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Dodge lemon law
If your Dodge keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Dodge owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Dodge owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 189 |
| Headlights and other outside lights | 144 |
| Engine | 85 |
| Transmission, drive shafts and axles | 74 |
| Brakes | 57 |
| Fuel system, or the battery and motor of an EV or hybrid | 51 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 85 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- Durango 333
- Charger 80
- Challenger 71
- Charger EV 65
- Hornet 55
- Hornet Phev 51
Latest Dodge recalls
- Back Over Prevention, August 13, 2026: 2027 Charger, 2026 Charger, about 844,027 vehicles.
“A rearview camera image that fails to display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V531000 - Structure, August 13, 2026: 2022 Durango, 2021 Durango, 2023 Durango, about 74,578 vehicles.
“A damaged rear spoiler may detach and create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V528000 - Seat Belts, August 6, 2026: 2025 Hornet, 2024 Hornet, 2023 Hornet, about 48,777 vehicles.
“A seat belt that does not retract may fail to restrain properly an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 26V510000 - Electrical System, April 23, 2026: 2025 Charger EV, 2024 Charger EV, about 20,271 vehicles.
“An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as gear selection and warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V262000 - Service Brakes, Hydraulic, December 9, 2025: 2024 Hornet Phev, about 5,974 vehicles.
“A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 25V846000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Dodge dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Fca Us opted in to the state's new lemon law process on April 25, 2025. Owners send the written demand to warrantynotice@stellantis.com at least 30 days before suing. How the new process works
How a Dodge lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Dodge, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Dodge refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Dodge lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Dodge lemons
How many complaints have Dodge owners filed with NHTSA?
661 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is wiring, battery, lights and electronics.
How many Dodge recalls are there?
31 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Dodge models, for about 3,296,484 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Dodge a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Dodge lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Dodge at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Dodge have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Dodge opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Yes. FCA US opted in on April 25, 2025. California owners send the written demand to warrantynotice@stellantis.com, at least 30 days before suing.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make DODGE. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Dodge a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More