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2018 Dodge Charger · Torque converter replacement
2018 Dodge Charger torque converter replacement cost
A 2018 Dodge Charger torque converter replacement typically costs $1,090 to $2,650 at an independent shop, parts and labor included across its engine options. The torque converter itself runs $250 to $1,150, and the job takes 6 to 9 hours. Prices updated September 2026.
Estimated cost, selected engine
$1,090 to $2,080
Charlotte, NC area
Prices updated September 2026
Which engine? They price differently, so pick yours for a closer number.
Torque converter (part)
$250 to $1,150
Labor (6 to 9 hours)
$720 to $1,320
ZF 8-speed ATF (6-7 qts) + seals
$120 to $260
2018 Dodge Charger torque converter replacement: parts and labor
Labor runs $720 to $1,320 (the job takes 6 to 9 hours at typical independent-shop rates), and the torque converter itself typically costs $250 to $1,150 for the 2018 Dodge Charger, plus $120 to $260 in zf 8-speed atf (6-7 qts) + seals. Prices updated September 2026.
| Engine | Parts | Labor | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L V6 (845RE) | $250 to $500 | $720 to $1,320 (6.0 to 8.0 hrs) | $1,090 to $2,080 |
| 5.7L HEMI V8 (8HP70) | $350 to $1,150 | $720 to $1,240 (6.0 to 7.5 hrs) | $1,190 to $2,650 |
Coverage note: 6.4L 392 HEMI (R/T Scat Pack, Daytona 392, SRT 392) and 6.2L supercharged Hellcat excluded: same drop-the-transmission labor, but OEM converters run $874 to $1,510 (RL261595AA, RL261592AA) and the Hellcat's 8HP90 has few reman options, which would drag the parts range far above what SXT/GT/R/T owners will actually pay.
RepairPal publishes no Charger-specific torque converter estimate (only full trans replacement at roughly $6,200 to $6,700, a different job), and generic aggregator guides (AutoTechIQ $650 to $2,000+, ThePricer $600 to $2,000) bracket but do not price this platform. The real OEM premium is at the dealer: Mopar converter at $1,145 MSRP on the 5.7L plus $175 to $200/hr labor puts a dealer converter job at $2,600 to $3,300, and many dealers will only quote a complete reman transmission instead. An independent using a $345 Transtar RECON reman with the same 4-year/100k warranty does the identical repair for roughly half.
Where these numbers come from
- Estimate ranges: a hand-verified research pass for this exact vehicle and repair, cross-referenced across 11 independent sources (parts retailers, labor guides, and published shop pricing), completed September 2026.
- Recall and complaint data: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) records for the 2018 Dodge Charger specifically, filtered to transmission relevance and refreshed daily from the federal API.
- Local prices: real, accepted quotes from verified Fixxr marketplace jobs, published per metro once five verified jobs of this type have closed. Never estimates dressed up as transactions.
Not included in the estimate: Transmission rebuild or reman replacement if clutch debris is found circulating in the fluid, Mechatronic unit / valve body repairs (a separate known 845RE failure that mimics converter symptoms), Flexplate replacement if cracked (found during teardown), Trans cooler line flush beyond the basic refill, Engine/transmission mounts, Diagnostic time to confirm shudder vs misfire, plus shop supplies and tax.
What actually goes wrong on this exact vehicle
Federal safety data for the 2018 Dodge Charger, filtered to the transmission specifically.
1
transmission recall
6
transmission owner complaints
transmission recall · NHTSA 18V280000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Charger, Durango and Challenger, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, Chrysler 300, and RAM 1500 vehicles. An incorrect transmission park lock rod may have been installed in the transmission. If the incorrect park lock rod is installed, the transmission may not shift into 'PARK' and keep the vehicle from moving, increasing the risk of unintended vehicle movement and the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U43.
Real owner report, verbatim from NHTSA:
“The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormal sound, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was uncontrollable. The contact stated that the steering wheel turned independently in the unintended direction, and the contact had to pull the steering wheel back into the intended direction. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that a nearby driver pulled over and informed the contact that sparks of fire were coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while his family was inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed drive shaft and hairline cracks in the transmission. The contact was informed that the drive shaft had detached and caused a hairline crack in the transmission. In addition, the contact was informed that the transfer case was leaking. The contact was informed that the transfer case and drive shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the repairs were not covered under a recall. The contact referenced two unknown recalls, which had similar failures; however, the contact was informed that the recall repairs had previously been performed, and the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the recall repairs had been performed in 2018. The contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.”
Get the failure confirmed with a real diagnosis before you approve the repair, so you fix the part that actually failed.
Recall fixes are free at the dealer. Everything else deserves a fair price.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), recalls and complaints for the 2018 Dodge Charger. Refreshed periodically.
Not sure what’s wrong?
A shudder or slip can be the torque converter, the transmission itself, worn mounts, or even misfires. Describe what your truck is doing and our free diagnostic tool narrows it down before you spend a dollar.
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Get connected with a mechanicHow your torque converter works
The torque converter is the fluid coupling between the engine and the automatic transmission in your 2018 Dodge Charger. It lets the engine keep spinning at a stoplight, multiplies torque when you pull away, and at cruising speed an internal lockup clutch grips solid to stop wasting fuel. That clutch is the part that wears out, and because the converter bolts on between the engine and transmission, replacing it means removing the transmission, which is why labor is most of the bill.
Four signs it’s the torque converter
Shudder at steady speed
A rumble-strip vibration at light throttle on the highway. The classic sign of a worn converter lockup clutch.
RPM flares, truck doesn't
Engine revs climb without matching speed. The converter or transmission is slipping instead of gripping.
Delayed or harsh engagement
A pause or clunk when shifting into drive or reverse, especially cold.
