What 1,153 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Dart

ON 02/18/2013 CAR WOULD START, BUT WOULD NOT GO IN TO GEAR, ERROR MESSAGE READ PUT IN TO REVERSE AND TRY AGAIN. WOULD NOT SWITCH INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL OR DRIVE AT ALL, IT WAS VERY COLD THAT MORNING (27) DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS THE TRANSMISSION, STILL WAITING FOR THE PARTS (03/05/2013). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10501345

THIS VEHICLE SHIFTS SO BAD AND THAT CARS I'VE DRIVEN THAT WERE 5 - 10 YEARS OLDER SHIFTED BETTER THAN THIS . IT DOWNSHIFTS WHILE BRAKING AND SOMETIME IT IS A VERY JERKY DOWNSHIFT .ALSO IT SLAMS/JOLTS INTO FIRST GEAR WHILE ROLLING AT ABOUT 3-5 MILES PER HOUR ONCE THE PEDAL IS PUSHED. IT ALSO IS THE WORST AT CHANGING GEARS DURING STOP AND GO DRIVING BECAUSE IT IS SO JERKY AND BOUNCY AFTER BRAKING THEN ACCELERATING AND I DON'T SEE WHY A CAR THAT IS BRAND NEW SHOULD DO THIS. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALER AND HAVING THEM TELL ME TO BRAKE IT IN FIRST , I HAVE DONE SO AND HAVE 700+ MILES ON IT AND HAVE HAD THEM PERFORM TRANSMISSION FLASH UPDATES WITH NO EFFECT ON THE SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I CAN'T SEE HOW THIS TRANSMISSION( AND ALL PARTS THAT WORK TOGETHER WITH IT )WILL LAST WITH THESE SORT OF THINGS HAPPENING. ALSO IT BOGS OUT BECAUSE IT WON'T DOWNSHIFT WHEN IT SHOULD AND STAYS AT ABOUT 1300-1400 RPM'S WHEN IT SHOULD BE ABOUT 4-5000 RPM'S HIGHER . I'VE DRIVEN NEW CARS AND THE DODGE DART 2013 SE 2.0 LITER MODEL SEEMS LIKE IT WASN'T READY YET FOR THE ROAD .THE ACCELERATION IS VERY BOUNCY TOO WHEN IT SHOULD BE A STEADY ACCELERATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10496207

MY ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS BASED ON ENGINEERING EXPERTISE NOT EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, SUGGESTS THAT, RATHER THAN RESPONDING TO DRIVER CONTROLLED BY-WIRE" INSTRUCTIONS TO BRAKE PREPARATORY TO A HARD RIGHT TURN INTO OUR DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE TOOK CONTROL OF THE THROTTLE, BRAKE, AND (DRIVE-BY-WIRE ?) CLUTCH PROPELLING ITSELF 20 METERS FURTHER DOWN-ROAD TO THE RIVER SHORELINE. PERHAPS READING THE BRAKE COMMAND AS AN ACCELERATION INSTRUCTION (OR ???) THE VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD AND DROVE ITSELF OFF THE ROAD, TUMBLING 2 METRES ONTO A BEACH, THEN FROM THE BEACH ONTO THE RIVER ICE WHICH EXTENDS OUT TOWARDS MID-RIVER. IT CONTINUED ACROSS THAT ICE ONLY TO END ITS FORWARD PROGRESS AT THE ICE/WATER BOUNDARY WHERE IT PLUNGED INTO OPEN WATER WITHIN 100 METERS OF HOME. THESE EVENTS EFFECTIVELY ENDING A JOURNEY HOME WITH DEATH. THE OTTAWA CORONER REPORTS NO INDICATION (SUCH AS BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS / MEDICAL EVENTS) TO INDICATE THE DRIVER CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OUTCOME IN ANY WAY. IF THE DRIVER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE THEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS EVENT LIES WITH THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE ALONE. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT (1) MY SON IS A PROFESSIONAL AZ LICENSED DRIVER (2) HAVING FISHED IT OFTEN, IS INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE ROAD/FERRY BOUNDARY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO OUR HOME (3) WERE MECHANICALLY OPERATED STEERING ALL THAT REMAINED UNDER HIS CONTROL HE WOULD HAVE HAD THREE CHOICES: RIGHT INTO THE RIVER; STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO THE RIVER, OR LEFT ONTO A BEACH FORMED BY THE DEPOSITION OF RIVER SILT OVER TIME (THE CAR WENT LEFT OFF THE ROAD) (4) THE RECORD LEFT BY HIS BODY SHOWS ARM AND FIST POSTURE THAT SUGGEST DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS LITERALLY FORCED HIS HANDS OFF THE STEERING WHEEL. STRAPPED AND PINNED TO THEIR SEATS BY THE VEHICLES SAFETY SYSTEMS, MY WIFE AND SON WERE HELPLESS ONLOOKERS AS THE VEHICLE DELIVERED THEM TO THEIR DEATH. BLACK BOX ANALYSIS TO FOLLOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10494772

ONE MONTH OLD DODGE DART RALLYE WAS PARKED ON A STEEP DRIVEWAY THE MORNING OF 01/20/13. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHT FOR THE 'PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED' WAS LIT. THE CAR SAT IDLE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND WAS ALSO IDLE AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE CAR FOR >30 SECONDS. AT THAT POINT THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WHERE IT CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA STRIKING SEVERAL TREES. THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS STILL UP AND APPEARED TO BE ENGAGED. THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS ESTIMATED AT $2400. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10493778

2013 DODGE DART RALLYE. CONSUMER STATES WHEN ENGAGING CLUTCH PEDAL HIS LEFT FOOT BECAME JAMMED BETWEEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND A PIECE OF INTERIOR SUPERSTRUCTURE UNDER THE DASH PANEL *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ABLE TO GET UN-TANGLED, BUT HE WAS ONLY GOING 10 MPH AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC TO CONTEND WITH, WHILE BEING VERY DISTRACTED. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ONLY TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE, WHEN HE CAME UPON THE DESIGN FLAW.

NHTSA ODI 10467521