Best Dodge Years to Buy by Model
The best Dodge years to buy: the 2009 Durango, 2021 Charger, 2020 Challenger, 2020 Journey, 2014 Caravan and 2020 Grand Caravan — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2009 Journey and 2016 Grand Caravan. Based on 23,257 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Dodge models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Dodge years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge Durango | 2008200920202023 | 2011201220132014201520182021 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Dodge Charger | 2021 | 2008201020112012201320142016 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Dodge Challenger | 20202021 | 201020112012201320142015 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Dodge Journey | 20192020 | 20092010201420152016 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Dodge Caravan | 2013201420152016 | 20082009 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 20192020 | 20082010201120122016 | 18 (2008–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Dodge model
2009 Dodge Durango: 19 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2008, 2009, 2020 and 2023 · Best Durango years →
2021 Dodge Charger: 32 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best Charger years →
2020 Dodge Challenger: 20 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2020 and 2021 · Best Challenger years →
2020 Dodge Journey: 61 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2019 and 2020 · Best Journey years →
2014 Dodge Caravan: 20 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 · Best Caravan years →
2020 Dodge Grand Caravan: 16 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2019 and 2020 · Best Grand Caravan years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Dodge years to buy?
By model: Durango 2008, 2009, 2020 and 2023; Charger 2021; Challenger 2020 and 2021; Journey 2019 and 2020; Caravan 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; Grand Caravan 2019 and 2020. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Dodge years should I skip?
By model: Durango 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2021; Charger 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016; Challenger 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015; Journey 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016; Caravan 2008 and 2009; Grand Caravan 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016. The full breakdown is on the Dodge years-to-avoid page.
How are the best Dodge years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.