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 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
131,518 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 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2005 Dodge Durango Owner Comments (Page 5 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #89

Aug 152015

Durango

  • 122,550 miles

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

It is switching between AWD 4X4 lo and high on its own. Backing up it felt like a spring propelling me forward. Fearing that I could lose control on the highway. Mechanic is looking into lower the transmission for the issue but online I found a forum under topix and the issue was very clearly a $200 part that can be purchased and installed in under an hour of labor. Its the transfer case switch which has all the symptoms my vehicle is experiencing.

- Port Jervis, NY, USA

problem #88

Apr 102014

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 131,000 miles
I have replaced the cylinder switch on my truck which cost me $465 to get a new 1 in order to crank my truck aaa repaired this for me in 2014, I've also had a leak sealed up in the coolant area all my freon was leaking out now the windows on the truck will not go down the only thing that opens is the sunroof.I had the truck put on a machine at a shop here they said it was the canbus system under the hood that is inside the computer that is causing this but my truck also has a recall on it as well, I have a white 2005 Dodge Durango hemi 7.5L truck VIN number [xxx] yet to hear anything on the recall 07/25/2015. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #87

Jul 202015

Durango

  • 139,000 miles
My Durango has started to engage into 4 wheel drive on its own. It does this when parked and when driving. It now is stuck in four wheel drive and cannot drive on the pavement. This seems to me to be a serious problem and should be recalled by Dodge.

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #86

Jul 172015

Durango

  • 84,200 miles

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

I placed the vehicle into reverse and could feel that it had shifted into four wheel drive by itself. The dash warning light did not come on but the vehicle did not operate correctly on the dry pavement. After parking and shutting down the vehicle I could hear the transfer case motor shift the transfer case with no key in the vehicle. Now I hear the transfer case switching modes after the vehicle is shut down, and it has shifted to four wheel drive at least two more times on its own while driving.

- Spokane Valley, WA, USA

problem #85

Jun 222015

Durango

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle switched back and forth between 4-hi to 4-lo independently and the service 4 wheel drive indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was not available.

- Cridersville, OH, USA

problem #84

Jun 062015

Durango

  • 153,000 miles
The vehicle transfer case changes from AWD to 4hi and 4lo without the switch being moved. This has most often happened at low speeds such as when pulling into a parking space, but when switching to 4lo causes difficulty steering due to the front wheels being locked together. Twice I have come close to hitting another vehicle while parking due to this issue. I have also heard the transfer case switching between modes with the vehicle turned off. I am very concerned about this happening at higher speeds.

- Otsego, MN, USA

problem #83

Jun 292015

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 228,725 miles

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

While driving, the 4X4 system shifted into 4WD lo nearly causing a loss of control. When parked and not running vehicle was heard making a clicking sound near the front of the engine, the sound was the same as when the vehicle shifts into 4WD mode. Same sound, shifting into 4WD mode was repeated when pressing unlock on the key fob while the vehicle was parked, not running, without even the key in ignition.... I am highly concerned that the defect could cause a serious injury if the 4WD system decides to engage at an inopportune time...updated 09/11/15 updated 10/13/15

- Boiling Springs, SC, USA

problem #82

Apr 062015

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 75,300 miles
Vehicle switched to 4X4 mode on it's own.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #81

Feb 202015

Durango

  • 71,876 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed with four wheel drive, the vehicle shifted into two wheel drive when the brake pedal was applied. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 71,876.

- Clairemont, DE, USA

problem #80

Dec 102014

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 100,900 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. While approaching a stop light, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the throttle needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The contact replaced the egr valve, the spark plugs, and the transmission fluid however the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The contact replaced the throttle body but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,900. Updated 4/13/15 the consumer stated the cooler line was leaking. Updated 04/16/15

- Clearfield, PA, USA

problem #79

Feb 022015

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 134,000 miles

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

Service 4WD light came on, and goes into lo 4WD when going slow, also making clicking noise when vehicle is not running like it's trying to engage into 4WD, scared this is going to go into lo and cause a severe accident, nobody seems to know what to do to correct the problem.

- Mebane, NC, USA

problem #78

Feb 182015

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 256,098 miles
Driving on I-43 to work, the 4 wheel lo light flashed and went out. A few minutes later it flashed again, except this time it locked in 4 wheel lo at 70 mph during morning rush hour traffic. This caused the vehicle to rapidly slow down from 70 mph to 25 mph. I had check the vehicle codes with no errors. On the way home, I had to stop several times to cycle the transfer case, in order to disengage the 4 wheel lo. Reading many blogs on the internet, this seems to be an issue with 2004 through 2007 Dodge 4 wheel drive vehicles. Mechanic states that without a code, they will just start replacing parts until the correct one is found. This could take $2000 to $3000.

