Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Dodge Charger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The esp bass light and traction control lights and the brake light keeps lighting up on the dash of my 2008 Dodge Charger RT took it to a mechanic shop and told them what was going on replace the wheel speed sensor in the back and the rear axle the brake light no longer lights up but the ESP and the traction control light still light up on the car sometimes cannot find the issue or what's going on
I PURCHASED A 2008 DODGE CHARGER V8 HEMI GOLD FROM THRIFTY MOTORS INC. AND I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT THAT THE CAR HAD 113,440 MILES ON IT. I LOOK AT THE INSPECTION STICKER AND IT SHOWS 114,000 ON 11/1/2018. I LOOK AT THE 2008 DODGE CHARGER GOLD VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT ON INSTAVIN AND I FOUND THAT ON 11/26/2018 THE CAR WAS SOLD AT AN AUCTION WITH 113,437 MILES ON IT.
CAR WAS PURCHASED 06/28/2019; ODO 109,640. CAR WAS PURCHASED WITH A GWC WARRANTY SERVICE CONTRACT (90 DAY, 4,500 MILES) AND AT ASKING PRICE FROM A DEALERSHIP. (STATE LICENSE #[XXX]) CAR WAS PURCHASED AS ADVERTISED THAT IT WAS IT WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF SOMETHING WRONG WITH WHEELS AND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL RATTLED AGGRESSIVELY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN ON 07/01/19 (ODO 110,120) TO BIG JOHNS IN SANTA CLARITA; IT WOULD COST $1,624.68 TO REPLACE BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE FOUND TO BE BENT AND TO BIG FOR THE CAR. THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SERVICE CONTRACT BUT WAS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. ON 07/11/19 THE CAR WAS BROUGHT INTO RICKS AUTOMOTIVE IN GRANADA HILLS (ODO 111,493). RICKS WAS A RECOMMENDED REPAIR SHOP FROM THE SERVICE CONTRACT PURCHASED. THERE WERE 11 THINGS REPORTED ON THE REPAIR ORDER 8 OF WHICH WERE SAFETY AND ENGINE CONCERNS. (1.) THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT DIDN'T WORK (2.) THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BREAK WAS NOT HOLDING. (3.) THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH DOES NOT STAY ON. (4.) THE SPEEDOMETER SOMETIMES OPERATES ERRATICALLY. (5.) THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE REVERSING. (6.) THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD AND BANGS HARD. (7.) THERE WAS BLUEISH/WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. (8.) CYLINDER HEAD GASKET MAY BE BLOWN. IT WAS FOUND THE THE HEAD GASKET HAD BENT VALVES AND TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THESE WERE THE ONLY THINGS THAT WERE FIXED. $5,031.35 WAS OWED. WE PAID $1,359.03. GWC PAID REMAINDER. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP ON 08/13/2019 AT 4:30PM (ODOMETER 111,510). AT 7:30PM SAME DAY THE ENGINE WAS REPORTED SIZED (ODO 111,539) AND WAS TOWED BACK TO RICKS AUTOMOTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP FALSELY ADVERTISED THE CAR AS IT WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER WHEN IT WASN'T. IN A MATTER OF 1,852 MILES AND 13 DAYS THE CAR SHOWED A TOTAL OF 10 SIGNS OF SAFETY HAZARD TO NOT JUST ME BUT THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER DRIVERS I CAME ACROSS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
STARTED SHAKING WHILE DRIVING FROM LONGVIEW TO KILGORE TEXAS AND ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHEN STOPPED ON A STOP LIGHT ENTERING HENDERSON TEXAS. HAD TO TURN OFF VEHICLE AND RESTART BUT CONTINED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD TO RETURN HOME BECAUSE IT FELT UNSAFE.
THE CAR DOES WITH NO WARNING. YOU LOOSE POWER STEERING, BRAKES, AND ACCELERATION ABILITIES. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE ON A SMALL STREET GOING ABOUT 35 AND ANOTHER ON FREEWAY GOING 70. I WAS ABLE TO GET IN SAFETY LANES AND START CAR BACK. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN SINCE IT DID ON FREEWAY. NO CODES APPEAR WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED.
ABS ESP LIGHT ON
BRAKES HAVE FAILED INTO ABS MODE TWICE WHILE BRAKING ON DRY ROADWAY CONDITIONS FROM SPEEDS OF 30 TO 45 MILES PER HOUR IN A MANNER NOT TYPICALLY EXPERIENCED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE STYLE OF BRAKING PERFORMED INTO THE SWITCH TO ABS MODE WAS SMOOTH STEADY PRESSURE. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR TEN YEARS AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE SUCH AS THIS BEFORE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP TO GET INSPECTED AND INSPECTION CAME BACK WITH NO ERROR CODES OR APPARENT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL.
