2012 Dodge CHARGER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
648 owner complaints analyzed
14 distinct recall campaigns
64,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: . 489 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 325 of 648 complaints (50.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 292 | 45.1% |
| Engine operation | 117 | 18.1% |
| Braking behavior | 104 | 16.0% |
| Steering behavior | 66 | 10.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 37 | 5.7% |
| Fuel system concerns | 6 | 0.9% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 325 |
| Air Bags | 109 |
| Engine | 94 |
| Power Train | 64 |
| Steering | 53 |
| Exterior Lighting | 51 |
| Service Brakes | 43 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 35 |
Electrical System: 325; Air Bags: 109; Engine: 94; Power Train: 64; Steering: 53; Exterior Lighting: 51; Service Brakes: 43; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 35
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 32 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 123 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 142 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 108 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 66 |
| 150,000 and above | 18 |
Under 25,000: 32; 25,000 to 49,999: 123; 50,000 to 74,999: 142; 75,000 to 99,999: 108; 100,000 to 149,999: 66; 150,000 and above: 18
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (142). 159 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 31 |
| 2014 | 112 |
| 2015 | 130 |
| 2016 | 90 |
| 2017 | 114 |
| 2018 | 44 |
| 2019 | 43 |
| 2020 | 31 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 | 2 |
2012: 5; 2013: 31; 2014: 112; 2015: 130; 2016: 90; 2017: 114; 2018: 44; 2019: 43; 2020: 31; 2021: 7; 2022: 12; 2023: 11; 2024: 10; 2025: 6; 2026: 2
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 292 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 117 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 104 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10464547 · 2012-07-07 (July 7, 2012)
CAR MALFUNCTIONED TWICE AT HIGH RATE OF SPEEDS WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. CAR CURRENTLY BEING TOWED AGAIN BUT NOT FIXED.RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE APPROXIMATELY 15 HOURS AFTER CAR FIXED FIRST TIME, INDICATING THE RECALL WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM BECAUSE OF TIMEFRAME. NOT APPARENT FROM REPAIR INFORMATION THAT RECALL PART WAS CHECKED EVEN THOUGH THE SAME SYSTEM WAS AFFECTED. -7/3 - 8:30PM DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON HIGHWAY. MALFUNCTION INDICATOR AND ESC MALFUNCTION INDICATORS CAME ON, ALONG WITH ALARMS. …
Owner-reported narrative. 731 miles reported. Look up ODI 10464547 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10490331 · 2012-12-28 (December 28, 2012)
WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. HAS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY IN THE PAST. ONLINE SEARCH INDICATES THAT IT IS LIKELY WIRING TO A SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT, SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. WIGGLED WIRING UNDER SEAT AND LIGHT TURNED OFF. WILL HAVE DEALER LOOK INTO PROBLEM AT NEXT SCHEDULED SERVICE VISIT. PROBLEM SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FOR A RECALL; A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET BRINGS UP MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 10,980 miles reported. Look up ODI 10490331 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10545388 · 2013-09-25 (September 25, 2013)
SINCE 2012 DEC 11 I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES COMPLAINING OF A LOSS OF PERFORMANCE/ ABILITY TO PASS CONFIDENTLY AND EVERY TIME BEEN SENT AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM NOT BEING FIXED. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER, LOSS OF FUEL ECONOMY (FROM 23MPG CITY TO 15 MPG CITY), ROUGH IDLE/SHUDDER AT IDLE CONSISTENTLY SINCE THE M30 RECALL WAS PERFORMED. CONSISTENTLY I AM BEING LEFT TO PAY FOR THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH NO FIX FROM CHRYSLER'S DEALERSHIP OR CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE DIRECTLY. THE PROBL…
Owner-reported narrative. 18,905 miles reported. Look up ODI 10545388 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10558009 · 2013-12-31 (December 31, 2013)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BECAUSE THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 54,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10558009 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10525297 · 2013-07-17 (July 17, 2013)
