CarComplaints.com Notes: When the 3rd-generation Durango was introduced in 2011 owners almost immediately started having a wide range of issues -- from water pump failure to stalling engines. Turns out the TIPM is to blame and those problems carried into the 2012 model year.

TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Modules) is responsible for controlling and distributing power to all the vehicle’s electrical functions. So when the TIPM starts acting up, so do all sorts of problems in the vehicle.

The problems have been so bad -- and replacement parts became so hard to find -- that a class-action lawsuit was filed against Chrysler focusing on the 2011-2012 Durango. The lawsuit accuses the automaker of ignorning the problem until it spiraled out of control.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
68,284 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.

2012 Dodge Durango steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Dodge Durango Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #20

Apr 152017

Durango

  • 87,000 miles

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

My battery light came on. Within minutes all the other lights on my dashboard came on, my air starting blowing hot and then it started to stall. Luckily I was on a small road and was able to coast off onto the grass. The car was dead and smoke was pouring from the alternator. I went and bought a new battery and alternator. Within in 2 minutes of installing both, my car did the same exact thing. I had to have it towed to the dealership. I was told it was the alternator. I explained that I had already replaced it and think it could be more severe. They told me they would replace the alternator with labor I'm looking at $1200. That's not including if that doesn't fix the issue. They sais it could have fried my (PCM) power control module which could cost me at least $1000 more plus labor. How is it they aren't recalling the 2012 Durango with 180 amp alternator but all the others? this car is only 5 years old, I shouldn't have had to replace the alternator going on 3 times now. I don't feel safe driving my son in this car anymore. I've seen enough complaints saying this caused accidents since the car just dies while driving.

- Debary, FL, USA

problem #19

Feb 132017

Durango

  • 107,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle lost power and various indicators flickered on the instrument panel. The steering wheel locked up. The vehicle was pulled over and later towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 107,000.

- New Orleans, LA, USA

problem #18

Feb 012017

Durango

  • 89,947 miles
Around 7:20 am I had just exited a ramp to go beneath the underpass to turn left. The mileage change was 60 mph to 35 mph. Before the car could come to a complete stop applied by brakes, it stalled. There were other vehicles behind us who had to go around. My children were with me and one recorded to show that the vehicle was still in drive and that the brake and the gas would not receive a response from the car. This is the third day in a row that vehicle has stalled since we received in back from the dealership.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #17

Jan 312017

Durango

  • 89,939 miles

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

I was in the process of turning left at an intersection. As I turned the wheel locked up and the car slowed down and eventually stopped. I had to veer to the right as much as I could. I put the car in park and when I started it again, it shook. I proceeded to drive home. Due to it being night and where I was positioned, I couldn't record the issue, but I did document the mileage.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #16

Jan 302017

Durango 8-cyl

  • 89,900 miles
I was in line to turn left under the underpass. When I pressed the gas, the vehicle would not move. The wheel locked up as I tried to move forward. I had to turn on my emergency lights and signal other to go around on the right because no one could pass me on the left. I put the car in park and restarted it. There was no dashboard light to indicate that anything was wrong. My son was able to record and show that the vehicle was still in drive and not moving. I contacted the area manager to ask if this known, unsafe vehicle could be bought back at the highest nada value. His response was, 'I'm not offering a repurchase.' He shared that he would get another technician personally involved. We just received the car from the shop on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 after the entire tipm was replaced and it stopped again!

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #15

Dec 312016

Durango

  • 88,952 miles
As I was turning left into a community the steering wheel locked up while the vehicle was still in drive. I immediately put the emergency lights on. I put my foot on the brake for safety while the vehicle was still in drive. I lifted my foot from the brake and the car remained still. I pressed the gas pedal and the car remained still. I then placed my foot on the brake again and it was stiff. When I pressed the gas the vehicle wouldn't move while still in drive. I placed my foot back on the brake and put the vehicle in park. I pressed the engine button and the vehicle engine came on. I turned the emergency lights off, put the vehicle in drive and continued my destination. I have a video, but it exceeds the upload size for this site.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #14

Dec 182016

Durango 8-cyl

  • 88,300 miles

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

I had just exited an uphill ramp after coming off the highway from about 65 mph to 35 mph. After entering the ramp I had to stop at a red light. When it was time to turn right, the gas would not accelerate the car and the steering wheel had locked up. I had to restart the vehicle in order to proceed with my route. This is the sixth time that this has occurred while the vehicle has been either in motion or turned on in the process of driving.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #13

Dec 082016

Durango 8-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
I was taking my children to school. We were in morning traffic on a major highway going North. We were in the second farthest left lane. I was driving about 65 mph when the car suddenly began to slow down on its own. The steering wheel locked up. This time we were in a bulk of traffic and an 18 wheeler was behind us. I turned on our emergency lights, looked to the left and had to stick my left arm out the window to signal to the other cars behind us to let us over to the left shoulder. I was able to guide the vehicle to the left shoulder. The radio was still playing. I turned the car off, sat for a moment to calm down and called my husband. I then restarted the car and continued taking my children to school.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #12

Nov 032016

Durango

  • miles
I was taking my children to school. I had just exited the freeway and slowed down to about 25 mph. As I slowed down the steering wheel locked up. There was no where to veer off in this situation because we were in the farthest left lane that had to turn beneath the underpass. Because we were at a stop light, I was able to turn the emergency lights on, turn the vehicle off and turn it back on. The car shook a little and we continued to school.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #11

