2026 Dodge Charger

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
19–20 mpgcombined; city 16–17, highway 23–26; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,240–$21,180U.S. average; Ohio $14,510–$19,960 at local prices; every version of this model year, electric versions apart; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Electric versions: $4,880–$6,390 at U.S. average electricity prices
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
5filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 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 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 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
Electrical system3100
Engine2100
Lane departure1000
Power train1100
Steering1000
Structure1000

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 1 recall campaign for the 2026 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.

Back over prevention: sensing system

NHTSA campaign 26V531000 · reported Aug 13, 2026 · 844,027 vehicles potentially affected

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2026 Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Gladiator, Jeep Compass, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer L, Ram Promaster, Ram Promaster EV, Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid, Chrysler Voyager, and 2026-2027 Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger vehicles. The rearview camera image may fail to display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: A rearview camera image that fails to display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Radio software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 78D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 20, 2026.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 161 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Charger, the latest on Oct 3, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (102), structure (37), power train (26), engine (14), steering (5).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

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 2026 Charger.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2026 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: 4–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Charger Daytona R/T 245/55ZR18
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
263 miles of range
91 / 78 / 85 MPGe
Charger Daytona R/T 255/45R20
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
295 miles of range
100 / 89 / 95 MPGe
Charger Daytona R/T 275/40R20
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
258 miles of range
89 / 76 / 83 MPGe
Charger Daytona R/T 305/35ZR20
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
267 miles of range
93 / 79 / 86 MPGe
Charger Daytona Scat Pack 305/35ZR20
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
267 miles of range
93 / 79 / 86 MPGe
Charger Daytona Scat Pack 325/35ZR20 Rear
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
223 miles of range
77 / 68 / 72 MPGe
Charger Daytona Scat Pack 325/35ZR20 Rear A/S
All-Wheel Drive
250 and 250 kW DCPMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
241 miles of range
82 / 73 / 78 MPGe
Charger R/T
All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turboAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline17 / 26 / 20
Charger Scat Pack
All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turboAutomatic 8-spdPremium Gasoline16 / 23 / 19

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