CarComplaints.com Notes: The second generation Durango was introduced in 2004 and instantly came under fire for, well, catching on fire.

From 2004-2006 electrical overloading in the driver's side instrument panel caused numerous reports of interior fires. The interior infernos became so commonplace that Chrysler eventually issued a recall.

The problems didn't stop there, however. Owners of the recalled vehicles complained about being treated unfairly and given take-it-or-leave-it low ball settlement offers. "They offered me $2000 under NADA retail as a settlement," said one owner, "and have been rude and hostile to deal with." Nothing says awesome service like treating your customers rudely after their cars have already caught on fire.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,818 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Dodge Durango electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Dodge Durango:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2005 Dodge Durango Owner Comments (Page 6 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #72

Jan 272013

Durango 8-cyl

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was riding down the road and my lighting system on my car begin to dim and the my speedometer begin to drop down and the car begin to slow down loss power to the car the car shut off. I was so scare at this point. I do not want to drive my 2005 Dodge Durango please help me with this matter.

- Hope Mills, NC, USA

problem #71

Jan 062013

Durango

  • miles
There is a problem with my car switching into 4lo. When I unlock my car it makes a clicking noise under the car like it is switching from AWD to 4lo. Also, my 4lo light flashes on my dash and it sounds like it is trying to switch even though it is left in AWD.

- Everett, WA, USA

problem #70

Aug 012012

Durango

  • 150,000 miles
The vehicle shuts off while going down the road with no knowledge of it going to occur. It gets a 5V reference light and has to be put into neutral and restarted or if you able to pull over to shut it off. This has happened 100 plus times since August 2012, several times almost getting rear ended. I have had it at Dodge so many times and have put thousands into it and still nothing.

- Mcconnelsville, OH, USA

problem #69

Sep 152012

Durango

  • 99,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle will automatically engage itself into 4-wheel drive mode. The incidents usually happen at low speeds. Although, the incident can, has, and will happen at higher speeds. When it occurs at low speeds, the vehicle will accelerate slowly and refuse to turn. When the incident happens at higher speeds, the vehicle will seemingly lock the tires and if not handled correctly the driver can lose complete control of the SUV. This particular defect seems to be a common issue among Dodge Durango 2nd generation owners. Many say the Dodge dealerships are skeptical on what exact repair is necessary to fix the apparent safety issue. Durango owners experiences with technicians show many times they reportedly point the finger at various high dollar repairs. Some have had success with replacing the transfer case motor but some who have pursued this repair have again reported the same issue after the repair was completed. Originally, the safety concern was extremely rare. Recently, the problem has become more consistent. It is a definite safety hazard as it can cause complete loss of control of the large vehicle.

- Madison, AL, USA

problem #68

Feb 152012

Durango

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact disconnected and reconnected the battery in order to restart the vehicle. The failure recurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics but the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Miami , FL, USA

problem #67

Aug 142007

Durango

  • 24,000 miles
Bought car in 2007 had to replace one key because of electronics at 180 dollars each, 2009 changed car battery had to reset keys at 80 dollars, 2011 keys need replaced again at 130 dollars each. Bad design so they can keep fleasing you for money. Also had fuel tank replaced, brake lines rubbed together causing hole in line and loss of brakes, dust cover on drivers seat belt broke off, screws in back tail gate keep loosening and falling out.

- Dacono, CO, USA

problem #66

Jan 042012

Durango

  • 96,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. The contact was driving approximately 45 mph, when smoke emitted from the vents, dashboard and from under the hood of the vehicle. In addition, the seat belt sensor alarm sounded and the brake and oil warning lights were illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 96,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #65

Feb 012011

Durango

  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall intermittently while driving at various speeds. When the vehicle stalled, the interior lights and windshield wipers would fail if in use. However, the radio continued to operate as normal. In addition, when the contact attempted to refuel the vehicle, gasoline would spew back out and onto the ground. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. No repairs were performed. The current mileage was 63,628 and the failure mileage was 48,000.

- Barlington, NC, USA

problem #64

Nov 172011

Durango 8-cyl

  • 77,000 miles
On Nov 11, I used my 2005 Durango ltd, 5.7 hemi for errands. It is very lightly used. I parked it in my driveway and on Nov 17 I went to load it for a trip. I found it filled with an acrid smoke. I air'd it out and began looking for the cause of the smell and smoke. The next morning we found that the main wiring block located in the drivers side kick panel had melted down, very many wires had melted and the cover had melted to the panel and carpet. I called Dodge that day, they said they would have the case mgr call me by the next evening. But of course that was actually business days so Monday evening they called me to verify my address? I asked if this was the case mgr and she said yes and was calling to verify my address. Of course I told her we gave the address on Friday and it is the same as when I bought the vehicle and on all of my records. She said she would have an inspector call me. He called on the 23rd and inspected it on Saturday 11/26/2011. He took alot of pictures and said would file the report the next week but had no control when Dodge would call me back or if Dodge would do anything about it. This vehicle is in excellent condition, with low miles and a documented service history. When I first bought it was held at the first dealer I brought it to due to the check valve recall. It is in the gas tank and was malfunctioning and causing gas to fly back out when filling the tank. It has been doing it again lately for about the last month. The inspector said that a recall had been performed on the dash panel which had caused fires. I told him I had no knowledge of ever getting that work done, unless it was before I bought it or they did not tell me of the repair when it was done. He said good I had all of the windows shut or it may have ignited (and burned my house down with us in it). Now I have a $35000 6 yr old, great looking boat anchor!

