2014 Dodge Durango — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $11,000–$18,000. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
Deciding between model years? Compare the 3 Dodge Durango years we've written up →
Kestrel Take
A three-row SUV that tows 7,200 pounds with the Hemi and rides like a car — a rare combination at this price. The 8-speed ZF is one of the good ones. The risk is the Hemi's lifters and the usual FCA electrical mischief.
What we checked
Partly reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11
NHTSA holds 782 owner complaints for the 2014 Dodge Durango, across 11 recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 33% of them are about one thing — the lights. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
11 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Not written up yet: the lights (259 complaints), seats (163 complaints). Those groups are in the public record and are not covered by the issues below. Treat them as something to ask about, not as absent.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2014 Dodge Durango
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
Cylinder deactivation lifters collapse and wipe the cam lobe. A tick at idle that comes and goes is the early warning; the repair is engine-out labor.
Repair cost (estimate): $3,000-$6,000
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (76).
Random no-starts, fuel pump relay failures, and phantom electrical behavior across the vehicle.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$1,500
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (149), the fuel system (33).
The V6 has its own tick, usually a rocker arm or lifter, and later Pentastars used a revised design.
Repair cost (estimate): $800-$2,000
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (76).
Common on both engines past 90k miles.
Repair cost (estimate): $400-$900
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (76).
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Ticking at idle on a Hemi
- ✗Random electrical faults
- ✗Heavy towing history with no transmission service
- ✗Aftermarket tune
Good Signs
- ✓3.6L Pentastar with the revised rocker design
- ✓Documented ZF 8-speed fluid service
- ✓Lifters and cam already replaced on a Hemi with paperwork
Found a specific Dodge Durango?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2014 Dodge Durango in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
Get My Verdict — $7.99No account required. Delivered to your inbox, usually within minutes.
Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
Other Dodge Durango years
More from Dodge
Similar suvs & crossovers
No bullshit, no upsells, no affiliate links. One report, one price — we'll never charge you rent for your own thinking.
Think we got something wrong? Tell us — a real person reads every message.