2012 DODGE DART Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE. I NOTICED MY BATTERY LIGHT COME ON ABOUT 1 MILE FROM MY EXIT AND LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER FLUID SPRAYED ONTO MY WINDSHIELD FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND AS SOON AS I STOPPED, SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I WALKED AWAY FROM THE CAR AND CALLED 911 AT THAT POINT. DURING THE 911 CALL THERE WAS ONLY SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE BAY AREA. RIGHT NEAR THE END OF THE CALL I STARTED TO SEE PLASTIC THAT WAS ON FIRE DRIPPING BELOW THE CAR ONTO THE GRASS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE BAY WAS IN FLAMES, 10-20 FEET HIGH. THE FIRE MELTED ALL THE PLASTICS AND MOST OF THE METAL OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME AND ENGINE. EVEN THE STEEL HOOD WAS MELTED AWAY AND GONE. MY CAR HAD A LONG HISTORY OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES DATING BACK A LITTLE OVER A YEAR FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRE. DURING THAT TIME, THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES ENCOUNTERED INCLUDED THE DASH BECOMING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE AND NO ELECTRONICS WORKING, THE DASH SCREEN REBOOTING WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR CUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER NOT WORKING, AND MORE. DURING THE TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE PCM, BCM (THREE TIMES), AND THE BATTERY. AT ONE POINT, CHRYSLER ENGINEERING WAS INVOLVED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG AND SAID THE CAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. ENOUGH PARTS WERE FINALLY REPLACED TO FIX THE CAR, TEMPORARILY, BEFORE MORE ISSUES. A COUPLE MONTHS BEFORE THE FIRE I TRIED TO GET CHRYSLER TO BUY THE CAR BACK BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES BUT IT WAS DENIED. AFTER THE FIRE, CHRYSLER AND KEFFER BOTH DENIED ANY FAULT ON THEIR PART. YET, I HAVE A THIRD PARTY FIRE REPORT SHOWING THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL AND STARTED IN THE AREA OF THE BCM, PCM AND BATTERY. ALL THE PRIOR FAULTED PARTS.

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE AT 42K MILES. PARKING BRAKE ON REAR WHEELS SEEMS TO HAVE STUCK IN CALIPER AND DOES NOT ENGAGE. WHEN PULLING BACK ON PARKING BRAKE HANDLE IN CAR, THERE IS LITTLE OR NO RESISTANCE. DRIVER'S SIDE REAR BRAKE PADS WORE MORE QUICKLY THAN ANY OTHER PAD AND WERE ALMOST DOWN TO METAL ON INSPECTION / REPLACEMENT. ALL OTHER PADS HAD 1/3 TO 1/2 OF THE PADS REMAINING ON OTHER BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IN A DRIVEWAY AT RESIDENCE AND BEGAN ROLLING BACK AFTER ENGAGING PARKING BRAKE. VEHICLE NOW MUST BE SET IN REVERSE (STICK SHIFT) AND PARKED ON FLAT GROUND. PARKING BRAKE NO LONGER HAS ANY BRAKING POWER TO HOLD VEHICLE IN PLACE AND PREVENT IT FROM ROLLING. PARKING BRAKE CABLE SEEMS FREE TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. BRAKE CALIPER ASSEMBLY WITH A ROTATIONAL CAME PARKING BRAKE ENGAGEMENT SEEMS STUCK AND HARD TO MOVE IN CALIPER. NORMAL BRAKING FROM USE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS UNAFFECTED, JUST PARKING BRAKE. ATTACHED IMAGE SHOWS THE CALIPER REMOVED AND THE AREA CIRCLED OF WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE ATTACHES TO THE CALIPER PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY.

THE VEHICLE ENGINE WILL BUCK AND OR STALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER A COMPLETE FUEL FILL-UP. THE ISSUE CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM 5-13 MILES AFTER THE FILL UP. AFTERWARDS THE VEHICLE OPERATES NORMALLY. IT OCCURS AFTER EVERY FILL-UP AND STARTED THREE FILL-UPS AGO. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY CAR ARE STUCK IN THE ON POSITION CAUSING THEM TO RUN CONSTANTLY, EVEN THOUGH THE LEVER IS SET TO THE OFF POSITION. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AFTER I USED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE DART. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIPERS FAILED TO TURN OFF, AND THE AUTOMATIC START FUNCTION FAILED TO WORK BECAUSE THE TURN SIGNALS AND HORN ACTIVATED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO USE THE FOB. THE DEALER (EASTGATE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM, 500 SHADELAND AVE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46219, (317) 352-9361) STATED THAT FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS REQUIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

FOR YEARS MY CARS TRACTION LIGHT WILL RANDOMLY COME ON AND SOMETIMES MY GEAR WOULD STICK, EVERY TIME THE DEALERSHIP WOULD SAY THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING AND THE LIGHT WOULD TURN OFF. NOW MY CAR KEEPS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WELL I'M ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUY 75/80 MPG. NOW IT'S DOING IT CONSTANTLY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2014.

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE SERVICE TRANSMISSION MESSAGE APPEARED AND THE HE CAR STARTED TO DECREASE SPEED AD WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. WHEN PULLED OVER, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN GEARS WERE CHANGED.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT TURN OFF. I STARTED MY CAR. I TURNED ON THE BLINKER TO TURN LEFT AND THE WIPERS CAME ON. THE WIPERS ON LOW. I STOPPED MY CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE WIPERS OFF, BUT THEY WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE SPRAYER WOULD NOT WORK ALSO. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE BCM AND MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. $1000 CHARGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE DART. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE "GEAR NOT AVAILABLE SWITCH TO NEUTRAL DRIVE IN REVERSE" MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE AND "SERVICE TRANSMISSION" ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BUD CLARY AUBURN CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (2925 AUBURN WAY N, AUBURN, WA 98002) WHERE THE TRANSMISSION MODULE AND GEAR SHIFT MODULE WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED THE NEXT DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE DASH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT OUT ON MY VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, NO WARNING JUST WENT BLACK. THE SPEEDOMETER, TACH, GAS GAUGE, ENGINE LITE, TIRE PRESSURE OIL INDICATOR NOTHING WORKS. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE QUOTE FOR REPAIR IS 1500.00