- Saint Rose, LA, USA

problem #63

Nov 172011

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 97,000 miles
The multi function switch in the steering column fails and causes the wrong turn indicator lights (both on the dash and on the exterior) to activate. For example, when pushing down on the stalk to indicate a left turn the right turn lights are activated. So, if you are in a left turn lane and you try to indicate that you are turning left the right indicator lights will activate and confuse the other drivers and could cause a very dangerous situation.

- Littleton, CO, USA

problem #62

Sep 092011

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 53,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving in my neighborhood at 35 mph and the engine turned off completely! I coasted to a full stop, turned off the ignition...waited 10 seconds and then turned the ignition back on and drove off. Vehicle also feels very sluggish especially driving over 55 mph. You must really push the pedal down to accelerate. Engine shutting off is soooo dangerous. God for bid this will happen when im driving with my children in the car while on the freeway!!!

- Forest Hills, NY, USA

problem #61

Nov 012010

Durango

  • 55,000 miles
First, the cruise control stopped working. Then, the speedometer and odometer quit working when the ABS, parking brake, check engine, and traction control lights all came on. Took it to the dealer to repair the instrument cluster recall, and was told that it needs a new ABS control module and wiring harness. The wiring harness is completely melted, probably because of a short in the control module - at least that's what I was told at the dealership. The wiring harness is on a national backorder until late September, so I am without ABS brakes, traction control, and a speedometer/odometer until then.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #60

May 022011

Durango

  • 64,000 miles
Car shuts off without warning, loosing power steering and braking.

- Altoona, PA, USA

problem #59

Apr 212011

Durango

  • 63,000 miles
My Dodge Durango 2005, shuts off periodically while driving. This is extremely dangerous when I have to drive this crap with my kids in it. Dodge is aware of this problem and just wants to brush everyone off. Saying they found no evidence of a problem, well we all cant be wrong. I will tell everyone I know not to ever buy a Dodge. At least fix this problem Dodge, because right now your reputation is really bad. I am surprised Dodge doesn't have a lawsuit yet. This problem will kill someone.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #58

Apr 112011

Durango 8-cyl

  • 87,000 miles
Durango shuts off randomly, especially when turning at slow speeds.

- Whittier, CA, USA

problem #57

Mar 122011

Durango 8-cyl

  • miles
I own a 2005 Dodge Durango slt V8 hemi. My vehicle stalls without warning will driving 60mph on the freeway. It will also randomly stall if making a turn. It will start back up sometime and other times it takes awhile to start back up. This is very dangerous and Chrysler need to recall this vehicle and correct this problem before someone dies.

- Saginaw, TX, USA

problem #56

Feb 172011

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
I have two safety concerns about our 2005 Dodge Durango. First, during the end of fuel filling, as the vapor lock on the pump engages and shuts the valve to the pump off, gas immediately spews from the filler neck, as if the tank depressurized. It has happened to me three (3) times now. This is a major safety concern! the result could cause a fire resulting in serious injury or worse! the other issue that I have a major concern with is that the vehicle stalls during low speed turning. If at an intersection and attempting a turn, the vehicle may stall and cause an accident. This has happened to me more than ten (10) times in the eight months that we have owned the vehicle. This too is a major concern as it can also cause serious injury or worse to not only myself, wife, young children, and others that may become involved in an accident if it where to happen! I have reported the issues to Dodge and their response to me is to have the vehicle diagnosed. I do plan on doing this however, while researching the issues online, I have found a many numbers of vehicles (same year, make, and model) with the exact same issues. This leads me to believe that this is not isolated and should be cause for safety concerns throughout the nation for the vehicles/owners.

- Stephens City, VA, USA

problem #55

Jul 052010

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
While driving at 45 miles per hour in a rain storm the electrical system suffered a catastrophic failure. Engine would stop and then restart, all powered equipment would turn off and then back on. Every light in instrument panel would go off and then back on again. Vehicle was unresponsive to cycling of the ignition switch. The vehicle would turn off while the ignition switch was in the full run position. The vehicle would continue to run when ignition switch was moved to the off position. After being powered off for a long time and with the key completely removed from the ignition, the instrument panel and any accessories (radio, ac, etc) which had been powered on before shutdown, would re-activate.

- Manassas, VA, USA

problem #54

Mar 092010

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 57,000 miles
While driving at 55 miles per hour in a rain storm the windshield wiper suffered a catastrophic failure.

- Manassas, VA, USA

problem #53

Feb 012011

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • miles
My 05 Dodge Durango with 5.7 hemi is stalling with no warning. No power steering, no power brakes, no check lights come on, the radio remains on but thats it. I can put in park or nuteral and it comes back on. This normally happens when I am turning, this is so dangerous!! searching the web I have found there are quite a few people out there experiencing the same problem I think its time Dodge figures this out before something terrible happens.

- Yakima, WA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?