Home · 2013 Dodge Challenger · Complaints

What 179 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Challenger

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 (179)Crash / fire / injury (17)Electrical system (104)Engine (27)Airbags (19)Transmission & drivetrain (16)Steering (15)Brakes (8)Visibility & wipers (8)Body & structure (7)Speed control (7)Fuel system (6)

1 of 179 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 12, 2018Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemBody & structureFire

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

Working with the data? Download all 179 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 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 2013 Dodge Challenger verdict →