Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Dodge Challenger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. Additionally, the low engine oil warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred approximately three or four times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
I experienced a catastrophic timing chain failure despite prior recall work being performed by Dodge that supposedly resolved their known timing chain issues with the 5.7L hemi with automatic transmission. This failure occurred without any prior warning at a cruising speed of about 65 MPH rendering the car undrivable. There were no warning lights, drivability issues, or signs of the impending failure. This is a well-maintained car with only 80,000 miles, never missing a required oil change and other maintenance tasks. Timing chains should not fail at such low milage - indeed, timing belts will last longer before they fail. This failure occurred on a major highway placing me and other motorists in danger from the car being unmovable and potentially causing a high-speed collision on a 70 MPH highway. …
Was driving and a tick was present then over heated sat on side of road until cooled down added coolant drove home . The next day car was drivable. Drove to school and car was sounding funny so took it to a repair shop and they told me the particular engine in the vehicle has a fuel efficient component where it shuts down the cylinders on the freeway, and the lifters are supposed to open, but our lifter did not open. It got stuck and grind the camshaft in the motor. Needless to say I had to have the car towed home. It's just sitting in my parking lot. I tried calling Dodge. They wouldn't help me. I tried calling multiple agencies to help. I looked up on the Internet and there is multiple complaints about the same problem it's called the hemi lift so hopefully one day this can be recalled because I'm still paying on the car. I had a year and a half. No one will help me. …
The car has an intermittent issue where at highway speeds it will go into almost a limp mode. Basically the check engine light comes on and car loses power and won't go over 45 mph. I have to pull over and shut car off. It will restart and operate normally for a random period of time. Very dangerous when on the highway and have to pull over to the side of the road. From the forums I belong to, this is a very common problem. There are even members that have bought a brand new Challenger and had this happen to them after a few months. The code that usually appears from this is misfire on cylinder 1 and even the dealerships don't know what causes it and hard to diagnose since it happens randomly. Love the car but very annoyed that this keeps happening and no one can figure out the fix
I need to address a serious issue regarding the car I purchased in 2020 from a private vendor. Upon taking the car to Crown Dodge Dealership in Ventura County for repair, I had to pay roughly $700 out of pocket for the service and rented a car from Hertz for the days I was without my car. However, upon receiving the car back, it still had unresolved issues with the electrical components and dashboard noise. It is unacceptable that the manager at the dealership did not prioritize my safety or the quality of the car I purchased. Since this car is my sole mode of transportation, I demand a prompt resolution to this matter. I expect immediate assistance in addressing these concerns. Thank you.
The Gen III hemi has an inherent design flaw in which the rollers making contact with the camshaft will fail, causing damage to the camshaft and causing the engine to misfire. This is due to the camshaft being moved away from the crankshaft as it causes oil starvation. After extensive research it appears to affect cars of various miles and workload. There is no single cause that makes this happen other than a grievous design flaw. The main complaint is that you experience total power loss at higher revs, making it dangerous to drive on the interstate or attempting to merge into traffics as the engine begins to shudder and lose most power. Whether it's 40K miles or 110K miles, the flaw does not discriminate. After numerous attempts to reach Chrysler technical service on how to prevent this, I've been ignored and case numbers deleted. Now this is very important. …
My 5.7-liter Hemi engine hesitated six times and the engine computer registered this malfunction each time, but never set a code which the dealer mechanics could read to diagnose the problem. Each malfunction corrected itself in a few seconds, but the last hesitation was a strong one during which the engine ran very roughly for about two minutes before running smoothly again. It felt like the engine was misfiring on one or more cylinders. Each malfunction happened while I was passing other vehicles in a straight line on a highway with the engine under acceleration load. When I eased off the accelerator pedal, the hesitation disappeared and I was able to complete each vehicle pass, but each pass thus took longer and put me more at potential risk of colliding with oncoming vehicles. …
Car turned off/shut down by itself while driving, resulting in loss of power steering and brakes, for the 7th time. Speed relatively slow around 30 MPH, and not turning sharply. Driving in residential area. Lost power steering and power brakes. Very difficult to: turn, stop, and restart. Vehicle did not store any codes. This is the 1st failure on the newly replaced PCM but 7th total since I bought the car new.. Dodge/Chrysler says this is "not serious" because there are no error codes saved in the car and they cannot duplicate the failure. They say if it was serious, there would be a code. They are not willing to look/ investigate further because there are no codes and it didn't die on their test drive while hooked to their diagnostic equipment. …
Car shut down/powered off/turned off on it's own, while driving. Rapid automatic down shift of gears braking from about 65 to turn/while turning left onto side street on road. Car died after steering wheel began turning to left and car was turning. Lost power steering and power brakes. Nearly slammed into embankment and blocked intersection area. Very difficult to control/hard to safe vehicle: hard to turn, stop, and restart. Check engine light did not come on/no odb codes stored. This was specifically scary as people drive through here fast and visibility is very short. After this event and the event in July, I became afraid I could die in this car. I took it to the dealership. They said a few error codes were saved in outer car systems that showed communication with PCM had been lost. They were replacing the PCM. However, replacing the PCM did not correct the problem. …
I have a 2010 Dodge Challenger r/t. When I came to a stop at a red light in between me releasing the brake and accelerating my oil light came on and my engine stopped. The car became difficult to steer and the brakes were difficult to use. The A/C and radio were still functional. When I restarted the vehicle the oil light no longer appeared and I was able to continue driving. This has occurred twice this summer 2015 and once last summer 2014. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership and no codes were found on all occasions. I have a lifetime mopar warranty however the dealership is unable to recreate the issue, therefore they are unable to determine the root cause. The dealership has also completed oil consumption testing and found no issues. I was able to use my cell phone to record the oil light showing the last time the issue occurred. …
Engine complaints in other Challenger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2010 Dodge Challenger?
NHTSA has 106 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2010 Dodge Challenger, 35% of the model year's 299 complaints. The component named most often is engine (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Dodge Challenger engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2010 Dodge Challenger, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Dodge Challenger engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 46% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.