the auto engine had kicked in, and when time to move, the entire panel lit up and transmission knob locked once again.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 19, 2021Power train, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11433548
“Very common cylinder 2 misfire. Replaced all spark plugs and the cylinder two ignition coil. Replaced upper and lower intake gasket seals, replaced the fuel injector. Still having issues with misfire. Wiring is all correct - pumps and valves are right. It must be a broken head and this is a known issue with previous years of Chrysler engines that have had recalls. This is an expensive fix and dangerous if not fixed. It is not fair to the consumer that Chrysler has still yet to fix such issues after prior years have been recalled, and yet they don’t recall the 2016 pentastar 3.6L. I am requesting this be looked into and recalled for I am one of many who are encountering this serious issue that will inevitably cause wrecks.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 18, 2021Power train, EngineODI 11429563
“WHILE DRIVING MY 2016 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THE (ABS) LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASH AND SYSTEM WARNING WAS LIT UP. THEN THEY STARTED FLICKERING AND THEN THE VEHICLE DIED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY CITY ROAD DURING PEAK TRAFFIC. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERIES THINKING THAT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. I HAVE HAD THE ALTERNATOR CHECKED AND IT IS GOOD. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE AND HAS BEEN SITTING EVER SENSE WITH NO POWER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS, BUT FOR A CAR TO DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DURING PEAK TRAFFIC IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE. PLUS I HAD ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 MONTHS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2020Power train, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11366958
“VEHICLE TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE IGNITION BUTTON GOES TO ACC. THE CLUSTER BOARD THEN SAYS TO PRESS BRAKE AND PUT VEHICLE IN PARK. THIS IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN IT WAS PERIODICALLY BUT NOW HAPPENING ON EVERY TRIP.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 2, 2020Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11362368

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2016 Durango problem areas