2005 DODGE MAGNUM Complaints

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. NEIGHBOR NOTICED SMOKE AND NOISE FROM CAR. PUT FIRE OUT WITH HOSE. I AM AN AUTOMOTIVE FIELD SERVICE ENGINEER ASSIGNED TO DO FIRE CAUSE AND ORIGIN. ORIGIN WAS TRACED TO A FAULTY SEAT HEATER ON DRIVER SEAT. SEAT MATERIAL PERFORMED AS DESIGNED. EVIDENCE WAS NOT COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE. MY OFFICE # IS THE ONE LISTED ON THIS COMPLAINT FORM. I SPECIALIZE IN AUTOMOTIVE FIRE ANALYSIS. OK TO CONTACT IF REQUIRED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE MAGNUM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSENED AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTING BECAME VERY DIM. ON OCCASION, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATORS HAVE NEVER WORKED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WOULD START ROUGHLY FROM TIME TO TIME. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE SHUTTERS WHEN PROCEEDING TO TURN, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED TWO CONTROL ARMS AND TIE RODS. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING NOISE WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START AND WHEN IT START IT WOULD STALL. THE TRANSMISSION MAKE A SHUTTERING NOISE. UPDATED

OVER THE LAST MONTH I HAVE HAD MY 2005 DODGE MAGNUM SXT IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMING ON 3 TIMES. ALL 3 TIMES THEY HAD STORED CODES BUT COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THE STORIED CODE WAS LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION MODULE. THE FIRST TIME THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THEY DID NOTHING EXCEPT A WIRE WIGGLE TEST. BUT THEY DID TELL ME IF THE LIGHT COME ON I HAVE NO AIRBAGS. THE SECOND TIME THEY RECALIBRATED THE PASS FRONT SEAT. THIS TIME THE STORIED CODE SAID OCM OUT OF CALIBRATION. THE LAST TIME I HAD IT IN THEY HAD IT FOR A WEEK BECAUSE A REP FROM CHRYSLER WAS GOING TO COME AND LOOK AT IT. LIKE I SAID IT WAS THERE FOR A WEEK AND THE REP WAS TO BUSY TO GO TO THIS DEALERSHIP, SO THEY TALKED BACK AND FORTH ON THE PHONE. WHAT DID THEY DO. THEY WIPED OUT AND RESET THE COMPUTER, REINSTALLED LATEST SOFTWARE AND RECALIBRATED THE OCM AND SENSORS. *TR

THE CAR STALLS ON TURNS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH. FOUND OUT ON JUNE 12, 2008 THAT DODGE HAS A "SERVICE BULLETIN" OUT TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER TO STOP THE CAR FROM STALLING! WHEN WERE THEY GOING TO TELL THE CUSTOMERS AFTER WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT! I AM JUST LUCKY THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN HIT FROM THIS STALLING PROBLEM. THIS IS THE 4 RECALL OF SOMETHING ON THIS CAR AND I AM VERY SORRY THAT I EVER BOUGHT THIS DODGE MAGNUM. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. TOOK TO DEALER WHO REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING. A DAY AND A HALF LATER THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES BACK ON. TOOK BACK TO DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE PART WAS FAULTY. REPLACED WITH ANOTHER CLOCK SPRING. MAY 12TH THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO DEALER WHO WANTS ME TO LEAVE THE CAR WITH THEM NEXT WEEK SO THEY CAN CALL CHRYSLER TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING. THEY THINK IT MIGHT BE A WIRING ISSUE. *TR

VEHICLE: 2005 DODGE MAGNUM R/T WITH HEMI ENGINE WITH APPROX. 76,000 MILES (CAR PUT INTO SERVICE IN LATE SPRING '04). I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED WHINING -- LIKE IT WAS IN THE WRONG GEAR. I PULLED OVER, COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD -- EVERYTHING SOUND OKAY. THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 1 MILE, THE SAME THING OCCURRED -- I WAS GOING ABOUT 55-60 MILES PER HOUR. AFTER I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND BACK INTO DRIVE, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OKAY. THE NEXT DAY, THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE CAR AGAIN SOUNDED FUNNY, BUT NOW IF I SLOWED DOWN OR STOPPED THE VEHICLE (LIKE FOR A STOP LIGHT), THE CAR SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS STILL IN FOURTH OR FIFTH GEAR WHEN I PUT ON THE GAS. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE TRANSMISSION WIRING HARNESS WAS SO BURNED UP THAT TECHNICIANS COULD NOT GET A READ OUT FROM ANY OF THE ASSOCIATED COMPUTERS TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ERROR CODES WERE RELATING TO MY TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHAT CAUSED THE HARNESS TO MELT THE WIRING. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO EXPLORE CAUSE OR TO PAY FOR REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER AND I JUST GOT LUCKY BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR

I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY AND HEARD A BIG NOISE, RIGHT AFTER THE NOISE MY FRONT TIRE LOCKED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I PULLED TO THE SIDE AND CALLED AAA TO TOW MY CAR HOME , WHEN I GOT HOME I TOOK OF THE TIRE AND CAME TO FIND OUT THAT MY CALIPER WITH THE BRACKET BROKE AND CRACKED MY RIM TOO. THE WEIRD PART OF IT WAS THAT ONLY THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOCKED AND THE OTHER 3 TIRES ARE FINE. I STILL HAVEN'T FIXED IT DUE TO FUNDS AT THE MOMENT. *TR

TIRE WEAR AND TREAD LOSS - CAUSES PREMATURE BALDING AND DANGEROUS SHAKING. SECOND SET OF CONTINENTAL. FIRST CAME WITH CAR NEW, SECOND SET AFTER CAUSING STEERING SHAKE, REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF TIRES WITH DEALER, TIE-ROD ENDS, MANY ROTATIONS AND SERVICES. IN BOTH CASES WARE ON TIRES WAS EXCESSIVE AND AROUND 18,000 TO 22,000 MILES. VERY RAPID TIRE WEAR - CAUSES VIBRATION AND DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. TIRES REQUIRED REBALANCING AND EXCESSIVE AIR LOSS. *TR UPDATED 07/29/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE MAGNUM. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. THE CONTACT MUST CONSTANTLY HAVE HER VEHICLE JUMPED IN ORDER FOR IT TO START. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND BATTERY FOR HER YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL; HOWEVER, HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. SHE STATED THAT HER VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR THREE WEEKS AS OF DECEMBER 4, 2007. NO REMEDY HAS YET BEEN FOUND FOR HER VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE HER VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THEY ALSO INFORMED HER THAT SHE MUST SUBMIT A PAYMENT OF $150 TO CHARGE THE BATTERY AND DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD BUCK AND JERK UPON ACCELERATION. UPDATED 12/31/07. *JB

ON MY 2005 DODGE MAGNUM WHENEVER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS, UPON START UP AND OPERATION, ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGIN TO FLICKER/PULSATE. HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS DO THE SAME. FOR MY HEADLIGHTS IT CAUSES THEM TO TURN OFF, AND THEN I HAVE TO FLIP THE SWITCH TO GET THEM ON AGAIN. THIS IS A EVERYDAY PROBLEM AND IS VERY UNSAFE AT NIGHT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR