2013 Dodge Durango powertrain problems
severe 33 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Owners have filed 33 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: Used 2013 Durango buyers should be aware that transmission and transfer case failures are common and can occur repeatedly even after dealership work, often leaving owners stranded and out of pocket once warranty expires. Engine stalling without warning and unintended gear shifts present serious safety hazards.
Owners report a cluster of transmission, drivetrain, and related failures starting early in the vehicle's life. Transmission slipping, hesitation, and hard shifts appear within the first 10,000–20,000 miles on multiple vehicles. Rebuilt or replaced transmissions fail again as early as 40,000–85,000 miles, forcing costly repeat work and warranty disputes. Check engine lights illuminate with codes P0730 (incorrect drive shift ratio) and P0741 (torque converter clutch circuit performance), though dealerships often claim the vehicle meets manufacturer spec despite recurring symptoms.
Transfer case issues plague AWD models: the vehicle shifts into low range on its own while driving without operator input, locks the traction control, and refuses to disengage despite following normal procedures. Replacing the transfer case has not resolved the issue for some owners. Sporadic engine shutdown occurs without warning lights in some cases—the vehicle simply stops mid-drive, requiring neutral and restart.
Transmission oil coolers fail at the seams and leak fluid twice in some vehicles, creating fire risk and mobility loss. RPM gauge bounce, radio changing stations unprompted, and rough idle suggest electrical gremlins tied to the powertrain. Owners consistently report dealership dismissals, lack of communication about software updates, and manufacturer refusal of assistance even after multiple repairs at the same fault. Several owners describe unsafe driving scenarios—loss of power on highway ramps, inability to accelerate safely, and unpredictable engagement/disengagement during normal operation.
Same Dodge Durango powertrain reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Transmission slipping, hesitation, hard shifts, and gear skipping
Transmission exhibits slipping, jerking, hesitation between gears, stuttering from park to drive, and hard shifts. Check engine lights trigger with codes P0730 and P0741. Rebuilt or replaced transmissions fail again within 40,000–85,000 miles of prior repair. Dealerships attribute issues to 'normal' operation, gear ratio design, or dismiss as sensor problems despite repeated complaints.
When: Starting 10,000–20,000 miles; recurring at 40,000–85,000+ miles after repair
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission slipping and sounding out of gear; Lack of power during acceleration; Jerking and hesitation from park to drive; Hard shifts and stuttering between 2nd and 3rd gear; Vehicle skips 2nd gear; Check engine light (codes P0730, P0741); Transmission solenoid failures
Codes mentioned: P0730, P0741
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers rebuilt or replaced transmissions at 45,000 miles and again at higher mileage; repeated failures after repair. Flash software updates applied multiple times without lasting resolution. One owner cited $5,000 transmission replacement cost at 84,500 miles.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership dismissals, repeated failed repair attempts, software flash updates (ineffective), Chrysler refused financial assistance; Customer Satisfaction Campaign V51 (Power Train) completed on at least one vehicle but solenoid failure occurred after campaign.
Transfer case unwanted engagement and lock-up
Transfer case shifts into AWD low range on its own while driving without operator turning the control knob. Vehicle exhibits low-gear lock, flashing low light, and engagement of traction control unprompted. Transfer case refuses to disengage and exit low range following manufacturer procedure. Rebuilt transfer cases continue to exhibit the same failure.
When: Mid-life (2017–2018 reported); mileage not always specified
Symptoms owners cite: Transfer case shifts into low range without knob input; Low light flashing on dash; Traction control engages on its own; Transfer case ticking noise; Vehicle locks up and becomes heavy during turns; Vehicle will not exit low range per normal procedure; Engagement occurs randomly, both at stops and in motion
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Rebuilt transfer cases, replaced transfer case motor and sensors; issues persist after replacement. One owner towed to dealer after vehicle would not disengage from low.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership stated vehicle met manufacturer specification and could provide no remedy despite ticking noise and unwanted low engagement. No codes logged to facilitate repair attempts.
Engine stalling without warning
Engine shuts down completely mid-drive without warning lights or error codes. Vehicle goes dark (no RPM gauge, speed, or warning indicators visible). Requires neutral and key restart to resume operation. Occurs intermittently since 2017 in some cases; one owner reports daily shutdowns when engine is cold.
When: 2017 onwards; daily occurrences in at least one case
Symptoms owners cite: Complete engine shutdown while driving; No warning lights illuminate during shutdown; Dash lights go dark during event; No error codes stored in computer; Vehicle restarts normally after neutral and key-off; Occurs at low speeds and highway ramp acceleration; Most frequent on cold starts
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Battery replacement attempted; issue recurred. Dealership unable to replicate during diagnosis. No repair completed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No response or remedy offered; dealership unable to duplicate issue despite multiple occurrences.
