10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 31
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,349 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Dodge Charger electrical problems

electrical problem

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2012 Dodge Charger Owner Comments (Page 1 of 16)

problem #319

Jul 112023

Charger

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am experiencing the same issue as identified with NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11525511, June 5, 2023. Dodge has a known issue with the wiring for the fuse for the a/c located in the front PDC. Technical Service Bulletin NUMBER: 08-040-14 REV. A. On or around June 2020, I took my 2012 Dodge Charger to my local dealership during the COVID pandemic for an issue with my AC not working. I had the car inspected by numerous mechanics who indicated there was an issue with the fuse for the a/c clutch (#12), They would replace the fuse numerous times, the AC would come on and blow warm air or cool air, but mostly warm. Replacing the fuse numerous of times did not resolve the issue. Neither did replacing all the cooling system and radiator and fan as well. My auto shop had a mechanic who specializes on the computer for cars take a look at my Charger and found technical service bulletins NUMBER: 08-040-14 and NUMBER: 08-040-14 REV. A which directly describes the issue I am experiencing with my vehicle. The mechanic has even placed a small nail in the cavity next to the fuse to hold it in its place and my AC is blowing fine and cold air until that fuse is moved or touched. This also caused issues with the fuse for the steering wheel on the car which the Dodge dealership addressed when I lost steering power on my vehicle. They did NOT repair the issue with NUMBER: 08-040-14 on my vehicle. I paid the $199 diagnostic fee just for the shop to put a new fuse in (which I repeatedly told them was not the issue at that time) and I am still having the same problem. I would like Chrysler/Dodge to contact Armory Dodge and authorize not only a refund for the $199 diagnostic fee I paid to have the issue identified (which they did not) and also authorize the repair needed as instructed on the TSB NUMBER: 08-040-14. The dealership has informed me that they do not even have the repair kit needed Part No. 68235388AA (wire harness kit) and would need to do a workaround to repair the issue.

- Rensselaer, NY, USA

problem #318

Oct 132022

Charger

  • miles
When I purchased the car it had been used as a police car in the state of Mississippi. So after I bought the car I checked for any recalls and found it to have 2 open recalls. 1 was a passenger side airbag and the other was the alternator. So I contacted Moss motor company in South Pittsburg Tennessee and they agreed to do the recalls. After they had finished installing the air bag they told me the alternator wasn't required for change out because the part number listed on it wasn't warranted. So I did some investigating and found my part number to be 7030. The part numbers not required for change out is 7051-7031-and 7170.. It's listed under the NHTSA S68/16v-739 recall. Since I've had the car I have had blinking headlight issues.. I have a little bit of automobile knowledge and I knew it had to be a grounding problem or a alternator problem. So I even added a couple of grounds from the engine to the chassis with no improvement. So I contacted a good friend of mine whom is a retired Dodge Chrysler master technician and he agreed to check my alternator for fluctuating amperage. He placed a device around the lead wire coming from the alternator to the battery and when he did the needle was constantly fluctuating very rapidly probably 2/3 across the entire dial. So there is no question whatsoever the alternator is the source of the problem. There's one more issue I would like to report. When I carried my car in for the recalls to be performed the technician didn't even bother to raise the hood of the car to check the part number on the alternator.. The reason I know this is because he didn't take my car to the shop area, he pulled my car in front of the high bay doors and installed the passenger side airbag.. I did witness this.. But not 1 time did I see him raise the hood. It took me a 30x magnifying glass and a flashlight to take the photo clearly showing the part number on my current alternator that was supposed to be changed. Photo attached is part number.

- Woodville, AL, USA

problem #317

Apr 152023

Charger

  • miles
My ac was working decent, not how it should be, when I first got the vehicle. Now, the ac just blows warm air, no recirculation for feet setting. I am getting the code P0741 and it doesn't change.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #316

May 092023

Charger

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Service power steering warning comes on, causes my gauge cluster to go blank & dark, I lose A/C, power steering, headlights work intermittently, blinkers & all steering wheel button options stop working, and my transmission will start downshifting shifting erratically. It downshifts so hard I'm afraid I'll lose control of my car. Yesterday I had a message pop up saying it was going into Power Saving Mode. When the power steering warning is on, my A/C will have half the vents blowing cold air, the other half blowing hot heater air. During the winter my heated seats only worked intermittently. All of these issues are related to the past recalls on my car that were supposedly fixed; however, the problems are still occurring. Can somebody please contact me about these recalls and tell me what I should do? Thank you!

