Showing the 2016 Charger SE. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
16–23 mpgcombined; city 13–19, highway 22–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,120–$25,150U.S. average; Ohio $12,620–$23,700 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2016 Charger. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 182 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Charger. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Structure
53
1
0
3
Unknown or other
32
0
1
0
Electrical system
25
0
0
0
Engine
25
1
1
1
Fuel/propulsion system
25
0
0
0
Power train
25
1
0
1
Steering
17
2
0
7
Air bags
9
3
0
1
Exterior lighting
8
0
0
0
Service brakes
8
1
0
1
Suspension
7
1
0
7
Vehicle speed control
5
1
0
1
10 more parts
Visibility/wiper
4
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
0
0
1
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
0
1
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Seats
3
0
0
1
Wheels
3
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Other/unknown
1
0
0
3
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Charger over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
NHTSA campaign 18V332000 · reported May 17, 2018 · 4,815,661 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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 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 maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 18V281000 · reported May 1, 2018 · 13,928 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U37.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Dodge Charger pursuit police vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive and V8 engines. The front driveshaft universal joint may seize or fracture causing the shaft to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: If the front driveshaft detaches from the vehicle it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 17V824000 · reported Dec 21, 2017 · 61,791 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Risk: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
NHTSA campaign 17V097000 · reported Feb 14, 2017 · 69,298 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace all eight front driveshaft bolts, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T03.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD). The front driveshaft bolts may loosen and allow the front driveshaft to disconnect, potentially causing a loss of motive power.
Risk: A loss of motive power can increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 16V043000 · reported Jan 28, 2016 · 441,578 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will provide owners with wheel chocks and instructions for their use, free of charge. The recall began on March 21, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S03.
FCA US LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured August 23, 2010, to January 7, 2016. When an affected vehicle is lifted using the supplied tire jack without chocking the wheels, the vehicle's body-side sill may give causing the tire jack to fail and the car to fall.
Risk: A car that falls unexpectedly increases the risk of injury.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 275 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 Charger, the latest on Mar 9, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (89), equipment (71), power train (61), engine and engine cooling (48), structure (20).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA21002 Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2016 Charger.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: large cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Charger Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 30 / 23
Charger Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
19 / 30 / 23
Charger All-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 27 / 21
Charger All-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
18 / 27 / 21
Charger Rear-Wheel Drive
5.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Midgrade Gasoline
16 / 25 / 19
Charger Rear-Wheel Drive
6.4 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Premium Gasoline
15 / 25 / 18
Charger SRT8 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.4 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Premium Gasoline
15 / 25 / 18
Charger SRT8 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl, supercharged
Automatic 8-spd
Premium Gasoline
13 / 22 / 16
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data