Dodge Charger reliability by year
17 recalls and 5,761 owner complaints across 20 model years. Best year to buy: 2023. Year to avoid: 2012.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 7 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 20 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Charger aggregated across 20 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Dodge Charger?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2023 Dodge Charger scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2006–2025 range. 24 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Dodge Charger year should I avoid?
The 2012 Dodge Charger scores 6.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 648 owner complaints with NHTSA, 4 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2012 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Dodge Charger should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2013 (avoid — the electrical system — 19 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2012 (avoid — the electrical system — 35 fire-related complaints and 6 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2011 (avoid — the electrical system — 41 fire-related complaints and 6 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2008 (avoid — the electrical system — 13 fire-related complaints and 4 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2007 (avoid — the electrical system — 7 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2006 (avoid — the electrical system — 5 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the engine). The cleaner years on the data are 2025, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Dodge Charger are tracked?
20 model years (2006 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 17 recalls and 5,761 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Dodge Charger?
electrical is the most-reported category — 1,658 complaints across 18 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.