2007 Dodge Charger SXT 3.5

Summary:

Overall quality is not as expected

Faults:

Oil consumption of 1 liter within 2300 km of the oil change.

The so-called leather driver's seat is starting to tear on the seating area on the left side.

General Comments:

I have done a considerable amount of research before purchasing this car. I have back problems with sciatica, and have discovered a very limited variety of vehicles that are comfortable enough; that won't cripple me after 15 minutes of driving. The Charger does have nice seats with lumbar and lots of other adjustments. Other than the Volvo, this car seemed to fit the bill.

Just recently I noticed small tears on the seating area. I examined it closer, and found only the center panels of the seat are leather, and the rest of it is vinyl, and poor quality at that. With only 81000 km this should not happen. Dodge wants over $900 for the material to recover it. Repairs with new vinyl would cost as much as $300. Needless to say, I am quite disappointed with the seat.

Oil consumption on a 2007 car with only 81000 km? Yes. According to the Charger forums, this is not uncommon. Wow, this is another disappointment. Mercedes quality? Not.

Overall I found this car to be somewhat decent. Handling, braking and so on. The general projected cost of of ownership didn't seem too costly. Example timing belt replacements at 175000 km. Mopar oil filters at $6 each. I could even live with replacing the ball joints every 50000 km. It is a shame.

I sold my 1992 Volvo 960 with 356000 km, and it used 1 liter of oil between oil changes. It is to be expected with such high kilometers. The Volvo seats are still near new. Timing belt replacements every 46000 km. Oil filters at $14.

The Charger is now SOLD.

I haven't noticed these experiences on Charger reviews. I felt compelled to share mine to enlighten others to spare disappointment too.

I wanted a newer vehicle with lower mileage with less maintenance cost. I am still searching.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 13th July, 2011

16th Jul 2011, 13:54

"I have done a considerable amount of research before purchasing this car."

Just curious, you didn't check Consumer Reports??? They gave this car an awful review. Besides, Dodge isn't exactly known for quality.

18th Jul 2011, 10:11

Consumer reports? Blah! My 2007 Charger has been one of the most reliable vehicles I have owned - and the list includes Ford, Pontiac, Chevy, Oldsmobile, Toyota and Nissan.

26th Dec 2016, 20:17

Your sample size of one is not statistically significant.

8th Jul 2017, 22:01

But equally relevant.

2007 Dodge Charger LX 3.5L H.O.

Summary:

Great car for my mid-life crisis and family

Faults:

Nothing as of yet (fingers crossed).

General Comments:

Sufficient power for the weight of the car.

Traction control works great.

Lots of room.

Comfortable.

Takes getting used to as it's heavy and rear wheel drive.

Nice looking, great performer, and fits my family and our gear well.

After a mini van, I've embraced my mid-life crisis with a sporty, tough yet four door family friendly car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd February, 2011

4th Jun 2011, 19:41

Original poster here.

Since posting the original, my EGR valve has failed, and the A/C stopped working. $1000 to fix. It was used, so I'm hoping nothing else goes.. I'm a little disappointed, as neither was covered by warranty.

20th Aug 2012, 15:02

Original commenter here... Front end has gone out at 85k miles.

I could not believe it when the mechanic told me there were six ball joints!!! (the two lower having control arms through them). The cost was phenomenal. Build quality was lackluster and the paint is/was weak. I will never purchase another Dodge/Chrysler product, no matter who owns them!!!

2007 Dodge Charger R/T Road & Track 5.7 V8

Summary:

Reliable, gets looks, and has decent power

Faults:

So far nothing has gone wrong with this car. The only 1 thing was the centre console had a rattling; fixed the problem myself.

General Comments:

I owned a 2007 Civic SI, and as much as I enjoyed the car, I constantly had problems with it. The final straw was the transmission. The car would pop out of gear grind into 2nd and 3rd, and you couldn't get the car with leather. Eventually I traded it in for a 2007 Charger R/T.

Wanted the SRT8, but figured I would save a bit on insurance and gas by buying the 5.7 R/T with the Road and Track package.

The car has been great for me; never once have I had any issue with it. The performance however was not what I was expecting. While it has a V8, the power doesn't come in until higher rpms. That being said, it is much faster then my Civic Si. However the car is 4300 lbs, and with 350 hp, the car would be much better with the SRT8 400+ hp.

The leather heated seats are very comfortable, however the hard plastic dash and centre console is very annoying.

I like the digital display that you can bring up on the dash, and also has a 0-60 digital timer that starts when you punch the gas.

The CD changer is very good, however I am a little annoyed with the extra tape deck added at the bottom.

The other things that took me a while to get used to, are that the turning signal and wipers are on the right side, and the light switch is on the dash.

The gas wasn't too bad; a little lower than my Civic as the engine would run on 4 cylinders while cruising, but I mostly drive in light to light traffic. I have modified my car now so the mileage is not as good as it was. However now that I modified it, the car screams, and feels like it has a much better power to weight ratio.

Ultimately I should have got the SRT8, as the gas savings isn't much of a difference. The insurance isn't that much of a difference either. I also wanted to point out that it cost more to insure my Civic than it costs to insure my Charger, due to it being a 4 door. I'm saving over $50 a month; I guess it makes up the difference in gas mileage, but again the gas mileage is not too bad. I was getting roughly 22 mpg. Depending on how I drive, it would go down to 19 mpg.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th November, 2010