2012 Dodge Challenger: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 253 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 6 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
253
Complaints
6
Recalls
11
Crash reports
8
Fire reports
8
Injuries
61.7
Severity index
Severity index 61.7 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Dodge Challenger ranks 70 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 46% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 138 | 54.5% |
| AIR BAGS | 47 | 18.6% |
| ENGINE | 25 | 9.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 20 | 7.9% |
| STEERING | 19 | 7.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 17 | 6.7% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 | 3.6% |
| SUSPENSION | 8 | 3.2% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 138 of 253 complaints (54.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | 35 |
| 2015 | 46 |
| 2016 | 27 |
| 2017 | 40 |
| 2018 | 29 |
| 2019 | 26 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 2 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V018000 | 15/01/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal |
| 17V435000 | 10/07/2017 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) and are equipped with a 5.7L or a 3.6L eng |
| 18V021000 | 09/01/2018 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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, Sou |
| 16V352000 | 24/05/2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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 |
| 13V118000 | 03/04/2013 | AIR BAGS | Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured April 11, 2011, through December 14, 2011. The affected vehicles may have improperly sized terminal crimps on the seat side-airbag wiri |
| 14V634000 | 08/10/2014 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010, to January 2, 2014, and equipped with a 3.6L engine and a 160 amp alternator. In |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.