Dodge Durango Pursuit: The All-Wheel-Drive Police SUV

By I Go Cars · Updated October 29, 2026

What the Durango Pursuit is, and why it is in production

The Dodge Durango Pursuit is the police version of the Dodge Durango SUV, built by Stellantis (whose earlier police releases were issued under the FCA name) for patrol, pursuit and specialty work such as K-9 units. Every Durango Pursuit AWD configuration sends power to all four wheels; there is no rear-drive version. Buyers choose between the 3.6L Pentastar V6 and the 5.7L HEMI V8.

The verdict on this page is In production for police. The evidence is current and specific. A 2026 Durango Pursuit 3.6L AWD appears on Washington State's Department of Enterprise Services vehicle contract list. Michigan State Police tested both 2026 engines in its model-year 2026 evaluation, and its preliminary model-year 2027 results include both the 3.6L and the 5.7L. Two points remain open. Stellantis's August 4, 2026 release on the 2027 retail Durango lineup lists only HEMI V8 models and does not mention the Pursuit, and no Stellantis fleet order guide confirming 2027 Pursuit orders was found. Further out, Stellantis's October 2025 US investment plan includes a next-generation Durango for 2029 at the Detroit Assembly Complex, Jefferson, with $130 million for the plant, according to Motor1.

What makes it different from the retail Durango

Dodge announced the "2018 Dodge Durango Pursuit" on May 10, 2018, from Auburn Hills. The launch release described a 5.7L HEMI V8 rated at 360 hp and 390 lb-ft, a standard "full-time, active" all-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case (a gearbox that splits power between the axles and adds a low range), 7,200 lb of towing, which Dodge claimed led its class, and a 134-foot stop from 60 mph. The release said the vehicle was "available for order for a limited time." A Stellantis fact sheet dated August 31, 2019 lists the 3.6L Pentastar V6 (293 hp, 260 lb-ft) as standard and the V8 as available, both AWD, with a 120-inch wheelbase and 8.1 inches of ground clearance.

The 2021 refresh made the larger changes. FCA's release of September 11, 2020 set production of the 2021 Durango Pursuit to start in the first quarter of 2021 at Jefferson North Assembly in Detroit and claimed "more than 20 new standard features," including:

an instrument-panel-mounted shifter and police-specific front seats;
a heavy-duty "BR9" brake package;
tri-zone climate control for K-9 units;
the eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic on both engines;
a configurable 130 mph top-speed setting.

The model-year 2026 specifications that Dodge supplied to Michigan State Police show the current car. The 5.7L AWD (sales code 22Z) uses an 8HP70 eight-speed, a 3.09 axle, weighs 5,214 lb, carries 1,700 lb of payload and tows up to 7,200 lb. The 3.6L AWD (2BZ) uses an 850RE eight-speed, a 3.45 axle, weighs 4,929 lb, carries 1,550 lb and tows up to 6,200 lb. Both have a 119.8-inch wheelbase, a 24.6-gallon tank, Firestone Firehawk Pursuit 255/60R18 tires, a manufacturer-limited 130 mph top speed and, per Dodge, 84 cubic feet of cargo space.

Performance: what Michigan State Police testing shows

Michigan State Police (MSP) publishes an annual evaluation of new police vehicles. MSP MY2019 (the model-year 2019 evaluation) was the first book to include the Durango Pursuit, and MSP MY2026 (the model-year 2026 evaluation, test date September 13, 2025) is the most recent final book. Every MSP figure on this page is a clean-roof result, recorded without a lightbar, spotlights or antennas; an upfitted vehicle will usually perform below these numbers.

MY2019: 3.6L AWD, 0 to 60 mph in 8.59 s, 0 to 100 mph in 22.86 s, 117 mph; 5.7L AWD, 7.08 s, 18.34 s, 118 mph.
MY2026: 5.7L AWD, 7.24 s, 18.59 s, 130 mph, with a projected 141.10-foot stop from 60 mph; 3.6L AWD, 8.26 s, 22.88 s, 128 mph, with a projected 135.27-foot stop.
MY2027 (preliminary): 5.7L AWD, 7.56 s, 19.50 s, 143 mph, projected stop 136.27 ft; 3.6L AWD, 8.65 s, 23.78 s, 127 mph, projected stop 133.09 ft.

