2016 Dodge Challenger: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Dodge Challenger
On the 2016 Dodge Challenger, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, with 10 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 12,500 miles. Overall it scores 73 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 112th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 109 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 36 named failure modes on the 2016 Dodge Challenger, and the three most-reported carry 25% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other powertrain problem leads with 10 reports and about 0.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 9 reports, median 15,000 miles.
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure follows with 8 reports, median 20,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (15), transmission (13) and airbag (13).
When these failures get reported
66 of the reports on the 2016 Dodge Challenger came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 12,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 88% by 50,000 miles, 95% by 100,000 miles and 98% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 1 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 39% of the dated reports.
77% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 36. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 1 report came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 11 mention a crash, 2 a fire and 12 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.38, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure at $250–$1,500 and airbag failed to deploy in a crash at $1,000–$5,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
28% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 10 | 5 | — | 25k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 9 | 6 | — | 16k | — | 0.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 8 | 7 | — | 19k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 7 | 5 | — | 2k | — | 0.1 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 5 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 4 | 2 | — | 10k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 4 | 3 | — | 6k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 4 | 3 | — | 4k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 3 | 3 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 39k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 3 | 3 | — | 2k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 2 | 1 | — | 8k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 2 | 1 | — | 41k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 44k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 16k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 55k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 1 | — | 58k | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.0 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.0 | $1,800–$7,000 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 224k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 7k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 0.0 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 25k | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 33k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 8k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 10 | 7 | — | 6k | — | 0.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Dodge Challenger draws about 1.5 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 75th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 72,964 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other powertrain problem
Driveline clunk noise in rear of vehicle when coming to a stop between 3 to 6 MPH downshifting. This happens no matter what the road surface your on. This is a new vehicle with less than 500 miles, after I went to my county probate office to get my licence tag, this occurred every time I came to a full stop at a sign, light or behind a vehicle in front of me. Took vehicle to dealership, service manager came out to see if anything was loose in trunk, spare tire,etc. No problem found, I was told to bring car back monday morning for further diagnosis where techs can find problem. I have heard others complain of this issue with their challengers but no avail, or they would tell the owners that this was normal. No this is not normal in the driveline, please investigate this issue so it can be resolved with chrysler wether a recall or tsb needs to be enforced to solve this driveline issue. Thanks for your time in this matter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 dodge challenger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and using the paddle shifter to shift to an up gear, the vehicle would down shift instead. The contact stated that the when the failure first occurred the vehicle was taken to both an independent mechanic and whitten brothers of richmond located at 10701 midlothian turnpike #100, richmond, va 23235, phone number: (804) 378-0707, where the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that he then purchased a dash-cam and upon recording the failure, the vehicle was taken back to the local dealer whitten brothers of richmond 10701 midlothian turnpike #100, richmond, va 23235 (804) 378-0707, where both paddle shifter buttons were replaced. The contact stated that the failure had recurred several times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,007.
Other engine problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 dodge challenger. While driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle stalled. All the warning indicators were illuminated. The contact coasted to the side of the road and called roadside assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that water entered the engine manifold trough the cold air intake, located six inches from the ground. The failure was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 dodge challenger. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal noise from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to victorville motors (located at 14617 civic dr, victorville, ca) where it was diagnosed that the failure was inherent to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notfified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 4,670.
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure
My 17 year old son's 2016 dodge challenger turns off while car is being driven. The ignition switch usually goes to acc (sometimes run). Also, the steering wheel locks up, the headlights go out, braking is difficult, heating/cooling turn off, and according to the manual the airbags become inactive in acc. My son has nearly hit a tree and he has crossed lanes into the opposite direction when the steering wheel has locked. The problem started happening at about 2500 miles 04/2016. It has happened from10 MPH to 70 MPH. It has happened 15 or more times and seems to happen after the car has been driven over 20 miles, parked, and then driven again. It has happened on all types of road--residential, city and highway. It has occurred while being driven straight and when turning, on level roads and up hills. The dealer could not duplicate the problem. The dealer contacted chrysler detroit without success. They installed a special data collecting switch which we manually activated when the car stalled. The data was forwarded to detroit for analysis. I have attached service records. We have supplied photos of the instrumentation after the…
My 17 year old son's 2016 dodge challenger turns off while car is being driven. The ignition switch usually goes to acc (sometimes run). Also, the steering wheel locks up, the headlights go out, braking is difficult, heating/cooling turn off, and according to the manual the airbags become inactive in acc. My son has nearly hit a tree and he has crossed lanes into the opposite direction when the steering wheel has locked. The problem started happening at about 2500 miles 04/2016. It has happened from10 MPH to 70 MPH. It has happened 15 or more times and seems to happen after the car has been driven over 20 miles, parked, and then driven again. It has happened on all types of road--residential, city and highway. It has occurred while being driven straight and when turning, on level roads and up hills. The dealer could not duplicate the problem. The dealer contacted chrysler detroit without success. They installed a special data collecting switch which we manually activated when the car stalled. The data was forwarded to detroit for analysis. I have attached service records. We have supplied photos of the instrumentation after the…
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Dodge Challenger, affecting an estimated 73,157 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/t and electrical system:wiring. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
1,930 vehicles 2018-07-12- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain Mopar Stage 1 Kit Performance Packages Powertrain Control Modules (PCM) Part Numbers P5160023, P5160025, and Demon Crate PCM Part Number 68412287AA. The PCMs are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle…
- Consequence
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will either perform a software update or replace the PCM, free of charge. The recall began July 26 , 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U82, and U83.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
4,815,661 vehicles 2018-05-17- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is…
- Consequence
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2016 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2016 — 112th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 15 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2008 comes out best at 61 and 2020 worst at 82, with 2016 itself at 73.
If the model year is negotiable, 2008, 2023, 2017, 2012 and 2011 score lower than 2016 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2008–2016 generation specifically, 2008 is the strongest year at 61 and 2010 the weakest at 78.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2008-2016 generation, 2008 Dodge Challenger scores best at 61 and 2010 Dodge Challenger worst at 78.
The limits of complaint data
109 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 109 reports, 66 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 61% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Dodge Challenger?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (10 reports, median 25,000 miles), other engine problem (9 reports, median 15,000 miles) and ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure (8 reports, median 20,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2016 Dodge Challenger reliable?
It scores 73 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 112th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Dodge Challenger is best?
Within the 2008–2016 generation, 2008 scores best at 61 out of 100 and 2010 worst at 78. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed