2012 Dodge Charger Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2012 Dodge Charger, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 48,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “low beam” (37% of reports).
- 52exterior lighting complaints
- 48,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Low beam: mentioned in 19 of 52 complaints (37%)
- Side headlight: mentioned in 6 of 52 complaints (12%)
- Wiring harness: mentioned in 6 of 52 complaints (12%)
- Electrical exterior lighting: mentioned in 5 of 52 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 38 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 52 complaints, 7 a fire.
Dodge Charger exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Charger | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Charger | 2 | 13% | — |
| 2021 Charger | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2020 Charger | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2019 Charger | 13 | 11% | 62,000 |
| 2018 Charger | 5 | 4% | 30 |
| 2017 Charger | 7 | 5% | 68,000 |
| 2016 Charger | 8 | 4% | 23,000 |
| 2015 Charger | 11 | 8% | 54,000 |
| 2014 Charger | 8 | 2% | 65,000 |
| 2013 Charger | 2 | 1% | 3,400 |
| 2012 Charger | 52 | 8% | 48,000 |
| 2011 Charger | 158 | 23% | 55,000 |
| 2010 Charger | 2 | 1% | 43,334 |
| 2009 Charger | 3 | 2% | 55,000 |
| 2008 Charger | 9 | 1% | 95,500 |
| 2007 Charger | 9 | 2% | 70,000 |
| 2006 Charger | 20 | 2% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Charger | 1 | 33% | 40,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured May 20, 2010, through November 8, 2011, and equipped with halogen headlamps. In the affected vehicles, a sub-harness for the headlights may overheat and cause the low beam headlights to go out.
Risk: Loss of headlights reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headlamp jumper harnesses and bulbs, or the headlamp assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 2, 2014. Owners may contract Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number associated with this recall is P08. This recall concerns non-police vehicles. A separate campaign was launched in 2012 to address police vehicles. See NHTSA recall 12V-042.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module; exterior lighting:headlights; electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers
Problem: CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 and 2012 DODGE CHARGER POLICE VEHICLES. THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS OF SOME VEHICLES COULD FAIL DUE TO AN OVERHEATED BULB HARNESS CONNECTOR. OTHER VEHICLES MAY LOSE ABS/ESC SYSTEM FUNCTION DUE TO AN OVERHEATED POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
Risk: This could lead to loss of visibility and/or braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will replace the headlamp jumper harnesses and relocate the abs/esc system fuse within the power distribution center, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 2, 2012. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When I purchased the car it had been used as a police car in the state of Mississippi. So after I bought the car I checked for any recalls and found it to have 2 open recalls. 1 was a passenger side airbag and the other was the alternator. So I contacted Moss motor company in South Pittsburg…
Loss of touchscreen functionality only works initially and then freezes completely making it unusable and making the most part of the internal features and climate control completely unavailable and increasing the risk of safety of the driver, Dealer stating to replace whole touch screen unit which…
No lights
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Dodge Chargers have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 52 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2012 Dodge Charger (8% of the 648 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Dodge Charger exterior lighting?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 48,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2012 Dodge Charger?
The most frequent phrase is “low beam”, in 19 of 52 complaints, followed by “side headlight” (6).
Other 2012 Dodge Charger problems
- Electrical System problems (359)
- Air Bags problems (111)
- Engine problems (94)
- Power Train problems (65)
- Steering problems (53)
See all 2012 Dodge Charger problems or exterior lighting problems across all Charger years.