MSP labels the 2027 figures preliminary and states that results update as testing data is entered, so the final 2027 book will supersede them. The 143 mph result explains why different top speeds circulate: the MY2026 test measured 130 mph, which matches the manufacturer-limited 130 mph in that year's specifications.

MSP's purchasing criteria call for 0 to 60 mph in 9.0 seconds, 0 to 100 mph in 24.6 seconds and an average deceleration of 25.79 ft/s² over 20 stops from 60 mph. MSP also states that no sanctioning body defines "pursuit rated." Both Durango engines cleared those thresholds in MY2026, but the V6 margin is narrow: its 0 to 100 mph time of 22.88 seconds (23.78 seconds in the MY2027 preliminary results) sits within about one to two seconds of the cutoff. Braking was comfortably inside the standard, at 27.44 ft/s² for the 5.7L and 28.63 ft/s² for the 3.6L.

Against same-year rivals, the Durango is not the quickest police SUV. In MY2026 the Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L EcoBoost AWD ran 5.95 seconds and 148 mph, and the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV 5.3L RWD ran 7.39 seconds and 130 mph. The Durango's case rests elsewhere: rated towing of 7,200 lb, the K-9 climate feature, and MSP's model-year 2026 communications score of 9.78, the highest among the vehicles listed, which reflects how readily the vehicle accepts radio and equipment upfit.

The 5.7L oil-cooler problem

The Durango Pursuit's most serious documented problem affects only the 5.7L HEMI. Indiana Public Media reported in June 2024 that the Indiana State Police had bought 516 Durangos for $25.8 million and that, by June 2024, 39 had broken down from oil-cooler failures, 15 of them in May 2024 alone, with repairs taking four to eight weeks. Stellantis responded that the vehicle meets or exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and has "been deployed with thousands of police agencies since 2018."

FCA's own service documents, hosted by NHTSA, describe the fault and the fix:

Technical Service Bulletin 09-022-24 (December 5, 2024; revision A December 14, 2024) covers 2024 and 2025 Durango Pursuit 5.7L units built on or before November 25, 2024. It lists overheating, milky fluid in the coolant bottle and a leaking oil cooler as symptoms, with "oil cooler erosion" as the cause.
Customer Satisfaction Notification 58B ("Coolant Restrictor") covers 2021 to 2025 Durango Pursuit vehicles with the 5.7L (EZH) and engine oil cooler (NHA). It states that the coolant pump on "about 21,051" vehicles "may cause a pin hole in the oil cooler due to cavitation." The remedy installs a coolant restrictor and may replace the oil cooler. The January 2025 initial version covered about 15,302 vehicles from 2021 to 2023; revision 2 in April 2025 added model years 2024 and 2025.

Two corrections follow from those documents. The oil-cooler campaign is a service bulletin and a customer satisfaction notification, not an NHTSA safety recall. And it applies to the 5.7L only; the 3.6L V6 is not covered. The Durango Pursuit does have one police-specific safety recall: NHTSA campaign 22V-866 (November 23, 2022) covered 5,834 2022 Charger and Durango vehicles with the Police Group, whose improperly heat-treated shifter pawls could let the shifter slip out of DRIVE. The remedy is a replacement shifter assembly.

V6 or V8: the trade-off agencies weigh

The engine choice is a genuine trade-off rather than an obvious upgrade. In MSP's model-year 2026 testing, the 5.7L reached 60 mph about one second sooner than the 3.6L (7.24 against 8.26 seconds) and 100 mph about 4.3 seconds sooner. It tows 1,000 lb more (7,200 against 6,200 lb) and carries 150 lb more payload. The costs are fuel and risk: EPA combined ratings of 18 mpg for the V8 against 20 mpg for the V6, and the V8-only oil-cooler campaign. For an agency that tows trailers or carries heavy equipment, the V8's numbers matter. For general patrol, the V6 clears MSP's acceleration criteria, though with less margin to 100 mph.

Buying a retired Durango Pursuit: what to check

A retired Durango Pursuit should be judged by its model year and engine before anything else. The single most important check on a 2021 to 2025 5.7L vehicle is whether Customer Satisfaction Notification 58B has been completed. Look for signs of coolant contamination such as milky fluid in the coolant bottle, and ask the selling agency for service records; Indiana Public Media reported engine replacements on some Indiana State Police units. A 5.7L Durango Pursuit with no evidence of the coolant-restrictor repair is a poor buy until that work has been confirmed.

