Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Dodge Charger problems

Owners filed 624 complaints about the 2008 Dodge Charger with NHTSA between Dec 2007 and May 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (397).

Complaints
624
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
24
Reported by owners
Fires
22
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system397
  2. Air bags124
  3. Engine94
  4. Power train35
  5. Steering31
  6. Electronic stability control (esc)18
  7. Engine and engine cooling16
  8. Vehicle speed control14
  9. Suspension13
  10. Service brakes13
  11. Fuel/propulsion system10
  12. Exterior lighting9
  13. Structure9
  14. Visibility8

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20071
20086
200912
201013
201119
201210
201338
201449
2015289
201682
201735
201821
201921
202012
20213
20226
20233
20240
20253
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

397 reports8 crashes14 fires1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as intended. An abnormal cranking sound could be heard coming from the engine. The contact stated it would take several attempts to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that last year he received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers : 4V567000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V352000 (AIR BAGS). The vehicle was repaired. The dealer is refusing to repair the vehicle for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 26, 2025Electrical systemODI 11669568

Air bags

124 reports15 crashes2 related recalls
“My air bag light is on and im having problems with high idle after replacing map sensors, and replacing the Throttle Body, and replacing the fuel pump my car is running horrible”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 3, 2022Electrical system, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11455125

Engine

94 reports8 fires
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine, traction control, and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove to his residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that he had to pay out of pocket for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 270,917.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 29, 2022EngineODI 11495270

Power train

35 reports1 crash1 fire2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, but was able to coast off the roadway. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle temporarily returned to normal functionality but was running abnormally. The contact stated that the failure recurred. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the PCM and the ignition switch. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V567000 (Electrical System) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 208,500.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 9, 2023Power train, Electrical systemODI 11537420

Steering

31 reports2 crashes
“I DRIVE TO WORK EVERY DAY AND I CAN FEEL MY CAR SHACKING WHILE I HAVE THE CAR ON DRIVE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED MY VEHICLE SLIDING OF THE ROAD WITH OUT CONTROL. ALSO MY BREAKS HAS LOST CONTROL ON ME WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. THESE ISSUES IM EXPERIENCING ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL DRIVING MY VEHICLE EVEN IF IM DRIVING SLOW. THE LAST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED 9/12/18, BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THESE ISSUES ARE NOT REPORTED AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CONSIDERED AS A RECALL.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 13, 2018Steering, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11129252

Electronic stability control (esc)

18 reports
“I REPLACED THE LIFTERS ON THE ENGINE AND IT'S GOT A KNOCKING NOISE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT NOW A RED LIGHTENING BOLT COMES ACROSS THE DASH AND I HAVE SCAN IT FOR CODES BUT NOTHING COMES UP. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 13, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), EngineODI 11324354
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.