YearToAvoid

2005 Dodge Magnum Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2005 Dodge Magnum ranks worst of 5 model years, with 638 complaints, a complaint index of 100, and 7 recalls including 2 do-not-drive airbag recalls. Fuel System, Airbags, and Engine issues dominate owner reports, earning it an Avoid verdict relative to other Magnum years.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
100/100
#1 of 5 Magnum years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
638
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
7
2 Do Not Drive
Crashes
22
reported in complaints
Fires
9
Injuries
36
Top issue
Fuel System
Best nearby year
2007
lowest-risk (no Good/Best year)
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18
15 city / 23 hwy
Injuries / deaths
36 / 1

Top 2005 Dodge Magnum problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Fuel System140 (22%)
  2. Airbags131 (21%)
  3. Engine125 (20%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain117 (18%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires89 (14%)
  6. Electrical System66 (10%)
  7. Steering48 (8%)
  8. Structure & Body36 (6%)
  9. Other29 (5%)
  10. Brakes23 (4%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in moderate-to-high speed frontal and rear-end crashes, leaving occupants with injuries.
  • Owners describe sudden, unintended acceleration in reverse, with the vehicle violently lurching backward despite the driver's foot on the brake.
  • Tires reportedly blew out or lost tread at highway speed, causing loss of control and collisions with guard rails or poles.
  • Some owners report steering wheels loosening and interior lights dimming, accompanied by a burning smell inside the cabin.
  • Vehicles reportedly caught fire while parked or shortly after brake failure, in one case tied to a faulty seat heater.
2005 Dodge Magnum complaints: complaints filed per quarter312004 Q22006 Q42009 Q32012 Q12014 Q32017 Q12019 Q32023 Q1
638 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2004 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2014 Q1 (31).

2005 Dodge Magnum recalls

7 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 14V770000Dec 3, 2014Airbags250,896 vehicles

    Air bags

    Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500, 2004-2005 Dodge Durango, 2005 Dodge Dakota, 2005 Dodge Magnum and 2005 Chrysler 300, 300C and 300 SRT8 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

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

    Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. For vehicles that were sold, or are currently registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, owners were notified and the recall began on December 5, 2014. For all other vehicles, Chrysler notified owners and the recall began on February 3, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P40 Expanded. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall 16V-352. This recall superseded the passenger air bag portion of recall 14V-354.

See all 7 recalls for the 2005 Dodge Magnum →

2005 Dodge Magnum fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
18 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,600
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.

2005 compared with other Magnum years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)025507510020052006200720082009
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid1006387 !18
2006Avoid753215 !18
2007Caution501085 !18

All Dodge Magnum years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Dodge Magnum reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 Magnum has the highest complaint index (100) and complaint count (638) of the five model years with data, ranking it worst-first and earning an Avoid verdict relative to other Magnum years.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Dodge Magnum?
Fuel System complaints lead at 22% of reports, followed by Airbags at 21% and Engine at 20%. Transmission & Powertrain issues account for 18% of complaints.
Does the 2005 Dodge Magnum have any do-not-drive recalls?
Yes. Of its 7 recalls, 2 are do-not-drive airbag recalls (campaigns 16V352000 and 15V313000) related to inflator defects.
How does the 2005 Magnum compare to later model years?
The 2005 model's complaint index of 100 is far above the 2006 (75), 2007 (50), and 2008 (25) model years, and it carries more recalls than any later Magnum year.
What mileage do problems typically show up at on the 2005 Magnum?
NHTSA data lists a median mileage at failure of 70,000 miles overall, though Suspension complaints cluster much earlier, around 13,200 miles.

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.