2008 DODGE CHARGER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED IN A POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD AND SHOULDER INJURIES. THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT OCCUPANT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE ARM AND LEG AND THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,000.

THIS PROBLEM BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED (IN 2010) THIS 60,000 MILE ONE-OWNER CAR A 2008 DODGE CHARGER 5.7L RWD POLICE PACKAGE. THE KEY FAILS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION KEY SWITCH. THE KEY SWITCH CANNOT BE TURNED TO THE "OFF" POSITION TO BE REMOVED AND STAYS STUCK IN THE "ACCESSORY" POSITION. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE KEY MUST BE LEFT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH OPENING THE POSSIBILITY TO VEHICLE THEFT OR ANY CHILD OR OTHER PASSERBY MAKING ENTRY INTO THE VEHICLE AND STARTING & DRIVING AWAY. LEAVING THE KEY "ON" IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION SUBSEQUENTLY DRAINS THE BATTERY, AFTER ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS THE BATTERY IS DEAD AND LEAVES THE OWNER REPEATEDLY STRANDED. LEAVING THE ACCESSORY CIRCUITS ENERGIZED FOR LONG PERIODS ALSO INCREASES THE CHANCES OF A VEHICLE FIRE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALER IN LUMBERTON NJ, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A DEFECTIVE WIN MODULE. I PAID FOR THE REMOVAL & INSTALLATION OF A NEW WIN MODULE AND THE CAR EXHIBITS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AS BEFORE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT VERIFIED THAT IT'S STILL OCCURRING AND HAD TO ARGUE WITH THEM FOR A REFUND ONLY TO BE GIVEN DEALER CREDIT. THE DEALER THEN SHOWED ME A DODGE ENGINEER'S SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THIS ISSUE PERFECTLY. OFTEN THESE SYMPTOMS ARE SYMPTOMATIC OF A WIN MODULE BUT IF THE WIN IS NOT AT FAULT, DODGE STATES THAT THE "ESM" MODULE (ELECTRONIC SHIFT MODULE) IS AT FAULT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE ESM IS LOCATED ON THE STEERING COLUMN IN A 2008 DODGE CHARGER 5.7L RWD POLICE PACKAGE CAR AND IS CONNECTED TO THE COLUMN SHIFT GEAR SELECTOR. THE DODGE DEALER STATES THE ESM MODULE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN MUST BE REPLACED DUE TO THE PART NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE SEPARATELY. EVERY OTHER MODULE FOR THE CHARGER IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE EXCEPT THE ESM AND DODGE SERVICE WANTS $2400 TO NEEDLESSLY REPLACE THE ENTIRE COLUMN. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START AFTER REFUELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE IGNITION MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED; THE IGNITION MODULE UNABLE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT RED LIGHT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN THE CAR SUDDENLY DIED. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR INTO PARK AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE CAME BACK ON. *TR

CAR FAILS TO START DUE TO DEFECTIVE WIRELESS IGNITION MODULE PART #5026296AF.SINCE MAY 10,2013, CHRYSLER CORP CLAIMS THE PART HAS BEEN BACK ORDERED NATIONALLY WITH NO DATE WHEN PART IS DUE AS OF 7/18/13. THE PART COULD ALSO FAIL WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. CHRYSLER WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION OTHER THAN THE PART IS BACK ORDERED. *TR

THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. SAME THING KEPT HAPPENING AGAIN!!! IT SOUNDED LIKE A TAPE WAS LOADING IN A TAPE DECK. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THE TIPM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALER, THE RECEIVER WAS REPLACED BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT STAY CRUNK. SO THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TIPM IN IT. I COULD NOT GET OUT OF IT, BUT NOW I AM FINANCIALLY STRAPPED FOR CASH, BECAUSE I LOST MY JOB AT THE END OF MAY. I AM UNABLE TO GET MY CAR BACK BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THEY WILL NOT RELEASE MY CAR UNTIL IT'S PAID IN FULL. I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH CHARGERS AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ISSUE. *TR

