2020 Dodge Charger Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Dodge Charger most often describe the side curtain airbag inflator recall (24V198000), with complaints that repair parts were not available for a long time. Other complaints describe airbags deploying without a crash, airbags that did not deploy in a collision, and sudden power loss while driving. Most sampled complaints do not list mileage, and those that do range from 908 to 68,000 miles.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Curtain airbag recall repair delayed or unavailable

   • 21 complaints (36%)
   • median 63,500 mi at 6.3 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners say they were notified of recall 24V198000 for side curtain airbag inflators, but the dealer told them repair parts were not yet available. Many say the wait went beyond a reasonable time, and some say the dealer's VIN lookup showed no parts available. One owner says the recall has stayed open for months without resolution. Most of these complaints do not give mileage; the ones that do report about 59,000 to 68,000 miles.

   Recall 24V1980001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask the dealer whether recall 24V198000 has been completed on this VIN and request the repair order or current parts status. Check the VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup, since one complaint describes a recall record that did not match the car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V198000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the air bag deployed while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11728208, filed 2026-03, 68,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V198000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who initially informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The contact was later informed that parts were available, but a technician was not available to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that later, while the vehicle was unoccupied, parked, and turned off in the driveway, the front passenger's side air bag unexpectedly deployed, causing damages to the upholstery. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11746136, filed 2026-06, 59,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags deploy or inflator ruptures without a crash

   • 17 complaints (29%)
   • median 59,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Complaints describe airbags deploying while the car was being driven normally, or while it was parked and switched off with no one inside. Some describe an inflator cylinder that burst inside the cabin and released metal fragments, and the recall describes a similar rupture risk for side curtain inflators. In one case the car was towed to the dealer and was not repaired, and another dealer inspection found no known cause. The complaints that list mileage report about 59,000 to 68,000 miles, and those deployments happened while the car was parked.

   Recall 24V1980001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether recall 24V198000 has been completed and whether any side curtain airbag service bulletin applies to this VIN. If an airbag warning light or service message is on, ask the dealer to scan for stored airbag codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving under normal conditions with no collision or impact, the side curtain airbag in my Dodge Charger Scat Pack deployed spontaneously. The deployment caused the headliner and pillar trim to rupture and released what appeared to be metal fragments and more. Occupants sustained scratches and narrowly avoided facial injury. I discovered there’s a recall on this airbag as this is a known issue. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Dodge dealership for diagnosis and repair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11721443, filed 2026-03

   “August 1st 2023, my vehicle was parked in my driveway, approx 1pm PST, i heard a loud bang come from outside. I went to the vehicle and found that the cylinder that would normally hold air for hte side curtain airbag had exploded inside of the vehicle. It sent metal shrapnel all over the interiour of the cabin, into the drivers headrest and then thru the roof of the vehicle. The airbag did NOT deploy only the metal cylinder exploded. The car was not running, and had not run all day, there is no dash lights prior or after the explosion. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11536026, filed 2023-08
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbags did not deploy in a collision

   • 11 complaints (19%)
   • median 50,500 mi at 5.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe collisions, including side and rear impacts, in which the airbags did not deploy. Some say occupants were injured, and one says the manufacturer gave no help after the crash. Another says the car was not diagnosed after the impact. The only complaint with mileage gives about 42,000 miles; the others do not state it, and most describe collisions at about 20 to 70 mph.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag control module was checked and recorded after any crash on this car, and keep the collision and repair records. Written records help show what was checked after an impact.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On July 1, 2023, I was driving on the I-20 going approximately 70 mph close to mile marker 167 in Talladega County, Alabama, when something hit my windshield causing me to swerve off the road and hitting the side railing. The the front end and the driver's side of the vehicle was smashed in and my vehicle was totaled. However, none of the airbags in my 2020 Dodge Charger ever deployed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11532239, filed 2023-07

   “I was stopped in break down lane and a ford f150 going about 60mph slammed into the back of me and spun my charger into a jersey barrier. Not 1 airbag deployed. If it had deployed it could have prevented my fiancé from splitting his head open on impact”

   NHTSA complaint #11492356, filed 2022-11
4. 4
   Engine

   Sudden power loss, shutdowns or torque jerks

   Mentioned in 4 of 49 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the engine or electrical system cutting out or losing power while driving. Complaints describe a full shutdown that left throttle, power steering and lights inoperative, gauges and the radio resetting before the car stopped, and a case where the steering wheel seized and the problem returned after a fuel sensor repair. One complaint describes torque jerks on paddle-shift models and says the manufacturer acknowledged it as a known issue. The complaints that list mileage report about 3,450 and 50,000 miles, and one occurred at about 70 mph on the highway.

   What to check: Ask the dealer to scan for stored engine and electrical codes and to check the power distribution center connections, which one complaint links to a loss of power. For paddle-shift models, ask whether this shift behavior is documented as a known issue for the model.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Started with radio and dash gauges resetting to zero while driving. Most recently, the car restarted while driving. During the restart the car came to a complete halt. This is an intermittent issue on a car less than 6 months old and just at 3,500. As this is intermittent, difficult to tell what causes this problem. Problems have been going on for over a month. Date chosen was the date the car actually perform a complete restart and making it a severe safety issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11407743, filed 2021-04, 3,450 miles

   “Dodge has acknowledged a known issue impacting paddle shift equipped Chargers and Challengers. When using paddle shifters, the engine will downshift when the driver upshifts, sometimes causing torque jerking and acceleration jumps. Dodge says the issue is that the driver is shifting faster than the computer is processing the shift, which is absurd. Beyond the obvious hazard this creates, it's also causing unnecessary wear on the engine due to over revving. This is a major safety concern.”

   NHTSA complaint #11568295, filed 2024-01

Buying note. For this model year, ask for written confirmation that recall 24V198000 has been completed on the specific VIN, and check for airbag warning lights or dashboard messages during inspection. Because complaints also describe unexpected airbag deployment and sudden power loss, a pre-purchase inspection that includes a recall lookup and an airbag-system scan is practical.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 49 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.