Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, transmission, and acceleration and cruise control. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2020 Dodge Challenger: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Dodge Challenger. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD, RWD | 21–23 mpg |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | RWD | 19 mpg |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | RWD | 16 mpg |
| 6.4L 8-cyl | RWD | 18 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Dodge Challenger, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Sudden shutdowns while driving are the most serious pattern. Reports describe the car powering off at freeway speed, on city streets, and in parking lots, sometimes with the instrument cluster going dark before it restarts. One of the 7 complaints describes a fire that spread with no warning. Other reports involve a flashing infotainment screen with frozen buttons, air conditioning controls that quit until restart, airflow switching to the defrost vents, a refrigerant leak at the evaporator core, and a trunk that opens while driving. Dealers sometimes find no fault.
A driveline problem appears on a car only 50 miles from new and nearly causes a crash. Two of the three filings read as the same report submitted twice, centered on the dealer's slow repair and its refusal to replace the car. The remaining complaint lists several faults together: a seat belt that unlatches on its own, a driver airbag malfunction, and a reverse gear fault code tied to a service bulletin. There is too little here to show a broad pattern.
Clutch failure on a manual Hellcat is the only problem reported. Both filings appear to describe the same incident: a loud snap while slowing for a light, total loss of clutch pedal pressure, and a transmission stuck in gear. The driver had to shut off the engine to stop and nearly hit the car ahead. The car was towed to a dealer. With one event behind both reports, this is a single serious failure rather than a confirmed trend.
Excerpts from complaints Challenger owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
While driving the air conditioning control’s stopped working. It required restarting the vehicle, to get it to work again . The air also started blowing out the defrost vents without being changed to blow through them.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2023
Car completely shut off while driving on the freeway at 75mph. Car completely shut off another incident on the street and another incident in a parking lot.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2021
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 6 Challenger years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the 13th model year of the Challenger's third generation (2008–2023).
It includes the 2015 update.
What changed for 2015
Recall repairs are free at any Dodge dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Chrysler 300 vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting.".
Risk: A windshield that separates from the vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will remove and replace the front windshield urethane sealant, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y47.
Cars shoppers compare with the Dodge Challenger, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
