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What 648 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Dodge Charger EV

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (648)Crash / fire / injury (70)Electrical system (359)Airbags (111)Engine (94)Transmission & drivetrain (65)Steering (53)Lights (52)Brakes (44)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (35)Speed control (20)Visibility & wipers (15)

7 of 648 complaints match · Lights · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 19, 2018LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL REGARDING THE PLUG IN PART FOR THE HEADLIGHT, WHICH WAS MELTING. AFTER THE CONTACT TOOK OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT CALLED JIM COGDILL DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM (8544 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37919, (865) 690-1611) AND WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS ALREADY PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11141491

Apr 22, 2014Electrical systemLightsFire

I WAS DRIVING AND THE HEADLIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE QUIT WORKING. I STOPPED AND CHECKED IT OUT AND THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON IF I TOUCHED THE CONNECTOR. FIRESTONE REPLACED THE BULB. THE BULB WAS INTERMITTENT. IF YOU TOUCHED THE CONNECTOR IT WOULD WORK. ULTIMATELY, THE CONNECTOR CAUGHT FIRE AND MELTED OFF. I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED! I AM SENIOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER FOR THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AND FULLY QUALIFIED TO ASSESS THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10584104

Apr 8, 2014LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE LIGHT BULB OVERHEATED AND THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED. AS A RESULT, BOTH THE HEADLIGHT AND THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V101000 (LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,450.

NHTSA ODI 10578341

Jan 6, 2014LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED INTERMITTENTLY BECAUSE THE CONNECTION WAS MELTED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V042000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 10558654

Nov 20, 2013LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULBS AND NOTICED A MELTED CONNECTOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER HOWEVER, NO FURTHER REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT ONLY REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V042000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,850. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10553118

Nov 18, 2013LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULB BUT CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WIRING CONNECTOR WAS MELTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V042000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) HOWEVER, THE RECALL ONLY INCLUDED THOSE MODELS THAT WERE BEING USED AS POLICE VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

NHTSA ODI 10552696

Sep 11, 2013Electrical systemLightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES AND THERE WAS A RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V042000-ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE DEALER INFORMED HER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE WIRE CONNECTOR WAS BURNED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,500. ..UPDATED 12-05-13 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10543044

Working with the data? Download all 648 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Dodge Charger EV verdict →