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).
Upon purchasing the vehicle on 01/31/2015 the first incident where the vehicle just cut off when I stopped at a red light happened on 02/13/2015 and then numerous times after that, I was able to crank the car back up and proceeded to drive. I took the vehicle to a private dealer and he told me that it was an electrical problem, that the vehicle isnt receiving power to the engine. It happened again yesterday on 09/02/15. I fear for the safety of my children and that of my patients, my job requires that I travel from city to city receiving patient care, this is the only vehicle that I have at the moment and cannot afford monthly payments on another vehicle. I also reported this problem to Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership to the one here in enterprise, al and to the one in dothan, al and they both told me that I am on a waiting list and they will call me as soon as the parts are in. …
My 2008 Dodge Charger was wrecked in April. The ABS light and ESP (traction control) lights on the dash came on. The next thing I knew there was no brakes at low speeds. This had never happened before. I continued to my destination only a few miles away and planned to call a tow truck. As I tried to stop so I could get out to open a gate the car would not stop and I wrecked the car. There was nothing done to correct the failure. The car was totaled and nothing was ever done by Dodge or Chrysler to compensate for the problem. In fact I was told that the very moment the lights came on I should have stopped driving the vehicle and called the dealership. This would have been possible if I lived in a bigger city, but I live in the country with very little cell phone reception in some areas.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the key was inserted into the ignition switch however, there was a few moments of a delayed response. The failure occurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the wireless control module was reprogrammed on two separate occasions. Most recent, the vehicle failed to start. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V567000 (electrical system) and the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,783.
While driving in the neighborhood the car shut off lost power steering car was in drive and ignition was still on. Turned the ignition off and took several tries to restart car restarted but would not go above 10 MPH and cut off 4 times thereafter. Drove a week later and same problem right before I got on the highway. Car shuts off while in drive. No check engine lights or any other indicator lights come on. This is very dangerous as this is my primary vehicle to transport my family
My car electronic throttle light keeps coming on along with my traction light. It started doing it once every other month. Then every month. And now 2-5 times a week. It happens each time I am driving, it starts to idle hard. And if I don't pull over the car dies. I shut my car off. Give it about 5 seconds. Then restart it and go on. It May take 2-3 days but then it does it again.
The engine shut completely off during driving. I lost power steering and automatic braking. I tried to restart but it would not turn over. The battery and the alternator were not dead. I had it towed to a shop and they said the engine control module was dead. It almost caused me to have an accident. I then had to have it towed to a dealer for repair.
For the past few months, and more so now in the colder weather, the electric throttle control comes on either at start up or between 10-35 MPH. When this happens, power immediately goes to nothing causing the car to die. The ABS lights, including the bas light, are also now on.
Vehicle is experiencing major safety defect similar to recent GM ignition recall. On numerous occasions vehicle has experienced sudden engine shut-off at varying speeds including highway 65mph plus. Complete electrical system shut down deactivates all onboard systems, including power-steering, breaking, and air bag deployment. Vehicle shut down occurs randomly. Re-occurrence has been as frequently as hours between similar occurrence to as long as 5,000 miles between occurrences. Vehicle has been in for repairs to dealer without dealer able to recreate defect. Various electrical system parts were replaced without successfully curing the defect. Two separate dealerships recommended wireless ignition (win) module replacement but Chrysler has refused to send the part. Chrysler customer care states that win module is only replaced when vehicle fails to start at all times. …
1. There is a lightbolt light that lights up and flashes on my dashboard the instant when I turn on my vehicle for the first time in the day. I have to wait for the engine to heat up a little before I turn it off and restart it again. 2. As I drive and go on the highway or at anytime that my RPM reaches 3, the lightbolt light flashes again and I loose power in the engine. The car slows down on its own down to at least 45 MPH, if I go over a bump during this cycle, the vtc light on dashboard lights up and the car feels unstable as I press on the brakes. I pull over to the emergency lane and restart the car and the light shuts off. Eventually, if the lightbolt continues to flash and I am still driving the vehicle starts to choke and eventually shuts off.
1 solution 2008 Dodge Charger the ESP/bas light comes on when I make a left turn and stays on for a while and the resets. This is a re-occurring issue. Was told by Dodge that steering column May have to be repaired. (was this a recall for Dodge?). The car seems to be difficult to steer due to the car being very "loose" and feels as if the car is not aligned but recently had new alignment done. Also, left rear driver's side door lock will not work. The window works fine but the door lock has stopped functioning. Have had issues with rotors since I purchased the car with only 17 miles on it. Rotors replaced several times and was even told that the rotors were warped in factor installation.
Traction Control complaints in other Charger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2008 Dodge Charger?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2008 Dodge Charger, 3% of the model year's 624 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 Dodge Charger traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to stability & traction control 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.