2010 DODGE CHALLENGER Complaints

WHILE COMING AROUND A SHARP LEFT BEND IN THE ROAD OF A WINDING ROAD MY CAR STALLED AND I HAD A VERY HARD TIME STEERING AND BRAKING TO GET THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T END UP IN THE DITCH AND ALSO VERY LUCKY THAT THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS ALERT AND DID NOT CRASH INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. I RESTARTED MY CAR AND IT SEEMED TO BE OK. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR SOMETIME AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER POSTINGS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT IT. *TR

I BELIEVE THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLE WHEEL LUG NUTS COMING LOOSE.HAS A 2 PIECE DESIGN, NOT SOLID LUG NUT. EASILY GETS STRIPPED CAN FALL OFF AND CREATE ACCIDENT. *TR

I WAS COMMUTING TO WORK ON THE WESTPARK TOLLWAY IN HOUSTON IN TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00AM WHEN MULTIPLE ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE, AVOIDING A COLLISION BARELY AS ALL SYSTEMS WERE DEAD. AFTER 4 DAYS IN THE SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WHICH IN TURN CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, BENT VALVES, DAMAGED PISTONS ETC. UPON SEARCHING THE WEB I FOUND 39 INSTANCES OF THIS FAILURE ON ONE FORUM. PARTICULARLY MODEL YEARS 2009 TO 2011 AND CARS WITH 35 TO 40,000 MILES AND MDS. MINE HAS 44,000 AND ALL FACTORY MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME AS SHOULD THIS EVENT HAPPEN IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC OR PASSING SITUATION THERE COULD BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS ONE HAS NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE NUMBER OF INSTANCES AND WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE WHICH I FIND TROUBLING. THERE ARE ALOT OF CARS THAT ARE JUST NOW COMING INTO THE SUSPECT MILEAGE RANGE FOR THIS EVENT AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A PERSON OR PERSONS ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BY THIS. *TR

WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AT ABOUT 5-10 MPH, CAR STALLED. RESULTING IN NO POWER STEERING, POOR BRAKES, AND ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND PRESSED ON THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON, CAR STALLED OUT AND I HAD TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THIS ALL HAPPENED AT 70 MPH, CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER SHIP WHERE A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN WAS DISCOVERED, DODGE HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE A SAFE FIX FOR THIS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 40 ON MY WAY TO WORK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC I WAS IN THE FAST LANE AND HEARD A POP IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. I PULLED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT. WHEN THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART I PUT ON MY BLINKER AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I RAN THE CODE WITH MY ONBOARD COMPUTER AND IT TOLD ME THAT THE CAM SHAFT WAS IN THE WRONG POSITION. A ROLL BACK CAME AND TOOK ME TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I LEFT WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AN HOUR LATER WHILE I WAS AT WORK I GOT A CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT LETTING ME KNOW THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THREATENING ME THAT IF THEY FOUND THAT I WAS ABUSING THE ENGINE THAT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND I WOULD BE PAYING FOR THIS PROBLEM OUT OF POCKET. WITH THE VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON HTTP://WWW.CHALLENGERTALK.COM/FORUMS/F188/TIMING-CHAIN-FAILURE-DODGE-CHALLENGER-69216/ I WOULD THINK THAT THE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE HERE WOULD BE LOOKED IN TO. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH WHEN A SMALL POP WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE BAY. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND I LOST ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TRIED RESTARTING THE ENGINE, WHICH JUST CAUSED THE STARTER TO RUN FOR 5+ SECONDS BEFORE TURNING OFF THE START SEQUENCE (PUSH BUTTON START). THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CAUSE HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A SNAPPED TIMING CHAIN AND BROKEN PLASTIC CHAIN GUIDE. THIS IS A 2010 5.7L MDS AUTO TRANSMISSION CHALLENGER. DODGE'S RESPONSE IS TO REPLACE THE CHAIN AND GUIDE AND SEE IF THAT ENABLES THE ENGINE TO RUN. THIS IS AN INTERFERENCE FIT ENGINE WHICH WILL MEAN SEVERAL VALVES WILL HAVE STRUCK THE PISTON HEADS AS A RESULT OF THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. IN ADDITION, THE VALVE HEADS AND PISTON HEADS MAY HAVE SUSTAIN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. THE DEALERSHIP HAD RECOMMENDED TO DODGE A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. WHILE, I FIND DODGE'S SOLUTION TO BE WHOLE INAPPROPRIATE, THE FAILURE OF THE CHAIN IS OF MORE CONCERN. APPROXIMATELY 40 OCCURRENCES OF THIS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AT HTTP://WWW.CHALLENGERTALK.COM/FORUMS/F188/TIMING-CHAIN-FAILURE-DODGE-CHALLENGER-69216/ WITH NO SOLUTION BEING PRESENTED BY DODGE TO STOP THE GUIDES FROM BREAKING AND THUS THE CHAINS SNAPPING. DODGE'S INABILITY TO ADEQUATELY AND PREEMPTIVELY ADDRESS THIS SITUATION WILL RESULT IN MORE INSTANCES OF CHALLENGERS BEING DISABLED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON A CROWDED INTERSTATE, SUCH AS I-75/85 THROUGH ATLANTA. I AM LUCKY MY INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR DURING HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, INJURY, OR WORSE. *TR

