On april 19th 2021 my wife was traveling between 30 -35 MPH in her 2016 dodge challenger sxt on a minor thoroughfare when a car turned abruptly in front of her. My wife's vehicle sustained significant damage to the front end and the airbags did not deploy. I have filed a complaint with the dodge corporation as well as the the dealership at which she purchased the vehicle new. At the time of the collision the vehicle had only 32,876 miles on it.
2016 Dodge Challenger airbags problems
11 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 6,022. 9 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 14%
- typical mileage
- 6,022
- crashes
- 9
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Dodge Challenger airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Dodge Challenger airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
What 2016 Dodge Challenger owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 dodge challenger. The contact stated that while driving at 67 MPH, the driver crashed into a pedestrian who was jay walking and succumbed to his injuries. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained minor injuries to his ribs from the seat belt and face due to the windshield glass shattering which embedded into his skin but no medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the police department where it was being held for an investigation. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, the manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000. The VIN was not available. *dt*jb*dt
I had a single car accident head on collision to guard rails. Seat belts did not restrict me from hitting windshield also my air bags didn't deploy at impact.
Tl* the contact owned a 2016 dodge challenger. While driving 30 MPH, the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle on the front passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the left shoulder (dislocated) and to the right knee. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed by a towing company. Hilltop chrysler jeep dodge ram (3291 auto plaza drive, richmond, california 94804, (510) 243-6100) was made aware of the crash. The manufacturer was not made aware of the crash. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 dodge challenger. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. Also, whenever the brake pedal was depressed, the brakes made a squeaking noise as if they were prematurely wearing. The contact stated that the brakes failed to stop the vehicle in a timely manner. The vehicle also made a clunking noise as if metal were touching whenever the gears were shifted from park to drive and vice versa, as well as whenever the contact drove downhill. The contact took the vehicle to poway chrysler jeep dodge ram (13811 poway road, poway, ca 92064; 858‑218‑2213) where it was diagnosed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened case numbers: 30285247 and 31041577. The manufacturer also sent an investigator to view the brakes. The investigator stated that the brakes were not in need of repair. The contact returned the vehicle to the poway dodge regarding the transmission, but they were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the transmission failure and opened case numbers: 32657810 and 32920890. The failure was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to the same poway dodge dealer regarding the air bag warning sensor, but they did not diagnose the failure. The brake pads and rotors were replaced twice, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired for the transmission and the air bag warning indicator failures. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
The car started doing a rear wheel hop in second gear change as already reported to dodge. Dodge has offered to replace the car prior to the accident via a mr mike macdonald. This wheel hop was previously reported to 3 dodge dealers who said this was "normal". On the offer to replace the car I was told to continue driving the car until the replacement came. I should have not taken that offer. The car almost killed me. The air bags did not deploy. The seat belt did not restrain me, as my head slammed into the steering wheel. Multiple cases of air bags on these cars not deploying has come up in google searches. Both driver side tires ruptures when the car went sideways for the second time after what I can only imagine was the throttle being stuck. I can provide images later after the hospital of the tire hop marks. Dodge should be held accountable for selling a coffin on wheels. Oddly, mr. Mike macdonalds phone sends me straight to customer service now.
Takata recall airbag
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 dodge challenger. While driving 25 MPH, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed, but not destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.
Tl* the contact rented a 2016 dodge challenger. While driving 70 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle became uncontrollable and pulled to the right. The contact was unable to regain control of the vehicle and crashed into a concrete barrier. The vehicle spun around several times and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the upper control arm fractured and separated from the vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the face and lost several teeth, but medical attention was not required. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact rented a 2016 dodge challenger. The contact indicated that there was an abnormal condition in which the brakes engaged when necessary. In other instances, the brake pedal was slow to respond randomly. While driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal was applied and did not fully engage. The contact applied force to the brake pedal in advance for an extended period of time before approaching traffic. Due to the failure, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained whiplash and a concussion due to the lack of air bag deployment and the force of hitting the steering wheel. The seat belt also did not secure the contact, which caused neck and back injuries that required medical treatment. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a yard. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was not available.
Questions about the 2016 Dodge Challenger airbags
Does the 2016 Dodge Challenger have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the airbags of the 2016 Dodge Challenger, 14% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2016 Dodge Challenger airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 6,022 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Dodge Challenger airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Dodge Challenger have bad airbags?
The Dodge Challenger model years with the most airbags complaints are 2010 (75 complaints), 2012 (47 complaints) and 2009 (41 complaints).
Other 2016 Dodge Challenger problems
Transmission 16Electrical 15Engine 12Steering 9Lights 6Suspension 6Brakes 5Seat belts 4Wheels 4Body 3Acceleration 2Driver assistance 2Fuel system 2Visibility 1
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