2012 DODGE CHARGER WITH POLICE PACKAGE. INITIALLY, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE JUMPED STARTED. APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR LATER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 2,000 RPMS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. TWO DAYS AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK FROM THE DEALER, THE SAME SCENARIO OCCURRED. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR TO THE DEALER, IT WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 25 MPH BUT THEN WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE TO 45 MPH WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WITH THE BRAKE BUT THIS COULD BE …
Owner-reported narrative. 24,217 miles reported. Look up ODI 10525297 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10556922 · 2013-12-21 (December 21, 2013)
2012 DODGE CHARGER SXT PLUS HAS BEEN DRIVING DIFFERENTLY, THE SHIFTER/GEAR KEPT STICKING AND WOULD REQUIRE TWO OR THREE ATTEMPTS TO GET IT INTO THE RIGHT GEAR, ALSO HEAVY VIBRATION UNDER MY FEET AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD WHINING SOUND, THAT THEY HAVE YET TO DIAGNOSE BUT STATED MORE THAN LIKELY IT IS A BAD STEERING RACK. MY SHIFTER HAS GONE BAD/MALFUNCTIONED AND MUST BE REPLACED AND THE CORPORATE OFFICE (CHRYSLER/JEEP/DODGE) AND THE REPAIR SHOP ARE GIVING ME THE RUNAROUND EVEN THOUGH I TOOK IT TO THEM MORE THAN ONCE TO A…
Owner-reported narrative. 50,906 miles reported. Look up ODI 10556922 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10592085 · 2014-05-17 (May 17, 2014)
WE WERE DRIVING AND THE ABS AND SKID LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, ALL THE FUNCTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED AND THE CAR JUST HALTED AND STALLED. EVERYTHING WAS DEAD, UNABLE TO START AND THE WIPERS WERE GOING. THE WIPERS WERE NEVER TURNED ON BUT KEPT RUNNING DESPITE THE CAR BEING "DEAD" WIPERS IN OFF POSITION . TOWED HOME AND THEN TO DEALERSHIP (DEALERSHIP HAS NO OFF HOUR GATE ACCESS) TOLD (2) DAYS LATER THE BATTERY WAS DEAD ON A 2 YR OLD VEHICLE, THEN I RECEIVED A SECOND CALL STATING THE ALTERNATOR WAS THE CULPRIT. THE A…
Owner-reported narrative. 36,480 miles reported. Look up ODI 10592085 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10469415 · 2012-08-06 (August 6, 2012)
I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2012 DODGE CHARGER ON MARCH 23, 2012. SHORTLY AFTER THE PURCHASE I NOTICED THE CAR HAD A HARD SHIFT WHEN I SHIFTED THROUGH THE GEARS (PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, AND DRIVE), AND I COULD HEAR A LOUD POP WHEN I WAS SHIFTING. I THOUGHT THE LOUD POP WAS COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY A BAD AXLE. THEY SAID THE AXLE IS NOT FITTING PROPERLY IN THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOT HAD THE VEHICLE 6 MONTHS AND I DO NOT EVEN HAVE 2500 MILES…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,865 miles reported. Look up ODI 10469415 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10508134 · 2013-04-13 (April 13, 2013)
CAR ROLLED EVENTHOUGH VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING. 1ST INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN 10 MIN OF WALKING AWAY FROM CAR, ROLLED INTO ANOTHER CAR. 2ND INCIDENT HAPPENED NEARLY 2 HOURS AFTER BEING PARKED, AND 3RD INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN 1 HOUR OF BEING PARKED ON SLIGHT INCLINE. DEALER UNABLE TO RECREATE INCIDENT. FACTOR REP CALLED DODGE, DODGE CALLED TRANSMISSION MFG AND HAD VALVE COM REPLACED. NO FURTHER INCIDENT 2ND PROBLEM, WINDSHIELD HAS WAVE IN GLASS, WIPERS LEAVING LARGE STREAKS CAUSING DRIVER TO HAVE SAFETY ISSUE. DEAL…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,372 miles reported. Look up ODI 10508134 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10535424 · 2013-08-14 (August 14, 2013)
VEHICLE HAS STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN CAR. SOURCE OF GASOLINE SMELL IS COMING FROM REAR SEAT DRIVERS SIDE, WHICH IS NEAREST TO THE FUEL FILLER PIPE. THIS MAY CAUSE FIRE AND OR EXPLOSION CAUSING DEATH AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. AND OR OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 32,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10535424 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10787192 · 2015-10-30 (October 30, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO SERVICED VEHICLES FOR A POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CUSTOMER INFORMED HIM THAT AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT DIAGNOSED THAT TWO FUEL PUMP ELECTRICAL PINS HAD BURNT, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK FROM THEM, AND THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,510.
Owner-reported narrative. 57,510 miles reported. Look up ODI 10787192 at NHTSA ↗