Driver & passenger door windows on many 2010-2017 Dodge Challengers activate repeatedly on their own during driving and after ignition is turned off causing the battery to completely drain overnight & sometimes after only one or two hours after the ignition is turned off. There was a TSB#23-039-11. This TSB does not apply to my 2013 Challenger. Parts are extremely expensive and the car leaves me stranded if parked only a couple of hours. During driving the cycling down and up causes danger as it appears the door wants to open on its own and making us have to pull over several times until we figured out it was doing it on its own as if it was haunted. No warning lights on my 2013 Challenger. Mechanics checked it after having 2 brand new batteries drain overnight. Batteries are approximately $200.00. Dealer will only say the door latch mechanism needs replacing at approximately $480.00. Parts cost approx. $190.00.
Dodge Challenger battery drain problems
44 of the 1,696 owner complaints about the Dodge Challenger describe battery drain or dead battery, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 44
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $480
- typical mileage
- 57,000
By model year
Often reported together
Door locks 6Won't start 5Stalling 3Whining noise 2Overheating 1Misfire 1Fire or smoke 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
Since the day of delivery, the 2018 Dodge Challenger I purchased from Carvana has been non-operational due to a dead battery and significant engine problems. Despite multiple attempts to start the vehicle, it required towing to the dealer for repairs. Additionally, the car was delivered with illegally dark tint on all windows, including the front windshield, which is not compliant with California state regulations. These issues have rendered the vehicle unusable and have not been adequately addressed, posing safety and compliance concerns
The driver side smart window rolls up and down about a half inch when the vehicle is completely off sometimes causing a dead battery. In addition when driving the window will also Crack open and do the same thing causing loud noise which can easily distract the driver while the vehicle is being operated.
Driver side window cycles up and down while the car is shut off and locked at night and drains the battery
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 dodge challenger. The contact stated that every time she turned off her vehicle she had to unplug her battery because there was a malfunction with the smart switch in her windows. The windows did not completely close and as a result the electrical system overheated the vehicle and drained the battery. The contact called the dealer freedom chrysler dodge jeep ram by ed morse 815 e camp wisdom rd, duncanville, tx 75116 888) 331-8981 and they said to bring the vehicle in for a diagnostic test. They also said there were no recalls . The vehicle was not repaired with contact having to buy new batteries to be able to start her vehicle. The manufacturer gave the contact a case number and referred her to call the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was 65,000.
My car wont start I replaced the alternator and the battery a few times. But somthing keeps draining the battery. Where I have been stalled on highway 5 late at night.
The driver side window keeps moving up and down when the vehicle is off and there is no key in the vehicle, causing the vehicle to drain the battery. It also it while I am driving the vehicle as well.
The vehicle was parked and turned off. A switch malfunctioned in the car, causing the driver's window to lower and raise 1/4" every 30 seconds or so. This drained the battery and left us stranded. After doing some research it looks like it is the smart glass switch that failed. This is a known issue on these vehicles and dodge issued a recall for only 2011 model years leaving the rest of us in jeopardy of being stranded and to pay hundreds of dollars for a fix and possible another couple hundred for a new battery.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 dodge challenger. The contact stated that after the vehicle was turned off, the driver's side smart window rolled up and down which drained the battery. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to mike anderson chrysler dodge ram located in marion, indiana, where it was diagnosed that the battery was drained and that the cause was due to the inadvertent operation of the window. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not subjected to a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
The driver side window goes up and down about a 1/4 of an inch on it's own when the car is off and no one is in the vehicle. This drained the battery completely and I needed to be jumped to get it to the mechanic. I saw on line where this was a recall for 2010 ,2011 and some 2012 models. This happened on april 7th.
Related recalls
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
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Dodge Challenger and Charger and Chrysler 300 vehicles. The instrument cluster may not properly illuminate driver warnings. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
- Risk
- Failure of the instrument cluster to properly illuminate may prevent the driver from receiving warnings about the vehicle's systems, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began April 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V32.
Recall number 19V203000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
- Risk
- A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Recall number 18V524000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
- Risk
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Recall number 18V332000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014 Dodge Challenger, Charger, Durango, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 3.6L engine and a 160 amp alternator. In the affected vehicles, the alternator may suddenly fail.
- Risk
- If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the alternator, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T75.
Recall number 17V741000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) and are equipped with a 5.7L or a 3.6L engine and a 160, 180 or 220 amp alternator. In the affected vehicles, the alternator may suddenly fail.
- Risk
- If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. There is also the possibility that the alternator may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator and depending on the part number, will replace the alternator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T36.
Recall number 17V435000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2015 Dodge Challenger vehicles manufactured June 30, 2014, to October 8, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the instrument cluster may become inoperative. This could cause the gauges to oscillate at zero and the Vehicle Theft Alarm could remain illuminated. Thus, the affected vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, "Controls and displays."
- Risk
- If the instrument cluster becomes inoperative, it can increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a software enhancement, free of charge. The recall began on December 15, 2014. Owners can contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P74.
Recall number 14V749000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010, to January 2, 2014, and equipped with a 3.6L engine and a 160 amp alternator. In the affected vehicles, the alternator may suddenly fail.
- Risk
- If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will replace the alternator, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P60.
Recall number 14V634000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Challenger vehicles manufactured from December 3, 2012, through January 24, 2013 and equipped with a V6 engine. The battery positive cable at the starter motor may experience an electrical short circuit to ground.
- Risk
- A short circuit could lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler has begun notifying owners and they are being advised to immediately refrain from driving their vehicles and to contact their dealers. Chrysler Group further advises affected owners not to park their vehicles in, or near, any structures. Dealers will replace the under hood starter cable assembly, free of charge. The recall notification began on March 22, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1‑800‑247‑9753.
Recall number 13V103000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: module
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2010 chrysler 300, dodge challenger, charger, jeep commander, grand cherokee and dodge ram vehicles. These vehicles may have been built with a wireless ignition node (win) module exhibiting a binding condition of the solenoid latch.
- Risk
- The result of the defect could lead to a condition where the key may be removed from the ignition switch (win module) prior to placing the shifter in park. This could result in the potential for unintended vehicle movement and could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the win module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before august 23, 2010. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 10V200000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge Challenger battery drain
Which Dodge Challenger years have battery drain or dead battery problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (18 complaints), 2013 (9 complaints) and 2011 (8 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix battery drain or dead battery on the Dodge Challenger?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $480 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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