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2013 Dodge Durango problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
37%
214 of 584 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

37% of relevant owner complaints on the 2013 Dodge Durango are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 59% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 56 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 33%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 Dodge Durango have engine problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 214 of 584 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Durango concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (37%), and the largest group is filed under engine (116). For comparison, the 2012 scores 40% and the 2014 scores 31%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
214
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
640
this model year
Fires reported
34
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
11
20 crashes · 22 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM290 · 45%
ENGINE116 · 18%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM84 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES81 · 13%
SEATS76 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER54 · 8%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2013 compares with other Dodge Durango years

Of the 13 Dodge Durango years with enough complaints to score, the 2013 is the 5th-best on engine and transmission share (37%). The worst is the 2023 (52%), the best the 2018 (27%). By volume, the 2013 drew 640 complaints (214 drivetrain), against 640 for the 2012 and 782 for the 2014.

Dodge Durango years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 Dodge Durango

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2013 Dodge Durango said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • What the repair costs. Typical engine repair ranges, to price into your offer.
  • Cleaner alternatives. Similar cars and nearby years with a better record.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL09/23/2014CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN PARK, IT ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED TO 5 MPH AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO DRIVER IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, BUT THERE WAS A FRONT PASSENGER AND A SECOND ROW PASSENGER. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED AN INJURY TO THE LEFT FOOT…

One of 214 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2013 Dodge Durango engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns on the 2013 Dodge Durango, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

11 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system19V813000 · Nov 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 3.6, 5.7, or 6.4 liter engine and previously recalled under NHTSA Recall 14V530 or…
service brakes17V572000 · Sep 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles had brake booster shields installed under a previous campaign to prevent…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator17V435000 · Jul 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have…
electrical system: wiring15V879000 · Dec 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured December 3, 2009, to September 1, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the…
electrical system15V115000 · Feb 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured September 17, 2010, to August 19, 2013, and equipped with a 3.6, 5.7 or 6.4 liter engine, and…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator14V634000 · Oct 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010,…
electrical system: wiring14V391000 · Jul 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured January 5, 2010, through December 11, 2013. In the affected…
service brakes14V154000 · Apr 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013. The subject…
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip14V104000 · Mar 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 11, 2011, through October 1, 2012. Under certain braking…
seats12V560000 · Dec 2012
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Durango vehicles manufactured April 27, 2012, through September 14, 2012. The vehicles may have been built with incorrect seating capacity information…
air bags12V391000 · Aug 2012
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from April 11, 2012, through July 20, 2012. Some vehicles may have been built with the incorrect airbag occupant…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 Dodge Durango? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2013 Dodge Durango

Does the 2013 Dodge Durango have engine problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 214 of 584 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Durango concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (37%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

What is the most common problem with the 2013 Dodge Durango?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2013 Dodge Durango is electrical system: 290 of 640 complaints (45%) name it, followed by engine (116) and fuel/propulsion system (84). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 37% of the relevant total.

Is the 2013 Dodge Durango reliable?

On the engine and transmission, owner complaints point to a weak spot: 37% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain (elevated signal). That is better than 59% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 13 Dodge Durango years we score, it ranks 5th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Dodge Durango?

No. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns on the 2013 Dodge Durango, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Dodge Durango years are better?

Among the Dodge Durango years we track, the 2018 (27%), the 2014 (31%) and the 2015 (35%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2013 (37%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/dodge-durango

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.