Dodge Durango Srt
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Dodge Durango Srt, model year by model year — ranked from 162 federal NHTSA complaints across 2018–2021.
Between its two reported model years, the Dodge Durango SRT's complaint profile pivots from water to light. The 2018 file (93 occurrences) leads with water intrusion into the rear tailgate lighting compartment at 26 reports, followed by random electrical malfunctions (22) — a pairing that suggests the moisture and the gremlins may be related. Beneath those sit engine misfires and cylinder failures (9), radio screen delamination (8), and the year's one safety-severity problem: headrest deployment issues, with 8 reports.
The 2021 (102 occurrences) drops the water complaints and picks up lighting failures instead: daytime running light failure tops the list at 37 reports, headlight assembly failure adds 23, and intermittent electrical system issues contribute another 21 — roughly 80 percent of the year's volume concerns lights and electrics. Transmission issues and complaints about recall handling for the back-over prevention system appear at just 5 reports each. Neither year has NHTSA recall campaign IDs recorded in this dataset, though a VIN check through NHTSA's lookup is cheap insurance on any used vehicle.
The inspection plan follows the data cleanly. On a 2018, open the tailgate and examine the lighting compartment for moisture, corrosion, or evidence of resealing; test the interior electrical functions twice over, since random-malfunction reports won't announce themselves on a short drive; ask whether the headrests have ever deployed; and listen for misfires on a cold start. On a 2021, walk the exterior with everything lit — both daytime running lights, headlights, high beams — and treat any flicker or dead lamp as part of a known pattern rather than a one-off bulb.
Both files are moderate in size, and neither reads as damning. Complaint counts capture what owners filed with NHTSA rather than measured failure rates, the newer year has had less time to build a record, and a performance model's condition depends heavily on how it was driven and maintained. A pre-purchase inspection and a complete service history should outweigh the year-to-year comparison.
Dodge Durango Srt problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018worst | 78 | 11 | 1/3 | Water Intrusion into Rear Tailgate Lighting Compartment Other · 26 complaints |
| 2021worst | 84 | 10 | 0/3 | Daytime Running Light Failure Electrical · 37 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2018–2021. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.