2012 Dodge Charger Police problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (3) · Engine (2) · Vehicle Speed Control (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Dodge Charger Police model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Electrical System:alternator/Generator/Regulator 2016-10-13 · campaign 16V739000 · 74,811 vehicles
Defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Charger Police vehicles, 2007-2013 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2013 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, and 2013 RAM 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The affected vehicles have a 220 amp alternator that may suddenly fail.
Risk: If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. There is also the possibility that the alternator may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the alternator with a revised alternator, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S68.
Service bulletins (45)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Equipment 2023-09-20 · 9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
lifter, hydraulic roller deactivating please do not replace mds lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
Suspension 2023-09-20 · 9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
lifter, hydraulic roller deactivating please do not replace mds lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
Electrical System 2023-09-15 · 9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
connector kit before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957a$, check it in the mopar connector repair kit website to confirm part number and applicability. there is an error with the wiring diagrams in service library that is causing the incorrect repair kit part number to populate. please use
Electrical System:wiring 2023-09-15 · 9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
connector kit before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957a$, check it in the mopar connector repair kit website to confirm part number and applicability. there is an error with the wiring diagrams in service library that is causing the incorrect repair kit part number to populate. please use
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2023-07-27 · 9100196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
lubrication and maintenance fluids if mopar fluids and chemicals are not readily available, please review service library for specifications so a suitable alternative can be used
Equipment 2023-04-15 · 1804823 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
witech small leak verification test (slvt) - p0456-evap system small leak
Showing the 6 most recent of 45 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2019-06-18 · Electrical System · 120,000 mi · 🔥 fire“tl* the contact owned a 2012 dodge charger police vehicle. while parked at a gas station, she saw smoke coming from the hood. the contact stated she tried to open the hood but the latch was melted and failed to open. the fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. the contact mentioned that the entire front end of the vehicle was dama…”
2019-06-16 · Steering · 78,490 mi“shop has replaced the power steering pump twice and the power steering still locks up and is hard to turn. this occurs daily on patrol. vehicle is currently off the road due to this being a safety issue.…”
2019-03-03 · Steering · 38,500 mi“power steering unit failed on highway while turning into rest stop. …”
2019-01-20 · Engine · 119,000 mi“for some reason in the winter time my car started misfiring and tapping at work not in motion just warming the car before leaving. went to the shop come to find out the camshaft and lifters are bad out of nowhere. oil was good, miles are low. this is a problem in the 5.7 i have heard that this is common in the trucks and cars with the 5.7…”
2018-11-04 · Vehicle Speed Control · 170,000 mi“i was driving in motion on highway 14 me and my 1-year old. a lightning bolt symbol popped up on the dash and the car shut down while driving. there are a lot of recalls on things i see that haven't been fixed.…”
2018-07-30 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the wiring harness above the fuel pump became hot enough to melt a hold in the top of the fuel tank cover and allow fuel to escape out of the tank, under the back seat, through the electrical connection. this was reported to chyyler september 30, 2016, by letter, and to nhtsa, february 7, 2017, by letter. *tt…”
2018-07-05 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:radiator Assembly · 138,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 dodge charger police vehicle. while driving, the contact noticed a heavy cloud of smoke. the contact pulled the vehicle over to check under the hood and noticed anti-freeze on the ground. when the contact refilled the radiator with anti-freeze, it would continue to leak out. there were no warning indicators illuminated. …”
2018-05-19 · Suspension · 48,250 mi“why is it that the manufacturer communication for safety in regards to suspension replacement, fuse box(s) rewiring and the braking system are not recalls for the ld police pursuit models. i'm told by don davis in arlington texas that these are not "recall items" and i would have to pay for these? even though the police fleet was taken care of. thi…”
2018-03-06 · Engine · 95,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 dodge charger police. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was able to coast to the side of the road where the officer attempted to restart the vehicle, but it failed to start. the vehicle was towed to a county garage. the vehicle was not …”
2017-12-18 · Steering · 96,000 mi“takata recall 2012 dodge charger. driving about 50 mph then car started jumping. battery light, brake light, abs light, traction light came on. car started to kill. had to pull off road and could barely turn steering wheel. keep in mind i have my 2 kids in the car. tried to jump battery and it stated smoking and jumper cables became really…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.