Dodge Charger problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 444 owner complaints and 19 safety recalls for the Dodge Charger. That averages 9.9 complaints per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (index 0.25 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Sports & muscle cars segment it ranks #1 of 2 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 12.3.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 61% below the 2018 and 2019 models (9 early complaints per model year versus 26).
The 2025 model year has the highest rate (21.8 complaints per year) and the 2022 model year the lowest (3.3). Model years 2019 and 2025 run at least 50% above this model's average of 9.9 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. The 2022 model year runs at least 40% below this model's average of 9.9 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (24.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (23.2%) and Engine (10.8%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 6.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 39 complaints (8.8%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 27 injuries and 1 death.
In the last 12 months owners filed 94 complaints versus 95 in the previous 12 months — down 1%. The 2025 model year generated the most recent reports (31). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 37 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 19 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2018 (4). 1 NHTSA investigation has covered this model, 1 still open; the latest is “Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture” (engineering analysis, opened 2021-09-17, still open).
It has fewer complaints per year than every other tracked model among Sports & muscle cars, including Ford Mustang.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 122 | 13.9 | 0.34 | 3 | 6 | Electrical | View › |
| 2019 ▲50%+ | 120 | 15.4 | 0.38 | 9 | 5 | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2020 | 57 | 8.4 | 0.21 | 7 | 3 | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2021 | 35 | 6.0 | 0.15 | 6 | 2 | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2022 Fewest complaints | 16 | 3.3 | 0.08 | 8 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
| 2023 | 26 | 6.9 | 0.17 | 12 | 2 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2024 | 24 | 8.6 | 0.21 | 13 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
| 2025 ▲50%+ | 39 | 21.8 | 0.54 | 31 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 5 | 5.0 | 0.12 | 5 | 1 | Engine | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 94 · Previous 12 months: 95 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Airbags & seat belts ›
107 · 24.1% · 6.35 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Electrical ›
103 · 23.2% · 1.47 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Engine ›
48 · 10.8% · 0.48 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Unspecified or other ›
42 · 9.5% · 1.05 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Body & structure
33 · 7.4% · 0.82 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Transmission / powertrain
32 · 7.2% · 0.62 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes
21 · 4.7% · 0.78 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
18 · 4.1% · 1.62 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Steering
11 · 2.5% · 0.39 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
11 · 2.5% · 0.57 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
9 · 2.0% · 1.31 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
5 · 1.1% · 0.61 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Driver-assist systems
4 · 0.9% · 0.16 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 37 months
What owners report
The contact owns a 2025 Dodge Charger EV. While reversing, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. Additionally, the instrument cluster indicated that the transmission was switching gears, but the vehicle had completely stopped.
Car caught fire while parked in a parking garage. Car was off.
While driving car a message appears on dash that says park safely, vehicle will shut down soon. The car stoppedin the middle of traffis almost immediately after message appeared with no time to pull over or park. If I was on highway I could have been killed.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V198000 (Air Bags); however, the dealer failed to reassemble the parts correctly during the repair.
The center read “race track” light has water intrusion which will short the circuit and there is no way to drain or dry the light. It appears to be a widespread issue based on what I’ve seen online similar to the Durango.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Sports & muscle cars
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge Charger | 444 | 9.9 | 0.25 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 19 | Airbags & seat belts |
| 2 | Ford Mustang | 695 | 14.6 | 0.36 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 40 | Engine |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 19
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (6) · 2019 (5) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (2) · 2022 (3) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (3) · 2025 (3) · 2026 (1)
Investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture Open
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupt…