Why You Shouldn’t Slam the Hood on Your 2024+ Charger Daytona

If you’re one of the people to purchase or lease a 2024+ Dodge Charger Daytona, you might want to rethink how you shut your hood. Slamming it shut hard could land you in the service bay with a broken latch and a lot of regret.

Jordan Rose (@mopartechjordan), a certified Mopar technician at Hall Chrysler Dodge Jeep® Ram in Virginia Beach, Virginia, recently shared some serious knowledge on his YouTube channel. In a video, he breaks down a common issue that could appear more often as these Daytona models hit the streets.

The problem? A damaged hood latch caused by slamming the hood shut.

It seems simple, but this new hood design on the Charger Daytona (LB) isn’t built for brute force. In fact, Dodge has even released official service guidance warning owners to close the hood gently, not slam it.

What Happens If You Slam It? – 

When you slam the hood, you put extra stress on the latch mechanism—something it’s clearly not designed to handle. Over time (or even just once), that force can break or misalign the latch. That leaves your hood either stuck open or bouncing while driving—not ideal on any car—especially not on an expensive, brand-new Dodge e-muscle car.

Jordan shows exactly what a broken latch looks like, how it fails, and why you want to avoid getting to that point.

The Fix? Not Cheap and Not Fun – 

If your latch does fail, you’ll either need to visit the dealership or be handy enough to replace it yourself (with the right tools and know-how). Jordan’s video walks you through the entire replacement step by step, so if you’re mechanically inclined, he’s got your back.

But most folks probably want to avoid the problem in the first place, and honestly, it’s easy:
Lower the hood gently. Then, press down firmly but softly to engage the latch. That’s it. No slam is needed, no parts are broken, and there is no downtime at the dealership.

Final Thoughts – 

The all-electric Charger Daytona is packed with new tech, design, and ways of doing things. That means old habits—like slamming the hood—need to be unlearned. So, if you own one (or plan to), treat it right. A little gentleness now can save you a whole lot of headaches later.

And shoutout to Jordan for creating helpful, real-world content for Charger Daytona owners. His channel may be small, but it’s full of useful info from someone who knows these cars inside and out.