The Trouble With Dodge Engines

Engine issues make up roughly 22% of all Dodge owner complaints. The majority of the issues have been reported by Intrepid owners.

The complaint we hear about most often is shuts down while driving in the 1999 Durango.

Common Engine Problems

  1. 2.4L Tigershark Oil Consumption

    A serious defect in the 2.4L Tigershark engine causes an excessive amount of oil to be burned during normal operation. Owners must constantly top off the oil and have consumption tests run at the dealership, or risk the engine seizing up an…

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  2. Avenger Engine Failure From Faulty PCM

    The 3.6L V6 engine in the 2011 Avenger is known for randomly shutting off while the vehicle is idling or slowing down.

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  3. Oil Sludge in the 2.7L Engine

    Oil sludge buildup and sludge-related engine failure is a design DEFECT in Chrysler's 2.7L engine…

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Where Engine Complaints Happen

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

Worst Models

Recent Engines News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Like a rushed parent on Christmas Eve, Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) made a mistake when assembling the 3.6L V6 engine for the 2016 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

    Some crossover tubes were damaged, and now they're leaking gas.

    "The problem was originally discovered in April 2016 when damage occurred to a fuel rail crossover tube on a 3.6-liter V6 engine. Engineers found 21 engines with damage to the crossover tubes out of 20,000 engines that were inspected."…

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  2. When the engine is running, your vehicle's alternator helps charge the battery and supplies additional power to the vehicle's electrical systems.

    But for 86,000 Dodge Ram (and RAM) trucks it's also supplying something else – electrical shorts and fires. #notafeature

    "Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) says the problem occurs with the alternator near maximum amperage in hot temperatures, conditions more likely to be experienced with corporate fleet vehicles compared to typical consumer driving."…

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  3. Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) says certain Dodge Darts are missing a software backup

    in 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.

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  5. Late last year, FCA US (Chrysler) announced a recall of 67,000 trucks because of a problem in the clutch ignition interlock system.

    The recall was expected to begin in February 2015, so why bring it up now? It's important to make sure everyone who needs these repairs, gets them.

    The defect allows the trucks to move just by turning the ignition, without ever having to engage the clutch. According to reports, this allowed something truly awful to happen to one family:

    "A child got behind the wheel of a Ram 3500 and turned the key. Even though the clutch pedal was not pushed, the truck lunged forward and hit and killed another child."…

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  6. With a manual transmission, you shouldn't be able to start the engine without depressing the clutch first.

    It's a simple safety feature that 110,000 Dodge Ram trucks might be missing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation, but owners who reported the problem years ago are wondering what took so long -- especially after a child sadly died when a truck's engine was started unexpectedly.

    A faulty clutch interlock switch is possibly to blame for allowing the engine to crank when it shouldn't, but we won't know for sure until the investigation moves forward.…

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