Dodge Challenger — the 14 years we've written up
2010–2023, side by side: what goes wrong on each, what the fix costs, and what they typically ask. 12 of the 14 carry a high-severity issue.
What this page is
These are the 14 Dodge Challenger model years Kestrel has done the homework on — not every year Dodge built one. A year that isn't listed here isn't a year we're warning you off; it's one we haven't written up yet. Ranking a whole model run would mean telling you about years we've never looked at.
Dodge Challenger by year
How many owner complaints NHTSA holds. A big number usually means a lot were sold; the shape matters more than the total.
Year by year
Looking for a particular engine or trim?
Parking brake may be adjusted too loose to hold the car — a roll-away recall — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Hellcat (6.2L SRT) abuse history — Variable — budget $2,000-$5,000 for worn items
Instrument cluster safety indicators too dim to read (recall), and a cluster that lit every warning at once — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Windshield may not be bonded to the body and can detach in a crash (recall) — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Front tyres can rub the steering knuckle and fail — a 2019-only wheel recall, two crashes and two fires — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $200–$400 per tyre outside it
Powertrain control module that can stall the engine (recall), and a park-lock rod that may not hold (recall) — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Front ball joint failures — two owners had a front wheel detach while driving — $400–$1,100 per side for control arm and ball joint
HEMI MDS lifter / cam wear ("HEMI tick") — $1,500-$4,000 if affected
Rear differential howl or failure, driveshaft bearing, and eight-speed hard shifts — $1,800–$4,000 for a rear differential; $300–$700 for a carrier bearing; $0–$400 for a transmission reflash
Alternator quits without warning — three recalls on this one year, five fires — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $450–$950 for an alternator outside the campaigns; $900–$1,500 for a TIPM
Alternator failure at speed and a V6 battery-cable short — three electrical recalls, nine fires — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $450–$950 for an alternator outside the campaign
Alternator quits at speed, killing the engine and power steering — two recalls, four fires — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $450–$950 for an alternator outside the campaign
Alternator fails and the car dies while moving — two recalls, 5 fires in the record — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $450–$950 for an alternator outside the campaign
Takata driver and passenger inflators — four do-not-drive campaigns on one car — $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
2 of these 14 have no high-severity issue in our write-up. That means we didn't find an expensive recurring fault — not that one cannot exist on the specific vehicle you're looking at.
Looking at one in particular?
This page covers the Dodge Challenger in general. The Kestrel report covers the one you're looking at — the asking price against the market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
Get My Verdict — $7.99Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for that year.
Known issues 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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