NHTSA Opens Investigation Into 2013-2016 Dodge Dart Over Transmission Woes
A few dozen Dodge Dart owners are still experiencing transmission woes even after their recall repairs were completed.
The Dodge Dart is something of a footnote in automotive history these days, as that once proud nameplate made a brief comeback for the 2013-2016 model years as an affordable compact sedan. However, with car sales on the decline as consumers gravitated more toward crossovers and SUVs, the last generation Dodge Dart lived a rather short life – and proved to be a poor investment for the brand. Now, Stellantis is dealing with some old, revived problems pertaining to the long-discontinued Dodge Dart, in the form of a new investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
As many are already well aware, the 2013-2016 Dodge Dart was recalled back in 2019 because their six-speed automatic transmissions were having a bit of a problem. Turns out, those gearboxes were experiencing deteriorated and detached shifter cable bushings on the transmission end of the shifter cable, which the company originally thought was happening due to exposure to heat and humidity. If the shifter cable becomes detached from the transmission, it may not shift into gear via the shifter, including park – even though the shifter may indicate that it is, in fact, in the desired gear, creating a rollaway risk.
There is one clear sign that something’s wrong – if the driver’s door is opened while the transmission isn’t actually in park, the car will display “door ajar” and “vehicle on in park” warning messages, and an audible chime will sound. However, if the driver ignores those warnings, the vehicle may move on its own accord, potentially rolling away and crashing into something else. To fix this problem, Dodge instructed dealers to replace the shifter cable bushing with a new, more robust part that doesn’t deteriorate when exposed to oils, solvents, and chemicals like the original bushing.
Trouble is, that particular repair apparently isn’t cutting it – in fact, the NHTSA has received 44 complaints from Dodge Dart owners alleging that even after they had the recall repair performed on their vehicles, it still experiences issues with worn or misadjusted shifter cables, and even instances where the shifter cable becomes detached. As such, the agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened an investigation to review the effectiveness of the original recall remedy, understand the root cause of the bushing failures, and identify any other possible root cause that may affect the performance of the shifter cable.
Ultimately, the NHTSA could choose to have Stellantis recall all 300k or so 2013-2016 Dodge Dart models a second time, if it deems that the original repair was inadequate. For now, at least, it’s unclear if that will happen, but it seems as if another defunct model may once again wind up being a thorn in the automaker’s side.
Photos: Dodge
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