While operating my vehicle at road speed the electric steering rack failed. This rendered the steering inoperative. It was impossible to steer the vehicle. Not only is this situation extremely dangerous and deadly, there was no advanced warning. I received no prompts or warning lights before the incident happened. I researched and found that certain 2021 Dodge Challengers were involved in a warning system recall. My specific vehicle was not included in the recall. This is what Dodge and the dealership who did the repair kept telling me while they ignored any responsibility. This situation is completely unacceptable. I have no idea why my vehicle was not included in the recall for the warning system, but fortunately I am still alive to complain that it should’ve been. This situation, where this part fails and renders the steering inoperable is ridiculous and extremely dangerous. The repairs for this cost me over $5800. It’s very convenient that Dodge and their dealership that did the repair can hang their hat on the fact that I was not seriously injured and completely. Ignore the fact that this incident is unacceptable. Both Dodge Customer Care and the Huntington New York. Dodge dealership offered me zero compensation for being without the use of my vehicle for two weeks or the fact that my vehicle is not included in the warning system recall. I initially filed this complaint #11745702 with your office on June 22, 2026 and as of yet have not received any response. Therefore, I am filing this complaint for the second time hoping that you can take action on this. Thank you in advance for your help.
The worst 2021 Dodge Challenger problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags4
- Electrical4
- Engine3
- Transmission3
- Body2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags4
- Electrical4
- Engine3
- Transmission3
- Body2
- Driver assistance2
- Steering2
- Acceleration1
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
Recalls 2
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Dodge Challenger vehicles. The affected vehicles do not illuminate their safety system status indicators sufficiently in both daylight and nighttime driving conditions. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
- Risk
- Without visible safety system indicators, a driver may not receive information regarding vehicle safety, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will re-program instrument clusters with the correct software version, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 5, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-140. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y58.
Recall number 21V664000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Chrysler 300 vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
- Risk
- A windshield that separates from the vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove and replace the front windshield urethane sealant, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y47.
Recall number 21V516000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2021 Dodge Challenger 287
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- ID-25-14
- D-25-17
- ID-25-14 all
- D-25-17 all
- The Customer May Complain About a Popping Noise, Grinding Noise, or an Intermittent No Reverse or Forward...
- Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp...
- The vehicle will exhibit a service transmission/check engine warning indicator for the following...
- Active Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) B1A10-00, B1A11-00, B1A12- 00, B1A13-00-, B1A14-00, B1A15-00,...
- Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC)...
2021 Dodge Challenger fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | RWD | 19 | 30 | 23 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | AWD | 18 | 27 | 21 |
| 5.7L 8‑cyl | RWD | 15-16 | 23-25 | 18-19 |
| 6.4L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14-15 | 23-24 | 17-18 |
| 6.2L 8‑cyl | RWD | 13 | 21-22 | 15-16 |
What 2021 Dodge Challenger owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-35 MPH on a local roadway, the steering suddenly became inoperative, and the steering wheel locked without warning. The contact was able to maintain control of the vehicle and safely pulled over to the side of the road where the vehicle was already drifting. There were no warning lights illuminated, or messages displayed prior to the failure. After restarting the vehicle, a warning message associated with the steering system was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed from the scene to a dealer to be diagnosed and repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,850.
mileage 61113 . car moves forward 15 feet an goes into neutral .When pulling into traffic this is a serious safety problem . A major accident which could be loss of life might occur . Enterprise car sales will not acknowledge o show any concern . They offered a 12 month or 12000 mile limited warranty free and implied i should have paid for an expensive warranty. their carfax report showed that they did not comply with service information from the manufacturer for the transmission . As such i have been taken advantage of . I will now have to pay about $1000 to have the service completed . This problem also is happening on their Dodge pick up trucks.
My seatbelt seemed a bit faulty when I purchased the car. It was slow to retract and at some points wouldn’t retract unless I played with the seatbelt. Three years in to owning the car it still won’t retract fully and is at the point where it won’t come out to a safe distance that allows me to wear my seatbelt. As for the electrical defaults, there are times when I am driving and the display, between my speedometer and rpm dials, turned off. So would my center display, yet my radio continued to play. There were no warning signs or signals when that would happen. It is always random.
I purchased this vehicle from Vroom, who is also my lender under United Auto Credit. The car was sold with a washed title and undisclosed prior structural and mechanical damage. I have documentation confirming the vehicle had serious pre-existing issues and should never have been sold as a clean-title car. The differential has failed three times in under 6 months, and I’ve experienced full drivetrain failure following multiple service visits to Dodge. I had requested inspection of the transmission, but after every visit, the issues worsened. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. The car exhibits violent vibrations, power loss, and unpredictable handling, making it unsafe to drive at highway speeds. The differential is on the verge of catastrophic failure again. These issues risk loss of vehicle control, wheel lock up, and potential collisions. Has the issue been confirmed by a dealer or service center? Yes. Dodge dealerships have confirmed repeated differential failure and ongoing drivetrain problems. Independent shops have also verified signs of prior impact and poor repairs. Has the vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance? It has been brought to authorized Dodge service centers at least six times and is the subject of an open Dodge customer care case (7+ months). No police or insurance inspections at this time. This vehicle was fraudulently sold with hidden damage and has presented major, repeated safety hazards. I am asking the federal safety agency to investigate not only this vehicle, but the broader pattern of dangerous sales by Vroom/United Auto Credit and Dodge, including title washing and stalling tactics to run out factory warranties before resolution.
