Sports and off-road · model years 2014 to 2017
Chevrolet Camaro vs Dodge Charger: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Camaro looks better on 5 and the Charger on 1, with 1 too close to call.
Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2014 to 2017 | Camaro | Charger |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 5.3% | 7.7% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 3.2% | 4.3% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 35,000 | 52,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 2.2 | 3.8 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 0 | 1 |
| NHTSA investigations | 0 | 3 |
The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.
What owners complain about
The system Camaro owners complain about most is electrical, and it is the same for the Charger. Complaints citing electrical make up 37% of all Camaro complaints, against 26% on the Charger. The Charger leans the other way on structure: 12% of its complaints, against 2.6% for the Camaro.
Chevrolet CamaroDodge Charger
Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The most reported problems
The most reported problem on the Camaro is infotainment problems (14% of its complaints). On the Charger it is stalling (9.4% of its complaints), against 11% on the Camaro.
| Problem | Camaro | Charger |
|---|---|---|
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 14% 99most in 2014 · 50k mi | 9.0% 69most in 2017 · 54k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 11% 79most in 2015 · 37k mi | 9.4% 72most in 2014 · 54k mi |
| Power steering cuts out or goes heavy | 9.5% 66most in 2017 · 27k mi | 7.0% 54most in 2014 · 70k mi |
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 4.9% 3423k mi | 8.0% 61most in 2014 · 42k mi |
| Airbag warning light or recall | 5.3% 3738k mi | 6.9% 53most in 2014 · 65k mi |
| Battery dies or the car will not start | 3.7% 2649k mi | 5.5% 42most in 2014 · 56k mi |
| Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard | 6.8% 4728k mi | 2.3% 1824k mi |
| A/C blows warm or the compressor fails | 6.2% 4350k mi | 1.7% 1352k mi |
Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.
When problems start
Camaro owners report problems earlier. Half the Camaro complaints that give a mileage come before 35,000 miles; for the Charger the halfway point is 52,000. 68% of Camaro reports and 46% of Charger reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.
Chevrolet CamaroDodge Charger
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 442 for the Camaro and 480 for the Charger.
Worst and best years
The 2017 Camaro draws 2.5 times the complaints of a typical Camaro year for its age. The 2014 Charger draws 2.0 times the complaints of a typical Charger year for its age.
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet CamaroDodge Charger
Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.
Recalls and investigations
The Charger draws more recalls: 3.8 campaigns per model year against 2.2 for the Camaro. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Chevrolet Camaro
9 recall campaigns and 0 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (3), steering (3) and airbags (2).
- 19E-064 (electrical) covers 2 model years
Dodge Charger
15 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: transmission and drivetrain (4), electrical (4) and airbags (2).
- Do not drive 19V-018 (airbags), model years 2014 and 2015
- 18V-332 (electrical) covers 4 model years
- 17V-097 (transmission and drivetrain) covers 4 model years
Investigations
- EA21002: Desiccated air bag inflator rupture (open)
- EA16002: Vehicle rollaway, engine on (closed, led to a recall)
- RQ15004: Software security vulnerability (closed, led to a recall)
Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Crashes, fires and injuries
A larger share of Charger complaints report a crash: 7.7%, against 5.3% for the Camaro. Fire reports: 10 for the Camaro and 13 for the Charger. Complaints on file report 1 death in the Camaro and 2 in the Charger for these model years.
Chevrolet CamaroDodge Charger
Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.
Questions
Is the Chevrolet Camaro or the Dodge Charger more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Camaro looks better on 5 and the Charger on 1, with 1 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Camaro has 696 complaints and the Charger 766 for model years 2014 to 2017, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the Camaro or the Charger?
The Camaro has 9 recall campaigns and the Charger 15 across model years 2014 to 2017. The Charger draws more recalls: 3.8 campaigns per model year against 2.2 for the Camaro.
What are the most common problems on the Camaro and the Charger?
The most reported problem on the Camaro is infotainment problems (14% of its complaints). On the Charger it is stalling (9.4% of its complaints), against 11% on the Camaro.
More comparisons
- Ford Mustang vs Chevrolet Camaro2014 to 2017
- Ford Mustang vs Dodge Charger2014 to 2019