Should I buy a 2008 Dodge Charger with documented airbags problems?

Depends on the price and the specific vehicle. Documented airbags issues should be priced into the purchase — if the seller is asking full retail, negotiate down by the expected repair cost. A pre-purchase inspection from an independent shop tells you whether THIS specific vehicle has already shown the symptoms or not.

2008 Dodge Charger airbags problems

severe Owners of the 2008 Dodge Charger have filed 57 NHTSA complaints about the airbags, typically surfacing around 109,000 miles at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →

Failure mileage

Complaints

Recalls

Avg fix

$1,100

airbags complaints on the Dodge Charger, by model year
Model year	airbags complaints
2006 Charger	92
2007 Charger	75
2008 Charger (this page)	57
2009 Charger	41
2010 Charger	59
2011 Charger	37
2012 Charger	82

12crashes

13injuries

What stands out

All 2 active airbags recalls on this vehicle are classified critical — based on documented crash, fire, or fatality outcomes in NHTSA's record.

No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.

Related recalls

critical NHTSA 16V352000 May 24, 2016

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St

These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.

critical NHTSA 15V313000 May 27, 2015

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began for Chrylser on June 8, 2015. The recall for Mitsubishi started on June 24, 2015. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Mitsubishi owners may call 1-888-648-7820. Chrysler's number for this recall is R25. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V817 in its entirety. Vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well.

The failure pattern owners describe

The 2008 Dodge Charger airbag complaints break into two distinct problems.

Crash non-deployment: Nine owners describe crashes at 20–60 mph where airbags failed to deploy—impacts into poles, trees, other vehicles, and roadside objects that should have triggered them. No warning lights preceded these failures. Injuries ranged from back and neck trauma to head and shoulder injuries; two occupants were unconscious and hospitalized. One driver sustained a partial deployment with a burn. No diagnostic codes or repair attempts were documented in the crash cases; vehicles were either totaled or abandoned.

Takata recall parts shortage: Over 30 narratives report the same bottleneck: owners received recall notices (campaigns 14V567000, 15V313000, 16V352000) but dealers could not obtain replacement parts. Owners contacted dealerships multiple times between 2014 and 2017. Dealers consistently said parts were unavailable with no delivery estimate. One owner waited months and remained 322nd on a backorder list. Manufacturers acknowledged the issue but could not commit to timelines. Dealer responsiveness was poor—three dealers in the Dallas area never scheduled appointments despite repeated contact. One dealer later demanded $540 out-of-pocket to fix post-recall issues (airbag light and horn). No field repairs were documented across the parts-shortage complaints.

Same Dodge Charger airbags reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011

Failure modes owners describe

Complete airbag non-deployment in crashes

Owners report multiple crashes where airbags failed to deploy despite impact severity that would normally trigger them. Crashes occurred at speeds ranging from 20 to 60 mph into poles, trees, other vehicles, and roadside hazards. No warning lights or diagnostic indicators preceded these failures.

When: At impact during crash events; mileage range 50,000 to 200,000 miles

Symptoms owners cite: Airbags did not deploy on impact; No prior warning indicators illuminated; Vehicle damage consistent with deployment-worthy collision severity

Codes mentioned: 15V313000, 16V352000, 14V567000

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles typically totaled or deemed not worth repairing; no repairs performed in crash cases

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign Number 15V313000, 16V352000, and 14V567000 (Air Bags) — Takata recall campaigns issued; no field repairs documented in crash narratives

Partial airbag deployment with burn injury

One owner reported driver-side airbag deployed only partially during a 30 mph crash, causing a burn injury to the driver's left leg requiring medical attention. The partial deployment indicates potential inflator or restraint system malfunction.

When: At impact during 30 mph crash; mileage 200,000

Symptoms owners cite: Driver-side airbag deployed partially instead of fully; Burn injury to driver's left leg

Codes mentioned: 15V313000, 16V352000

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not repaired; cause of failure not diagnosed

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA campaigns 15V313000, 16V352000; no manufacturer notification or field service documented

Airbag warning light illumination

Owners report airbag warning light coming on without prior crash or impact. In one case, the warning light appeared immediately after Takata recall repair was completed. In another, light illuminated at 110,000 miles without known cause.

When: At 110,000 miles; post-recall repair in one case (2016)

Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light illuminated on dashboard; Light appeared post-recall repair in one case; No crash or impact preceding light activation

Codes mentioned: 14V567000

Repairs/costs cited: Dealer wanted $540 in one case to diagnose/repair airbag light and horn issue post-recall; vehicles not repaired in other cases

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 14V567000 for electrical system; post-recall service issues not resolved

Delayed/unavailable recall parts

The dominant complaint across 30+ narratives: recall parts for Takata airbag replacements were chronically unavailable, with no estimate for when they would arrive. Owners called multiple dealers over months to years and were consistently told parts were on backorder. One owner remained 322nd on a waiting list as of August 2015. Dealers cited high repair volume and lack of parts availability as reasons they could not schedule appointments.

When: Recall notifications received 2014–2016; parts unavailable throughout 2015–2017

Symptoms owners cite: Recall notice received (campaigns 14V567000, 15V313000, 16V352000); Parts unavailable at multiple dealers; No estimated delivery date given; Dealers unable or unwilling to schedule repair

Codes mentioned: 14V567000, 15V313000, 16V352000

Repairs/costs cited: No repairs performed; owners stated manufacturer exceeded reasonable repair timeframe. One dealer demanded $540 out-of-pocket after owner complained about post-recall service.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA recalls 14V567000, 15V313000, 16V352000 issued; manufacturer acknowledged parts shortage but could not confirm delivery dates; dealer service delays and lack of communication

Synthesized from 57 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.

What owners are reporting 2 most recent

airbags · filed 12/22/2016

"takata recall"

airbags · filed 12/16/2016

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms…

Had airbags trouble with your 2008 Dodge Charger? File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.

Common questions

How serious is the airbags problem on the 2008 Dodge Charger?

It's a meaningful issue. 57 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.

At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?

Across the 16 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 80,000 and 186,000 miles, with the median around 109,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 80,000; a quarter make it past 186,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.

What does it cost to fix?

Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.

Are there any recalls related to airbags?

Yes — 2 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.

Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public records database. Verify the raw federal record at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Dodge/Charger. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.