IF CHRYSLER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR, THEY WOULD REMEMBER IT FROM 3 DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED IT FROM WESTPOINTE DODGE IN OKLAHOMA. I HAD PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE, MAINLY FROM THE LIES I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP, I BOUGHT IT NEW! I WAS TOLD OF ALL THE EXTRAS ON THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING A NAVAGATION SYSTEM, I TRIED TO GET THE NAVAGATION SYSTEM TO WORK, NO LUCK. I CALLED THEM AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK, PROBABLY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE NAVAGATION SYSTEM HOOKED UP. I TOOK IT BACK, THEY SAID IT HAD ONE, THEN LOOKED AND CHECKED AND ON AND ON, THEN SAID NO NAVAGATION SYSTEM, THEY INSTALLED AN AFTER MARKET MIRROR SO I WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL ME WHAT DIRECTIONS I WAS GOING. THAT WAS NOT THE END THERE. I SENT 10 PAGES OF NOTES TO CHRYSLER EXPLAINING ALL THE PROBLEMS I HAD WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY GAVE ME FREE OIL CHANGES. NOW, IN MARCH, THE CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING, IT WOULD DIE AFTER RUNNING ROUGH, THEN AFTER 2-3 TRIES IT WOULD START. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MAY 1ST, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, PROBABLY JUST BAD GAS, I HAD GOT IT BACK 2 DAYS LATER. THE NEXT DAY, IT WOULD NOT START, AFTER A FEW MORE TRIES IT DID START. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOOK IT BACK TO THEM ON MAY 6TH. I CALLED THEM MAY 7TH, SAID THEY THOUGHT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CHANGED SOMETHING. I CALLED THEM YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID IT STILL HAD THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAD CONTACTED CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP FIND THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TODAY AND SAID THEY "THINK" THEY HAVE IT FIXED, BUT WILL NEED TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY AND START IT AGAIN TO SEE IF IT IS FIXED. THIS IS A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAT 20 THOUSAND MILES. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAN IF AND WHEN I GET IT BACK,I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS. *TR

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY HOME LATE FROM WORK AT 65 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE STOPPED. NO POWER, NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL TO TRY AND RESTART: WOULD TURN OVER NOT START. HAD TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER EXPEDITIOUSLY AND WAS STUCK THERE W/ A CONCRETE BARRIER TO MY RIGHT. CAR WOULD NOT START, WITH 18 WHEELER BIG RIGS BLOWING BY ME AT 65 MPH STUCK IN THE CAR. EXTREME DANGER. HAD TO GET IT TOWED 16 MI. TO DEALER AT 8:30 PM. EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE TO ME AND COMMUTERS AROUND ME--DEAD CAR, NO WARNING, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. PLEASE ADDRESS WITH CHRYSLER CORP. AS THIS IS A KNOWN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE!!! TOOK TO DEALER AND SAID THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. HUH? AT 36,500 MI.??!! COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE. SEE POSTS HERE: HTTP://WWW.CHALLENGERTALK.COM/FORUMS/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-69216.HTML. I PERSONALLY WILL NOT TRUST THIS CAR EVER AGAIN--GETTING ATTORNEY AND WILL LEMON THIS THING FOR MY FAMILY'S, AND FELLOW COMMUTERS' SAFETY, AND, IMHO, THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND FORCE A RECALL. CLEARLY CHRYSLER IS NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE AND PUTTING THE PUBLIC'S SAFETY AT RISK. NOW THAT THE NHTSA KNOWS ABOUT IT, THEY TOO MUST ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, OR, BE COMPLACENT AND IMPLICITLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEATHS OR INJURIES RESULTING FROM THIS FATAL, WIDELY KNOWN--SEARCH GOOGLE FOR "CHALLENGER R/T TIMING CHAIN FAILURE"--DESIGN FLAW. THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE CHALLENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT NO CAUSE FOR FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY DISPATCHED A MECHANIC, WHO REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED TWO OF THE COMPUTERS. THE FAILURE RECURRED SIX MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000. UPDATED 6/17/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHIFT OFF SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MAKING TURNS, AND THEN IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE FOR IT TO RE-START. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO GO INTO NEUTRAL AT TIMES WHEN CHANGING GEARS. ON ONE OCCASION, THE CONSUMER SMELLED AN ODOR OF BURNING WIRES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RADIO AND FUSE BOX. THE VEHICLE WOULD START AND WHEN IT WAS PUT IN GEAR, IT WOULD STALL. *JB *TR