2009 Dodge Challenger problems & reliability
132 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Dodge Challenger, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Dodge Challenger vehicles were involved in 16 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 41 | 31% |
| Power Train | 27 | 20% |
| Engine | 26 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 21 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 7% |
| Steering | 8 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 31,000 miles (middle 50% between 15,510 and 62,150 miles), based on 87 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I am currently waiting for a new Instrument Cluster, which is the cause of all of my problems, and which is why I failed the emissions test.”
Electrical System · filed Jul 25, 2023
“On several occasions while driving the vehicle would would appear to lose power and the front wheels would shake. After turning off the engine and restarting the car the problem resolved itself. It was taken to the dealership and they said they could not replicate the problem. Two days ago it did the same thing along…”
Service Brakes · filed Apr 6, 2023
“Three times now the throttle has gone to wide open and sticks for about 5 seconds. Scares the living crap out of you.”
Electrical System · filed Apr 2, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
46 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Dodge Challenger. The 10 most recent:
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2022
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010RevB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2022
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010 RevB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2022
Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number…
9004009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2021
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010 Rev. · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2021
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010 Rev. · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2021
Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19
23-015-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Dodge Challenger has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Dodge Challenger?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 31,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.