2011 Dodge Charger Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 2006-2011 Dodge Charger, the Mercedes-derived W5A580/NAG1 5-speed automatic in V8 Chargers suffers from water intrusion past the transmission oil fill tube/dipstick seal. Water contamination causes TCC to stick/slip, erratic shifting, and eventual internal damage. Gearshift cable recall issued for 20,100 vehicles.

On the 2011-2023 Dodge Charger 3.6L Pentastar V6, the 3.6L Pentastar V6 can develop a ticking noise often related to the rocker arms or hydraulic lifters. This is common on engines with higher mileage or irregular oil change intervals. Some early Pentastar engines had rocker arm design issues that were later updated.

On the 2011-2023 Dodge Charger, hEMI engines with Multi-Displacement System (MDS) can develop a ticking noise from the MDS lifters. This tick is most noticeable at idle and during light acceleration. While often not causing immediate damage, it can indicate lifter wear that may eventually require attention.

On the 2011-2020 Dodge Charger, the alternator can fail prematurely, causing charging system warnings and potential stalling. The battery may not charge properly, leading to electrical issues and eventually a no-start condition. High electrical loads from factory or aftermarket accessories can accelerate alternator wear.

On the 2006-2023 Dodge Charger, all Charger generations suffer from rapid front suspension wear including tension struts (radius arms), tie rods, lower control arm bushings, and sway bar end links. Bushings typically worn by 45,000-60,000 miles. Endemic LX/LD platform problem shared with Challenger and 300.

On the 2006-2023 Dodge Charger, a very common and frequently misdiagnosed problem on the Dodge Charger is failure of the EVAP (evaporative emissions) leak-detection device, which causes the PCM to log P0456 (small EVAP leak), P0455 (large EVAP leak), and/or P0457 (leak detected / fuel cap loose) and illuminate the check-engine light. On 2011-and-newer Chargers the system uses an ESIM (Evaporative System Integrity Module) — a natural-vacuum-based switch (the same NVLD-style monitoring concept) mounted directly on the charcoal/EVAP canister behind the passenger-side rear wheel well. With the EVAP system sealed, the PCM watches the ESIM/NVLD switch; if the switch's internal mechanical diaphragm fails or its external O-ring seal degrades, the switch fails to close within the calibrated time and the PCM falsely reports an EVAP leak. The classic giveaway is that a smoke test shows NO actual leak yet the code keeps returning. Because the code is almost always assumed to be a loose or failed gas cap, owners (and shops) often chase the wrong part first — replacing the gas cap and purge valve before discovering the real culprit is the inexpensive ESIM module. The code is low-severity (no driveability or engine damage, only a slight fuel-economy effect) but will fail an emissions/smog test and leaves the CEL on. In a worst-case escalation, the same codes can be caused by a pinhole leak on top of the fuel tank near a fuel-pump lock ring, which requires fuel-tank replacement. On 2022+ cars, Mopar TSB 18-094-23 addresses an over-sensitive EVAP monitor that can falsely set P0455/P0456/P0440/P0441 and is corrected with a PCM software update rather than a part.

On the 2006-2018 Dodge Charger, the Chrysler LX/LD rear-drive cars use a saddle-shaped fuel tank that straddles the driveshaft, so a single sender cannot measure the whole tank. Fuel Level Sensor 1 lives on the primary (driver's) side with the electric pump module; Fuel Level Sensor 2 - the 'B' sensor in generic OBD-II terms - measures the secondary (passenger) lobe and is fed by a jet-pump siphon that transfers fuel across to the pump side. Both senders are read by the cluster/CCN and the fuel level data is then bussed to the PCM. Two things go wrong on the secondary side. The sender's resistive card wears or becomes contaminated so the float arm reads a fixed value, and the siphon jet pump can weaken or clog so the secondary lobe genuinely does not drain at the expected rate. Either way the module sees a fuel-level signal that is present but not credible against fuel consumed, and stores P2066 instead of the circuit-low or circuit-high codes. The classic owner complaint is a gauge that freezes somewhere between half and three-quarters and stays there for a hundred miles or more, then falls off a cliff, with range-to-empty and the low-fuel light never catching up. Because the same tank architecture is used across the platform, a Charger diagnosis translates directly to a Chrysler 300 or a Dodge Challenger.