Is the Dodge Charger more reliable than the Chrysler 300?

Yes, but only slightly. Both rate good. The Charger needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.2 a year against 0.3, and complaints per 10,000 sold are nearly equal. The 300 has fewer recalls and a lower chance of a major repair, so the gap is narrow.

Which has more recalls, the Charger or the 300?

The Charger has more. Federal recall records show 25 recalls across 9 model years for the Charger and 13 across 6 model years for the 300. The Charger covers more model years, so some of the difference reflects its longer run.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Charger or the 300?

The 300 is cheaper by a small margin. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $631 a year against $652 for the Charger, about $105 over five years. A major repair is also less likely on the 300, at 13% versus 15%.

What goes wrong with the Uconnect touchscreen on these cars?

Charger screens delaminate and register phantom touches, and some fail within the first 5,000 to 6,900 miles. On the 300, the screen freezes or goes dark, often after a failed update with error code 20. Either way, owners can lose the backup camera and climate controls.

Which model years of the Charger and 300 should I avoid?

Avoid 2018 and 2019 on both. They are the weakest years for each car. Stronger choices include 2021 for the Charger and 2020 for the 300, though any used car still needs a recall check and a test drive.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger: Reliability Compared

Chrysler 300

Good

More Reliable

Dodge Charger

Good

Slight reliability edge goes to the Dodge Charger over the Chrysler 300. The deciding fact is shop visits: 0.2 a year against 0.3. Repair costs and complaint rates are close, so the gap is small, and both sedans share costly touchscreen and air bag complaints.

How Do the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger Generations Compare?

Every used 300 comes from one generation, the second, which ran from 2011 through 2023 with updates in 2015. No newer 300 followed in this data, so the 2018 to 2023 cars are the whole field. The Charger sat in its seventh generation from 2011 through 2023, with facelifts in 2015 and 2020. An eighth generation began in 2024, so Chargers from 2024 to 2026 are a newer design that has had less time to collect complaints. For a like-for-like comparison, 2018 to 2023 models are the overlap.

Verdict

The Dodge Charger is more reliable than the Chrysler 300, scoring 74/100 vs 72/100.

Reliability favors the Charger, but only slightly. Owner complaints per 10,000 sold are nearly even, and yearly repair cost is close. What separates them is unscheduled shop visits: 0.2 a year for the Charger against 0.3 for the 300. The 300 pulls back some ground with fewer recalls and a lower chance that a repair is major, 13% against 15%. That keeps the call close. Both cars rate good, so condition and model year matter more than the badge.

Key Differences

1Chrysler 300 costs $21 less per year to repair
2Chrysler 300 has 12 fewer total recalls
3Dodge Charger scores 2 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Chrysler 300

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3Dodge Charger

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger: Which Is More Reliable?

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chrysler 300	Dodge Charger
Reliability Score	72/100	74/100
Years Tracked	6	9
Total Recalls	13	25
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.3	2.2
Annual Repair Cost	$631/yr	$652/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.2/yr
Major Repair Risk	13%	15%
Year Wins	0 (1 tied)	5 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger?

Touchscreens hurt both cars, in different ways. Charger owners describe a delaminating Uconnect screen that registers phantom touches, changes stations and places calls, with dealer quotes over $2,000. On the 300, the screen freezes or goes dark after a failed update showing error code 20, taking the backup camera with it. Air bags are the serious issue for both, including failures to deploy in crashes. The Charger has far more crash-linked air bag complaints and two crash-linked power train complaints. The 300 has none in power train, but one crash-linked electrical report involving sudden power loss. The 300 also has water leaks and dealer-only headlight assemblies.

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger common problem areas comparison
Component	Chrysler 300	Dodge Charger
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	0.5Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.5Very Low	0.6Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.4Very Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
STEERING	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE	—None	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Chrysler 300 or Dodge Charger?

Annual repair cost is nearly identical: $652 for the Charger and $631 for the 300. Over five years, that gap comes to about $105 in the 300's favor. Shop visits favor the Charger, at 0.2 unscheduled visits a year against 0.3. The 300 has the lower chance that a given repair is major, 13% against 15%. Neither car is expensive to keep running on average, but a failed touchscreen or headlight assembly can cost over $2,000 on either.

How Does Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger Reliability Compare by Year?

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chrysler 300	Dodge Charger	Edge
2023	75/1001R / 5C	76/1002R / 22C	Dodge Charger
2022	73/1002R / 5C	74/1003R / 11C	Dodge Charger
2021	73/1002R / 18C	76/1002R / 29C	Dodge Charger
2020	74/1002R / 10C	75/1003R / 54C	Dodge Charger
2019	71/1002R / 59C	71/1005R / 118C	Tie
2018	66/1004R / 151C	69/1006R / 121C	Dodge Charger

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Chrysler 300 scored 75/100 and the 2023 Dodge Charger scored 76/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Chrysler 300 vs the Dodge Charger?

Pick the Charger if you want the lower chance of an unplanned shop trip. It had fewer unscheduled visits per year, and its strongest years include 2021. Check the door panels for peeling, test every touchscreen function, and ask about air bag warning lights. Skip 2018 and 2019, the weakest years for both cars. Pick the 300 if you want fewer recalls and a smaller chance that a repair turns major. Its strongest years include 2020, so that is a sound target. Before buying, run the touchscreen through its functions, look for water stains near the sunroof and rear interior lights, and check that both headlights work, since replacement assemblies cost over $2,000 and can be back-ordered. Whichever car you choose, confirm open recalls by VIN and have a shop check the transmission shifting on a test drive.

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger: Common Questions

Is the Dodge Charger more reliable than the Chrysler 300?: Yes, but only slightly. Both rate good. The Charger needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.2 a year against 0.3, and complaints per 10,000 sold are nearly equal. The 300 has fewer recalls and a lower chance of a major repair, so the gap is narrow.
Which has more recalls, the Charger or the 300?: The Charger has more. Federal recall records show 25 recalls across 9 model years for the Charger and 13 across 6 model years for the 300. The Charger covers more model years, so some of the difference reflects its longer run.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Charger or the 300?: The 300 is cheaper by a small margin. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $631 a year against $652 for the Charger, about $105 over five years. A major repair is also less likely on the 300, at 13% versus 15%.
What goes wrong with the Uconnect touchscreen on these cars?: Charger screens delaminate and register phantom touches, and some fail within the first 5,000 to 6,900 miles. On the 300, the screen freezes or goes dark, often after a failed update with error code 20. Either way, owners can lose the backup camera and climate controls.
Which model years of the Charger and 300 should I avoid?: Avoid 2018 and 2019 on both. They are the weakest years for each car. Stronger choices include 2021 for the Charger and 2020 for the 300, though any used car still needs a recall check and a test drive.

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Decided between Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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