Indiana Police Department Is Selling Some Of Its Dodge Durango Patrol Cars That Had Engine Failure

Photo: Dodge

The Dodge Durango Pursuit police vehicle has been a total headache for police in Indiana. Just a few months after Indiana State Police pulled 18 percent of its fleet from service over oil cooler issues, another Indiana police agency has announced that it’s getting rid of some of its Durango Pursuit fleet because of problems related to the oil cooler issues, CBS News reports.

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The Merriville Police Department is selling some of its Durango Pursuit vehicles because engine oil cooler issues led to each SUV suffering engine failure with less than 15,000 miles on the odometer. Merriville Chief of Police Konstantinos Nuses said the department had been trying to work with dealers and Stellantis on a solution to the problem. Apparently, a part that would lead to a fix was promised but never came.

“This situation is not just disappointing; it is fundamentally unfair. All of us — taxpayers and police departments alike — have paid for a compromised product, and Dodge has failed to take responsibility or provide a viable solution. Nor have they offered any type of compensation for the downtime of these vehicles,” Nuses said. “This has left us in a bind, struggling to fulfill our duty to protect and serve.”

According to Nuses, the department switched from Ford to Dodge in 2022 after pandemic-related shortages resulted in problems getting fleet vehicles. The department says it was assured that the Dodge vehicles would be “a suitable alternative.” While CBS says the department is looking to the state’s attorney general for help with the situation, Stellantis issued a statement that both defended and apologized for the Durango Pursuit’s reliability.

The Dodge Durango Pursuit meets or exceeds all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards and is subject to severe operating conditions to which the standard, retail version of the Durango is immune. Further, certain oil-cooler issues are difficult to detect, which may lead to collateral damage and a highly complex remedy. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our valued police-community customers and are working to expedite service for any affected vehicles. Since the model launched in 2018, it has been deployed with thousands of police agencies across North America, and overall feedback has been exemplary.

The Durango Pursuit is avilable with both the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. It’s not known how many vehicles Merriville plans to sell from its fleet.