Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 175 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Dodge Charger, and it carries 6 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 38 | 22% |
| Electrical system | 31 | 18% |
| Engine | 21 | 12% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 9 | 5% |
| Steering | 9 | 5% |
| Tires | 8 | 5% |
| Tires | 6 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 2% |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 2% |
| Unknown or other | 3 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under a recall and the driver’s side air bag was replaced. The contact stated that after the recall repair, the instrumen
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle had shut off unexpectedly. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally, but
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
ORC passenger seat deployment squib 1 reads a open circuit 1. Has been like this since the last airbag recall in 2019. Was supposed to had been fixed then and dealer was never able to fix the issue.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact owned a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that upon having the vehicle inspected, she became aware of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V313000 (Air Bags) and 16V352000 (Air Bags) however, the contact then st
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I was sold this car from a dealer and told nothing was wrong with it, 2 days later codes U0002 (CAN communication BUS performance) and U0103 (Loss communication with gear shift module) came on and the car will go into wh
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Charger. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the contact heard a rattling sound coming from the passenger’s side air bag compartment. The contact stated that there was no war
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH, WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED THEN STOPPED. THE VEHICLE STALLED BUT THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TH
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
HEADGASKET, FEL-PRO ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET, REMOVE CARBON, AND MAKE ALL NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS.
NHTSA complaint: Engine
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2009 Dodge Charger. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas,
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 r
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 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2
Risk: 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 replacement equipment. These inflators may rup
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 company.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler and Dodge owners and Mitsubishi will notify the affected Raider owners.
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 175 MY 2009 DODGE CHARGER, CHALLENGER, AND CHRYSLER 300 VEHICLES. THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR (TPM) SENSORS MAY NOT TRANSMIT THE ACTUAL TIRE PRESSURE. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE DRIVER NOT BEING AWARE OF LOW TIRE PRESSURE.
Risk: OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE WITH LOW TIRE PRESSURE COULD RESULT IN TIRE DAMAGE AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TPM SENSORS. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON FEBRUARY 9, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
| Reliability raw | 83 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 77 | good |
| Maintenance | 72 | good |
| Depreciation | 64 | average |
| Performance | 79 | good |
| Efficiency | 35 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 175 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 38 of them (22%). There are 6 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 83/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 77/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2009 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 72/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.