The 2023 Dodge Charger carries 2 open NHTSA recalls — most recently covering parking brake and critical fasteners. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Parking brake engagement and holding failure.” Dodge uses Stellantis' Oil Change Indicator — it watches engine load and duty cycle and messages when to change oil, capped at 10,000 miles or 12 months. Know your engine: the 3.6L Pentastar V6 goes 100,000 miles on plugs, while HEMI V8s carry sixteen plugs (two per cylinder) on a roughly 30,000-mile interval — that's a real cost difference at the service counter. HEMI models with MDS cylinder deactivation are especially sensitive to overdue oil.
PARKING BRAKE
Campaign #24V112000 · Feb 15, 2024
Issue: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2023 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger vehicles. The parking brake may be improperly adjusted, which can result in a vehicle roll away. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will properly adjust the parking brake, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 29, 2024. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 01B.
SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Campaign #24V574000 · Jan 8, 2024
Issue: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2023 Dodge Charger vehicles. The left rear seat back may not lock in the upright position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: A seat back that is not locked into position can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and adjust the seat back latch striker as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 37B.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2023 Dodge Charger.
PARKING BRAKE
2 NHTSA complaints · 2026-04 → 2026-08
“The parking brake system on my 2023 Dodge Charger has repeatedly become loose and does not hold the vehicle securely”
“Between 12,000 and 13,000 miles, the parking brake pedal on my 2023 Dodge Charger began dropping to the floor with no physical resistance. It would fail to engage unless I rocked the vehicle back and forth”
POWER TRAIN
2 NHTSA complaints · 2024-12 → 2025-02
“Transmission slippage when shifting from reverse to drive that causes a 2-3 second delay before transmission engages”
“I purchased my 2023 Dodge Charger Scatpack 392 on July 22, 2024 and a week later I began to notice that each time I would backup and then shift into drive. There would be a 3 to 4 second delay in the transmission engaging with the drive shaft”
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2 NHTSA complaints · 2024-03 → 2026-03
“Accelerator pedal was delayed coming back up when pressed. It is available for inspection. Because of this happening while I was parking the car, it collided with a tree about 20 feet in front of it”
“The gas peddle got stuck and will not let me stop causing me to hit someone”
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3 NHTSA complaints · 2026-03 → 2026-06
“My 2023 Dodge Charger SXT with approximately 26,000 miles has experienced multiple incidents where, while turning into traffic or accelerating from a stop, the vehicle loses the ability to continue driving and displays a message instructing me to shift into Park and then Drive”
“The contact stated that the “Service Shifter” message was intermittently displayed. While driving 60 MPH, the message was displayed and the vehicle shut off immediately”
“The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to safely move to a parking lot; however, the vehicle could not be shifted into park(P)”
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3 NHTSA complaints · 2025-06 → 2026-01
“The vehicle has had continuous electrical failure. The infotainment system download dot jar files daily and display the message of fatal error”
“The core issue appears to involve high-voltage faults and CAN bus voltage exceeding threshold limits—likely tied to the vehicle’s telematics system”
“since the purchase of my vehicle one year ago, my vehicle has consistently had codes that listed output to each headlamp, can bus code, it has also had engine control module code”
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
2 NHTSA complaints · 2025-03 → 2026-05
“When the condition occurs, the vehicle is unable to exceed approximately 3,500 RPM and experiences engine stalling and loss of power while driving”
“The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 11, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 11, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
Change when the indicator says so — never beyond 10,000 miles or 12 months. Pentastar 3.6L: 0W-20. HEMI 5.7L: 5W-20 (0W-40 for 6.4L SRT). MDS-equipped HEMIs punish stretched oil intervals with lifter and cam wear.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate every 8,000 miles. Charger/Challenger R/T and Scat Pack: staggered-width setups can't rotate front-to-rear — budget rear tires accordingly.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Inspect pads and rotors at every oil change. Heavy Durangos used for towing and hard-driven Chargers both run through rear pads faster than the front-pad-first rule of thumb suggests.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
HEMI 5.7L: sixteen plugs roughly every 30,000 miles — check your year's manual. Pentastar 3.6L (Charger/Challenger V6, Durango V6, Journey, Grand Caravan): 100,000 miles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Grand Caravan/Journey (62TE): ATF+4 service every 60,000 miles in family duty. Charger/Challenger/Durango with the TorqueFlite 8-speed: no published normal interval, but specialists recommend service around 60,000-100,000 miles — sooner with towing.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$330–$500
Shop
~$235–$355
DIY
~$60–$180
Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.
RWD Charger/Challenger and AWD Durango: replace rear diff fluid around 60,000 miles, sooner with towing or drag-strip duty. Limited-slip units need the friction-modifier additive.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$150–$195
Shop
~$105–$135
DIY
~$20–$50
Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.
Replace every 30,000 miles. HEMIs pull serious airflow — a clogged filter costs measurable power before it throws a code.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Inspect from 60,000 miles, replace on cracking or glazing. On the HEMI, a shredded belt can take the cooling drive with it mid-drive.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$195–$235
Shop
~$135–$165
DIY
~$20–$50
DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Replace every 20,000 miles where equipped (behind the glovebox on most models). Some earlier Journeys and Avengers shipped without one — check before buying a filter.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Stellantis OAT coolant is scheduled for 10 years / 150,000 miles; shops commonly refresh by 100,000. OAT-compatible coolant only — mixing chemistries gels the system.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Test annually after year 3. Big-audio Chargers and tow-package Durangos lean on the battery hard; weak batteries surface as gremlins in the electronics before they fail to crank.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$225–$390
Shop
~$160–$280
DIY
~$130–$250
Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
20 crashes 2010–2024
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
3
complaints mentioning a crash
0
complaints mentioning a fire
Reviewed known issues for this vehicle·Open recalls for this vehicle
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 2023 Dodge Charger reflects Dodge's published service intervals and the Oil Change Indicator System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.