2014 Dodge Challenger Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 2014 Challenger most often describe two kinds of trouble: the engine stalling or shutting off while driving, sometimes with flickering lights or warning lamps, and a loss of power steering assist that makes the wheel hard to turn, often accompanied by groaning or whining. A second cluster of complaints concerns oil leaks and oil consumption around the oil filter housing and adapter, plus valvetrain noise that some dealers replaced lifters and camshafts to address. Reported mileage varies widely, from near-new cars to well over 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls or shuts off while driving

   • 32 complaints (21%)
   • median 56,000 mi at 4.1 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2026

   Complaints describe the engine quitting without warning at freeway or in-town speeds, sometimes with the headlights dimming, dashboard lights flashing, or the stereo acting up before the car dies. Several owners link it to a failing alternator, and some note their vehicle was covered by an alternator recall while others were told their VIN was not included. In many cases dealers could not reproduce the failure and returned the car without a repair. Spread across the sample from a few thousand to over 100,000 miles, with several reports between roughly 30,000 and 60,000 miles.

   Recall 17V435000Recall 17V741000Recall 14V6340002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the alternator recall work was completed and whether the battery and charging system have been checked; scan for stored codes and note any history of intermittent stalling.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My son lost power while driving, lights and stereo went crazy. Car shut down and lights and stereo still going when tow truck arrived to tow to house 40 minutes later. Had to disconnect battery terminal to shut everything down. Fortunately my son was not hurt or any one else.”

   NHTSA complaint #11002679, filed 2017-07, 58,000 miles

   “Car shuts off at apporximately 45mph. Almost wreck and then flickers back to normal operating and drive home(5)minutes and park. Will not start back up. Towed the car to a Dodge dealer who replaced the alternator recall and tells me to pick it up. I go pick it up and now it will not change gears, over heats in dealership parking lot and fans will not operate. Dealer keeps car and says it's a bad water pump and thermostat. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11394905, filed 2021-02, 94,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out or wheel gets stiff

   • 17 complaints (11%)
   • median 47,150 mi at 5.4 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe the steering becoming very hard to turn, most often during low-speed turns or when maneuvering out of a parking space, sometimes with a groaning, grinding or whining sound. Some report the assist dropping out for a few seconds or minutes with a warning light and then returning, and one owner was told the reservoir fluid level drops and needs topping up. Dealers reportedly diagnosed a failed power steering pump or module in some cases. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 75,000 miles, though a few vehicles were far newer.

   Recall 17V435000

   What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for leaks or whine while turning at low speed; ask if the steering pump or module has been replaced and whether any alternator recall applies.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving my 2014 Dodge charger car and the electric power steering cause my steering hard to turn. With no warrant. Good thing I was not on I-10 hwy. I was on the street.I could have been kill. I almost hit a car. Thinking it was going to go away because it was working fine. Then the dealer said the power steering need changing. Thousand of people is having that same problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11405373, filed 2021-03, 135 miles

   “One day I try to turn on my car, and it was not turning tyler was a message to check the steering wheel fluid, the steering wheel was so hard to maneuver, I took it to the dealer and they told me it was the steering wheel pump, which was really odd of them because my car is a low mileage car still. I have seen there is a similar recall for cars the same year and making model as mine.”

   NHTSA complaint #11268267, filed 2019-10, 75,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bags not deploying in a crash

   • 14 complaints (9%)
   • median 26,300 mi at 1.8 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2026

   Several owners involved in collisions, including front-end and side impacts, state that the air bags did not deploy and that they were injured. Some also describe an air bag warning light staying on after recall work. Vehicle manufacturers' investigators reportedly attributed at least one non-deployment to insufficient deceleration. Reported from roughly 13,000 to 60,000 miles, with crashes at a range of impact speeds.

   Recall 19V018000 · DO NOT DRIVE

   What to check: Check whether the passenger-side inflator recall (19V018000) has been completed, and confirm no air bag warning lamp is lit with the ignition on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was at a red light, when it turned green I slowly started to go. My windshield was fogging up and a saw a little bit of smoke. Before I knew it my airbags deployed and I hit the car in front of me. Driver airbag and the passenger airbag deployed. I was the only person in the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10694718, filed 2015-03, 24,600 miles

   “I was involved in a car crash where I did not have time to apply the breaks before hitting another car. The car made a sudden left turn in front of me and I t-boned the car at a rate of about 45mph. At he time of the crash my airbags did not deploy, so I contacted chrysler about this, and the sent a investigator to look at my car. In a letter they said, the conclusion of the investigation is that the rate of deceleration necessary to activate the air bag system was not present during the accident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10734150, filed 2015-07, 19,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Valvetrain ticking and lifter or camshaft wear

   • 9 complaints (6%)
   • median 1,178 mi at 0.9 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2020

   Owners describe a ticking or sewing-machine noise from the engine bay, sometimes present from near-new and sometimes appearing later, with rough idle, misfire or reduced power in some reports. Several say lifters and camshafts were replaced, or that the dealer called the noise normal. Complaints also mention long waits for lifter parts. Reported from very low mileage on some cars up to roughly 76,000 miles on others.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for a steady tick at idle and around 1,500 rpm on a cold start, and ask whether lifters or camshafts have been serviced and whether any related bulletin work was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2014 Challenger r/t has had a bad ticking valve train since about new. The ticking, clipping, sewing machine noise is on the passenger side,it's loud and clearly heard in the cab at around 1500rpm and up. Star case tab removal was performed, no good.next lifters and mds solenoids was replaced still no good. Now along with the ticking noise I have loud spark knock in mds mode on passenger side. Have burnt oil smell after attempted repairs. Dealer and Dodge rep says all is normal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10668901, filed 2014-12, 500 miles

   “My car is making a ticking noise. I have changed the oil with a better brand and the technician explained it could be the arm rocker that goes bad with that specific engine”

   NHTSA complaint #11365706, filed 2020-10, 93,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Oil leak or consumption at the oil filter housing

   • 7 complaints (5%)
   • median 49,733 mi at 5.8 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2021

   Many complaints describe oil leaking from the plastic oil filter housing or cooler adapter, sometimes producing a burning oil smell or visible drips, and one owner reported overheating when the leak drained coolant-adjacent parts. Some owners also report the engine consuming oil between changes. Owners frequently mention the replacement part being on back order, and dealers identified the adapter housing as the source. Typically reported from about 50,000 miles upward, with several cases in the 90,000- to 130,000-mile range.

   6 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look under the car and around the oil filter housing for fresh oil residue or a burning-oil smell after a drive, and ask whether the filter adapter housing has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2014 Dodge Challenger over heated while I was driving. I pulled over and filled the reservoir with antifreeze. I drove less than a mile down the road and it over heated again.when I checked the reservoir it was empty. So I pulled over and called a tow truck to take it to the mechanic. The mechanic determined that I need to have the oil filter/ oil cooler adapter housing, intake manifold gasket replaced. This will cost me $788. The part I need is on back order from the manufacturer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11397800, filed 2021-02, 132,649 miles

   “Engine oil cooler failure causing a major oil leak; right blinker blinking too fast- this issue comes and goes and I have replaced the bulbs several times”

   NHTSA complaint #11067375, filed 2018-02, 49,466 miles

Buying note. Ask for the recall and service history before purchase, since alternator and air bag inflator recalls affect this year. A pre-purchase inspection that covers the charging system, steering, and oil filter housing area is worthwhile, and a test drive should include low-speed turning and a cold start to listen for engine tick.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.