2015 Dodge Challenger Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission complaints — harsh or delayed shifts, clunking from the 8-speed automatic, and vehicles that stall or display a 'come to a complete stop and select appropriate gear' message. Electrical and engine complaints follow, ranging from warning lights and battery/charging messages to water leaks into the rear fuse and battery area. Many transmission and stalling reports arrive at low mileage, while lighting, wheel-speed-sensor and camshaft/noise reports tend to appear later.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh, delayed or clunking automatic shifts

   • 15 complaints (12%)
   • median 3,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2020

   Complaints describe jerking when shifting at low speed, a clunk as the 8-speed automatic shifts up or down, hard 4th-to-5th shifts, and long delays engaging drive from park. Some owners report the car refusing to go into 8th gear or holding a high rpm and not accelerating onto a highway. Several dealers were unable to duplicate the symptom or had no diagnosis; one owner reported a transmission and valve body replacement without resolving the stall message. Mostly reported under about 10,000 miles, with some owners describing it from the first weeks of ownership.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the car from a cold start and through light and heavy throttle, listening for clunks or hesitation between gears. Ask the dealer whether the transmission control software has been updated under the published service bulletin.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is another complaint and follow up to my previous complaint on this web site. I have also made a complaint to the state of connecticut attorney general's office whom has involved the consumer protection agency. Executive Dodge of wallingford ct diagnosed this vehicle after having it for 2 weeks and driving it over 75 miles. I also went for a test ride with their certified mechanic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10722373, filed 2015-05, 2,000 miles

   “I own a 2015 Dodge Challenger. While driving various speeds the vehicle will randomly stall and display come to a complete stop and select the appropriate gear. This has happened 10-15 times. I have taken the vehicle to a Dodge dealership 3 times. On the second visit they replaced the transmission and valve body. I left the dealership and was only 4 blocks away and the vehicle stalled and displayed the same error. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10870784, filed 2016-05, 16,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Vehicle stalls or shuts off while driving

   • 17 complaints (13%)
   • median 18,000 mi at 2.4 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning at low speeds, while stopped at an intersection, or at highway speed, sometimes with a message directing the driver to stop and select the appropriate gear. Restarting is sometimes possible and sometimes not. Complaints mention dealers unable to reproduce the fault, a data recorder provided to capture it, and in one case a fuel power control module replacement. Widely spread: reported from a few hundred miles up to about 30,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether any stall or no-start codes were stored or addressed, and have a shop scan for pending engine and transmission codes before purchase. A service bulletin covers fuel pump connector replacement for crank/no-start conditions after fuel pump module work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought a brand new 2015 Dodge Challenger and 8 months later my vehicle started to decelerate as I hit the gas which is extremely dangerous and I went to have it checked out and they said it was a problem with my electronic throttle body was messing up and could be life threatening while driving I contacted Dodge and they told me it has a 3 year 30,000 mile warranty and I don't understand how on a new car and such important thing only have a 30,000 miles warranty I only had the car for 8 months when I purchased in april of last year it had …”

   NHTSA complaint #10946887, filed 2017-01, 45,000 miles

   “Car shut off while driving on the highway at 70 MPH. Was able to restart and then it shut off again and wouldn't start, the shop says it is the fuel power control module, $1,500 part requiring complete rewiring for a total repair cost of $2,200 and still waiting for repair completion after almost 2 weeks. I am not sure that this will repair the problem...”

   NHTSA complaint #11307582, filed 2020-02, 31,500 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   ABS and stability control warning lights

   • 9 complaints (7%)
   • median 34,950 mi at 4.7 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2022

   Complaints describe the ABS and stability control warning lamps illuminating together, sometimes with a pulsing brake pedal, steering vibration, disabled cruise control, or power cut to a crawl. Owners frequently report the dealer diagnosing a wheel speed sensor; some say the light clears on its own and a dealer declined to service it while no light was showing. Most often reported between roughly 30,000 and 65,000 miles, with a few at very low mileage.

