2016 Dodge Charger
Gas Large car
The 2016 Dodge Charger is sold in the U.S. as a gas large car with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Charger, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 182 complaints, most often about structure. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charger | Gas | RWD | 3.6L 6-cyl | 19 | 30 | 23 | $2,700 |
| Charger | Gas | RWD | 3.6L 6-cyl | 19 | 30 | 23 | $2,700 |
| Charger AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.6L 6-cyl | 18 | 27 | 21 | $2,950 |
| Charger AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.6L 6-cyl | 18 | 27 | 21 | $2,950 |
| Charger | Gas | RWD | 5.7L 8-cyl | 16 | 25 | 19 | $3,750 |
| Charger | Gas | RWD | 6.4L 8-cyl | 15 | 25 | 18 | $4,300 |
| Charger SRT8 | Gas | RWD | 6.4L 8-cyl | 15 | 25 | 18 | $4,300 |
| Charger SRT8 | Gas | RWD | 6.2L 8-cyl | 13 | 22 | 16 | $4,850 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
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Recalls (5)
Electrical System
highProblem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depress
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmissi
Power Train
highProblem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Dodge Charger pursuit police vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive and V8 engines. The front driveshaft universal joint may seize or fracture causing the shaft to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: If the front driveshaft detaches from the vehicle it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U37.
Equipment
criticalProblem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/201
Risk: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.
Power Train
highProblem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD). The front driveshaft bolts may loosen and allow the front driveshaft to disconnect, potentially causing a loss of motive power.
Risk: A loss of motive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace all eight front driveshaft bolts, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T03.
Structure
highProblem: FCA US LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured August 23, 2010, to January 7, 2016. When an affected vehicle is lifted using the supplied tire jack without chocking the wheels, the vehicle's body-side sill may give causing the tire jack to fail and the car to fall.
Risk: A car that falls unexpectedly increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will provide owners with wheel chocks and instructions for their use, free of charge. The recall began on March 21, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S03.
NHTSA investigations
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (open)
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002
Owner complaints
182 complaints filed
7 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 15 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2016: 8 · 2017: 13 · 2018: 24 · 2019: 23 · 2020: 36 · 2021: 25 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 11 · 2026: 7
Most-cited components
- Structure — 55
- Unknown Or Other — 32
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 25
- Engine — 25
- Electrical System — 25
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 4 DR RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Charger model years
2027 Charger
1 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 Charger
1 recalls · 5 complaints
C2025 Charger
3 recalls · 35 complaints
C2024 Charger
3 recalls · 24 complaints
B2023 Charger
2 recalls · 26 complaints
C2022 Charger
3 recalls · 14 complaints
B2021 Charger
2 recalls · 34 complaints
B2020 Charger
3 recalls · 57 complaints
D2019 Charger
5 recalls · 120 complaints
F2018 Charger
6 recalls · 122 complaints
D2017 Charger
4 recalls · 128 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 36975, 36976, 36970, 36971, 36969, 36972, 36974, 36973). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.