NHTSA (USA)CriticalDo Not Drive
At a glance
This page covers 14 recalls, 692 owner complaints and EPA fuel economy for the 2011 Dodge Charger.
18–21 mpg combined
11.2–13.1 L/100km
Large Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 4 tested variants for this model year.
Electrical complaints dominate the 2011 Dodge Charger's owner report history, making up the largest share of the 692 filed. Owners most commonly describe alternator failures leading to complete electrical collapse and no-start conditions, along with ABS module failures that left vehicles without functioning anti-lock brakes. Exterior lighting draws the second-highest complaint volume, with owners reporting headlights that are excessively bright or produce glare severe enough to affect other drivers and pedestrians. The fuel and propulsion system rounds out the top three, where owners describe sudden loss of acceleration while driving at highway speeds, sometimes with no warning lights to signal the problem. A recurring thread in the electrical complaints involves the center display going dark and becoming fully unresponsive, which owners say also disables connected features like blind-spot monitoring and climate control.
692
Total Complaints
25
Crash-Related
64
Fire-Related
14
With Injuries
By System
The 2011 Dodge Charger has 14 recalls, the most serious involving the passenger-side frontal airbag inflator, which can explode during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, potentially causing serious injury or death.
Several other airbag and restraint recalls round out the occupant safety concerns. Side impact sensors may be calibrated too sensitively, causing curtain airbags, seat airbags, and seatbelt pretensioners to fire without a crash. A separate wiring issue in the seat airbag harness can cause the airbag warning light to flicker and the seat-side airbags to go inactive. On the electrical side, the alternator can fail without warning, stalling the vehicle, and may also short circuit and start a fire. Note that the alternator recall only affects vehicles with electro-hydraulic power steering and a 5.7L or 3.6L engine.
Several recalls apply specifically to police-spec Chargers: an overheated power distribution center can knock out anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control, and a separate connector issue can cause the low-beam headlights to go dark. The headlight connector problem also appears on non-police models equipped with halogen headlamps, where overheating can cut low-beam function and reduce visibility. There is also a structural concern: using the supplied tire jack without wheel chocks can cause the body sill to collapse under the vehicle's weight, dropping the car unexpectedly.
At a glance
We may earn a commission for purchases made through these links.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
What can fail
The driver's frontal air bag inflator may build up excessive internal pressure during deployment and rupture or explode.
What the fix does
The passenger frontal air bag inflator will be replaced at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front airbag inflator may explode during a crash due to propellant degradation from long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The alternator may suddenly fail in vehicles with electro-hydraulic power steering, 5.7L or 3.6L engines, and 160, 180, or 220 amp alternators.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect your alternator and replace it if necessary at no charge, based on the part number.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger frontal air bag inflator may fail or deploy unexpectedly, potentially injuring occupants.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The vehicle's body-side sill may collapse when lifting the car with the supplied tire jack if wheels are not blocked, causing the jack to fail and the vehicle to drop.
What the fix does
Dealers will provide wheel chocks and instructions for their proper use at no cost to prevent sill collapse during jacking.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The body-side sill can deform when using the tire jack without wheel chocks, making the vehicle unstable and potentially causing the jack to fail.
What the fix does
Dealers will install wheel chocks with the spare tire that must be removed before accessing the spare.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The side impact sensors are calibrated too sensitively, which can cause side curtain air bags, seat air bags, and seat belt pre-tensioners to deploy unexpectedly.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the Occupant Restraint Control module to correct the sensor calibration at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The Occupant Restraint Control module software may have overly sensitive side impact settings, causing the side airbag curtain, seat airbag, and seatbelt pre-tensioner to deploy unexpectedly during normal driving.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the Occupant Restraint Control module software calibration to correct the side impact sensitivity.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The headlamp low beam connector can overheat and stop working, reducing your ability to see the road at night.
What the fix does
Your dealer will replace the headlamp wiring harness, bulbs, and/or headlamp assemblies as needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The headlight wiring harness can overheat, causing the low beam headlights to stop working.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the headlight wiring harnesses, bulbs, or complete headlight assemblies as needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Seat airbag wiring harnesses have electrical terminal crimps that are the wrong size. This may cause the airbag warning light to flicker on and off. If the light is on, the side airbags may not work in a crash, raising injury risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the driver and passenger seat airbag harnesses with properly crimped ones.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A power distribution center bus bar may overheat, causing the antilock brake system and electronic stability control to stop working, which increases crash risk.
What the fix does
The dealer relocates the ABS/ESC system fuse within the power distribution center.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The bulb harness connector can overheat, causing the low beam headlamps to stop working. Loss of low beam light while driving in darkness or bad weather reduces visibility and crash risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace both headlamp harnesses to restore proper low beam headlamp function.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Low beam headlamps may fail due to an overheated bulb harness connector. Some vehicles may lose ABS/ESC system function due to an overheated power distribution center.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the headlamp jumper harnesses and relocate the ABS/ESC system fuse within the power distribution center.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
