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2009 Dodge ChargerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 174 owner complaints about the 2009 Dodge Charger, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-352 the manufacturer reports only 34% of affected cars repaired.

2009 Dodge Charger
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Charger median · #9 of 18 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 34%Owner complaints17421 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage96kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 5, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Michael Gil from Calgary, AB, Canada, CC BY 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Dodge Charger has problems

174 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system452
Air bags459
Engine324
Steering180
Tires181
Wheels122
Engine and engine cooling101
Suspension71
Power train60
12 other systems272

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2009 Dodge Charger recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

49%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 18V-021 · Jan 9, 2018 · 328,177 vehicles · 160,051 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

34%repaired · 2018 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 16V-352 · May 24, 2016 · 4,648,270 vehicles · 1,599,545 repaired

Risk. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

41%repaired · 2017 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 15V-313 · May 26, 2015 · 4,077,169 vehicles · 1,644,105 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs

Recall 09V-420 · Oct 29, 2009 · 12,656 vehicles

Risk. WHILE DRIVING, A TIRE AND WHEEL SEPARATION COULD OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems

Recall 08V-642 · Dec 5, 2008 · 175 vehicles

Risk. OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE WITH LOW TIRE PRESSURE COULD RESULT IN TIRE DAMAGE AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Lever and linkage: column shift

Recall 08V-583 · Nov 6, 2008 · 20,283 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE IN AN UNEXPECTED DIRECTION STARTLING THE DRIVER, AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Dodge.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

96kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 35 electrical system complaints. 54% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles19under 100k miles16100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Charger year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Charger median. How we score

'66'67'68'70'71'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'83'84'85'86'87'01'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2009 Dodge Charger safety ratings

2009 Dodge Charger 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2009 Dodge Charger side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (10.9% risk)
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Dodge Charger, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  2. PRNDL MISALIGNMENTPE08052 · closed Nov 10, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-583
In owners' words

What Charger owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under a recall and the driver’s side air bag was replaced. The contact stated that after the recall repair, the instrument cluster failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the screen…
Complaint 11665106 · Jun 5, 2025 · 179,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle had shut off unexpectedly. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally, but the failure persisted. The contact replaced the spark plugs, battery, and fuel…
Complaint 11646559 · Mar 5, 2025 · 150,000 miles
I was sold this car from a dealer and told nothing was wrong with it, 2 days later codes U0002 (CAN communication BUS performance) and U0103 (Loss communication with gear shift module) came on and the car will go into what I believe is limp mode every 10-30 minutes into driving it. I believe the…
Complaint 11511445 · Mar 12, 2023

Own a 2009 Charger?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.