Active Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) B1A10-00, B1A11-00, B1A12- 00, B1A13-00-, B1A14-00, B1A15-00, B1A16-00, and B1A17-00 in The Radio Frequency Hub (RFH)
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2018 Dodge Charger electrical problems
moderate Owners of the 2018 Dodge Charger have filed 44 NHTSA complaints about the electrical, typically surfacing around 40,000 miles at roughly $850 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See electrical across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
44
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
| Model year | electrical complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Charger | 78 |
| 2015 Charger | 18 |
| 2016 Charger | 20 |
| 2017 Charger | 39 |
| 2018 Charger (this page) | 44 |
| 2019 Charger | 19 |
| 2020 Charger | 6 |
When does it fail?
Of the 44 electrical complaints filed for the 2018 Dodge Charger, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
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
Electrical accounts for 36% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 7 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 44 electrical complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Verify "Z" part number availability. Order a "Z" part number for all Exchange Orders: Warranty, Mopar, Customer pay and Service contract. Order"68" part number for New unsold units only
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Decreased Remote Start And RKE Range. Tire Pressure Sensors Values Are Not Displayed
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗"Washer Light On And Will Not Turn Off After Adding Washer Solvent."
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning Lamp On
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2018 Dodge Charger has a systemic electrical problem centered on the 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen. Between 6,700 and 47,000 miles, the display delaminates—a bubble forms and moisture seeps in—causing the screen to activate buttons on its own without any touch. Owners report the radio jumping stations, the climate control blasting hot or cold air, Bluetooth dialing people and hanging up repeatedly, and a constant pop-up asking to reset the clock with incessant beeping. This happens 30 times a minute on bad days, creating serious driver distraction. The backup camera becomes laggy or disabled. Some owners can power down the screen only to have ghost touches turn it back on immediately. Dealerships quote $2,000–$2,200 for replacement; Chrysler refuses to pay after three years, though some second visits have gotten goodwill repairs.
Beyond the touchscreen, owners report no-crank conditions where the engine won't turn over despite full electrical power staying on indefinitely—shifter stuck in park, fob showing "not found," transmission and stabilitrack warnings blaring—until the battery dies. Intermittent taillight failures cycle on and off despite bulb and fuse replacement, suggesting wire harness shorts. Key fobs fail to recognize the vehicle. Headlight fuses melt repeatedly. One owner's dashboard went completely dark and steering wheel locked mid-drive; scanner pulled a lost-ECM code and the vehicle has an open powertrain control module recall. Hard battery resets provide only temporary relief before electrical gremlins return.
Same Dodge Charger electrical reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Uconnect touchscreen delamination and ghost touch
The 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen develops physical separation between the display cover and LCD panel, allowing moisture ingress and causing phantom (ghost) button activations. The screen registers touches when no contact occurs, triggering uncontrolled functions across radio, climate, navigation, and safety systems.
When: Between 6,700 and 47,000 miles; many began in fall 2020 onward after warranty expiration
Symptoms owners cite: Visible bubble or delamination forming on screen surface; Screen unresponsive to intentional input; Radio changes stations involuntarily; Climate control adjusts without user input; Recurring pop-up asking to adjust clock settings with constant beeping; Navigation maps shake or become inaccessible; Bluetooth dialing calls unintentionally and hanging up repeatedly; Backup camera disables or becomes laggy; Screen turns on by itself when powered down; Screen hard to see due to delamination haze
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership quotes range $2,000–$2,200 for full radio/screen replacement; some owners report goodwill repair after complaint escalation; temporary fix is hard reset via battery disconnect, typically lasts 1 minute to 1 day before recurrence.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dodge and Chrysler refuse warranty coverage outside 3-year bumper-to-bumper period; Chrysler referred some owners to dealership without cost assumption; some goodwill repairs granted on second visit.
No-crank condition with electrical hang-on
Vehicle will not start despite full electrical system activation. All electrical components power on and remain on even when the vehicle is parked and key is removed. Multiple warning messages appear simultaneously including transmission service alerts, key-fob-not-found, and stabilitrack warnings.
When: Starting at approximately 5,250 miles; recurred at 5,300 and 5,857 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Engine will not turn over or cranks slowly and weakly; One or both headlights out; All electrical stays powered on and will not shut off; Dashboard messages: 'SERVICE TRANSMISSION CONTINUE IN D', 'KEY FOB NOT FOUND' (fob present in vehicle), 'SERVICE STABILITRACK'; Shifter continuously blinking and will not move out of Park; Constant dinging as if key left in ignition; Battery drains to dead state if left unattended; Electrical remains on during towing
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership replaced shifter assembly after first incident; issue recurred post-repair at 5,857 miles; battery dead on second tow-in.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall or service bulletin mentioned; dealership performed reactive repair (shifter replacement) that did not resolve root cause.
Intermittent radio and audio loss
Radio freezes, stops playing sound, or disconnects from Bluetooth without user input. System becomes unresponsive and requires hard reset via fuse pull to restore function.
When: Reported at low to moderate mileage; one case at 52,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Radio audio cuts out or freezes completely; No sound output from speakers; Bluetooth connection drops; System appears blank and unresponsive
Repairs/costs cited: Temporary fix: pull radio/Uconnect fuse from trunk to force hard reset; lasting repair requires full radio console replacement; dealership inspection noted 'unstated electrical failure' as cause.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Not specified; vehicle not repaired at dealership.
