2012 Dodge Charger Recall

On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French.

This error does not affect vehicle safety.

This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.

On certain vehicles equipped with electro-hydraulic power steering (“EHPS”), the alternator may fail suddenly. This could result in the engine stalling, causing a loss of motive power which could increase the risk of a crash as well as disable various vehicle safety systems, and could also cause a fire. Both issues could increase the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the part number on the alternator, and will replace the alternator as necessary. Note: Only specific engine and alternator combinations are affected by this campaign.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger frontal airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. As a result, if the vehicle were involved in a collision that warrants airbag deployment, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants, and the airbag assembly could be damaged, preventing proper function. These issues could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the airbag inflator. Note: Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. The recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk, and is expected to replace airbag inflators before their function would be affected.

A failure of this component (airbag) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the gear shift position indicators and warnings may not be sufficient to deter drivers from exiting the vehicle when the transmission is inadvertently left in a gear other than “Park”. If this occurs and the driver exits the vehicle with the engine running and the parking brake has not been set, unintended vehicle movement can result, increasing the risk of injury and/or a crash. Correction: Dealers will update vehicle software to include additional features to protect against driver error.

A failure of this component (powertrain) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

Certain vehicles equipped with an original equipment spare tire, the body-side sill assemblies may deform during tire jack use if wheel chocks are not used as instructed in the Owner’s Manual. This could cause the vehicle to become unstable and cause the jack to fail, which could result in injury to the operator. Correction: Dealers will provide wheel chocks to vehicle owners. The wheel chocks will be installed with the vehicle’s spare tire in such a manner that they must be removed before the spare tire is removed from its stowed location.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the software in Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module may contain side impact calibrations that are overly sensitive. This could result in unintended deployment of the Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC), seat airbag, and/or seatbelt pre-tensioner during certain driving conditions, which could startle the driver and result in a vehicle crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will update the ORC module calibration.

A failure of this component (airbag) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines and 160 amp output alternators, the alternator may fail suddenly. This could result in the engine stalling, causing a loss of motive power which could increase the risk of a crash as well as disable various vehicle safety systems, and could also cause a fire. Both issues could increase the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the alternator.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the headlamp low beam connector could overheat, causing a loss of low beam function. This could compromise driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the headlamp wiring harness, bulbs, and/or headlamp assemblies as required.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, seat airbag wiring harnesses were built with improperly sized electrical terminal crimps that may cause an intermittent illumination of the airbag warning light. If the airbag light illuminates, the seat side airbags may not deploy in the event of a crash, which could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will replace driver and passenger seat airbag harnesses.

A failure of this component (airbag) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, a power distribution center bus bar could overheat, causing a loss of Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system function. Loss of ABS/ESC could increase the risk of a crash, which may result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will relocate the ABS/ESC system fuse within the power distribution center.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain Dodge Charger police vehicles, an overheated bulb harness connector could result in a loss of low beam headlamp operation. The sudden loss of low beam headlamp illumination, should it occur during a rainy/snowy day, or during hours of darkness, could compromise the driver's ability to see the road and its users, which could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace both headlamp harnesses. Note: This recall is superseded by recall 2012049.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain Dodge Charger police vehicles, a power distribution center bus bar could overheat, causing a loss of Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system function. Loss of ABS/ESC could increase the risk of a crash, which may result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will relocate the ABS/ESC system fuse within the power distribution center.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles equipped with a 3.6L engine, debris in the cylinder block (from the manufacturing process) could cause connecting rod bearing and crankshaft bearing damage. As a result, abnormal engine performance may be noticed, and in some cases the engine could fail. Engine failure would result in lost vehicle propulsion which, in conjunction with traffic and road conditions, and driver reactions, could increase the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the engine assembly.

A failure of this component (engine) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).