Oct 162016

Durango 8-cyl

  • miles
My son and I were driving to a friend's home. We stopped at a red light and the air in the car became warm. When I tried to push the gas pedal, nothing happened. The steering wheel also locked up. We turned on the emergency lights and restarted the car. The car continued normally.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #10

Jul 162016

Durango 8-cyl

  • miles

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

We were driving about 65 mph an were approaching a major highway intersection. The air in the car began to get warm and the steering wheel locked up. We were blessed to be near a shoulder where we could pull over. I turned on the emergency lights and we pulled over to the right side of the freeway. We turned the vehicle off, waited a moment and then turned it back on. The engine shook when the vehicle restarted. We were able to drive home without any additional stopping.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #9

Feb 072016

Durango 8-cyl

  • miles
I was taking my son to tutorials. I turned right and the steering wheel locked up. To keep from having an accident, I had to slowly veer to the left upon the median. I turned on the emergency lights. The radio was still playing, but the car had simply stopped moving. I pressed the engine button to turn the vehicle off. Then I pressed it again to restart it. It started with no problems and I continued to take my son to tutorials.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #8

Apr 182014

Durango

  • 38,000 miles
My 2012 Dodge Durango has lost steering power 4 times since I purchased it new. The first 3 times the repair was performed under warranty by larry H miller Dodge, 4220 E 22nd street, tucson, AZ. 85711, (520) 745-1000. In these cases, the dealer claimed a hose had come off and they connected it back on. Documentation on these repairs available is upon request. The issue was reported to Chrysler-Dodge Consumer Affairs dept. And was assigned case no. 24966049. My vehicle lost steering power for the fourth time on December 21, 2015. It left a huge puddle of fluid on the pavement and the power steering container is empty. Every time this has happened, we have been lucky to avoid an accident. However, we have become afraid of driving the vehicle. The car is now permanently parked with no power steering. I believe there is a design or manufacturing defect with the hose that keeps coming off. Putting it back on is not an acceptable form of repair. It does not solve the problem and it endangers our life.

- Sahuarita, AZ, USA

problem #7

Nov 112015

Durango

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver as the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #6

Sep 162015

Durango

  • 79,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango.while driving approximately 45 mph, the instrument panel illuminated and the windshield wipers operated independently. In addition, the contact mentioned that the interior lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V636000 (electronic stability control). The failure mileage was 79,000.

- Douglasville, GA, USA

problem #5

Apr 222015

Durango

  • 43,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. While driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle stalled and the steering wheel seized. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The failure recurred multiple times intermittently. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V115000 (electrical system); however, the part was unavailable to perform the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

- Rutland, MA, USA

problem #4

Nov 262014

Durango

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Durango. The contact received a notice for NHTSA campaign number: 14V634000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing the same failures listed in NHTSA campaign number: 14V104000 (service brakes, hydraulic). While driving approximately 25 mph in inclement weather, the contact went to depress brake pedal and the vehicle would not stop. As a result, the vehicle lost power steering. The engine seized repeatedly throughout the day. The contact also stated that a foul odor was coming from the heat/air vents. The vehicle was driven to the dealer. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,000.

- Wappinger Falls, NY, USA

problem #3

Sep 112014

Durango

  • 77,123 miles
2012 Dodge Durango crew with a V6. Engine died while driving down the highway. I lost power steering and power brakes, but managed to get out of traffic and let it coast to the shoulder. The engine would crank, but immediately die. After a few attempts, the engine began running smoothly. Since then, it will occasionally not start (the starter turns over, but the engine will not run). No codes are displaying when hooked to a computer. A mechanic told me it was the tipm and I would have to take it to a dealer. After looking online, I found many other complaints for the same problem. Engine seems to have a better start record if I turn the key on and wait 2 seconds before starting vs immediately trying to crank the car as soon as I insert the key. Remote start rarely works now. My main concern is the engine dying while my wife is driving in heavy traffic (she is the primary driver). To me, this is a much more pressing issue than the current recalls.

- Starkville, MS, USA

problem #2

Mar 132014

Durango 6-cyl

  • 15,300 miles
Heard from a friend with a 2011 Durango that they had low power steering fluid when they had their maintenance check up. I had been hearing a mild grinding noise when I would move my steering wheel at times so I took it in to have it checked. Sure enough, the power steering fluid level was at a very low level. They had to put some in and then schedule an appointment to come back and look for a leak. Came back, found no leak and blamed it on the manufacturer for having an air bubble or something. Friend was right. I guess it is common. Check your power steering fluid levels!

- Bennington, NE, USA

problem #1

Dec 072012

Durango

  • 9,353 miles
Leased 2012 Durango on 12/28/11. At 9353 miles on 12/7/12 the power steering system ruptured while making a turn into a parking lot. Power steering fluid covered engine and engine compartment. Complete failure of all power steering, vehicle was very difficult to maneuver to a safe spot out of traffic. Vehicle had to be flatbed to dealer. Dodge service stated that a fitting on a hose had broken or fallen off. It was repaired. At 21,922 miles on 1/09/13 once again as I pulled out of traffic into a shopping center the same thing happened again. Complete failure of all power steering, flatbed to Dodge dealer and am told that all hoses and pump assembly need to be replaced. I understand something happening once. Twice is a issue. Contacted Dodge and was told there are no other reports of this. After a little searching Dodge customer service rep said there have been reports of something like this on some 2012 Jeep.

- Shoreham, NY, USA

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