Buyer Research

2016 Dodge Charger — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $13,000–$22,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 15 Dodge Charger years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

The last real American four-door muscle car, and the V6 version is a surprisingly sensible used buy. The trap isn't the car — it's the previous owner. These get driven hard, tuned, and used as police cars. Buy the boring one from the boring owner.

What we checked

Partly reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 182 owner complaints for the 2016 Dodge Charger, and 6 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. The largest single group is the body and structure at 29%. That is notable without being overwhelming — worth checking, not worth panicking about.

6 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Not written up yet: the body and structure (53 complaints). That group is in the public record and is not covered by the issues below. Treat it as something to ask about, not as absent.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2016 Dodge Charger

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Hemi lifter and camshaft failure (5.7L MDS)High — wallet impact

The Multi-Displacement System deactivates cylinders and the lifters collapse, wiping the cam lobe. A ticking noise at idle is the warning. Repair requires pulling the engine apart.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000-$6,000 — about 34% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (28).

Hard use and modification historyMedium

Not a defect but the real risk. Tunes, launches, and neglected fluid changes on a rear-drive V8 make a used one a lottery. Police-fleet cars are common and heavily worn.

Repair cost: Not yet priced

Source: not yet checked against public records.

TIPM / electrical module faultsMedium

FCA power module failures cause random no-starts, fuel pump issues, and phantom electrical behavior.

Repair cost (estimate): $400-$1,200

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the fuel system (26), electrics and electronics (25).

Rear differential and axle seal leaksLow

Common on higher-mileage rear-drive FCA cars. Cheap if caught before the bearing goes.

Repair cost (estimate): $200-$600

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (25).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Ticking at idle on a 5.7 Hemi — lifter failure
✗Any evidence of a tune, aftermarket exhaust, or drag radials
✗Fleet or police auction history
✗Mismatched tire wear suggesting hard launches

Good Signs

✓3.6L Pentastar V6 — no MDS, no lifter issue, plenty quick
✓Stock everything with dealer service records
✓MDS delete or lifter replacement documented on a V8