Should I buy a 2009 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.

2009 Dodge Charger airbags problems

severe Owners of the 2009 Dodge Charger have filed 41 NHTSA complaints about the airbags, typically surfacing around 120,000 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	57
2009 Charger (this page)	41
2010 Charger	59
2011 Charger	37
2012 Charger	82
2013 Charger	30

8crashes

8injuries

When does it fail?

Of the 41 airbags complaints filed for the 2009 Dodge Charger, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.

0-25k

0 (0%)

25-50k

0 (0%)

50-75k

0 (0%)

75-100k

1 (50%)

100-125k

0 (0%)

125-150k

0 (0%)

150k+

1 (50%)

Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.

What stands out

All 3 active airbags recalls on this vehicle are classified critical — based on documented crash, fire, or fatality outcomes in NHTSA's record.

Airbags accounts for 23% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 11 categories tracked.

Related recalls

critical NHTSA 18V021000 January 9, 2018

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U

An inflator explosion may result in sharp 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 owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U03.

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

Owners describe airbags that simply don't deploy during frontal and side-impact collisions, despite severe vehicle damage that should trigger the systems. In one crash at 235,000 miles, the airbag did deploy but ejected metal fragments, causing burns and chest injuries. Several drivers were injured when airbags failed to protect them; vehicles were totaled.

The bulk of complaints (roughly 30 narratives) concern a massive recall parts shortage. Owners received NHTSA Campaign notices 15V313000 and 16V352000 starting in 2015 but couldn't get replacement Takata inflators for months or years. Dealers promised repairs within weeks, then went silent. Manufacturers acknowledged the issue but couldn't provide repair dates. One owner waited over two years; another received three separate recall notices but never got called back to have the work done. One vehicle included in a recall had the repair not completed before the owner was hit in a collision. A 2019 recall service left a passenger-seat squib with a persistent open-circuit fault the dealer couldn't fix. One narrative mentions an unrelated stall-and-airbag-failure incident, but most complaints center on non-deployment and logistics failure.

Same Dodge Charger airbags reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2010 · 2011

Failure modes owners describe

Airbag non-deployment in frontal/side impact

Front and driver-side airbags fail to deploy during frontal and multi-direction collisions despite vehicle damage meeting deployment criteria. Owners report no airbag deployment warning lights, no visible mechanical faults, and some received safety recall notifications but repairs were not completed before the incident.

When: At impact during accidents; mileage ranging 91,000 to 235,000 miles

Symptoms owners cite: Complete absence of airbag deployment during frontal collision; No airbag deployment during side/angled impact; No warning lights illuminated prior to impact; Severe vehicle damage without corresponding airbag activation

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles towed and totaled. One narrative mentions metal fragments ejected from airbag in deployment. No field repairs documented for non-deployment cases.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign Numbers 15V313000 (Air Bags) and 16V352000 (Air Bags) issued. Two owners note recalls were issued but not completed before accident occurred.

Airbag inflator deployment with fragmentation

Frontal airbags deployed during collision but ejected metal fragments and caused severe burns, indicating inflator rupture or abnormal deployment. Complainant sustained injuries requiring medical attention and vehicle was totaled.

When: 235,000 miles; during frontal impact collision

Symptoms owners cite: Metal fragments ejected from airbag during deployment; Severe burns to left leg and right wrist; Metal fragment injuries to chest, abdomen, and stomach; Vehicle deemed total loss

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle totaled; no repair attempted. Fragments required medical removal.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers 15V313000 and 16V352000 (Air Bags). Suspect Takata inflator defect.

Airbag rattle/loose component in compartment

Passenger-side airbag compartment produces rattling noise during driving. No warning lights or other symptoms. Vehicle not diagnosed or repaired.

When: 92,500 miles

Symptoms owners cite: Rattling sound from passenger-side airbag compartment; No warning lights illuminated

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not diagnosed or repaired.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Associated with NHTSA Campaign Number 18V021000 (Air Bags); however, VIN not included in recall.

Recall parts unavailability and delayed repair

Owners received recall notifications (primarily 15V313000 and 16V352000) for Takata airbag inflators but replacement parts were not available for extended periods—often more than one year from recall notice. Dealers could not provide estimated repair dates, and manufacturers exceeded reasonable timeframes for remedy. This is a supply chain and logistics issue, not a vehicle defect per se, but creates safety risk by delaying mandatory repairs.

When: Recalls issued 2015–2019; delays documented from several months to over two years

Symptoms owners cite: Recall notification received but no parts available; Dealers unable to schedule repairs; Repeated calls over months with no resolution; Manufacturer unable or unwilling to provide repair date estimates

Repairs/costs cited: No repairs completed due to parts shortage. Multiple narratives note 2–3 week promises made, then extended indefinitely.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign Numbers 15V313000 (Air Bags) and 16V352000 (Air Bags) issued. Parts distribution disconnect confirmed by VIN tool in multiple cases. Manufacturer acknowledged issue but could not resolve supply chain failure.

Airbag deployment failure after prior recall attempt

Vehicle included in recall (16V352000) and was supposed to be repaired, but recall repair was not completed. Subsequent collision resulted in head injuries and vehicle total loss despite airbag deployment.

When: 94,000 miles; collision occurred; recall repair prior to incident not completed

Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle in recall campaign; Recall repair not completed before incident; Airbags deployed but driver sustained head injuries; Vehicle totaled

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle towed and not diagnosed/repaired. Vehicle was included in recall but repair was never performed.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign Number 16V352000 (Air Bags). Recall repair was not completed prior to accident.

Passenger seat deployment squib open circuit fault

Passenger seat deployment squib reads open circuit fault code. Issue persisted after airbag recall in 2019 when the fault was supposedly addressed. Dealer unable to resolve the underlying diagnostic problem.

When: Fault present after 2019 recall service; issue unresolved as of complaint date

Symptoms owners cite: Open circuit fault in passenger seat deployment squib; Fault code persists after recall service

Codes mentioned: ORC passenger seat deployment squib 1 open circuit 1

Repairs/costs cited: Dealer attempted repair during 2019 recall service but was unable to fix the underlying issue.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Associated with prior airbag recall service in 2019, but dealer could not resolve open circuit fault.

Synthesized from 41 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.

What owners are reporting 8 most recent

airbags · filed 12/12/2016

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags); however, the parts 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 notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not…

airbags · 150,000 mi · filed 12/09/2014

In the last four months, my 2009 Dodge charger has stalled three times without warning. It doesn't sputter, then die. It just shuts down. The first two times, I was driving straight. This last time, 12/08/14, I was turning in a parking lot. I lost my power steering and my power breaks. I hit the concrete base of a light pole hard enough to blow out my front driver-side tire and bent the tie…

airbags · filed 12/08/2015

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v313000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool…

airbags · filed 12/05/2016

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags). The part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. The manufacturer…

airbags · filed 12/05/2016

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags). 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 not made aware of the issue the VIN was unknown the contact had not experienced a failure.…

airbags · filed 12/04/2015

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.…

airbags · filed 12/03/2015

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Dodge charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags) however, the part for the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

airbags · 94,000 mi · filed 11/25/2019

Tl* the contact's son owns a 2009 Dodge charger. While driving approximately 30 MPH in the rain, the contact's son crashed into a fallen tree in the road. The front end of the vehicle was severely damaged. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The driver of the vehicle sustained head injuries, but no medical…

Had airbags trouble with your 2009 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 2009 Dodge Charger?

It's a meaningful issue. 41 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 11 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 92,500 and 150,000 miles, with the median around 120,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 92,500; a quarter make it past 150,000. 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 — 3 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/2009/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.