The Trouble With Dodge Transmissions

Transmission issues make up roughly 8% of all Dodge owner complaints. The majority of the issues have been reported by Ram 1500 owners.

The complaint we hear about most often is gear shift module locked up in the 2008 Avenger.

Common Transmission Problems

  1. Dodge's Dangerous e-Shift Design

    The monostable electronic gear shifter is Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) vehicles has been disastrous. The confusing design is responsible for hundreds of rollaway incidents and widely believed to have caused actor Anton Yelchin’s death.

    Continue

  2. Stuck in Park

    Can't shift the car into reverse or drive! Now what? This is most commonly reported from Dodge Avenger owners, but there have also been similar complaints about other Dodge makes as well as other Chrysler and Jeep vehicles having a similar …

    Continue

Where Transmission 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 Transmissions 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. FCA says their transmission pumps “may not conform to specifications” and need to be recalled in the 2015-2016 Journey and Grand Caravan.

    They thank the discovery of the problem to an examination of warranty data that caused an internal investigation of the six-speed automatic transmissions.

    keep reading

  2. The government has closed their investigation into FCA’s electronic gear shifters after the automaker agreed to a software update recall.

    But that doesn't mean they like the design change, saying the "monostable shifter isn't consistent and simply isn't easy to use."

    And yet, it appears at this point the only thing drivers have to look forward to is more chimes and audible warnings.

    keep reading

  3. Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) is recalling 1.1 million vehicles with electronic gear selectors.

    While the system is working as it was designed, it's the design that's the problem.

    "A driver should know the gear-selection based on multiple sets of indicator lights, unlike normal shifters that use a gear-selector position. However, hundreds of drivers have caused their vehicles to roll away because of not realizing the vehicles aren't in Park."

    An investigation was opened earlier this year. One or two rollaways might be an accident, but hundreds? That screams of a "back to the drawing board" situation for the FCA team.…

    keep reading

  5. 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.

    keep reading

  6. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into e-Shift last summer.

    They have since upgraded the investigation to an engineering analysis and have included the Dodge Charger.

    "NHTSA says to date, there are 306 incidents of Jeep Grand Cherokees rolling away after owners believed the SUVs were shifted into "Park." The 306 rollaway incidents resulted in 117 alleged crashes and 28 injuries. Those injuries include pelvic fractures, broken kneecaps, a ruptured bladder, busted ribs, sprained knees, trauma to the legs, lacerations to the face and various other injuries."…

    keep reading

  7. The 2013-15 Dodge Dart has been recalled because the car can shift into neutral for no other reason than to mess up your day.

    The 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 reading

  8. Chrysler isn't going to get off as easy as they thought.

    An appeal for a lawsuit claiming the Dodge Grand Caravan is subject to a "false park" event was granted after the case was dismissed in an earlier court:

    "[There are] genuine issues of material fact that would allow a reasonable jury to conclude that the ‘false park’ defect was the legal cause of the accident and their deaths."…

    keep reading

  9. One dolt forgot a bolt and now your Challenger might be recalled.

    Dodge says about 72 Challengers from the 2015 model year are missing a rear bolt that is a critical part of the driver's side airbag inflated curtain.

    To be fair to the part-time assembly worker who made the mistake, they had been trained on a machine for the Chrysler 300 and the team leader didn't catch the mistake.

    The recalled Challengers were built between March 28th, 2015 and April 1, 2015.

    Owners should have been notified by now and anyone with questions should call Dodge at 800-992-1997.…

    keep reading