Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 20 safety complaints
about the 2020 Dodge Challenger with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 mentions a fire and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering visibility.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system,
named in 7 complaints, 35% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 285 miles,
the median across the 6
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers October 2020 to April 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
20 complaints on file
20
Complaints
1
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
0
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
A further 1 defect
investigation is
open and unresolved.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 · 35%
7 35%
ENGINE 4 · 20%
4 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 20%
4 20%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 · 15%
3 15%
POWER TRAIN 3 · 15%
3 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 15%
3 15%
AIR BAGS 2 · 10%
2 10%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 10%
2 10%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 5%
1 5%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 5%
1 5%
STEERING 1 · 5%
1 5%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 5%
1 5%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 20.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2021 at 5.
8 6 4 2
202020212021232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2020 Dodge CHALLENGER, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
2 DR AWD
2 DR RWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
11.1%
11.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Chrysler 300 vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
The risk
A windshield that separates from the vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will remove and replace the front windshield urethane sealant, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y47.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 21,258 vehicles across all model years covered
Defect investigations
1 on file
An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A
preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering
analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
EA21002
Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021
the air bags
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
fire · 2,000 miles
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE OPERATIONAL, IN SECOND THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES WITH NO WARNINGS.*DT*DT*JB*DT*JB*DT*JB
NHTSA complaint 11383550. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · towed
My car was in a collision yesterday. I was rear-ended and pushed into another vehicle, resulting in both front and rear impacts. The air bag did not deploy, even though I could smell it, as if it did deploy. Also, my car app notified me that the airbag had been deployed and needed to be taken to a service provider to be serviced. The problem is that no airbags actually deployed. So if I had been in a situation that required the airbags to save my life, I would not have had them. I feel like this could really be a problem if it happened in another situation & I wanted to let someone know so they can look into it.
NHTSA complaint 11440716. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
My steering was locked up when I started my car in the cold then on my first turn, it completely locked up and it did this several times and it makes a grinding noise. I am assuming one of the bearings has failed in it, but it failing on me the rack locking up is something different I believe.
NHTSA complaint 11734903. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
I have an urgent and safety issue with my 2020 Dodge Challenger Hellcat. I was driving on road from work. When I was approaching a red light coming to a complete stop. I pressed the clutch to engage the gear into neutral. Suddenly I heard a loud snapping sound, I lost all pressure to the clutch and almost hitting the vehicle in front of me because I couldn’t get it out of gear. Nearly causing multiple car accident with all the cars infront and behind me on the road. I had to shut off the engine so the vehicle would come to a complete stop. Vehicle was towing into the closest Dodge dealership (Sahara CDJR in Las Vegas). After 2 days in the shop, the service advisor just called me and stated …
NHTSA complaint 11698840, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
In your own words, tell us what happened. Cro I have an urgent and safety issue with my 2020 Dodge Challenger Hellcat. I was driving on road from work. When I was approaching a red light coming to a complete stop. I pressed the clutch to engage the gear into neutral. Suddenly I heard a loud snapping sound, I lost all pressure to the clutch and almost hitting the vehicle in front of me because I couldn't get it out of gear. Nearly causing multiple car accident with all the cars infront and behind me on the road. I had to shut off the engine so the vehicle would come to a complete stop. Vehicle was towing into the closest Dodge dealership (Sahara CDJR in Las Vegas). After 2 days in the shop, …
NHTSA complaint 11698843, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Air conditioning system failed. Stopped blowing cool air. Leak developed in system and it was traced to the evaporator core
NHTSA complaint 11687485. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Cooling fans exploded an went through radiator, making the car inoperable!
NHTSA complaint 11674304. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Good afternoon, my right headlight wiring harness had rubbed on the frame down to the wires, actually meta l to metal and caused my head light to blow out and my turn signal to malfunction and there is no warning light for the headlight being out, I called the dealership and they said there's no recall and they want a lot of money to fix this problem, I'm afraid it may cause a fire, I've noticed this for about a week, I ordered a new light on 8/22 and that's when I noticed the bare wires
NHTSA complaint 11611574. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed July 8, 2021.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst