Dodge Challenger
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2017–2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database — the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific Dodge Challenger? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
AI Interpretation
High ConfidenceAverageNHTSA complaint data for the 2017–2026 Dodge Challenger shows a concentration of issues in the electrical system, with 74 complaints, followed by unknown or other components. The highest complaint volume occurred in 2018 (73 complaints), while model years 2024–2026 had zero complaints, possibly due to limited reporting. Crash-related complaints total 27, and there are 17 recalls across the analyzed years.
- Electrical system complaints are the most numerous at 74.
- Model year 2018 has the highest complaint count (73).
- Engine complaints total 28, and power train complaints total 26.
- Wheels: 20 complaints reported.
- Air bags: 21 complaints reported.
- Steering: 21 complaints reported.
Model years 2017–2019 have elevated complaints, with 2018 being the highest (73). Electrical system and unknown components appear to drive the majority of these complaints.
Model years 2024–2026 show zero complaints, which may indicate improved reliability or insufficient data. Earlier years like 2020–2023 have relatively few complaints compared to 2017–2019.
- Inspect wheels for any reported issues, as 20 complaints mention wheels.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
- Request service records for electrical system, engine, and power train.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase.
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
17 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 261 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
261 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Left Back Wheel , Unknown risk factor. They have checked vehicle @Darcars Dealer and says they can’t find an issue, and every 2-3 days I have to put air in tire.this particular tire also have been patched ,but long after the issue started. Unknown Tire pressure warning light, it started January 2023 The dealer also replaced the tire pressure sensor.
The contact owned a 2022 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH on I-85 in the left lane, the driver noticed a BMW quickly approaching. The driver attempted to change lanes to the center lane, and the rear end of the vehicle slid out and the vehicle fishtailed into the other vehicle in the far-right lane, traveled across three lanes of traffic and crashed into a brick wall median and then went across all three lanes. The contact stated that after crashing into the brick wall, the seat belt became unlatched. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver sustained injuries to the wrist, which had struck the steering wheel, and the left hand which struck the door on impact. Medical attention was provided at the scene by the EMT and at the hospital the following day. The steering wheel air bag, driver's side side-curtain air bags, and passenger’s side air bags deployed during the crash. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance company later towed the vehicle to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. The inspector determined that the driver’s seat belt was not latched during the crash after performing six push-pull tests on the seat belt. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Unknown
WINE NOISE FROM REAR AXLE AT 45 MPH TO 65 MPH BOUGHT CAR [XXX] RETURNED WITH CAR [XXX] ... DEAN IN THE SERVICE DEPT AT EAST HILLS DODGE SAID THEY HEARD THE NOISE...BUT THERE IS NO FIX FOR IT ...I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESALE VALUE OF THIS CAR . WITH THIS NOISE..ALSO I KNOW THAT A CAR WITH A BAD RING AND PINION WILL GET WORSE AND COULD LOCK UP ON THE ROAD WHILE I AM DRIVING AND CAUSE A ACCIDENT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THIS CAR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
the alarm keeps going off for no reason
The engine makes a whining belt noise after coming to a stop at intersections, drive-through windows, and garages.
The driver's seat belt does not retract quickly on exit. It often flops outside the car and gets closed in the door.
Both sideview mirrors scratched easily even though I only use clean microfiber cloths to wash them. The scratches have gotten worse over time, and are starting to obstruct visibility.
mileage 61113 . car moves forward 15 feet an goes into neutral .When pulling into traffic this is a serious safety problem . A major accident which could be loss of life might occur . Enterprise car sales will not acknowledge o show any concern . They offered a 12 month or 12000 mile limited warranty free and implied i should have paid for an expensive warranty. their carfax report showed that they did not comply with service information from the manufacturer for the transmission . As such i have been taken advantage of . I will now have to pay about $1000 to have the service completed . This problem also is happening on their Dodge pick up trucks.
My seatbelt seemed a bit faulty when I purchased the car. It was slow to retract and at some points wouldn’t retract unless I played with the seatbelt. Three years in to owning the car it still won’t retract fully and is at the point where it won’t come out to a safe distance that allows me to wear my seatbelt. As for the electrical defaults, there are times when I am driving and the display, between my speedometer and rpm dials, turned off. So would my center display, yet my radio continued to play. There were no warning signs or signals when that would happen. It is always random.
I purchased this vehicle from Vroom, who is also my lender under United Auto Credit. The car was sold with a washed title and undisclosed prior structural and mechanical damage. I have documentation confirming the vehicle had serious pre-existing issues and should never have been sold as a clean-title car. The differential has failed three times in under 6 months, and I’ve experienced full drivetrain failure following multiple service visits to Dodge. I had requested inspection of the transmission, but after every visit, the issues worsened. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. The car exhibits violent vibrations, power loss, and unpredictable handling, making it unsafe to drive at highway speeds. The differential is on the verge of catastrophic failure again. These issues risk loss of vehicle control, wheel lock up, and potential collisions. Has the issue been confirmed by a dealer or service center? Yes. Dodge dealerships have confirmed repeated differential failure and ongoing drivetrain problems. Independent shops have also verified signs of prior impact and poor repairs. Has the vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance? It has been brought to authorized Dodge service centers at least six times and is the subject of an open Dodge customer care case (7+ months). No police or insurance inspections at this time. This vehicle was fraudulently sold with hidden damage and has presented major, repeated safety hazards. I am asking the NHTSA to investigate not only this vehicle, but the broader pattern of dangerous sales by Vroom/United Auto Credit and Dodge, including title washing and stalling tactics to run out factory warranties before resolution.
