2010 Dodge Challenger Problems, Recalls & Reliability

433 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Dodge Challenger, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 35,973 miles.

Avoid this year if you can. The 2010 Dodge Challenger sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2020.

433Complaints
100/100Trouble index
7Recalls
40,000Typical trouble mileage

Avoid

Where 2010 sits among all Challenger years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 106 complaints (24%) · typically ~35,973 miles
“Car shut down/powered off/turned off on it's own, while driving through parking lot at about 25 mph. Lost power steering and power brakes. Difficult to control/hard to safe vehicle: hard to turn, stop, and restart. Check engine light did not come on/no odb codes stored.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Challenger
Airbags 75 complaints (17%) · typically ~50,500 miles
“Takata recall 16v-352, notice received 7/15/2016. Partial use only this vehicle for eight months! Is this nhtsa or fca problem??? Ridiculous”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Challenger
Electrical 72 complaints (17%) · typically ~50,000 miles
“Wireless ignition (win)module key may be removed prior to placing the car in park or even driving down the road it may fallout. Key will not shut vehicle off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Challenger
Transmission & drivetrain 36 complaints (8%) · typically ~17,700 miles
“The 6 speed transmission at 47,000 miles is having a very hard time shifting into and out of gear at idle. With clutch pedal all the way to floor it will not go into or out of first gear or reverse. After getting it into gear and driving the transmission shifts fine. There is a known issue with the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Challenger
Steering 34 complaints (8%) · typically ~44,000 miles
“Car shut down/powered off/turned off on it's own, while driving. Rapid automatic down shift of gears braking from about 50 to turn/while turning left onto side street. Car died after steering wheel began turning to left during turn. Lost power steering and power brakes. Very difficult to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Challenger
Other 30 complaints (7%) · typically ~87,000 miles
“There is a smell of raw fuel inside the vehicle. Smell comes through the air vents while parked and driving. All the time>”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Challenger

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 306 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 40,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 13,000 and 72,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (7)

AIR BAGS 19V018000 2019 Do not drive

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 Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air…

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The…

AIR BAGS 18V021000 2018 Do not drive

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 states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,…

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The…

AIR BAGS 16V352000 2016 Do not drive

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 model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009…

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their…

AIR BAGS 15V444000 2015 Do not drive

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 driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture…

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The…

STEERING 10V475000 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 (DS) VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A…

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE AS NECESSARY THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10V200000 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 IGNITION NODE (WIN) MODULE EXHIBITING A BINDING CONDITION OF THE…

Fix: 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.

WHEELS 09V420000 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.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND IF FOUND WITHOUT A SPINDLE NUT IT WILL BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…

Model years named: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Technical service bulletins

52 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2010 Dodge Challenger. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2010 Challenger TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2010peak 82 in 20152025

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2010 Dodge Challenger reliable?

The 2010 Dodge Challenger drew 433 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).

What are the most common 2010 Dodge Challenger problems?

The top reported problems for the 2010 Dodge Challenger are engine (106 complaints), airbags (75), and electrical (72).

At what mileage do 2010 Dodge Challenger problems show up?

Owners most often report 2010 Dodge Challenger problems around 40,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 13,000 and 72,000 miles.

Does the 2010 Dodge Challenger have recalls?

7 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 Dodge Challenger. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.

← 2009 Challenger All Challenger years 2011 Challenger →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.