While the Dodge Durango has been used in police work in the past, as the current Charger retires some agencies are relying on the crossover more. One example is Indiana State Police who have had to sideline dozens of its new Durangos thanks to an oil and coolant problem.
Watch some lawn mowers get repossessed.
A report from Fox59 says a mysterious mechanical issue has caused the oil and coolant to mix together. While that can be caused by a few issues, if we had to go out on a limb we’d go with a blown gasket.
The report goes on to say the issue “ruins the engine beyond repair.” Rather than chance it, ISP has parked dozens of Durangos until it can figure out how to prevent the issue from repeating. Of those it’s issued to troopers, about 20% have failed so far. That’s not a great statistic.
Indiana State Police has reached out to Stellantis to ask for a fix. Reportedly, there’s no clear plan to address the problem, so it seems for now the Durangos will stay parked.
What’s interesting is troopers didn’t have issues with the Dodge Chargers they’ve been using for years. Those proved to be reliable vehicles day in and day out. And as we’ve seen over and over, they’re excellent for chasing down and stopping fleeing suspects.
That’s why hearing about big problems with the Durango is shocking. Everyone can have their debate about which of the Big Three is the best, but we haven’t seen a 20% failure rate for any police vehicle, until now.
A representative for ISP told Fox59 the law enforcement agency is in talks with other automakers as it tries to determine the best way forward. While we haven’t heard of issues like this from other police departments, if this isn’t just an ISP thing it could cause a shift in the law enforcement vehicle market, perhaps tipping it toward Ford or GM.
Image via Fox59 News/YouTube
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