The new Dodge Charger Daytona electric muscle car is facing a recall… due to not being loud enough when driven.
A total of 8,390 examples of the two-door Charger Daytona, covering the 2024 and 2025 model years, have been identified as missing important software.
This is used to control the external amplifier, which generates sound to alert pedestrians when the electric vehicle is moving at low speeds.
The Charger Daytonas affected will require a software update to ensure they comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
The sound of silence
The FMVSS rules specify that an electric or hybrid vehicle must emit sound at a certain volume when driving.
This is intended to “reduce the number of injuries that result from electric and hybrid vehicle crashes with pedestrians by providing a sound level and sound characteristics necessary for these vehicles to be detected and recognized by pedestrians”.
Based on the recall report submitted by Dodge to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Charger Daytona models may not emit enough noise to meet the FMVSS requirements.
Owners of the cars will be notified directly by Dodge. They can then schedule a dealership visit to receive the software update.
Bringing the noise
When launching the Charger Daytona EV, Dodge itself made plenty of noise about the electric muscle car’s “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust”.
Using dual Fratzonic Chamber-loaded passive radiators, combined with a 600-watt amplifier, the electric Charger Daytona is designed to replicate the sound and sensations of a V-8 muscle car.
At launch Matt McAlear, Dodge brand CEO, said: “We know our Dodge enthusiasts want that visceral feel you get when you drive a Dodge muscle car, and the Charger’s new Fratzonic system delivers the adrenaline-pumping spirit that they expect”.
Various settings are available for the fake exhaust, with Drag, Track, and Donut Modes all delivering a louder sound. However, a “Stealth Mode” mutes the Fratzonic system completely.
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