What 179 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Challenger

On Saturday 1:20am 11/15/25 DRIVING 27 MILES FROM DISTANCE VEHICLE STARTED TO MALFUNCTION ELECTRICALLY WITH INTERNAL LIGHTS QUICKLY POWER OUTAGES ON AND OFF INTERIOR LIGHTIN. dim headlights, or issues with electrical components. 11/15/25 A vehicle fire occurred, and preliminary investigations suggest a battery malfunction as the probable cause. The malfunction led to an uncontrolled thermal event within the battery system, rapidly escalating into a fire that engulfed the vehicle. Further analysis is underway to determine the specific nature of the battery failure and contributing factors.NO WARNING ADVISORY ON THE PRELIMINARY OCCURRENCE IT ESCALATED FROM FLASHING ON AND OFF LIGHTS AND STEREO TO A STIFF STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE COMPLETE SHUTDOWN AND RAPIDLY SMOKE COMING FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE TRUNK AND FIRE STARTED CONSUMING THE REAR END OF THE TRUNK AND VEHICLE. THIS WAS A VERY DEVASTATING AND OVERWHELMING TRAGEDY IT HAPPENED WITHIN 15 MINUTES TIMEFRAME AND FIREDEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN FIVE MINUTES INTO THE CONCERNING FIRE IT ALSO TOOK AROUND AROUND A HOUR FOR THE FIREMAN TO PUT OUT THE FIRE FROM THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11699878

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED SMOKING, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY FIRE WHILE I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN. MY 2013 DODGE CHALLENGER ONLY HAD 20,000 MILES ON IT, AND ALL SERVICE WAS DONE AS RECOMMENDED BY DODGE, AT A CERTIFIED SHOP. I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO DODGE, AND THEY DENIED ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR MY MODEL, BECAUSE OF KNOWN ISSUES REGARDING ALTERNATORS OVERHEATING, OR SHORT CIRCUITING, CAUSING THERMAL DIODE FATIGUE. THE CAR WAS CONSUMED BY FLAMES WITHIN MINUTES, AND WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A SETTLEMENT. *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 11119487