Dodge is currently facing lawsuits over the ancient Durango SUV on two fronts. In the first, angry Durango Hellcat owners are coming after the brand because they feel duped that Dodge continued production of the Hellcat after saying it would only be available for one model year. The second case is less frivolous: Durango owners have filed a class action suit over the SUV’s distinctive “racetrack” LED taillights, and it’s all because of water damage.
That racetrack taillight isn’t as cool as it looks
According to Mopar Insiders, the class action suit is made up of owners of 2014 to 2023 Dodge Durangos; pre-facelift models sold from 2011 to 2014 don’t have the racetrack lights, and the SUV’s design hasn’t been updated in the decade since the facelift came out. The owners claim the wraparound design of the Durango’s large taillights makes them susceptible to water damage. This in turn can not only short circuit and damage the light itself, but also cause other electrical issues in the rear of the Durango. From Mopar Insiders:
Water from sources like rain, car washes, melting snow, and other environmental factors allegedly enters the light assembly, leading to corrosion and burnout of the internal electrical components. Once water infiltrates the system, multiple essential rear-end systems are reportedly at risk of failure. These include the racetrack tail lights, backup lights, license plate lights, and even the rearview camera system.
While it’s not specified as to what exactly the owners want from Dodge when the outcome of the case is decided, those in the suit are going to have to wait awhile for a decision. Car Complaints says a pre-trial conference — which is just a meeting between the judge, plaintiff and defense lawyers about the case — won’t happen until January 25, 2027. The 10-day trial won’t start until a few days later, on February 1, 2027.
As you can expect, these aren’t cheap to fix or replace
A quick online search will show that Durango owners have had problems with the racetrack lights for years. Some owners have been giving instructions to others about how to drain the water from the light, which can be done but looks to be a lengthy process. Those that need to actually get the light replaced are in for a big repair bill, as just the lights by themselves are pricey. On the official Mopar parts website, the center tailgate lamp section will run you between $1,285 and $1,525 while the taillight on either side costs $684; the Mopar site has each piece on sale, and going through a wholesaler will save you a few hundred bucks on each part, but they’re still expensive. From the looks of things, that’s what owners are being charged for their repairs, too. Mopar Insiders says one Durango owner was quoted nearly $2,000 for the racetrack taillight replacement; another owner in Canada was quoted the same thing for the replacement light on their 2017 Durango, according to one owner forum.
So how exactly is water getting into the light in the first place? It looks like it’s just bad manufacturing. According to those same owner forums, multiple posters say they were told by Dodge techs that the light isn’t being sealed properly during the Durango’s production. One owner detailed how his light assembly wasn’t sealed at the top, which let water into the light and led to an electrical burning smell filling the cabin.
The dealer said there was a crack basically on the top of the track centered that was allowing water in. I saw it there for a while and figured it was part of the assembly. I had a really awful electrical burning smell in the cabin and come to find out it was the circuit board shorting out on the rear hatch.
