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Research · Large Cars

2009 Dodge ChargerRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 175 owner complaints for the 2009 Dodge Charger. Most complaints involve electrical system (45) and air bags (45). The EPA rates it 15–21 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
15–21mpg
EPA · 7 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
6campaigns
Latest Jan 2018
Owner complaints
175
Top: electrical system
Fuel cost / yr
$3,050est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

6 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

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.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Chrysler is recalling certain 2009-2010 RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Chrysler is also recalling certain 2009 RAM 3500, RAM 2500, RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jan 9, 2018NHTSA 18V021000

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2012 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2012 Chrysler 300, 2006-2012 Dodge Charger, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Chrysler is also recalling 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2009 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2009 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2009 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2009 Chrysler 300, 2006-2009 Dodge Charger, 2005-2009 Dodge Dakota and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AZ, AR, DE, Washington D.C., IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Chrysler is recalling certain 2005-2008 RAM 2500, 2006-2008 RAM 3500, 2007-2008 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2008 Dodge Durango, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler, 2008 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2008 Chrysler 300, 2006-2008 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2008 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or registered, in AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY.

Air bagsReported May 24, 2016NHTSA 16V352000

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

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. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Air bagsReported May 27, 2015NHTSA 15V313000
See all 6 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 31, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

175 complaints filed with NHTSA · Aug 2009 – Jun 2025
  1. Electrical system45
  2. Air bags45
  3. Engine33
  4. Steering18
  5. Tires18
  6. Wheels12
  7. Engine and engine cooling10
  8. Suspension7
  9. Power train6

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

By model year

Complaints for each Charger model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
20061,294
2007570
2008624
2009175
2010238
2011695
2012648
2013360
2014343
2015136
2016182
2017128
2018122
2019120
202058
202135
202216
202326
20250
Crashes reported
9
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
10
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 31, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Electrical system

45 reports2 fires
“The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under a recall and the driver’s side air bag was replaced. The contact stated that after the recall repair, the instrument cluster failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the screen was black. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000. The VIN was not available.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2025Electrical systemODI 11665106

Air bags

45 reports9 crashes
“ORC passenger seat deployment squib 1 reads a open circuit 1. Has been like this since the last airbag recall in 2019. Was supposed to had been fixed then and dealer was never able to fix the issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 4, 2024Air bagsODI 11598793

Engine

33 reports1 crash3 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH, WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED THEN STOPPED. THE VEHICLE STALLED BUT THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT THEN SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A WET RAG AND SOME WATER. THE CONTACT THEN CONTACTED HIS INSURANCE COMPANY WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR SEATS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND OPENED THE TRUNK WITH A CROWBAR AND SAW THAT THE BATTERY HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT AND HIS DAUGHTER, WHO WAS A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE DID NOT SUSTAIN INJURIES. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 12, 2021Electrical system, EngineFire reportedODI 11416348
All 2009 Charger problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 31, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

7 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Large Cars
Engines
2.7L 6-cyl · 3.5L 6-cyl · 5.7L 8-cyl · 6.1L 8-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic 4-spd · Automatic 5-spd
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 31, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Charger
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 2.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
182621$3,050423
Charger
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
172520$3,200444
Charger
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 5.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
162519$3,400468
Charger
Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
162519$3,400468
Charger AWD
Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
172319$3,400468
Charger AWD
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 5.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
162318$3,550494
Charger
Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 6.1 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
131915$4,300592
  • Charger
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 2.7 L
    18 city · 26 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
  • Charger
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    17 city · 25 hwy · $3,200/yr
    20
    mpg comb.
  • Charger
    Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 5.7 L
    16 city · 25 hwy · $3,400/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
  • Charger
    Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    16 city · 25 hwy · $3,400/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
  • Charger AWD
    Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    17 city · 23 hwy · $3,400/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
  • Charger AWD
    Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 5.7 L
    16 city · 23 hwy · $3,550/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
  • Charger
    Auto 5-spd, 8 cyl, 6.1 L
    13 city · 19 hwy · $4,300/yr
    15
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 31, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

1 tested variant
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Dodge Charger as of Oct 31, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 31, 2026Vehicle 5161
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2009 Charger questions

How many recalls does the 2009 Dodge Charger have?

6 safety recalls as of Oct 31, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2009 Dodge Charger problems?

Owners filed 175 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are electrical system (45), air bags (45), engine (33). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2009 Dodge Charger get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Dodge Charger at 15–21 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (7 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 31, 2026