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 2008 Dodge Charger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine, traction control, and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove to his residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that he had to pay out of pocket for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 270,917.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. While driving there was a loud noise coming from the engine compartment with evidence of smoke the vehicle had to be towed the cause was damage from a melted radiator the contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment of the vehicle and there was smoke coming through the air condition vents. The contact stated that the hood was raised and the contact became aware that antifreeze was pouring out of the back of the radiator. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the radiator fan melted and punctured the radiator. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the radiator fan and the radiator had been previously replaced due to the same failure. …
My radiator fan blade broke off and flew into my radiator. The piece of fan that broke off flew into my radiator puncturing a hole into the lower part of the radiator. A hole was made from the blade hitting it and causing all the antifreeze to leak out. This is second time in a two year period back-to-back that this has happened. And the repairs and parts costed me dearly. The vehicle was sitting still with the air conditioner on mid way. And the as the fan was turning the broken blade got stuck and the fan started to smoke almost catching fire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. While at a stop light, the temperature gauge increased and antifreeze fumes and smoke emitted into the vehicle. The vehicle was merged into a parking lot and towed to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the radiator and the fan blades detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. While the contact was parking the vehicle, a loud abnormal noise was heard under the hood and the contact noticed smoke and fluid leaking onto the ground. Also, the radiator fan detached and entered the radiator. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the key was difficult to turn and the vehicle stalled with no warning. The contact stated that previously, the fan and radiator failed to work due to an electrical short and the components caught on fire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who replaced the radiator and the fan. The contact indicated that months later, the failure recurred. In addition, the contact stated that burning fumes emitted into the vehicle. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the wires, starter and ignition switch were on fire. The contact was able to merge the vehicle over and it was towed to a dealer. The technician replaced the ignition switch and the failure recurred intermittently. The contact was included but was not notified of NHTSA campaign id number: 14V567000 (electrical system). …
Vehicle has had multiple issues with ignition switch, sometimes as soon as I start the car then engine will die. I thought initially that I was doing something wrong and I let it pass because this vehicle is not heavily used, but started seeing online that people were complaining for similar issues. I tried switching keyfobs but that did not solve the issue. Fortunately, I've never had the engine die on me while driving, but seems like it could happen. I now have removed everything from my key chain for this car and basically drive the car with only a very light key ring attached to the key. I also have been trying to get this issue fixed since the recall notice came to me. That was last year! I've repeatedly called the dealership and they claim they do not have parts for this recall. …
Recall l08 engine cooling fans, this recall is exactly what happen to my car. Cooling blades broke and went through the radiator. Called Chrysler to complain as I was told recall isn't on my exact VIN. They took my complaint and said it was the exact same problem but tough luck because the recall wasn't on my VIN. My car has been sitting in the front yard till I can afford to fix it only had the car 2 months. Sitting at the light felt like someone bumped the back of my car but there was no car behind me. Coolant started to leak through the A/C vent. Pulled over after the light changed and towed the car home as it just started to show that it was going to overheat. We removed the cooling fan and saw the broken blades and the whole it made in the radiator. I was told by Chrysler that the blades are cheap and break easily. …
On 4 separate occurances while car in motion the car engine stalled and required restarting. Various speeds at time of stalls 5 - 45 MPH. The first time it happened I was driving over a set of bumpy railroad tracks at which time the car engine stalled and had to be restarted in neutral. The other times I was on level roadway when car engine stalled and required restarting. The most recent incident happened 11/17/15 and the car engine stalled 2 times in one day at a speed of 45 MPH. When turning the key to the right to start the vehicle it tends to hang up and get stuck in that position. I found that a recall was done on certain 2008 Dodge chargers regarding ignition switch problems so I called to see if my vehicle was included in the recall. It is not included - this is a very dangerous problem and I travel a major interstate daily. …
On the evening of 09/17/2016 at approximately 2200hrs, my wife was leaving a local store parking lot when she heard a noise and the engine began to shake and make a loud noise. Smoke and fluid began coming from the engine compartment. She immediately stopped the vehicle and shut it off. I received a frantic phone call and responded to the location to find that a little more than half of the electric radiator cooling fan blades had desentigrated into pieces, cutting into the radiator. The vehicle is now inoperable and parked awaiting to be towed to the dealership on Monday. There were no previous warning signs of this event happening and am very glad my wife was not driving on the freeway when this happened as the outcome could have been much different. Looking online, this appears to have been a problem with this year make and model vehicle along with several others from Dodge. …
Engine complaints in other Charger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Dodge Charger?
NHTSA has 110 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Dodge Charger, 18% of the model year's 624 complaints. The component named most often is engine (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Dodge Charger engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Dodge Charger, though it has 5 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 2008 Dodge Charger engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.