Transmission oil cooler leaks
Transmission oil cooler fails at the seams and leaks transmission fluid. Failure has occurred twice in at least one vehicle over a span of two years. Loss of fluid prevents vehicle motion and creates potential fire hazard.
When: 2017 and 2019 reported; timing unpredictable
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission fluid leak from oil cooler; Vehicle unable to move due to fluid loss; Fire hazard risk
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Oil cooler replaced in 2017; replacement failed again in 2019. One owner suspects design defect.
Unintended vehicle motion and shift lever malfunction
Vehicle moves on its own while parked with gear shifter in park position, sometimes without operator in vehicle. Vehicle accelerates unprompted while idling in park. Shift lever becomes stuck or fails to hold park position reliably.
When: Early-mid life; 31,100–33,000 miles reported
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle moves while in park without driver input; Vehicle accelerates to 5 mph unprompted while idling; Shift lever stuck in park position; Unintended motion on inclines and level ground
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle involved in crashes with wall and neighbor's property. No repairs completed in reported cases.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer investigator unable to duplicate failure; no repair or assistance offered.
Vibration and shuddering at specific speeds
Vehicle shakes and vibrates, especially between 30–45 mph. Symptoms worsen over time despite dealership service. Chrysler engineering reportedly claims this vibration is 'normal' operation, but multiple owners report online that the issue is widespread on Durangos and remains unaddressed.
When: 20,000+ miles; progressive worsening
Symptoms owners cite: Shaking and vibration between 30–45 mph; Shuddering during acceleration; Tremor when vehicle reaches certain RPM
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Transmission firmware update applied; vibration persisted. Dealership offered no further remedy.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Chrysler engineering claims vibration is normal; Chrysler hotline offered only re-diagnosis at another dealer and no substantive fix.
Acceleration hesitation and loss of power
Vehicle hesitates or 'dogs' when accelerating from stop, making turns, or merging onto highway. RPM drops rapidly and requires pressing gas pedal hard to achieve normal acceleration. Owners report safety concern when unable to accelerate quickly enough to avoid rear-end collision. Dealerships attribute to 'gear ratio' design.
When: Present from purchase (2014 model); everyday occurrence
Symptoms owners cite: Hesitation during acceleration from stop; Loss of power when getting up to speed; RPM drops rapidly before vehicle responds; Inability to accelerate sufficiently on highway ramps; Safety hazard when merging with traffic
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership (visited 4 times) and independent mechanic found no fault codes; no repairs completed. Attributed to vehicle design by mechanics.
Fuel pump relay failure (recall-related)
Vehicle stalls randomly due to fuel pump relay failure. Owner unaware of recall at purchase. Shop charged $700 for 2.5-mile tow and repair. After repair, transmission and transfer case issues emerged within one month, escalating repair costs significantly.
When: Stall event prior to 2019 (shop visit); subsequent transmission/transfer case issues within one month
Symptoms owners cite: Random stalling in middle of road; Vehicle immobility
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: $700 tow and repair; subsequent transmission acceleration and transfer case issues required engine mount replacement ($850) and pending transfer case replacement ($2,000 parts cost).
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall existed but owner was not notified at purchase.
Cooling system failures (water pump, radiator, thermostat)
Vehicle overheats frequently. Water pump replaced five times over five years; radiator and thermostat each replaced three times. Pattern suggests systemic cooling system defect rather than isolated component failures.
When: Recurring over five-year period
Symptoms owners cite: Frequent overheating; Water pump failure (×5 replacements); Radiator leaks (×3 replacements); Thermostat malfunction (×3 replacements)
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple component replacements; no systemic repair or redesign apparent.
RPM gauge instability and electrical gremlins
RPM gauge bounces and hesitates during acceleration; radio changes stations on its own unprompted. Suggests electrical fault in powertrain or engine control system affecting multiple systems. Dealership acknowledges seeing the issue but claims vehicle meets manufacturer specification.
When: Mid-life (2018 reported)
Symptoms owners cite: RPM gauge bounces and hesitates when accelerating; Radio changes stations unprompted; Sporadic electrical behavior
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership inspection noted the issue but took no action.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership stated vehicle meets manufacturer specification; no remedy offered.
Synthesized from 33 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2013 Dodge Durango?
It's a meaningful issue. 33 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $2,500.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 20 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 20,100 and 100,000 miles, with the median around 50,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 20,100; a quarter make it past 100,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.