Hot, dark, or burnt fluid
A slipping converter cooks the fluid. Dark color or a burnt smell means friction material is circulating.
The free check: on a quiet road, hold a steady 45 to 55 mph at light throttle. A vibration that appears in that zone and fades when you accelerate or lift off points at the converter clutch. Mention exactly when it happens to your shop; it is the single most useful thing you can tell them.
What a torque converter replacement is like on the 2018 Dodge Charger
There is no shortcut on this job: the torque converter sits between the flexplate and the ZF 8-speed's pump, so the whole transmission comes out of the LX platform. Techs pull the driveshaft, exhaust crossover, and trans crossmember, and on this chassis the steering rack has to be supported and partially lowered to reach the flexplate-to-converter bolts through the access hole. That is why 6.0 to 8.0 hours of the bill is labor even though the converter swap itself takes minutes once the trans is on the bench. The GT and GT Plus AWD (V6 only in 2018) add a front driveshaft and transfer case to the teardown, which is the top of the V6 labor spread; the 5.7L R/T and Daytona were RWD only in 2018.
The two engines take genuinely different converters at very different prices. The 3.6L's 845RE (a licensed ZF 8HP45) uses Mopar kit RL234051AA, about $341 online and $483 MSRP, while the 5.7L's beefier 8HP70 uses RL261258AA at $967 online and $1,145 MSRP, nearly triple the V6 part. Quality reman closes that gap hard: Transtar's RECON CR3501 for the 8HP70 runs $345 with the $60 core charge already included and carries a 4-year/100k warranty, and CVC's ZF 8HP-family reman (CR3505, covers 845RE through 8HP90) sells for $225. ATK's TQC54 reman covers the 8HP45/845RE side. That is why the parts columns start around $250 to $350 instead of at the four-figure OEM number.
The classic failure on these is TCC shudder: a rumble-strip vibration at 40 to 70 mph steady cruise, often with RPM flutter. The ZF 8HP applies its lockup clutch earlier and harder than older designs, so the clutch lining and degraded fluid are the usual culprits on 845RE cars, documented as a known pattern on the Charger/Challenger/300 family. Before paying for a converter, it is worth a $300 to $400 fluid exchange with true ZF-spec fluid, because shudder from oxidized fluid frequently clears up and the converter gets condemned unnecessarily.
The 'lifetime fill' sticker on the plastic pan is marketing, not physics. A converter replacement drains most of the system, and the refill must be Mopar 8&9 Speed ATF (68218925AB, roughly $15 to $26 a quart, 6 to 7 quarts for this job) or a ZF Lifeguard 8 equivalent; generic ATF+4 will make a new converter shudder. There is no dipstick: the level is set through a side fill plug with the fluid held at 30 to 50 C on a scan tool, so this is not a driveway top-off, and the shop's fluid line on the invoice is legitimate.
Watch for scope creep in quotes. Dealers and some chains will not sell a converter-only repair on the 8-speed and instead quote a reman transmission assembly at $4,500 to $7,000 installed, reasoning that clutch debris may have circulated. If the fluid comes out without heavy friction material and the trans shifts fine apart from the shudder, an independent transmission shop will happily do converter-only at the numbers above. Sanity check any converter parts line over about $1,200 on the 5.7L or $550 on the 3.6L against the OEM prices quoted here.
Estimate note: these are researched independent-shop ranges, not a guaranteed quote. The only exact number is one from a shop that has seen your car.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2018 Dodge Charger torque converter replacement cost?
A 2018 Dodge Charger torque converter replacement typically runs $1,090 to $2,650 at an independent shop, parts and labor included. The torque converter itself is $250 to $1,150, labor makes up most of the rest, and the job takes 6 to 9 hours.Why does the price change with the engine?
The 2018 Dodge Charger came with more than one engine, and they do not share the same part or the same access. A tighter engine bay or extra teardown adds labor hours, and the part price moves too. Sites that show one national number flatten that out. Pick your engine on the estimate above for a closer figure.What are the signs of a bad torque converter?
The classic sign is a shudder at steady highway speed under light throttle, a rumble-strip vibration that comes and goes as the converter's lockup clutch grabs and slips. Others: engine RPM flaring up without the truck speeding up, a delayed or harsh clunk into drive, a whine that changes with gear, and transmission temperature climbing on grades. These symptoms overlap with internal transmission problems and even engine misfires, so get a real diagnosis before paying for either.Can I drive my Dodge with a bad torque converter?
Briefly, but it gets more expensive the longer you wait. A slipping converter sheds clutch material into the transmission fluid and runs hot, and that debris circulates through the entire transmission. Caught early, this can be a converter and fluid job. Ignored, it becomes a full rebuild at several times the price. If it shudders occasionally, book the repair soon; if it slips hard or overheats, stop driving it.Should the transmission be rebuilt at the same time?
Fluid condition is the tell. If the fluid is clean and the failure is isolated to the converter clutch, a converter-only replacement is a legitimate fix, and the labor is already paid since the transmission comes out either way. If the fluid is dark, smells burnt, or carries metal or friction material, converter debris has been through the whole unit and a reputable shop will recommend a rebuild instead of bolting a new converter to a dying transmission. Ask to see the fluid and the pan.How long does a torque converter last?
Usually the life of the transmission, commonly 100,000 to 200,000 miles. The weak point is the lockup clutch inside the converter, which wears like any friction clutch, and worn-out fluid accelerates it. Regular transmission fluid service is the cheapest way to extend converter life, and it is also what keeps a future repair converter-only instead of a rebuild.Are there recalls on the 2018 Dodge Charger?
Yes, NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2018 Dodge Charger. Recall repairs are done free of charge at a franchised dealer for that brand, so it is worth checking your VIN before paying a shop for related work.
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