I PURCHASED A CAR FROM JOHNNY AUTO SALES OFF FLORIN RD. I WAS TOLD THE CAR HAD NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, CLEAN CAR FAX. THE ONLY MAJOR THING WAS THE ENGINE HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LT AND THE TIRE INDICATOR LT WERE ON AND JOHNNY SAID HE WOULD MAKE SURE TO FIX THE ISSUE W/LIGHTS. I KEPT GETTING FLAT TIRES. I TOLD JOHNNY MY TIRES ARE BALD AND KEEP GOING FLAT. HE TOLD ME TO GO TO HIS TIRE GUY AND HE WOULD PAY FOR USED TIRES TO BE PUT ON. I DID JUST THAT. THEY REPLACED MY TIRES AND JOHNNY SIGNED FOR THEM. I CONTINUED GETTING FLAR TIRE SO I WENT BACK TO THE TIRE SHOP AND HAD MY TIRES CHECKED. THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES. SO THEY CHECKED MY RIMS. CRACKED. MY RIM ON THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE WAS CRACKED. I CALLED JOHNNY AND HE SAYS WELL HOW DOES HE KNOW I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR HARD. SO I FIGURED I WAS NOT GOING TO GET ANYWHERE WITH HIM I WENT AND BOUGHT MY OWN TIRES AND RIMS SO I KNOW THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEMS AND HAVE A WARRANTY. NOW I NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT AND TO GET THEVERYTHING TIRE INDICATOR LIGHT OFF. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO PEP BOYS, FIRESTONE AND LES SCHWAB. ALL 3 PLACES REFUSED TO GIVE ME AN ALIGNMENT. REASON BEING... BENT SUBFRAME. I GOT A PRINTOUT OF HOW MY TIRES SHOULD BE AND WHAT THEY WERE AND THE RESULT IS... NOT SAFE. CLEARLY MY CAR HAS HAD SOME TYPE OF DAMAGE DUE TO AN ACCIDENT TO CAUSE A BENT SUBFRAME. THEN THE GUYS POINT OUT ALL THE BONDO ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. ALL THE WAY TO THE GLUE IN THE TRUNK. LIKE SOMEONE CUT THE TRUNK AND GLUED IT BACK ON. STILL NO HELP FROM JOHNNY. THE INTERIOR CARPET DOESN'T EVEN BELONG TO AN 08 CHARGER. IT CAME FROM A NEWER MODEL CHARGER. HE PIECED THIS CAR TOGETHER TO SATISFY HIS GREED WHILE PUTTING PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF IN DANGER. I HAVE CHILDREN THAT RIDE WITH ME. MY QUESTION TO JOHNNY IS... WOULD YOU BE OK WITH THIS SITUATION IF IT WAS YOU? AND UR CHILDREN RIDE IN THIS CAR? EXACTLY MY POINT...
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ESP AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, WHEN THE SPEED REACHED ABOVE 35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT SWITCHED GEARS INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRELESS IGNITION NODE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V567000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO 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 VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE CONTACT WAS REAR ENDED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE DETAILS OF THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH OVER A BUMP, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND THE ABS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ABS SYSTEM RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ONLY AFTER THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V567000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,668.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE GAUGES BECAME INOPERABLE AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY APPROX. 60MPH, THE BREAKS FELT LIKE THEY WERE SLOWING DOWN THE CAR WITHOUT BEING PRESSED. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ALSO GOING OFF AND ON. ON THE SECOND ROAD, I WAS GOING 40MPH WHEN THE FUEL LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON, BUT MY GAS TANK WAS HALF FULL. THE NEEDLE ON THE CAR TANK WENT TO EMPTY THEN THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I MANAGED TO STEER IT TO THE SIDE, AND IT RESTARTED AGAIN. *TR
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. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKES PULSATED WHEN THEY WERE ENGAGED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE BOTH FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE ROTORS WERE SEVERELY WARPED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL FAILURES WITH THE REAR BRAKES. THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 10/31/11
I BOUGHT A 2008 DODGE CHARGER IN MARCH OF '08. THE FRONT BRAKES WERE SQUEAKING, ONE WEEK AFTER BUYING THE CAR. THE FRONT END OF THE CAR AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD ALSO SHAKE AND VIBRATE. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO INFORM THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS. I RETURNED TO PICK THE CAR UP AFTER THEY CALLED ME TO TELL ME THEY HAD FIXED IT. I ASKED THEM WHAT WORK THEY DID AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY "CLEANED" THE PADS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE BRAKES WERE STILL SQUEAKING AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR OFF THE LOT. THE CAR ALSO CONTINUED TO SHAKE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. I RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER TO HAVE THEM TRY AND FIX IT AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKES FOR 2008 CHARGERS "SUCK" AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO BUY AFTERMARKET ROTORS AND PADS. I BOUGHT THE PARTS AND RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSTALL THEM. ONE WEEK LATER, THEY WERE SQUEAKING AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2008 CHARGERS AS I'VE FOUND BY READING NUMEROUS FORUMS ON THE INTERNET. *TR
2008 DODGE CHARGER R/T - BRAKES SQUEAKING 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE AND HAVE NOT STOPPED SQUEAKING. SQUEAKS ALL TIMES OF THE DAY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES, WITH NO RESULTS. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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