Are Dodges Reliable? Dodge Reliability by Model
Dodge reliability varies significantly by model year. Among the 6 Dodge models analyzed, the Caravan has the fewest flagged years at 2, while the Charger has the most at 7. The sharpest single-year spike belongs to the Caravan, whose worst year logged up to 5× its own median complaint rate. Because complaint totals are not adjusted for vehicle sales, this analysis identifies strong and weak years within each model — it does not rank Dodge models against one another.
Analysis by CarWhere Research · Updated August 28, 2026 · Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years · Download the dataset (CSV)
23,257 NHTSA complaints
model years flagged on federal data
every model carries at least one
Dodge problem areas by service-bulletin volume
The vehicle systems drawing the most federal service-bulletin (TSB) filings across the 6 Dodge models we analyze — a volume signal of where the manufacturer issues the most fix guidance. These are TSB counts by NHTSA component category, not owner-complaint counts.
Dodge reliability by model
| Model | Complaints | Years to avoid | Best years | Worst year vs. its avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge Durango | 4,543 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2021 | 2008, 2009, 2020 and 2023 | 3.8× |
| Dodge Charger | 3,912 | 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 | 2021 | 4.4× |
| Dodge Challenger | 1,680 | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 | 2020 and 2021 | 2.9× |
| Dodge Journey | 5,488 | 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016 | 2019 and 2020 | 4.2× |
| Dodge Caravan | 716 | 2008 and 2009 | 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 | 5× |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 6,918 | 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016 | 2019 and 2020 | 3.3× |
Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA owner complaints), not adjusted for sales volume. A model year is flagged when its severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — never a comparison against other brands. Follow any model for its full year-by-year verdict. Full methodology.
Where Dodge owners report the most trouble
Dodge Caravan: 2 model years flagged to avoid (2008 and 2009) — the worst logged up to 5× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Dodge Charger: 7 model years flagged to avoid (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016) — the worst logged up to 4.4× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Dodge Journey: 5 model years flagged to avoid (2009, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016) — the worst logged up to 4.2× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
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FAQ
Are Dodges reliable?
Dodge reliability varies sharply by model year, not by badge. Among the 6 most-documented Dodge models, 6 carry at least one model year we flag to avoid on NHTSA complaint and recall data — the Caravan has the fewest flagged years (2) and the Charger the most (7). These are raw federal complaint counts, not adjusted for how many vehicles Dodge sold, so they can't be read as a single cross-brand reliability score — use the per-model, per-year verdicts below.
Which Dodge model years should I avoid?
The Dodge models carrying the most flagged years are the Charger (7 flagged years: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016); the Durango (7 flagged years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2021); the Challenger (6 flagged years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015). A flag means that model year's severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — it is not a comparison against other models or brands. See each model's page for the full year-by-year verdict.
Which Dodge models have the fewest flagged years?
Among Dodge models with enough federal complaint history to rate, the Caravan carries the fewest flagged years (2). That is not a cross-model reliability ranking — complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — and a thin record is never counted as a clean one: model years with too little data rate "insufficient" instead.
How do I check a specific Dodge before buying?
Start with the free Dodge window sticker lookup at carwhere.com/window-sticker/dodge to confirm the exact trim and factory options, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year plus a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — the public NHTSA owner-complaints data and safety recall campaigns — across the 6 most-documented Dodge models and every model year on record for each. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered, so they cannot be read as a single cross-brand reliability ranking; each model year's verdict compares it only against the rest of that model's own history. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Suggested citation
CarWhere Research. "Dodge Reliability by Model & Year: NHTSA Complaint and Recall Analysis." Based on 23,257 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Dodge models, model years 2008–2025. Updated August 28, 2026. https://www.carwhere.com/research/reliability/dodge
This dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to CarWhere Research and a link to this page.
Download the dataset (CSV) — per-model complaint totals, flagged years and verdict counts for every brand we cover (version 2026-08-28).