2016 Dodge Charger — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $13,000–$22,000. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
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.
Known Issues for the 2016 Dodge Charger
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
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 range: $3,000-$6,000
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 range: Unbounded
FCA power module failures cause random no-starts, fuel pump issues, and phantom electrical behavior.
Repair cost range: $400-$1,200
Common on higher-mileage rear-drive FCA cars. Cheap if caught before the bearing goes.
Repair cost range: $200-$600
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
Found a specific Dodge Charger?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2016 Dodge Charger in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
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Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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