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2010 Dodge Challenger problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
63%
143 of 226 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

63% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2010 Dodge Challenger are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 85% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 73 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 48%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2010 Dodge Challenger have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 143 of 226 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Dodge Challenger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (63%), and the largest group is filed under engine (75). For comparison, the 2011 scores 30%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
143
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
299
this model year
Fires reported
4
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
7
10 crashes · 13 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE75 · 25%
AIR BAGS75 · 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM68 · 23%
POWER TRAIN36 · 12%
STEERING33 · 11%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING31 · 10%

The years either side

2010
63%
143 of 299
2011
30%
47 of 193
2012
22%
43 of 253
2013
28%
44 of 179
2014
41%
53 of 149
2015
50%
54 of 126
2016
45%
27 of 78
2017
25%
11 of 49
2018
20%
13 of 75
2019
28%
14 of 58
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
12%
5 of 43

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2010 Dodge Challenger

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN09/20/2011CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE CHALLENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECOND GEAR SHIFT WOULD POP OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO STORAGE UNIT AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED TOE AND LEG INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FRONT AND LEF…

One of 143 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Dodge Challenger?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns on the 2010 Dodge Challenger, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

7 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V018000 · Jan 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V021000 · Jan 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V352000 · May 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module15V444000 · Jul 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Dodge Challenger vehicles manufactured September 19, 2007, to October 29, 2010. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage…
steering: electric power assist system10V475000 · Oct 2010
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER SEBRING, 300, CHARGER (LX) AND DODGE CHALLENGER (LC), AVENGER (JS), AND JOURNEY (JC), AS WELL AS MODEL YEAR 2011 DODGE RAM LIGHT DUTY PICKUP…
electrical system: ignition: module10V200000 · May 2010
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…
wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs09V420000 · Oct 2009
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH REAR WHEEL DRIVE. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITHOUT A FRONT WHEEL SPINDLE NUT.

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2010 Dodge Challenger? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2010 Dodge Challenger

Does the 2010 Dodge Challenger have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 143 of 226 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Dodge Challenger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (63%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Dodge Challenger?

No. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns on the 2010 Dodge Challenger, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Dodge Challenger years are better?

Among the Dodge Challenger years we track, the 2023 (12%), the 2018 (20%) and the 2012 (22%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2010 (63%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2010 Dodge Challenger?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2010 Dodge Challenger has an elevated engine complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing engine work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.