Lost ECM/PCM communication and dashboard blackout
Dashboard lights go completely dark and steering wheel locks while vehicle is in motion. Scanner reveals lost communication with engine control module.
When: Incident during driving at undisclosed speed
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard lights go dark; Steering wheel locks; Unable to change lanes or steer vehicle safely
Codes mentioned: U0100 Lost Communication With ECM/PCM
Repairs/costs cited: Diagnostic code identified via independent mechanic scanner pull; vehicle has open recall for Powertrain Control Module reprogramming per MOPAR.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Open safety recall on file: 'Important Safety Recall: Reprogram Powertrain Control Module'; specific recall details not provided by owner.
Rear taillight intermittent operation
Rear passenger taillight cycles on and off randomly or remains completely inoperative. Issue persists despite fuse replacement, bulb replacement, and wheel speed sensor service, indicating wiring or grounding defect.
When: Ongoing issue; reported under 50,000 miles on one vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: Rear taillight comes on and goes off randomly; Taillight remains completely non-functional; ABS and traction control lights cycle on and off simultaneously with taillight issue; Brake pedal tightens intermittently
Repairs/costs cited: Owner replaced fuses, purchased and installed replacement taillight assembly, replaced speed sensors; issue unresolved, indicating wire harness short or ground fault; repair cost to date $400 for replacement light alone.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall or service bulletin mentioned.
Headlight fuse melting and headlight loss
Headlight fuses (15 and 16 amp for HID headlights) melt repeatedly, causing both headlights to go out. Suggests chronic overload or short in headlight circuit.
When: Ongoing issue
Symptoms owners cite: Headlight fuses melt continuously; Both headlights fail intermittently or completely; Fuses require repeated replacement
Repairs/costs cited: Issue unresolved; requires circuit diagnosis and possible wiring harness replacement.
Key fob recognition failure
Factory key fobs intermittently fail to unlock or start vehicle despite fresh batteries. When key is used manually, panic alarm activates unexpectedly and cannot be silenced with the same fob.
When: Ongoing for months; began after other electrical issues on at least one vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: Fob does not register to unlock vehicle; Fob does not register to start vehicle; Panic alarm activates when mechanical key is used; Second fob also exhibits same behavior; Panic alarm can only be turned off using different fob
Repairs/costs cited: Both factory fobs exhibit intermittent behavior; issue not resolved by battery replacement.
Uconnect system reboot and function cycling
Center console and Uconnect system reboots spontaneously, cycling through and disconnecting radio, climate control, backup camera, and performance gauges. Occurs whether vehicle is stationary or in motion.
When: Reported 16 days after vehicle purchase; can occur at any time
Symptoms owners cite: Center console reboots unprompted; Radio powers on/off involuntarily; Climate control resets; Backup camera disables during reboot; Performance gauges reset or become unavailable
Repairs/costs cited: New vehicle; repair not specified in complaint.
Synthesized from 44 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
The control touch screen has delaminated. The radio and the vehicle operation functions will not work most of the time. The screen is also apparently sensing input and randomly initiates functions so it beeps, changes stations, adjusts heating/cooling, etc. This is very distracting and I'm concerned that at some point all of these functions will become inaccessible. The car has 5,000 miles, is…
The u-connect touch screen is defective. This a "ghosting" problem where the touch screen buttons activate on their own, randomly, constantly across all screen control systems. This defect is activating multiple car systems including seat heaters, radio, bluetooth, environmental controls, odometer units, and 911 calling. The car has become unsafe due to activation of multiple systems while…
The 8.4 u connect is delaminating and continue,s to beep and ask do you want to reset the clock . It has become distracting also other functions of the 8.4 u connect do not respond
The screen cover separates from the touch screen on the radio. This makes the radio not function but more importantly other vehicle operational features are inaccessible. Apparently the screen feels random touches so even when I power it down it turns itself back on constantly beeping changinging stations, adjusting the heating/cooling controls, the clock etc. This is very distracting to a driver…
The uconnect radio is delaminating and there causing to jump from station or it will jump to resetting the clock causing me to look away from the road which is a distraction and I also believe that it controls more thrn just the radio. I called Chrysler customer care and was told it is my expense. But when I took it to a Chrysler dealership u was told by the tech on duty it was s known problem.
U-Connect Bluetooth Radio changes stations on its own radio makes awful beeping sounds display asking do i want to adjust Clock Settings sometimes back up camera disables itself
Dodge Chrysler (and other auto manufacturers) have soybased wiring installed in the newer cars. This is a safety issue as the soybean based covering on the wires is also a rodent attractant meaning rodents are eating the wiring that connects the ABS brake system, fuel pressure system and other sensitive systems. Once the rodents chew completely through the wires the gas will shut off or the…
Had electrical trouble with your 2018 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 electrical problem on the 2018 Dodge Charger?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 44 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $850 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Across the 15 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most electrical failures cluster between 5,250 and 47,000 miles, with the median around 40,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 5,250; a quarter make it past 47,000. 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 $850 for electrical 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 electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
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/2018/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.