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2010 Dodge Charger problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
49%
87 of 179 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

49% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2010 Dodge Charger are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 62% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 59 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 37%).

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 Charger have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 87 of 179 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Dodge Charger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (49%), and the largest group is filed under engine (50). For comparison, the 2011 scores 36%. 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
87
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
238
this model year
Fires reported
9
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
14 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM76 · 32%
AIR BAGS60 · 25%
ENGINE50 · 21%
POWER TRAIN19 · 8%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING16 · 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER12 · 5%

The years either side

2010
49%
87 of 238
2011
36%
178 of 699
2012
33%
167 of 661
2013
33%
104 of 367
2014
39%
124 of 346
2015
52%
59 of 136
2016
42%
69 of 182
2017
32%
37 of 128
2018
20%
23 of 122
2019
28%
16 of 120
2020
30%
6 of 57
2021
47%
8 of 35
2022
too few complaints
2023
48%
12 of 26

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 Charger

What one owner reported

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE03/24/2026
While I am driving the vehicle it shuts off and the key seems to be loose. It has shut off multiple times while operating driving down the highway making it unsafe to get to the side of the road

One of 87 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 Charger?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2010 Dodge Charger, 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.

6 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 module15V313000 · May 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler…
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 Charger? 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 Charger

Does the 2010 Dodge Charger have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 87 of 179 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Dodge Charger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (49%). 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 Charger?

No. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2010 Dodge Charger, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Dodge Charger years are better?

Among the Dodge Charger years we track, the 2018 (20%), the 2019 (28%) and the 2020 (30%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2010 (49%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2010 Dodge Charger?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2010 Dodge Charger 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.