2016 Dodge Charger

Showing the 2016 Charger SRT Hellcat. 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 17, 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 overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
5over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
182filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

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.

Problems owners report

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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure53103
Unknown or other32010
Electrical system25000
Engine25111
Fuel/propulsion system25000
Power train25101
Steering17207
Air bags9301
Exterior lighting8000
Service brakes8101
Suspension7107
Vehicle speed control5101
10 more parts
Visibility/wiper4000
Electronic stability control (ESC)3001
Engine and engine cooling3001
Seat belts3000
Seats3001
Wheels3000
Equipment1000
Forward collision avoidance1000
Fuel system, gasoline1000
Other/unknown1003

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.

  1. 20061,294
  2. 2007570
  3. 2008624
  4. 2009175
  5. 2010238
  6. 2011699
  7. 2012661
  8. 2013367
  9. 2014346
  10. 2015136
  11. 2016182
  12. 2017128
  13. 2018122
  14. 2019120
  15. 202057
  16. 202135
  17. 202216
  18. 202326
  19. 202424
  20. 202539
  21. 20265

Every Charger year side by side

Recalls

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.

Electrical system: software; Electrical system: wiring; Vehicle speed control: cruise control

NHTSA campaign 18V332000 · reported May 17, 2018 · 4,815,661 vehicles potentially affected

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.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Power train: driveline

NHTSA campaign 18V281000 · reported May 1, 2018 · 13,928 vehicles potentially affected

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.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Equipment

NHTSA campaign 17V824000 · reported Dec 21, 2017 · 61,791 vehicles potentially affected

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.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Power train: axle assembly

NHTSA campaign 17V097000 · reported Feb 14, 2017 · 69,298 vehicles potentially affected

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.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Structure

NHTSA campaign 16V043000 · reported Jan 28, 2016 · 441,578 vehicles potentially affected

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.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

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.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Engineering analysis EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
Air bagsSep 17, 2021Open
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

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.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2016 Dodge Chargers for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

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:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Charger
Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline19 / 30 / 23
Charger
Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline or E8519 / 30 / 23
Charger
All-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline18 / 27 / 21
Charger
All-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline or E8518 / 27 / 21
Charger
Rear-Wheel Drive
5.7 L, 8 cylAutomatic 8-spdMidgrade Gasoline16 / 25 / 19
Charger
Rear-Wheel Drive
6.4 L, 8 cylAutomatic 8-spdPremium Gasoline15 / 25 / 18
Charger SRT8
Rear-Wheel Drive
6.4 L, 8 cylAutomatic 8-spdPremium Gasoline15 / 25 / 18
Charger SRT8
Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl, superchargedAutomatic 8-spdPremium Gasoline13 / 22 / 16

Sources and dates

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