Electrical recalls and alternator fires
The 2012 Charger has about 800 complaints per 100,000 sold and 50 fire reports. Electrical faults, including alternator failure, are more than half.
Updated November 2026 · based on 661 owner complaints and 15 recalls
800 3.6x the Charger average
15 free to fix at a dealer
Every Charger year compared
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold. Lower is better. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so they are marked too new to judge.
Known problems on the 2012 Charger
Top problems and what they cost
Alternator and electrical failure
Alternator failure that can stall the car or cause a fire.
Fix: Free under recall if included; otherwise $400 to $800
Electrical
Air bag faults
Air bag warning lights and recalls.
Fix: Free under recall
Air bags
Recalls
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occ...
If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Loss of headlights reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Drivers thinking that their vehicle's transmission is in the PARK position may be struck by the vehicle and injured if they attempt to get out of the vehicle...
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or repl...
Show all 15 recalls
A car that falls unexpectedly increases the risk of injury.
Air bags that unexpectedly deploy increase the risk of a crash or injury.
In the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment the airbags may not operate as designed, increasing the risk of injury.
THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VISIBILITY AND/OR BRAKING ABILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
UNDERINFLATED TIRES CAN RESULT IN TIRE OVERLOADING AND OVERHEATING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A BLOWOUT AND POSSIBLE CRASH.
CONNECTING ROD FAILURE MAY LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZURE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Complaints by part
Before you buy a 2012 Dodge Charger
- Check by VIN that electrical and air bag recalls are done.A recall is a safety fix the carmaker must do for free, even for later owners. Typing the 17-character VIN (on the dashboard and driver door) into nhtsa.gov/recalls shows any that were never done. Codes like 18V332 are recall numbers.The 2012 Charger has 15 recalls on record, listed below.
- Watch for battery and charging warnings.Warning lights should come on briefly at start and then go out. One that stays on means the car has stored a fault, and a parts store can read the code for free.365 of the 661 owner complaints about the 2012 Charger involve the electrical system (55%).
Questions
Is the 2012 Dodge Charger reliable?
Electrical recalls and alternator fires. The 2012 Charger has about 800 complaints per 100,000 sold and 50 fire reports. Electrical faults, including alternator failure, are more than half.
How many recalls does the 2012 Dodge Charger have?
15 recalls. Recall repairs are free at any Dodge dealer, even for later owners. Enter the VIN on the free government recall lookup to see which are still open on a specific car.
What are the most common 2012 Dodge Charger problems?
Alternator and electrical failure; Air bag faults.
Crash rating shown for the 2012 Dodge Charger 4 DR AWD. Repair costs are typical U.S. ranges for parts and labor, not quotes. How we score.