- Darien, WI, USA

problem #77

Feb 152014

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 156,000 miles
On any number of occasions (regardless of outside temperature or whether or not the vehicle was at normal operating temperature) while the vehicle is at a slow speed (in forward or reverse) the engine will stall without warning. With the loss of engine power comes the normal loss of power steering and power brakes. It appears to be most frequent when pulling into or out of a parking lot, stop sign, etc. The slow speeds are not inherently dangerous, except for the fact that stalling while in traffic and suddenly reducing speed or stopping puts myself and other motorist in jeopardy. When backing into a parking space, the loss of steering and braking capabilities create a risk of minor damage to other parked cars and could put a pedestrian at risk while being distracted and not being able to stop or steer as easily. There are no obvious sounds or engine or transmission noises or vibrations or anything to give warning that this could occur.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #76

Jan 152015

Durango

  • 198,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the 4 wheel drive switched to 4L independently. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 198,000.

- Terre Haute, IN, USA

problem #75

Jan 162015

Durango 8-cyl

  • 151,000 miles
My 2005 Dodge Durango will go into 4 wheel low with out warning and will shift into 4 wheel lock with out warning there is something goin on with the 2005 Dodge Durango I have read many forums with 500 people saying the same thing. Please make Dodge recall this as it is going to result in fatalities. A lot of people are changing the transfer case, transfer case motor and electrical and it keeps doing the same thing to make these vehicles unreliable and can cause death to my family and others as well please make Dodge recall the 4 wheel drive. Thank you

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #74

Jan 052015

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 102,000 miles
Transfer case motor engages while driving going from AWD to four wheel lo. This can potentially cause a very bad accident. 4wlo light flickers and transfer case motor engages even with vehicle shut off.

- Webster, NY, USA

problem #73

Dec 242014

Durango

  • 108,000 miles
Was driving on the freeway. The service 4WD light started flashing, and the transmission shifted into 4lo by itself. All efforts to shift back out of 4lo failed. Had the vehicle towed. Service shop diagnosed transfer case as the problem, and replaced it. The problem persists. Vehicle continues to shift into 4lo by itself which impacts the ability to turn the vehicle.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #72

Sep 012014

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 98,000 miles
While driving on the freeway, I noticed that my 4 lo warning light was flashing on my instrument panel. Once I came to a safe stop, I could hear what sounded like my 4 wheel drive actively trying to engage itself by making a clanking noise. Several days later, it did the same thing, only this time, it succeeded in shifting itself into 4 wheel drive but only for a brief period. Now it does this on a daily basis and will even do this in my garage with the keys out of the ignition. It will also do this when I use the key fob to unlock my doors. Please look into this as there are several other Durango owners who are experiencing the same issue. My worry is that it will find a way to shift itself into 4 lo while either my wife or myself are driving down the freeway. If that happens, it could be catastrophic. This is something that Dodge needs to recall to prevent any injuries or deaths. People have attempted to replace the transfer case, replace wiring, and several other fix attempts but to no avail. As a 16-year career firefighter, I am pleading with you to look into this.

- Moxee, WA, USA

problem #71

Dec 242014

Durango

  • 74,659 miles
My 2005 Dodge Durango keeps locking up when I'm turning. When the vehicle is on or off it will start flashing 4lo. The vehicle shifts into lock all on it's own, then the svc 4WD light comes on. After a few minutes the light will go off and the transfer case will shift back to AWD. Sometimes when the vehicle is turned off you can hear the transfer shift back and forth from AWD to 4 lock.

- Davie, FL, USA

problem #70

Nov 032014

Durango 4WD 8-cyl

  • 93,640 miles
My 2005 Dodge Durango switched from AWD to 4X4 while I was driving. Which almost made me loose control of the vehicle with family in the car, this was very scary and dangerous, thank god we weren't on the highway. Svc 4WD light is coming on, 4loc and 4lo flash and transfer case motor clicks while driving or just idling, sometimes clicks when I unlock the doors. Researched issue on the net and found several forums and discovered that this is happening to a lot of people, this needs to become a recall fast before someone gets hurt or worse. I currently pulled plug on transfer case motor and have it locked in AWD drive, hope this holds, but I paid for 4 wheel drive as did many other people. From what I've read this has been going on for years. Dodge needs to make this right. Thank you.

- Niantic, CT, USA

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