Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage.

Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage.

      Jordan Rose via YouTube

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      Did you know there's only one recommended method for closing the hood of a Dodge Charger Daytona? While there may be several ways to close it, Dodge advises a specific technique. If owners were aware of this, they wouldn't need to take their brand-new electric muscle cars to the dealership for a stubborn hood that won’t open.

      Jordan Rose, a service technician at Hall Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Virginia Beach, shared a YouTube video featuring two Charger Daytonas parked next to each other, both experiencing the same issue. The hood latches on both vehicles would only release when the cable was pulled manually. Pressing the inside button had little effect, which can be quite aggravating for a car that costs over $60,000.

      Upon examining the hood latches, it became clear that the lower metal part was misaligned. This is why neither hood would open, regardless of the attempts made by the owners.

      While investigating, Rose discovered that the Charger Daytona owner’s manual specifies a particular method for closing the hood. “You might think a hood is just a hood, but apparently, that’s not the case with this car,” Rose remarked. Instead of simply slamming it down, the hood must be lowered onto the latch and then pressed down firmly with both hands. It requires two deliberate motions to avoid breaking the latch—three if you consider “ensuring the hood is securely latched” to be a separate step.

      Jordan Rose via YouTube

      To replace the hood latch, service technicians must take out all the plastic panels inside the Charger Daytona’s frunk. The latch is held in place by two 10-millimeter bolts and a few connectors. Rose, being a skilled mechanic, completed the repair fairly quickly, but it might not be covered by warranty if deemed a case of user error, potentially resulting in owners facing $200 an hour for labor costs. If you think that estimate sounds high, check out this Reddit thread on r/serviceadvisors.

      To clarify, I don’t believe this is a significant criticism of Dodge. It’s not an issue as long as owners are informed. However, these two instances highlight that most owners are unlikely to know without a warning like Rose’s or, far less likely, reading the owner’s manual. This could lead to multiple costly lessons for Charger Daytona owners who merely wanted to close the frunk after running errands.

Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage. Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage. Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage. Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage.

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Slamming the hood of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV might cause damage.

The owner's manual for the Charger Daytona includes a procedure for closing the hood to prevent damage to the latch and avoid the need for a replacement.