2012 Dodge Charger problems & reliability
648 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Charger, alongside 14 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.
14 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Dodge Charger vehicles were involved in 63 fatal crashes with 28 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 359 | 55% |
| Air Bags | 111 | 17% |
| Engine | 94 | 15% |
| Power Train | 65 | 10% |
| Steering | 53 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 52 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 43 | 7% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 35 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 33 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 20 | 3% |
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 64,000 miles (middle 50% between 44,875 and 86,125 miles), based on 484 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My airbag light comes on intermittently and when I called the dealership and told them they brushed it off as nothing. My car already had open recalls for the airbag and got fixed but it’s still having the same issues. I had the car since October of 2025 and there was no lights on when I financed it. The car has had 2…”
Air Bags · filed May 21, 2026
“Brake Light, ABS Light, and Traction Control Light lit up on dash. Took car to dealership and the issue was diagnosed as a faulty ABS module. This is MOPAR part 68160269AB, which is discontinued. I was also told that there were no after-market options, and that programming a used one might not work. So I have no…”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Jan 27, 2026
“Headlight pigtail assembly burned out as described in the 2014 safety recall. 14V-101 / P08 Recall Summary The wiring sub-harnesses for the headlights may overheat, and the low beam headlights may fail. Dealers will replace the headlamp jumper harnesses and bulbs or the headlight assemblies as needed free of charge to…”
Electrical System · filed Nov 25, 2025
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
- Vehicle rollaway, engine on
Engineering Analysis EA16002 · opened Feb 3, 2016 · closed Jun 24, 2016 · led to recall 16V424000
- Alternator failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE14022 · opened Jul 22, 2014 · closed Nov 6, 2014 · led to recall 14V634000
Technical service bulletins
219 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Charger. The 10 most recent:
The vehicle will exhibit a service transmission/check engine warning indicator for the following transmission models: 845RE, 8HP45, 850RE, 8HP50, 8HP70, 8HP75, 8HP75-PHEV, 8HP75-LCV, 8HP90, 8HP95. Transmissions may…
S2621000003 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Pad kit - rear disc brake, front disc brake
108463 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025
Pad kit - rear disc brake, front disc brake
108464 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 17, 2025
AIR BAG - SIDE CURTAIN
103239 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 2025
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, 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
Lubrication and Maintenance Fluids If MOPAR fluids and chemicals are not readily available, please review Service Library for specifications so a suitable alternative can be used
9100196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
Fuel Pump Connector Replacement The technician may experience a crank/no start after the fuel pump module was replaced. This bulletin involves replacing the fuel pump connector harness (pigtail) when replacing the fuel…
0815223 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2023
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 2012 Dodge Charger has 14 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 2012 Dodge Charger?
- · 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 64,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.