YearToAvoid

2006 Dodge Charger Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

94/100

#2 most-complained of 19 Charger years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2006 Dodge Charger has 1,294 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 94 out of 100 — #2 highest of 19 Charger model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is fuel system (516 complaints, 40% of the total). Complaints report 21 crashes, 12 fires, 28 injuries, and 2 deaths.

Complaints
1,294
Recalls
5
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
21 / 12
Injuries / deaths
28 / 2
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16 city / 23.5 hwy

Top 2006 Dodge Charger problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Fuel System516 (40%)
  2. Engine480 (37%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain218 (17%)
  4. Electrical System153 (12%)
  5. Brakes139 (11%)
  6. Airbags103 (8%)
  7. Steering89 (7%)
  8. Other56 (4%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires43 (3%)
  10. Structure & Body8 (1%)
2006 Dodge Charger complaints: complaints filed per quarter1462005 Q42008 Q32011 Q22014 Q12016 Q42019 Q32022 Q22025 Q3
1815 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2014 Q1 (146).

2006 Dodge Charger recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 16V352000May 24, 2016Airbags4,648,270 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2012 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2012 Chrysler 300, 2006-2012 Dodge Charger, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Chrysler is also recalling 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2009 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2009 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2009 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2009 Chrysler 300, 2006-2009 Dodge Charger, 2005-2009 Dodge Dakota and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AZ, AR, DE, Washington D.C., IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Chrysler is recalling certain 2005-2008 RAM 2500, 2006-2008 RAM 3500, 2007-2008 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2008 Dodge Durango, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler, 2008 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2008 Chrysler 300, 2006-2008 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2008 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or registered, in AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY.

    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 replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.

  2. NHTSA 15V313000May 26, 2015Airbags4,077,169 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

    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 occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners. Dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began for Chrylser on June 8, 2015. The recall for Mitsubishi started on June 24, 2015. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Mitsubishi owners may call 1-888-648-7820. Chrysler's number for this recall is R25. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V817 in its entirety. Vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well.

  3. NHTSA 08V583000Nov 6, 2008Transmission & Powertrain20,283 vehicles

    Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift

    Chrysler is recalling 20,283 my 2006-2009 charger and magnum vehicles built with the police package and equipped with a column shifter. The gearshift cable may become disengaged from the steering column mounting bracket and cause an incorrect transmission gearshift position display.

    Risk: This could allow the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction startling the driver, and cause a crash without warning.

    Remedy: Dealers will add a redundant locking mechanism to the gearshift cable at the mounting bracket to ensure proper retention and shift linkage function. The recall began on november 10, 2008. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

See all 5 recalls for the 2006 Dodge Charger →

2006 Dodge Charger fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16 MPG
Highway
23.5 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,425
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2006 compared with other Charger years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Avoid941,2945 !19
2007Caution725545 !18
2008Avoid836095 !18

All Dodge Charger years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2006 Dodge Charger a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 Dodge Charger ranks #2 of 19 among Charger model years (Complaint Index 94/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 1,294 complaints and 5 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Dodge Charger?
The most reported problem areas are fuel system (516 complaints), engine (480 complaints), and transmission & powertrain (218 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 80,695 miles.
Does the 2006 Dodge Charger have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2006 Dodge Charger, most recently reported 2016, covering airbags, transmission & powertrain, and brakes. At least one carries a Do Not Drive advisory.
What is the fuel economy of the 2006 Dodge Charger?
EPA rates the 2006 Dodge Charger at 19 MPG combined (16 city / 23.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,425. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.