The full-width “racetrack” taillamp is the Durango’s signature design feature. For years it has also been known for filling with water like a fish tank. Dodge has finally agreed to pay to fix it, though not for every Durango that has the light.
On October 21, Stellantis announced a warranty extension for the liftgate taillamp assembly on certain 2018–2024 Durangos. Coverage now runs five years with unlimited miles from the in-service date. Vehicles already past that point get six months from the date the owner is notified. Owners who already paid for the repair can apply for reimbursement. The release does not say that a federal lawsuit over this exact part has been pending since 2023.
The lawsuit Dodge didn’t mention
In April 2023, four owners from New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania filed a class action against FCA US in the U.S. District Court for Delaware. The case is Cranstoun et al. v. FCA US LLC, No. 1:23-cv-00436. The complaint alleges that water gets past the gaskets and seals on the tailgate, pools inside the assembly, and corrodes the electronics.
Related Articles
- Honda’s Driver Data Went for 26 Cents a Car. The Report Built From It Is Still Yours to Request
- CARS Act Returns: Congress Eyes a Federal Car-Theft Bureau as Thefts Fall
On the Durango, the racetrack assembly is not only a taillight. According to the complaint, the single unit also holds the reverse lights, the license plate lights, and the backup camera. Once water ruins it, the whole assembly has to be replaced.
The plaintiffs’ quotes show what that costs:
- One owner was quoted $1,885 for a 2019 model: $1,460 for the part, $175 for labor, and a $250 diagnostic fee.
- Another said he was quoted $1,700 and only got the part for free after asking for the dealer’s district manager.
- One plaintiff said his dealer refused to cover the repair on a 2020 Durango with about 26,000 miles, which was still inside the three-year/36,000-mile factory warranty.
The complaint also cites a March 2020 FCA message asking dealers for photos and VINs of 2018–2021 Durangos with moisture in the tail lamp. It cites a June 2021 service bulletin on water getting into the license plate lamp housing. It quotes NHTSA owner complaints going back to April 2017, including one from a Pennsylvania driver who says police pulled him over for having no working rear lights.
None of those allegations has been proven. Still, the remedies the plaintiffs requested included reimbursement for past repairs and extended warranties, and Dodge has now offered both. The company said the extension was “driven by customer feedback.”
Read the fine print
The extension is narrower than the problem.
It skips the oldest trucks. The lawsuit covers 2014–2023 Durangos, and Dodge’s own 2021 bulletin applied to 2014–2021 models. The extension starts at 2018. Owners of 2014–2017 Durangos, which make up the earliest group of complaints, aren’t covered.
It pays for failure, not for prevention. The extension covers LEDs that “may not illuminate or may only partially illuminate.” Dodge also says that if the assembly works properly, “no action or repair is needed.” A lamp holding half a cup of water that still lights up doesn’t qualify. You have to wait until it fails.
It isn’t a recall. A recall would mean mandatory owner notification, NHTSA oversight, a defined fix, and a public record. A warranty extension is voluntary. It relies on the owner noticing the problem and the dealer agreeing it qualifies.
Six months goes quickly. The 2018 models are now eight years old, so they fall under the six-month window. If you get the letter and the rear end still looks fine, put a reminder in your calendar.
Related Articles
- LKQ’s Europe Margin Halved in a Year, and the CEO Left Before the Earnings Call
- Audi’s $4 Billion Georgia Plant Is Sized for 200,000 Cars. Audi Sold 164,942 in America Last Year
The press release spends a whole paragraph on Durango sales: retail sales up 18 percent in the third quarter, the best third quarter since 2005, and a 37 percent jump in 2025. More Durangos on the road means more owners about to check their liftgates.
What owners should do now
- Find your receipts. Reimbursement claims go through fcarecallreimbursement.com or the claim form in the notification letter. Gather the invoices, proof of payment, and anything showing the failure was the LEDs and not crash damage.
- Photograph water before it causes damage. Owners quoted in the lawsuit describe removing two 10mm bolts inside the open liftgate and watching water pour out. If you see moisture, document it with dates. You may need that record if the lights fail after your coverage ends.
- Ask whether the new part is different. The complaint says replacement assemblies leaked as well. Before a dealer installs one, ask whether the part number or the sealing procedure has changed. Dodge’s announcement doesn’t say.
- Don’t drive around with a dark lamp. A failed racetrack light can take out your plate lights and backup camera along with the taillight. That can mean a failed inspection or a traffic stop, and it muddies the fault question if someone rear-ends you at night.
- Buyers, check the light in daylight. On any 2014–2024 Durango, look for fogging, droplets, or dark sections in the racetrack. On a 2014–2017, assume a $1,500-plus replacement isn’t covered.
Questions go to the dealer or Dodge Customer Care at 1-800-4ADodge.
Has your Durango’s racetrack light ever held water? Tell us the model year and mileage when you first saw it.