- Wichita Falls, TX, USA

problem #315

Oct 102022

Charger

  • miles
Oct, 2022 my car did not shift out of park so I googled my car and the problem, So it said it was my monostable shifter modular. I towed it to A Transmission mechanic and they did a full body diagnostic test and I was told all I needed was to buy a new transmission shifter modular and a PCM to get my car running again. I did not have the $ 4,200 for them to fix my car so I had it towed back home. Now as of today my car is not running still because of the transmission shifter modular and PCM I bought brand new Installed myself and for some odd reason the electrical started flickering as if maybe the wiring is wrong or something. Now there was already a recall on the following repairs I've done and yet its documented in the recall system that all recalls were repaired by manufacture In 2017 Alternator Diode Thermal Fatigue, April 2016 TRANSMISSION ELECTRONIC SHIFT LEVER, Jan 2016 WHEEL CHOCKS, July 2015 REPROGRAM OCCUPANT RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE, Dec 2019 Reprogram Powertrain Control Module, Oct 2012 EMISSIONS RECALL M30 POSITION VALVE/INTERNAL TEMP DIAGNOSTICS. So either the recalls weren't repaired as documented or it is a factory defect and my car needs the repairs done again at no charge. When I call to the dealers the management was a female and told me me my car was to old and they longer work on my car I've been told that several times. I also have all receipts for repairs and you will see that its the same issue as the recall that was apparently repaired.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #314

Oct 102022

Charger

  • miles
Loss of touchscreen functionality only works initially and then freezes completely making it unusable and making the most part of the internal features and climate control completely unavailable and increasing the risk of safety of the driver, Dealer stating to replace whole touch screen unit which is extremely expensive to replace, It should be standard and lot of functionality is used from the touchscreen And also Loss Of Low Beam Headlights seems like issue with electrical system recall issue that was done a long time back

- Bothell, WA, USA

problem #313

May 262022

Charger

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

A licensed mechanic did a diagnostic test and the code P1DB7 came up. The reason for calling the mechanic was after driving my car the next day it didn't want to start, there was recalls already repaired apparently yet the code states that it's a Faulty Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) Faulty Transmission Control Module (TCM). there's still an electrical problem TPMS is still not reading the computer system correctly is just not right therefore it's not reading anything correctly. the original control arms w/ball JT including the steering column is all bad and will cause a wreck or someone killed caused of the instability.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #312

May 182022

Charger

  • miles
Abs light and traction light on. Alternator looses power. Alternator does keep the car running when disconnect from the battery.

- Grovetown , GA, USA

problem #311

May 192022

Charger

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V739000 (Electrical System) and 16V352000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

- Rockfall, CT, USA

problem #310

Apr 212020

Charger

  • miles
My 2012 Dodge Charger was bought used and it had been recently repaired and recalls performed on it. (The dealership was nice to point that out to me.) in Dec 2020 Wa. state. I have had nothing but problems with it. About a month later I had smelled smoke. I had my car scanned and it said camshaft needed to be replaced. So I did. It has stalled and seized up without warning. I was only going 40 miles an hour when the steering went hard( could not move or control it) The dashboard went black and I tried to pull it to the shoulder. The engine was still on. I would put the gas on... but it had died. There was one other vehicle on the road at that time following me. He went around just in time. This not only happened once but two times. Since the car was a dodge i went to that dealership. A couple of times telling then the problem. They just wanted to scan the vehicle for $85 PER SCAN. The young man that was helping me keep looking at the computer screen. I asked if I could have a copy of what he was looking at and he said "yes". This sheet of paper was called the VIP Summary report. I was not the VIP the dealership was There was a WARNING MESSAGES in bold print. It read ATTENTION "This vehicle may have had 9 visits, 42 days down and 7 repeat repairs. Service personal should contact management and engage FCA service parts resources ' This was at 5:09pm I left. I noticed a very well dressed man sitting in his car looking at me... HUMM... LEMON LAW PERHAPS

