Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2012 Dodge Charger
NHTSA data on file today
The 2012 Dodge Charger has 14 NHTSA recall campaigns and 648 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars, averaged across 2 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #19V018000 Do Not Drive - Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V021000 Do Not Drive - Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V435000 Alternator may Fail Resulting in Engine Stall NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V352000 Do Not Drive - Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V240000 Driver may Exit Vehicle when it is not in PARK NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V043000 Body-Side Sill may Give when Jacking Car NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V467000 Inadvertent Side Air Bag Deployment NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V634000 Alternator may Fail Resulting in Engine Stall NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V101000 Loss Of Low Beam Headlights NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V118000 Seat Airbag Wiring Harness NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V197000 ABS/ESC FUSE AND HEADLAMP JUMPER WIRE HARNESS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V042000 ABS/ESC FUSE AND HEADLAMP JUMPER WIRE HARNESS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V004000 TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM/FMVSS 138 NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #11V487000 ROD BEARING FAILURE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Electrical System 359 complaints
- Air Bags 111 complaints
- Engine 94 complaints
- Power Train 65 complaints
- Steering 53 complaints
- Exterior Lighting 52 complaints
Of the 648 complaints on file, 20 report a crash and 49 a fire; across all 648 complaints, owners report 16 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $8,000–$15,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2012 Dodge Charger has below-average reliability, based on 648 owner complaints and 14 recall campaigns. The data highlights significant issues with electrical systems and airbags, with frequent failures noted. Multiple recalls address critical safety components, which may indicate potential long-term durability concerns. Although there is substantial evidence of common failures, limited data on other essential components restricts the overall reliability assessment.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | Unknown | $400–$1,000 | common |
| Airbags | Unknown | $200–$1,000 | common |
| Engine | Unknown | $500–$5,000 | occasional |
| Power train | Unknown | $800–$3,000 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake inspections and replacements
- Tire rotations and balancing
- Replace spark plugs
- Transmission fluid change
- Coolant system flush
- Inspect suspension components
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning light
- Flickering headlights
- Engine misfires
- Shuddering during acceleration
- Unresponsive power steering
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2012 Dodge Charger at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.