2018 Dodge Charger Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe problems with the Uconnect 8.4-inch touch screen, which delaminates and registers phantom touches that flip settings, change stations, adjust climate and sometimes knock out the backup camera. Interior door panels coming loose from the door frame are the second most common theme. Both tend to show up on vehicles a few years old, with reports spread from roughly 15,000 to 75,000 miles.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Uconnect touch screen delaminating and ghost touches

   • 37 complaints (30%)
   • median 42,500 mi at 2.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2018–2025

   The 8.4-inch center screen develops bubbles, peeling layers or visible drips, and then starts selecting buttons on its own. Owners describe the radio jumping between sources, calls placed and hung up, climate and heated seat settings changing, navigation drifting or freezing, and in some cases the backup camera going blank. Several say a dealer acknowledged it is a known problem but that replacement was quoted at the owner's expense because the warranty had expired, while others were told a screen replacement was the only fix. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 60,000 miles, with most clustered between roughly 20,000 and 50,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the screen on and look for bubbles, cloudiness or separation at the edges, then leave it powered for several minutes to see whether menus change on their own. Ask whether the screen or radio has already been replaced and keep the receipt.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The uconnect radio is delaminating and there causing to jump from station or it will jump to resetting the clock causing me to look away from the road which is a distraction and I also believe that it controls more thrn just the radio. I called chrysler customer care and was told it is my expense. But when I took it to a chrysler dealership u was told by the tech on duty it was s known problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11364065, filed 2020-10, 39,000 miles

   “Dodge Charger scatpack 2018 has a issue with the radio where it's constantly pressing buttons because of the screen having air bubbles/ delamination. It turns on the heated seats, heated steeeing wheel and messes with my sports mode where it's changing my steering from norm to sport. It is a distraction while driving because you have to constantly click the x button.this is a serious issue that could cause many accidents.”

   NHTSA complaint #11376230, filed 2020-11, 43,256 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Interior door panels separating from door frame

   • 12 complaints (10%)
   • median 38,500 mi at 3.4 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2024

   Owners report the interior door panels lifting away from the door frame, often starting at the top near the window or lock, with the vinyl warping or the panel coming unglued. In some cases wiring inside the door becomes visible, and one owner noted the gap exposed the side airbag area. Dealers are described as acknowledging it as a known issue but declining warranty coverage, and repairs were often not done. Most often reported between about 20,000 and 75,000 miles, on vehicles a few years old.

   What to check: Open and close every door and press along the top edge of each interior panel to check for looseness, warping or a gap at the frame.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Went to get in the vehicle one morning and the door handle on the driver side will not open from the outside but will open from the inside, I believe the screw had come out, and went to get in the vehicle this morning and notice the panel on the passenger side door panel peel up from the top of the door where the lock is.”

   NHTSA complaint #11331717, filed 2020-06, 58,843 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the inner door panel detached from the door frame. The contact was concerned that a child may stick their fingers in between the door panel and the door frame and hurt themselves. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11338386, filed 2020-07, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine stalling or shutting off while driving

   • 10 complaints (8%)
   • median 5,250 mi at 0.9 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2018–2023

   Complaints describe the engine quitting without warning at various speeds, sometimes requiring a shift into park and several restart attempts. Owners report that dealers could not find stored fault codes and returned the vehicle without a repair, or found nothing wrong. A fleet owner described multiple Chargers hesitating and stalling during patrol driving. Reported at low mileage, generally under about 16,000 miles.

   Recall 18V524000

   What to check: Ask whether any stalling incidents or no-start events have been logged, and have a scan tool check for stored powertrain codes rather than only a test drive.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Dodge has shut off on me while driving twice and each time we take it to the dealership they say they cannot find anything wrong with it. The first time it happened was august 6, 2018 the second time was august 29, 2018. Both times it shut off on us while we were on the freeway”

   NHTSA complaint #11123821, filed 2018-08, 7,063 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh or erratic transmission shifting

   • 11 complaints (9%)
   • median 7,784 mi at 1.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe delayed or hard shifts, the car losing power and then jerking forward when accelerating from a stop, and a rocking noise when selecting reverse. One owner reported paddle shifts going the wrong direction, and another said a transmission was replaced but the noise continued. Dealers are often described as unable to duplicate the concern or calling the sound normal. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 24,000 miles in the sample.

   Recall 18V2800004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive from a cold start and include several stops and restarts and a reverse engagement; note any clunk, hesitation or hard shift and ask whether transmission software updates or fluid-leak repairs have been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We purchase a car and august 15th 2018 and has a weird sound and the transmission I took it to the dealer like four times and they replace a transmission but it still keeps doing the same noise, I don't feel safe to drive it and the dealership they told me it was a normal sound but I took it toy shop and they told me and was not normal they don't want to do nothing to fix it and I don't feel safe to drive”

   NHTSA complaint #11165302, filed 2019-01, 300 miles

   “During my time driving the vehicle it has been running great but recently after reaching 23,500 miles it started acting funny as in. Slowing to a complete stop and accelerating it would loose RPM then go up then it hard shift up until the 4 gear. Putting in reverse it would make a rocking noise under the hood. To stop it I would have to put it in park. This happened 4 times. I brought it up to mechanics they could not figure out the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11327834, filed 2020-06, 23,537 miles

Buying note. Check the infotainment screen and all four interior door panels closely, since those two items account for most of what owners describe and repairs are frequently quoted at the owner's expense. On a test drive, watch for stalling, harsh shifting and any sunroof glass history, and ask for service records covering screen replacements and transmission software updates.

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.