2018 Dodge Durango Exterior Lighting

After our cold winter here in PA when temperatures were -8 I noticed my tail light had a section not working and after looking at it I noticed a crack and water in that part. I started looking at replacing it until I seen it was going to be $2,000.00 just for the light. Will the Durango's that have these issues because of faulty parts pass state inspections until Dodge figures out what to do?

The tailgate light has gone out on my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T. Researching online has lead me to discover that this is a known issue that is costing customers thousands of dollars due to a known design flaw. The tailgate light goes out and usually leads to the brake lights and backup camera going out. I do not know when the brakes lights may glitch or go out which can cause an accident. I asked the service person at the dealership about the tailgate issue in May of 2025 when the tailgate light was intermittently going in and out. I was told to call the 800 customer service number. There’s no warning for the tailgate light failing and leading to the failure of the brake lights and backup camera.

Purchased this vehicle used from a dealership and a few months later the racetrack light malfunctioned and stopped working which is also connected to my license plate light. The dealership refused to cover the expense of the light which to my surprise was over two thousand dollars, an expense I was not prepared for and now I am at a loss. They tried to negotiate that I should pay for half the cost when the car was purchased of their lot less than a few months with a major malfunction like this. Upon further research I find out there is a class action lawsuit against FCA about this issue. I do not have the money for this repair unless I borrow the money, if so can I get reimbursed though FCA?

The rear race track rail has water build up at the bottom of it and it fried the lights so they don’t work anymore.

Center lift gate racetrack light failed due to water getting into seam and shorting out that light and the license plate light. The whole unit needs to be replaced due to a faulty design which is going to cost over $2000

Racetrack Tail light burned out and can effect driving safety issues, water got in there and the automaker know about this problem and they won’t fix it , I have to pay out of pocket.

Water in racetrack lighting in rear tailgate. Also, license plate lights are not working either. Should be mfg problem to repair/recall

My tailgate lamp also known as the race track lamp it's collecting water every time I take it into the car wash which it now cost part of my life to burn out which can be a safety issue if all of it completely goes out

Tail gate LED brake light fills with water and cause the light to stop working. Because of the design it has the potential for the driver behind not to see the brake lights which can result in an accident. Reported issue to the dealership and the insurance company that I took extra exterior insurance from and they said it happens all the time and wants me to pay hundreds out of pocket. This is a manufacturing defect because it happens to many of this model it’s not fair to the customer. I see many other Durangos with the same issue. Dodge should compensate the customers.

I have noticed moisture in the rear tailgate light which houses the rear camera, license plate light, reverse lights and a larger(racetrack) tailight. I have drained the light a couple of times and noticed a small portion of the light was dim. This has been going on probably a year. Last night our son was driving behind and noticed the whole tailgate light had gone out along with the license plate light. There is no way to service this light it has to be replaced. The replacement light at the dealer was $1480. To me that is not an option. This is definitely a safety and consumer concern in my book.

The rear taillights are filling up with water and burning the rear lights out which causes safety for other not being able to see the rear of the car. I know 3 other people that have the same issue on there dodge durango. You have to take the bolt out to drain the water. There is no seal or gasket inside preventing water from going in also can cause other electrical problems which is not safe.

Water is getting into the tail lights which is starting to burn the lights out. It's a safety concern especially at night time. They're should be a recall on this issue as fixing it is costly. A lot of people are being affected by this.

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the driver’s side tailgate LED light had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that water had gotten inside the lighting enclosure. The dealer stated that the area where the tailgate racetrack light was located needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that after having the car washed, the racetrack lights and license plate lights became inoperable. There was an abnormal burning odor detected while driving at unknown speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact called the local dealer and was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

My racetrack light in back has blown LEDs due water getting inside. I’m to the entire light and back up camera needs replacement. It’s a major issue according to other owners who have the same problem.

Vehicle tail light housings (3ea) are not adequately sealed and protected from the elements and allow water/debris to intrude. Water accumulation has caused dimming and shorting of lights. Dodge customer service was contacted and stated they are not currently and will not warranty repair.

Center tail light failure in the lift gate. On further inspection all tail lights have water intrusion. Obviously tail/brake light failure is a safety hazard, especially at night. Dodge not owning the problem and the repair parts are extremely hard to find.

My 2018 Dodge Durango leaked water into the taillight assembly. I initially removed the bottom taillight screw located inside the liftgate so water would drain. Later I had to remove the light itself and run a bead of silicone caulking along the top edge where the water leaked into the light assembly. Generation 3 Dodge Durangos are notorious for leaking water into the "race track" shaped taillight which leads to taillight failures. It's the biggest complaint on my Facebook Durango groups, with almost daily postings. Once water collects inside the assembly, it leads to taillight partial or total failure.

When using the auto high beam headlights. The headlights will dim and the high beams do not always come back on. this appears to happen after seeing yellow signs on the roads. To fix I have to turn the head light knob to on (which turns the lights off for a second). This is very dangerous on the dark roads i ride on. I was told by dealer this is a known issue on many brands and there is no fix. This has been an on going issue for the last couple of years.

Tracklight has water intrusion. Replaced twice already. New light has water. Less than 6 months old. Causes rear lighting to fail, including plate light, which is illegal in my state. Failure causes drivers approaching from the rear not to see vehicle on approach, potentially causing an accident.

Tail lights fill with water. This caused a safety risk both of electrical fire and lights failing and increasing risk of an accident when due to not being visible from behind. This is a known issue with Dodge Durangos from 2016 to 2020. There are class action lawsuits and petitions requesting dodge fix the problem. I called Dodge corporate and was advised the situation has not been addressed and that it is not under warranty or recall

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the taillights were not functioning properly. The contact stated that the taillights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the taillight assembly seal was not functioning correctly and was allowing water to enter the taillight assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 30,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the taillights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the taillights to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

unknown. I have a dodge Durango that the racetrack lights on the tailgate not all are working and I've seen some with all the lights out causing a safety hazard.

Not just mine but many Durangos from 2014-2022 has a defect in which the rear light bar which has no seal gets wet and burns the led light out, this needs to be addressed and recalled asap, I also have pictures of random Durangos I’ve seen at night with the light out in the same spots.