I HAD JUST GOTTEN THE CAR BACK AFTER HAVING THE CAR REPROGRAMMED WITH THE KEY FOB. THE CAR STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. IT SOUNDED LIKE A TAPE DECK WAS LOADING. THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT CRANK AT ALL. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN TO HAVE THE STARTER REPLACED! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY COULD NOT FIND THIS OUT WHEN IT WAS THERE THE FIRST TIME??? THIS ENDED UP COSTING ME $353.27!!! LUCKILY I HAD JUST GOTTEN MY INCOME TAX REFUND. *TR

KEY FOB AND CAR HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED, SO I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS DONE BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. I HAD TO PAY $124 FOR THE KEY FOB AND ANOTHER $49.50 FOR THE REPROGRAMMING. *TR

I STOPPED MY DODGE CHARGER IN THE GAS STATION PARKING LOT. I JUST FINISHED WASHING MY CHARGER AND WAS ON MY WAY TO A CAR SHOW. I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION TO WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE PEOPLE IN MY GROUP. MY GIRLFRIEND EXITED HER VEHICLE AND GOT INTO MY CAR. I STARTED MY CAR BACK UP TO RUN THE A/C. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF STARTING MY CAR UP, I HEARD A LOUD BANG. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED MY CAR OFF AND EXITED MY VEHICLE. AS I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE, I OBSERVED A SMALL STREAM OF GREEN FLUID (ANTIFREEZE) RUNNING BENEATH MY VEHICLE. I POPPED MY HOOD AND OBSERVED MY RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AGAIN. I ALSO OBSERVED THAT MY COOLING FAN WAS IN PIECES AGAIN. BUT THIS TIME IT WAS MY PASSENGER SIDE COOLING FAN. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE SAME BODY SHOP AS LAST YEAR AND THE MECHANIC THERE ADVISED ME TO LOOK INTO AN RECALLS INVOLVING THE COOLING SYSTEM OF MY CAR. HE EXPLAINED THAT IT OCCURRED THE SAME WAY AS THE OTHER FAN DID A YEAR AGO. AT THAT TIME I SAW A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTIFICATION L08 THAT INVOLVED DODGE CHARGERS 2006-2008. I READ THE NOTIFICATION AND LEARNED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THIS NOTIFICATION. MY DODGE CHARGER WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN FLORIDA AND I BOUGHT IT IN FLORIDA. MY CHARGER WAS MANUFACTURED ON 10/10/2007 AND MY CHARGER IS A 2008. I FELT LIKE MY CAR WAS COVERED BY THIS NOTIFICATION IN SEVERAL WAYS. BUT CHRYSLER CLAIMS THAT MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED DUE TO THE SALES CODE, EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECT THE NOTIFICATION MENTIONED WAS PRECISELY THE SAME. *TR (TWO REALTED VOQS FROM SAME COMPLAINANT: 1023591, 10523589)

ON JUNE 21ST OF 2012, WHILE MY CAR WAS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT RUNNING WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR, MY A/C WAS RUNNING TO KEEP THEM COOL. IT WAS OVER 100* OUTSIDE AND MY KIDS NEEDED TO STAY COOL. I WAS OUT OF MY CAR FOR A MATTER OF MINUTES AND I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND. AS I TURNED TO MY CAR, I SAW A LARGE POOL OF ANTIFREEZE UNDER MY CAR. I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND TURNED MY CAR INTO THE BODY SHOP THAT I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF TO FIX IT. THEY ADVISED THAT MY COOLING FAN FELL APART AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY RADIATOR. THIS REQUIRED MY TO REPLACE THE COOLING FAN AND THE RADIATOR. IT ONLY REQUIRED ME TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S SIDE COOLING FAN AT THIS TIME. I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE DODGE CHARGERS COOLING FANS AT THIS TIME. *TR (TWO REALTED VOQS FROM SAME COMPLAINANT: 1023591, 10523589)