   What to check: Confirm the ABS and stability control lamps behave normally on a test drive over wet or uneven pavement, and ask whether wheel speed sensors have been replaced and whether codes were cleared.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The brake antilock wheel speed sensors on the front wheels locked into skid mode and my car would not go over 4 miles an hour. When I left the dealership and pulled out on to the main road I could not go over 4 miles an hour. I was almost rear ended since the speed limit on the road was 40 MPH. I was told the sensors were bad and needed to be replaced. When I limped the car back into the dealership, they told me that they could not get the car out of that mode until they replaced the sensors. The car only has 7200 miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11266985, filed 2019-10, 7,235 miles

   “4 july 2017, while driving at highway speeds, vehicle fault indicators showing problem with stability control system, ABS system, and disabled cruise control. Faults cleared approximately 30 seconds later. 5 july 2017, vehicle again displayed same faults, however, faults remained latched (did not self clear). I contacted local dealership for service, fault was diagnosed on 6 july 2017 as a failed right front wheel speed sensor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11003495, filed 2017-07, 47,800 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Water leaking into trunk fuse and battery area

   • 17 complaints (13%)
   • median 32,500 mi at 4.1 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2021

   Complaints describe water collecting in the trunk where the rear fuse panel and battery sit, sometimes requiring repeated dealer visits without a lasting fix. Owners also report window regulators that move on their own or stick, battery and charging messages, and reduced remote start or keyless range. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to well past 100,000.

   Recall 14V749000Recall 18V3320003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Lift the trunk floor and look for water staining or corrosion around the fuse panel and battery, and check that windows and remote start work. Service bulletins address battery sensor charging messages and reduced remote start range.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The windows in my 2015 Challenger is going up and down by themselves, gets stuck, and then won't go back up. Also the engine coils in my car burnt out and was leaking oil all through my car. When I got it fixed, the old coils were from the manufacture and had a broken seal. Was told that my car should've caught on fire with the amount of oil that was leaking.”

   NHTSA complaint #11306765, filed 2020-02, 129,000 miles

   “I purchased a 2015 Challenger, upon driving the vehicle home noticed the axles making a noise. A week later the noise becomes worse I alert the dealership and bring the car in. They tell me that it's covered under warranty and they promise that when I finalize financing the will fix it. Upon finalizing financing the car fails inspection and the warranty is removed due to the preexisting issues with the car. Thus resulting repair cost coming out my pocket for a car I hadn't had a week. Next I run into a issue the with engine. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11394386, filed 2021-02, 113,000 miles
5. 5
   Exterior lighting

   Headlight and turn signal faults

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • median 53,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2022

   Owners report low-beam headlights that go out intermittently and return, a ballast and lamp replacement at the dealer, and a fast-blinking turn signal with a chime indicating a bulb outage. Some describe poor visibility with the low beams even after replacing lamps. One complaint notes the dealer tested the headlight and reported it as good. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 110,000 miles, often after the first few years of use.

   What to check: Check both headlights and every turn signal with the car running and while tapping the housing lightly; ask whether ballasts or lamp assemblies have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The headlights on my 2015 Dodge Challenger are useless. I can barely see 5ft in front of my car with low and high beams on. I have tried buying new headlights 3x and nothing has helped. It is so hard to see the road once the sun goes down. I have been having this problem for quite a while now.”

   NHTSA complaint #11183086, filed 2019-02, 110,000 miles

   “Turn signal problem. Turn signal blinks to fast occupanied by a chime that indicates a light outage. While driving, the light turns on automactically for short periods at a time. I almost ran of the road because I thought my lights were out. This happens everytime I start my vehicle and thie light chime comes on while driving as well. Please investigate this issue. There are multiple complaints online involving this issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11098256, filed 2018-05, 38,000 miles

Buying note. Test drive this model year thoroughly at both low and highway speeds and have any stored engine, transmission or ABS codes scanned before buying. Ask for service records showing whether the transmission software update and any battery sensor or fuel pump connector bulletins were completed, and confirm open recalls against the VIN.

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.