NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 182 owner complaints for the 2016 Dodge Charger.
5Safety recalls
182Owner complaints
7Complaints citing a crash
2Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: electrical system, powertrain, equipment, and body structure. Most-described problem: a fuel smell or fuel leak (13 complaints, 7%). Most-reported area: body structure (53 complaints, 29%; median mileage when it happened: 49,000). Excludes the electric Charger Daytona, which NHTSA files as the Charger EV. EPA lists no gas Charger for 2024 or 2025. Crash ratings for the Charger Pursuit police car are left out; NHTSA files some of its recalls under the regular Charger name, so they appear here.
5 safety recalls for the 2016 Dodge Charger
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
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.
The fix and full notice
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 transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
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.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Dodge Charger pursuit police vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive and V8 engines.
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/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Risk: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD).
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
FCA US LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured August 23, 2010, to January 7, 2016.
NHTSA listing: CHARGER. Dodge campaign S03.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Powertrain: automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) (Chrysler (FCA US LLC), 18E-053).
What owners report
Owners have filed 182 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Charger. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Fuel smell or fuel leak13 · 7%
Stalling or shutting off while driving9 · 5%
Check engine light6 · 3%
Loss of power or limp mode5 · 3%
Headlight or exterior light problems5 · 3%
Smoke or a burning smell4 · 2%
Power steering problems or locked steering4 · 2%
Shaking, shuddering or vibration4 · 2%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Body structure53 · 29%
Most named: body (42); interior panels, door (6) · Median 49,000 miles at failure, from 37 reports with mileage
Electrical system25 · 14%
Engine25 · 14%
Median 32,200 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system25 · 14%
Powertrain25 · 14%
Steering17 · 9%
Air bags9 · 5%
Unknown or other32 · 18%
Median 40,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Dodge Charger recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Charger drew the most (50) and the 2016 drew 45.
Owner complaints
2016: 182 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Dodge Charger
Model year
Complaints
2016
182
2017
128
2018
122
2019
120
2020
57
2021
34
2022
16
2023
26
2026
2
Safety recalls
2016: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Dodge Charger
Model year
Recalls
2016
5
2017
4
2018
6
2019
5
2020
3
2021
2
2022
3
2023
2
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Dodge Charger 4 DR AWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Dodge Charger 4 DR RWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Dodge Charger SRT 4 DR RWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Charger problems?
In the 182 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Dodge Charger, the problems described most are a fuel smell or fuel leak (13), stalling or shutting off while driving (9), and the check engine light coming on (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Dodge Charger safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Dodge Charger earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Charger has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Dodge dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CHARGER.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.