- Olympia, WA, USA

problem #309

Apr 012020

Charger

  • 160,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 DODGE CHARGER. The contact stated that a fluid leak would circulate through the engine block. Due to this failure, the contact stated that the vehicle would stall out without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to several independent mechanics and each time the failure persisted. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that there were 2 recalls on his vehicle NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V435000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V197000(SERVICE BRAKES, AIR, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that his vehicle was then towed to the dealer for repair; however, the contact was informed that the parts for the repair were on backorder. The manufacture was notified of the failure and have not given him an update. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 160,000.

- Manchester, TN, USA

problem #308

Nov 012018

Charger

  • 60,000 miles
Code: Rfh B259E-01 trunk/liftgate door handle sense-general electrical failure. Trunk opens while driving, this is a known issue to Dodge with thousands of vehicle owners experiencing this issue.

- Gurley, AL, USA

problem #307

Mar 012020

Charger

  • 159,000 miles
When starting my car the radio sometimes don't come on. I have to put the car in park shut off the car and restart it in order for the radio to come on. When driving and listening to the radio it goes in and out as if the dj is trying to block out profantiy but that's not the case. Also, when driving and I make a U-turn it feels as if the steering wheel is trying to lock up.

- Lauderhill, FL, USA

problem #306

Sep 172020

Charger

  • 104,000 miles
I was driving it and all of the sudden it shut down and I couldn't push the breaks and it started to smell like burnt wiring badly and I was in the middle of the road and ended up having to push it on to the side of the road and then leave it were it died for 2 days until finally I got ahold of a tow truck and now its sitting in my drive way dead.

- El Centro, CA, USA

problem #305

Aug 222020

Charger

  • 165,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 doge Charger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, warning lights on the instrument panel suddenly displayed and the vehicles speed suddenly began to reduce. The contact indicated the vehicle would not properly accelerate while pressing the accelerator pedal and the speed would not exceed 10 mph. Also while driving, smoke from the air vents was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #304

Aug 172020

Charger

  • 171,138 miles
I was pulling into my driveway and as I was turning the car all of a sudden died and the wheel was hard to turn and the brakes locked up. I tried to start it again but it would just turn over but start fully.

- Vernal, UT, USA

problem #303

Jun 012020

Charger

  • 89,000 miles
I was in el paso Texas because my father was in the hospital when I rolled down my driver side window it wouldn't go back up. There's no further details as to why it won't go back up that's all I did was roll it down. And every since that day at least once a day when I'm turning or slowing down the car will completely turn off and go into auto park and lose all power. It also constantly says it's going an auto park when I'm on the freeway going 75 miles per hour. All of the gauges will go down to zero and back up when I'm on the freeway and it won't shut off and lock up on me but if I'm going below 20 miles an hour it will lock up on me. This happens way too often I have kids and it's very dangerous. But now my car will not start at all.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #302

Feb 142019

Charger

  • 1,500 miles
I'm getting notifications of recalls

- Mount Vernon, WA, USA

problem #301

May 112020

Charger

  • 132,000 miles
Car continues to run hot. Repalced the thermostat water pump. Have not driven car in 2 months. As long as the car is not in motionis does not run hot. After putting more fluidin the car, now the drip has become leak. There is a (Z) electrical looking symbol onthe dash in red. City street

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #300

May 252020

Charger 6-cyl

  • 137,400 miles
May 25 2020, 2012 Dodge Charger SE. I was parking the vehicle in a residential area and tried to make a left turn to straighten the car, the service power steering light came on and I'm not able to turn the steering wheel in any direction. Took the vehicle to the mechanic and he changed the fuse 4 different times and it popped on him. No one has any remedies to correct this issue that's obviously now an ongoing problem with Dodge Chargers throughout different years and models. Please have a recall performed for the parts needed to remedy this situation. The vehicle should not be on the road under these conditions.

- Rensselaer, NY, USA

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