Is the 2009 Dodge Charger a bad year?
175 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine complaints: 42, 3.8× a quiet Charger year.
Keep it, but watch the engine
The engine draws 3.8× the complaints of a quiet Charger year, spread over 63k–130k miles, so there's no single mileage to plan around.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2009 Charger owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 102,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 45 (26%) | 70k–126k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Electrical systemSTANDS OUT | 45 (26%) | 58k–119k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| EngineSTANDS OUT | 42 (24%) | 63k–130k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Steering | 18 (10%) | 40k–103k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Suspension | 7 (4%) | 39k–116k miles · around this mileage | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| Brakes | 6 (3%) | 66k–117k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 6 (3%) | 40k–119k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Speed control | 5 (3%) | 74k–110k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Wheels | 12 (7%) | 48k–85k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Tires | 18 (10%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 102,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 175 complaints: 9 mention a crash · 4 mention a fire · 8 report an injury · 10 say the car was towed.
No complaints in the last 12 months; the newest was filed in Jun 2025.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
The engine is making noise. My mechanic said the timing chain is bad. The oil pressure is low.
Dashboard lights not working anymore. Sometimes it fades in and out and sometimes nothing at all.
I bought my car used approximately 3 1/2 years ago. It was driving fine up until about 6 / 7 months ago when it started stalling on me while driving.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 102,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2009 Dodge Charger: 6
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. 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.
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. 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.
These vehicles may have been built without a front wheel spindle nut. While driving, a tire and wheel separation could occur increasing the risk of a crash.
The tire pressure monitor (TPM) sensors may not transmit the actual tire pressure. This could result in the driver not being aware of low tire pressure. Operation of the vehicle with low tire pressure could result in tire damage and cause a crash without warning.
The gearshift cable may become disengaged from the steering column mounting bracket and cause an incorrect transmission gearshift position display. This could allow the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction startling the driver, and cause a crash without warning.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Dodge: 25
Repair instructions Dodge sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2009 Dodge Charger. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Drivers And/Or Passenger Front Power Door Locks And Windows Inoperative U0200 Lost Communication With Passengers Door Module U0199 Lost Communication…
Dodge: lost communication between drivers and passenger power door locks and windows are inoperative, and possibly need to be replace, if necessary…
Steering wheel returnability
NHTSA defect investigations: 2
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
PRNDL misalignment
Neighbouring years
2008 Charger: 624 complaints, keep it, but watch the engine · 2010 Charger: 238 complaints, keep it, but watch the engine.
Every Dodge Charger year
2001 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2026 · All Charger years side by side
Other Dodge models: Dodge Avenger · Dodge Caliber · Dodge Caravan · Dodge Challenger · Dodge Dakota · Dodge Dart · Dodge Durango · Dodge Grand Caravan · Dodge Intrepid · Dodge Journey · Dodge Magnum · Dodge Neon · Dodge Nitro · Dodge Ram · Dodge Ram Quad Cab · Dodge Sprinter 2500 · Dodge Stratus. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2009 Dodge Charger a bad year?
175 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine complaints: 42, 3.8× a quiet Charger year. At 102,000 miles the tool says: Keep it, but watch the engine. The engine draws 3.8× the complaints of a quiet Charger year, spread over 63k–130k miles, so there's no single mileage to plan around.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Dodge Charger?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: air bags (45), electrical system (45), engine (42), steering (18), suspension (7). Half of the engine complaints were filed between 63k–130k miles.
How many recalls does the 2009 Dodge Charger have?
6 recall campaigns list this model year: Air bags (NHTSA 18V-021), Air bags (NHTSA 16V-352), Air bags (NHTSA 15V-313), Wheels (NHTSA 09V-420) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.