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2011 Dodge Challenger problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
47 of 157 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Dodge Challenger. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.

Better than 71% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 36 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 24%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Dodge Challenger have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 47 of 157 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Dodge Challenger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 63% and the 2012 scores 22%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
47
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
193
this model year
Fires reported
8
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
5 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM103 · 53%
AIR BAGS35 · 18%
ENGINE23 · 12%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM17 · 9%
STEERING14 · 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER12 · 6%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2011 compares with other Dodge Challenger years

Of the 11 Dodge Challenger years with enough complaints to score, the 2011 is the 5th-worst on engine and transmission share (30%). The worst is the 2010 (63%), the best the 2023 (12%). By volume, the 2011 drew 193 complaints (47 drivetrain), against 299 for the 2010 and 253 for the 2012.

Dodge Challenger years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Dodge Challenger

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2011 Dodge Challenger said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE03/27/2012CRASH1 INJURED
MY 2011 DODGE CHALLENGER WAS IN A HEAD ON ACCIDENT. THE IMPACT PUSH THE MOTOR UNDER THE DASH, CRACKED THE TRANSMISSION, CRUMBLED THE FRONT OF THE CAR ALMOST TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CHALLENGER HAS AN AIR BAG ON THE SEAT, WELL THAT AIR BAG; NOR THE AIR BAG ON THE WINDSHIELD PILLAR OR THE STEERING WHEEL OR PASSENGER AIR BA…

One of 47 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2011 Dodge Challenger engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2011 Dodge Challenger, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

6 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V018000 · Jan 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V021000 · Jan 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator17V435000 · Jul 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V352000 · May 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator14V634000 · Oct 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010,…
air bags13V118000 · Apr 2013
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured April 11, 2011, through December 14, 2011. The…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Dodge Challenger? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 Dodge Challenger

Does the 2011 Dodge Challenger have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 47 of 157 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Dodge Challenger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Dodge Challenger?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2011 Dodge Challenger is electrical system: 103 of 193 complaints (53%) name it, followed by air bags (35) and engine (23). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 30% of the relevant total.

Is the 2011 Dodge Challenger reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 30% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 71% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 11 Dodge Challenger years we score, it ranks 5th-worst. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Dodge Challenger?

No. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2011 Dodge Challenger, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Dodge Challenger years are better?

Among the Dodge Challenger years we track, the 2023 (12%), the 2018 (20%) and the 2012 (22%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2011 (30%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/dodge-challenger

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.