Bite-sized content about all the recalls, lawsuits, and investigations surrounding the 2013-2016 Dart.
The now five-year-old lawsuit says the clutch in the 2013-2015 Dart can drop and stay on the floor. Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler when the lawsuit started, formerly-formerly just plain ole' Chrysler) contends they addressed this problem with multiple service bulletins and customer satisfaction campaigns.…
keep readingin the powertrain control module (PCM).
"FCA is recalling 1,200 model year 2016 Dodge Dart cars equipped with 2-liter engines and manual transmissions. In addition, some 2015 Dodge Darts are included if they have the same engines and transmissions and were serviced between September 15, 2015, and January 12, 2016."
The PCM monitors the engine's torque output, and if it fails it won't be able to stop what FCA calls "an unauthorized torque event." That's twisted.
keep readingThe Darts are all equipped with dual die-clutch transmissions. Correction: dual dry-clutch transmissions. My mistake.
Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) says that the transmission control module mounting bracket can "apply to much force and cause a circuit board malfunction". If that happens when you're out on the open road, hang on tight:
"My son was driving our car on the freeway, he heard a grinding noise, the car shifted into neutral all by itself and it would not come out of neutral. He took it into Vacaville Dodge (in California) who advised they fixed the problem and off we went. Less than one month later it happened again."
Full details about the recall --- including manufacturing dates, what dealers will have to do to fix it, and FCA's contact information --- can be found on CarComplaints.com.
keep readingSpoiler alert: none of them involve stopping.
In fact, some owners say the only way to stop their car is to use the emergency brake (just don't mention that to these 2 owners who say their parking brake doesn't work).…
keep readingThe best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.