My automatic start hasn’t been working for months . Sometimes it work , sometimes it doesn’t . When it doesn’t work I get a message on the dash saying “remote start cancelled hood open . “Iced taken my car to the Dodge dealership several times & it keeps happening . I’ve contacted Dodge customer care etc and nothing . Once when I was at the dealership the gentlemen said another customer came in with the same issue . This is car is too expensive, , I only have 38400 miles and nobody knows the issues nor do they care . I believe this is known issue with dodge
On [XXX] I was traveling s/b on [XXX] in Florida in my Dodge Challenger which I purchased from New Smyrna Dodge this year. I was traveling approx 65 mph and all of a sudden the back of my drivers seat went back all the way putting me in a flat position against the rear seat. I was lucky enough to pull myself up and keep control of the vehicle. The incident could have been a disaster because my father was also riding in the vehicle on the passenger side. I pulled over on the median and checked the drivers seat thinking maybe the manual recline had just slipped. In doing so I saw that the metal frame on the right side of the seat had snapped where it connects to bottom of seat frame. Obviously it is a defect in the metal because the frame was not damaged in any way and metal just to broke(Snapped). Had it happened in an accident the injury could have been severe. These seat are suppose meet certain standards. I responded to The dealer today and spoke to a service representative who did agree it was probably a defect because he never heard of that happening but also said unfortunately you are just over warranty by three thousand miles. Stated you can leave car but it will involve full days labor taking seat apart. Doesn't say much for dealer mechanics. Also said there was no recall on it but admitted when it happened could have been serious accident. He also made no attempt to even go out and look at it. If in fact this is a defect people's lives could be in danger. If I wasn't able to pull myself up immediately to a sitting position we probably would have had an accident. The actions of this dealer did not surprise me at all. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On [XXX] I was involved in car accident on [XXX] around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. When the impact happened the airbags deployed and cut my wrist (left) and burned my left forearm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The cars light notifications on instrument cluster panel turned on all of them at the same time while accelerating jerking the car on freeway I have video of that happening and can provide it upon request it did caused a minor accident but I settled the accident with other driver with cash with out involving insurance or police but the car is not being driven that much ever since accident it was nothing serious just a little damage to front bumper but it was really scary when it happened again on freeway thats why i recorded the problem live and can provide the video at request havent went to get the car checked out or repaired yet but definately need to it's a safety issue and dangerous one if happens at the wrong time or place I haven't received no calls from dealers or mail but will wait for further instructions from the federal safety agency the car is parked at the moment and will tow to the selling dealer after I hear from you guys I also believe there is a recall on my car for the same year and trim La but it was issued after I had vehicle in possession not sure but I received a similar looking card like the recall one about a factory replacement vehicle that I was supposed to receive because of a engine breakdown not sure what it is for but can provide that as well seems it seems sketchy because it looks alot and very similar to the recall card that gets sent out when there is a recall on car i have it on my person i kept it because it had a change of a dress fill out form in back of it so I need to check with sselling dealer I believe I might of gotten the wrong car or not my car i am owed for some reason the vin is not correct and I believe it's supposed to be a fj so this happening to me on a new 2021 dodge challenger for 53435 dollars doesn't seem right at all will ask dealer for a copy of my contract of the sale see if it matches the one they gave me might have the wrong car but the safety issue is real and hopefully you guys can tel me what'snex
The contact was driving a rental vehicle from Enterprise which was a 2021 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated there was debris in the high way and the vehicle was pulled into the wall and the air bag did not deploy. The contact stated a police report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed with dislocated left shoulder and head injury. The vehicle was towed to the Airport Enterprise Lot. mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,415.
Compare the 2021 Dodge Challenger
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2021 Dodge Challenger
Is the 2021 Dodge Challenger reliable?
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 2021 Dodge Challenger, fewer than a typical Challenger model year.
What is the 2021 Dodge Challenger year score?
The 2021 Dodge Challenger scores 85 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Dodge Challenger: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Dodge Challenger?
Airbags, with 4 complaints. Next is electrical (4).
How many recalls does the 2021 Dodge Challenger have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and visibility.
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).
What gas mileage does the 2021 Dodge Challenger get?
Official estimates for the 2021 Dodge Challenger range from 15 to 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.6L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 19 city and 30 highway.
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