YearToAvoid

2010 Dodge Charger Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

71/100

#5 most-complained of 15 Charger years

The 2010 Dodge Charger has a Complaint Index of 71 and ranks 5th worst out of 15 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Electrical System (32%), Engine (30%), and Airbags (25%) are the top complaint areas, with 5 recalls including 4 do-not-drive campaigns.

Complaints
232
Recalls
5
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
14 / 9
Injuries / deaths
6 / 2
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 24 hwy

Top 2010 Dodge Charger problems

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

  1. Electrical System74 (32%)
  2. Engine70 (30%)
  3. Airbags59 (25%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain19 (8%)
  5. Fuel System18 (8%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires16 (7%)
  7. Brakes11 (5%)
  8. Other11 (5%)
  9. Steering10 (4%)
  10. Structure & Body10 (4%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the vehicle unexpectedly shifting from park into drive on its own, in some cases causing a crash.
  • Alternators reportedly fail and short out, producing smoke or burning odors from under the hood and sometimes leading to a fire.
  • Airbags reportedly fail to deploy during collisions, including moderate-speed crashes into poles or other vehicles.
  • Some owners describe the vehicle stalling or catching fire from the rear area while stopped at a light.
  • Loss of control during rain-related hydroplaning is described in multiple airbag-related complaints, with airbags not deploying afterward.
2010 Dodge Charger complaints: complaints filed per quarter272010 Q12011 Q42013 Q32015 Q22017 Q12018 Q42020 Q42023 Q1
299 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q2; peak 2017 Q4 (27).

2010 Dodge Charger recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V018000Jan 15, 2019Airbags1,413,222 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V01.

  2. NHTSA 18V021000Jan 9, 2018Airbags328,177 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Chrysler is recalling certain 2009-2010 RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Chrysler is also recalling certain 2009 RAM 3500, RAM 2500, RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp 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 owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U03.

  3. 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2010 Dodge Charger →

2010 Dodge Charger fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
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.

2010 compared with other Charger years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution712325 !19
2011Avoid10069511 !20
2012Avoid9364814 !20

All Dodge Charger years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Dodge Charger reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2010 Charger a Complaint Index of 71 and a Caution verdict, ranking 5th worst among the 15 model years with data. Electrical System, Engine, and Airbags are the leading complaint areas.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Dodge Charger?
NHTSA lists Electrical System issues at 32% of complaints, Engine issues at 30%, and Airbags at 25%. The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints is 100,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Dodge Charger have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2010 Charger, 4 of which are do-not-drive recalls. Four of the five recalls involve the airbags, and one covers the wireless ignition node module in the Electrical System.
How does the 2010 Charger compare to other model years?
The 2010 Charger's Complaint Index of 71 is lower than 2011 (100), 2012 (93), and 2014 (86), but higher than 2015 (43) and 2017 (29). Overall it ranks 5th worst of 15 years, making it a Caution year rather than the worst.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Dodge Charger?
EPA rates the 2010 Charger at 19 mpg combined, 16.5 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400.

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.