My automatic start hasn’t been working for months . Sometimes it work , sometimes it doesn’t . When it doesn’t work I get a message on the dash saying “remote start cancelled hood open . “Iced taken my car to the Dodge dealership several times & it keeps happening . I’ve contacted Dodge customer care etc and nothing . Once when I was at the dealership the gentlemen said another customer came in with the same issue . This is car is too expensive, , I only have 38400 miles and nobody knows the issues nor do they care . I believe this is known issue with dodge
On [XXX] I was traveling s/b on [XXX] in Florida in my Dodge Challenger which I purchased from New Smyrna Dodge this year. I was traveling approx 65 mph and all of a sudden the back of my drivers seat went back all the way putting me in a flat position against the rear seat. I was lucky enough to pull myself up and keep control of the vehicle. The incident could have been a disaster because my father was also riding in the vehicle on the passenger side. I pulled over on the median and checked the drivers seat thinking maybe the manual recline had just slipped. In doing so I saw that the metal frame on the right side of the seat had snapped where it connects to bottom of seat frame. Obviously it is a defect in the metal because the frame was not damaged in any way and metal just to broke(Snapped). Had it happened in an accident the injury could have been severe. These seat are suppose meet certain standards. I responded to The dealer today and spoke to a service representative who did agree it was probably a defect because he never heard of that happening but also said unfortunately you are just over warranty by three thousand miles. Stated you can leave car but it will involve full days labor taking seat apart. Doesn't say much for dealer mechanics. Also said there was no recall on it but admitted when it happened could have been serious accident. He also made no attempt to even go out and look at it. If in fact this is a defect people's lives could be in danger. If I wasn't able to pull myself up immediately to a sitting position we probably would have had an accident. The actions of this dealer did not surprise me at all. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On [XXX] I was involved in car accident on [XXX] around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. When the impact happened the airbags deployed and cut my wrist (left) and burned my left forearm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The cars light notifications on instrument cluster panel turned on all of them at the same time while accelerating jerking the car on freeway I have video of that happening and can provide it upon request it did caused a minor accident but I settled the accident with other driver with cash with out involving insurance or police but the car is not being driven that much ever since accident it was nothing serious just a little damage to front bumper but it was really scary when it happened again on freeway thats why i recorded the problem live and can provide the video at request havent went to get the car checked out or repaired yet but definately need to it's a safety issue and dangerous one if happens at the wrong time or place I haven't received no calls from dealers or mail but will wait for further instructions from nhtsa the car is parked at the moment and will tow to the selling dealer after I hear from you guys I also believe there is a recall on my car for the same year and trim La but it was issued after I had vehicle in possession not sure but I received a similar looking card like the recall one about a factory replacement vehicle that I was supposed to receive because of a engine breakdown not sure what it is for but can provide that as well seems it seems sketchy because it looks alot and very similar to the recall card that gets sent out when there is a recall on car i have it on my person i kept it because it had a change of a dress fill out form in back of it so I need to check with sselling dealer I believe I might of gotten the wrong car or not my car i am owed for some reason the vin is not correct and I believe it's supposed to be a fj so this happening to me on a new 2021 dodge challenger for 53435 dollars doesn't seem right at all will ask dealer for a copy of my contract of the sale see if it matches the one they gave me might have the wrong car but the safety issue is real and hopefully you guys can tel me what'snex
The contact was driving a rental vehicle from Enterprise which was a 2021 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated there was debris in the high way and the vehicle was pulled into the wall and the air bag did not deploy. The contact stated a police report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed with dislocated left shoulder and head injury. The vehicle was towed to the Airport Enterprise Lot. mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,415.
This may not be the correct place to report this but it is a serious problem. Since Google took over the Waze navigation app they have been relentless in popping up ads, useless information and so on. They are now asking if I am driving an electric car of all things.... all while I'm driving on the highway! This strong, relentless encouragement to get drivers to distract their attention from the responsibility of driving is a menace! These apps know when a vehicle is in motion and these marketing idiots should not be doing this. This is a Nationwide problem that NHTSA could put a stop to tomorrow should they decide to. And I very much hope you will. These distractions serve no useful purpose... it's just one more way to annoy people with unwanted advertisements and unhelpful "tips". Thank you for your attention to this very important issue
The reverse camera screen is not adjustable and blinds the entire cab including looking into the mirrors. You must cover the screen to even look into the mirrors.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Additionally, the vehicle pulled back while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,160.
Left frontal Collision between drivers side head assembly and center front of car- with white tail deer about 100-120 lbs. , causing extensive damage to car. $19,000. Payout from progressive for those extensive repairs. And airbags never deployed. This seems highly alarming to me. The abrupt stop, or the sudden heavy damage to front of vehicle seems like it would activate airbags?? Safety issue??
Showing 20 of 261 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific Dodge Challenger
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Dodge Challenger has 261 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Dodge Challenger has 17 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 27 of the Dodge Challenger's 261 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision — always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Dodge Challenger vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Dodge Challenger vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Dodge Challenger has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.