Reliable Auto DB

2018 Dodge Charger reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Dodge Charger has 122 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 17 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Charger years here — over the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Inflator, Camera, and Front underhood wiring.

2012 Dodge Charger
Photo by PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

122

Per year

17

Recalls

6

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (45 of 122), then Structure (19) and Engine (11). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Charger has 128 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2019 has 120 complaints, 13 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Dodge Charger. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall air bags, side and window, curtain, inflator 2024-03-14 · NHTSA campaign 24V198000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy Dealers will replace both side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 20, 2025. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 19B.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2020-08-27 · NHTSA campaign 20V512000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles equipped with a "stealth mode." When stealth mode is selected, the backup camera rearview image will not display when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update body control module software to disable stealth mode when the vehicle is shifted into "Reverse", free of charge. The recall began October 22, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W62.
Recall electrical system, wiring, front underhood wiring 2018-08-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V524000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2018-05-17 · NHTSA campaign 18V332000
Summary 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 depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Remedy 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 transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2018-05-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V280000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Charger, Durango and Challenger, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, Chrysler 300, and RAM 1500 vehicles. An incorrect transmission park lock rod may have been installed in the transmission.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U43.
Recall Driveshaft 2018-05-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V281000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (122 total)

Electrical system
45
Structure
19
Engine
11
Powertrain
10
Service brakes
6
Air bags
5
Exterior lighting
5
Suspension
5
Wheels
5
Fuel and propulsion system
4
Steering
4
Visibility and wipers
3
Back-over prevention
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Forward collision avoidance
2
Speed control
2
Equipment
1
Lane departure
1
Tires
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

152018122019232020312021142022820231020246202532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT WAS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER. DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-04-30
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, there was an abnormal, repetitive thud sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-02-13
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormal sound, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-01-06
  • "Back up camera not working. screen turns blue. tried resetting and had serviced. camera will not work. According to the Forum many others have the same issue"
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-10-07
  • "The drivers side headlight fuse melts continuously causing the headlights to go out specifically use 15 and few 16 for the HID headlights."
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting · filed 2025-09-28

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Charger 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 30 23 MPG $2800
Charger 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 30 23 MPG $2800
Charger 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 25 19 MPG $3900
Charger 6.4L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 25 18 MPG $4450
Charger all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
Charger all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
Charger SRT 6.4L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 25 18 MPG $4450
Charger SRT 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 13 22 16 MPG $5000

Specs and fitment

LD generation, 2012–2023
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-20 full synthetic (3.6L V6 Pentastar) , 7 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R18 (SXT), 245/45R20 (R/T and above)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V-198 covers certain 2018-2021 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles: the right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect. Dealers replace both side curtain air bags. Recall 19V-203 covers certain 2019 Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, and Chrysler 300 vehicles whose instrument cluster may not properly illuminate driver warnings; dealers update the instrument cluster software.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Dodge Charger Next year 2019 Dodge Charger See every Dodge Charger model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Dodge Charger reliable?

The 2018 Dodge Charger has 122 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 17 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Charger years here — over the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Inflator, Camera, and Front underhood wiring.

What are common problems with a 2018 Dodge Charger?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (45 of 122), then Structure (19) and Engine (11). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Dodge Charger more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Charger has 128 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2019 has 120 complaints, 13 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Dodge Charger been recalled?

The 2018 Dodge Charger has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Dodge Charger?

Owners have filed 122 complaints about the 2018 Dodge Charger with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Dodge Charger get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Dodge Charger is 19.9 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Dodge Charger use?

Most recent V6 Charger models call for 5W-20 full synthetic with about 7 quarts including the filter.

What does NHTSA recall 24V-198 cover on the Dodge Charger?

Recall 24V-198 covers certain 2018-2021 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles: the right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.

What generation is the 2013 Dodge Charger?

LD generation (2012-2023).