Dodge Durango Misfiring or Ticking? HEMI Lifter Failure, Pentastar Head Problems and What Repairs Cost

Picture this: you're pulling a boat up a hill, the Durango starts to shudder, and the check engine light starts flashing. That's a misfire, and on a Durango there are a few usual suspects depending on the engine. Here's how to narrow it down before a shop starts swapping parts.

First: which engine do you have?

The Pentastar left cylinder head (2011-2013)

Chrysler warranty bulletin D-14-12 (June 2014) named a valve guide and valve seat wear condition on the left cylinder head of the 3.6L in select 2011-2013 vehicles, including the Durango. Symptoms were a misfire and the check engine light. Chrysler extended coverage on that head from 5 years/100,000 miles to 10 years/150,000 miles and reimbursed owners who had already paid. The replacement head came with a minor design change.

Since that coverage ran 10 years from the original in-service date, it has expired on essentially every 2011-2013 Durango. But the pattern is still useful: the left bank holds the even-numbered cylinders, so codes like P0302, P0304 or P0306 on an older V6 deserve a compression or leak-down test before you throw coils at it.

The HEMI tick (5.7L and 6.4L)

SlashGear calls HEMI lifter and camshaft failure one of the priciest Durango repairs. It starts as a ticking from the top of the engine and can grow into rough running, misfires, a flashing check engine light or shaking under load. In bad cases the valvetrain gets damaged. There's no recall or warranty extension for it.

Not every HEMI tick is a lifter, though. A broken exhaust manifold bolt makes a tick at cold start that fades as the engine warms up. That's a much cheaper fix.

How to tell what's wrong

• Flashing check engine light: a severe misfire. Back off, get off the highway and don't tow. Unburned fuel can overheat the catalytic converter.
• One cylinder code (P0301 to P0308): usually a plug, coil or injector on that cylinder. Swap the coil with a neighbor and see if the code follows.
• P0300 (random): vacuum leak, fuel delivery or a mechanical problem.
• Tick that fades when warm: likely an exhaust manifold leak.
• Tick that stays or gets louder, plus a misfire: suspect lifters or the cam on a HEMI.
• Even-numbered cylinders on a 2011-2013 V6: think left cylinder head.

Easy things to try first

• Scan the codes. Write them down before anyone clears them.
• Check the spark plugs. HEMI engines use two plugs per cylinder, so a tune-up is more involved than on most V8s.
• Swap coils between cylinders to see if the misfire moves.
• Use the right oil and keep up with changes. Lifters live on clean oil.
• Look for oil around the top of a V6. The Pentastar's oil filter housing is a known leak spot, and oil soaking into ignition parts doesn't help.

What it costs

What to ask the shop

• "Which cylinders are misfiring, and did the misfire follow the coil?"
• "Have you checked compression or done a leak-down test?"
• "Is the tick from the lifters or from an exhaust leak?"
• "If it's the cam and lifters, are you replacing all of them?"

Is it worth fixing?

Plugs, coils and manifold bolts: yes, always. A HEMI cam-and-lifter job at about $4,000 makes sense on a clean Durango you plan to keep. If it's a high-mileage SUV with rust or other problems, get the quote in writing and compare it to what the Durango is worth before you commit.

More Durango help is on the Dodge Durango repair page. Brakes squealing too? See our Durango brake job cost guide. Prices checked October 14, 2026.