Recall 22V-866. Check the VIN of any 2022 vehicle for the shifter remedy.
Equipment removal. State law governs what must come off a marked vehicle before sale. Texas House Bill 473 (2015) bars state agencies from selling a marked patrol car until lights, sirens, spotlights, emblems and the "outline of an emblem" are removed. Check the current law in your state.
Title documents. Federal surplus vehicles sold through GSA Auctions and similar channels are routinely accompanied by Standard Form 97, the U.S. Government Certificate to Obtain Title.
Price. No current price is given here. Vermont's Fleet Management Services found state surplus vehicles sold for an average of 76% of book value across 2019 and 2020, a general-fleet figure rather than a police one.

Common misconceptions about the Durango Pursuit

"The Durango Pursuit started in 2021." Dodge announced it as a 2018 model in May 2018, and Michigan State Police first tested it for model year 2019. The 2021 model was a refresh with more than 20 new standard features.
"It is rear-wheel drive like the Charger." Every Durango Pursuit configuration is all-wheel drive.
"Its official top speed is 143 mph." That is MSP's preliminary MY2027 result. MY2026 testing measured 130 mph, the manufacturer-limited figure.
"The oil-cooler issue was a recall." It is covered by a service bulletin and a customer satisfaction notification, and only on the 5.7L.

The model-year labeling of the launch is itself inconsistent in manufacturer sources. Stellantis's May 2018 release calls the vehicle the "2018 Dodge Durango Pursuit," but the same release's image caption calls it a 2019, and the 2019 fact sheet says it was introduced in August 2018. Primary documents for this page include the Michigan State Police model-year 2026 test book, Stellantis's 2018 launch release and FCA's Customer Satisfaction Notification 58B.

Frequently asked questions

When did the Dodge Durango Pursuit come out?

Dodge announced the Durango Pursuit as a 2018 model on May 10, 2018, and a Stellantis fact sheet says it was introduced in August 2018. Michigan State Police first tested it for model year 2019. The vehicle was refreshed for 2021 with an eight-speed automatic on both engines and more than 20 new standard features, so it did not start in 2021.

Is the Durango Pursuit AWD?

Yes. Every Durango Pursuit configuration, V6 and V8, is all-wheel drive; there is no rear-wheel-drive police Durango. Dodge's launch release described a full-time, active all-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case. That distinguishes it from the retired Dodge Charger Pursuit sedan, which was offered with rear-wheel drive for much of its run.

What engines does the Durango Pursuit have?

The Durango Pursuit offers a 3.6L Pentastar V6 rated at 293 hp and 260 lb-ft as standard and a 5.7L HEMI V8 rated at 360 hp and 390 lb-ft as an option. In the model-year 2026 specifications, both use eight-speed automatics: an 850RE with the V6 and an 8HP70 with the V8.

How fast is the Durango Pursuit?

Michigan State Police measured 0 to 60 mph in 7.24 seconds and a 130 mph top speed for the model-year 2026 Durango Pursuit 5.7L, and 8.26 seconds and 128 mph for the 3.6L. The preliminary model-year 2027 5.7L result reached 143 mph. All are clean-roof results without a lightbar or equipment fitted.

What is wrong with the Dodge Durango police SUVs in Indiana?

Oil-cooler failures on 5.7L engines sidelined 39 of the Indiana State Police's new Durangos by June 2024, according to Indiana Public Media. The agency had bought 516 vehicles. FCA later issued Technical Service Bulletin 09-022-24 and Customer Satisfaction Notification 58B, which adds a coolant restrictor and may replace the oil cooler. It is not an NHTSA safety recall.

Is the Durango Pursuit still being made in 2026?

Yes, for model year 2026. A 2026 Durango Pursuit appears on Washington State's vehicle contract list, and Michigan State Police tested both 2026 engines. MSP's preliminary model-year 2027 results also include both engines, though no Stellantis order guide confirming 2027 Pursuit orders was found. A next-generation Durango is planned for 2029.

How much can a Durango Pursuit tow?

The Durango Pursuit can tow up to 7,200 lb with the 5.7L HEMI V8 or up to 6,200 lb with the 3.6L V6, according to Dodge's model-year 2026 specifications printed in the Michigan State Police test book. Towing is one of the Durango's clearest advantages over quicker police SUVs in MSP's model-year 2026 data.

Dodge Durango Pursuit