Dodge Durango vs Ford Flex: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Durango is ahead of the Ford Flex on the federal record, 74/100 against 67/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Dodge Durango
- 12 model years scored
- 3,018 owner complaints on record
- about 21 complaints per year on the road
- 59 recall campaigns, 40 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (92/100) · worst 2011 (29/100)
Ford Flex
- 9 model years scored
- 1,582 owner complaints on record
- about 19 complaints per year on the road
- 32 recall campaigns, 12 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (91/100) · worst 2013 (34/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Durango against Flex
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Dodge Durango
- Electrical System — 1,410 complaints
- Engine — 562 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 328 complaints
Ford Flex
- Electrical System — 348 complaints
- Steering — 315 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 220 complaints
Both nameplates have Electrical System as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Dodge Durango — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2013.
Ford Flex — avoid: 2013, 2019.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Dodge Durango prices at about $63,100 and a Ford Flex at about $37,500 — the Ford Flex is roughly $25,600 less, and they return 20.0 against 18.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Dodge Durango or the Ford Flex more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Durango scores 74/100 against the Ford Flex's 67/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Dodge Durango and Ford Flex years should I avoid?
Dodge Durango: 2011, 2012, 2013. Ford Flex: 2013, 2019. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Dodge Durango and the Ford Flex?
The largest complaint group on the Dodge Durango is Electrical System (1,410 complaints); on the Ford Flex it is Electrical System (348).
Is the Dodge Durango or the Ford Flex cheaper to own?
A recent used Dodge Durango prices at about $63,100 and a Ford Flex at about $37,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.