10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
44,231 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Dodge Challenger drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2009 Dodge Challenger Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

Jul 232021

Challenger

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Faulty TCM After purchasing my car it would hard shift in the 3rd and 4th gear And I realize that shortly after purchasing it chant and then one night I was on the freeway and between 2 semi trucks when it's just neutral and then tried shifting into 2nd gear Which almost caused me to wreck in between 2 semi trucks which was not cool and Now my car only shifts into 1st and 2nd gear and when it gets to 3rd it neutrals, It won't go into 3rd or 4th gear. I took it into the dealership to get new software Uploaded on my TCM they said it was fine so I drove it out the parking lot and still doing the sa.e thing won't shift into 3rd gear so I took it to another shop to have it looked at because I didn't want to risk my life driving the car. I'm not gonna take it back to a place that just gotten to tell me that everything was fine when it's clearly not so we put it on a lift inspected it and it shifts from 1st all the way up to 4th no problem and then soon as you put it on the ground and start driving it, it does the same thing neutrals when it gets the 3rd. Then after looking further into the car the mechanic noticed how small the groundwire was compared to the power wthe power wire and it wasn't getting enough voltage So I'm thinking that also could be a major issue Later on down the road And that might even be the cause of the TCM going bad. It's just crazy to me a car would be OKAY to be sold with the problems it has And there's a lot of people online with the same kinda of problems as mine All I have to say is I'm lucky that I'm alive due to These problems.

- Rock Springs, WY, USA

problem #21

Jul 102021

Challenger

  • miles
I took my car to the dealer for recalls they didn-??t fix anything they left my car out in the rain the hood up and Choppa had my car for a whole month did any nothing they were very courteous no customer assistance nothing

- Gainesville, FL, USA

problem #20

Jan 272020

Challenger

  • 33,000 miles
Car gets stuck in gear when parked and is difficult to shift when driving. The car when parked is on a flat surface and you need to yank it out of gear when the car is running. If you back up the car and try to take it out of reverse you have to yank it out of gear.

- Queen Creek, AZ, USA

problem #19

Oct 312019

Challenger

  • 138,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I brought my car 8 months ago and the delalership never told me about any of the four recalls I never received any papers in the mail concerning the recalls and that puts me and my children at risk everyday it's a scary feeling I also hit a tree that was in the middle of the street my steering G wheel was hard to control and my breaks as well

- Cleveland, OH, USA

problem #18

Nov 142019

Challenger

  • 22,000 miles
The vehicle is experiencing difficulty taking the manual transmission out of gear with the clutch pedal fully depressed. This occurs on both cold and hot start up as well as when driving or stopping during in town driving. This creates a dangerous situation in that the driver could inadvertently roll into an intersection where they do not have the right of way, another vehicle, pedestrian or building. The vehicle will "creep" on flat ground if it is not placed in neutral and the brake is released. Using our friend google I have researched this issue and it appears from discussion on multiple forums that it is a known issue for my and other model years. Two case numbers from the manufacturer seem to indicate that there is a procedure for correcting this issue. Case numbers are K38556860 and S1021000004. The case numbers are not recalls and I have never been notified of the issue by the manufacturer. I have attached a file with the two cases that explain an inspection and remedy procedure. 11/14/2019 is not the correct date of the occurrence, it has been happening for a number of years. Best guess is this issue started sometime in 2016, exact date unknown, vehicle mileage is estimated. Due to the nature of the possible dangerous situation I feel this must be addressed to the manufacturer and possibly made into a recall of all vehicles affected to accomplish the remedy as described in the attached cases..

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #17

Aug 012017

Challenger

  • 25,000 miles
My car lost complete power while turning in a residential area. The vehicle is dead and will not start. The vehicle shut down with no warning. This has happen several times. The local Dodge dealer had it 2 weeks an could not determine why

- Monroe, NC, USA

problem #16

Mar 182017

Challenger

  • 70,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car is locking its self in first gear and is hard to shift out of gear. This is at a stand still. Upon first getting into the car. This happens nearly everyday now for approximately, 4 months. I now back into my parking spot. Also, at high speeds, its getting difficult to shift as well. Gears are grinding as they go into gear. Most recently was Saturday March 18th 2017. I was on interstate 5 in Oregon. Heading home. Grinded every gear as I shifted. I engaged the clutch all the way on every shift and it still grinded its gears.

- Salem, OR, USA

problem #15

Oct 052016

Challenger

  • 59,000 miles
Manuel transmission grinds/hard to shift into the next gears. Feels like the clutch isnt completely disengageing and if you park with it in gear you cant get it out of gear to put it into nuetral, sticks or locks in gear. Sometimes double clutching it doesnt help

- Lacenter, WA, USA

problem #14

Nov 092016

Challenger

  • 41,000 miles
Sudden engine stall at stop sign, at idle and also while on highway at speed. Oil light comes on intermittent no codes, oil level checked, gas was good. Many on every Challenger forums are having this issue "stalling", even brand new cars right off the lot. Dodge rejects there's an issue, from dealers to the top. Please help! we don't trust our cars!

- Cape Fair, MO, USA

problem #13

Jun 282016

Challenger

  • 26,000 miles
Throwout bearing screech-squealing noise. Bad grease on the input shaft and clutch hub splines. These issues led to clutch failure. Slave cylinder blew out and clutch fluid leaked out of the lines.

- Mandeville, LA, USA

problem #12

Apr 042016

Challenger

  • 64,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T equipped with the automatic transmission started experiencing problems downshifting when approaching a stop. You wouldn't know until you press the gas to proceed down the road and barely move as the vehicle would be stuck in the highest gear. I would have to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it to drive the vehicle. Luckily this didn't happen when trying to pull out into traffic as it would have a high tendency to create a collision. Transmission code for the input speed sensor and after researching it online, I found a mass number of complaints and repairs about this issue. It appears to be a mechanical defect that needs to be dealt with by fca and NHTSA due to the common occurrence is these vehicles. Replacing the input speed sensor which is part of an electronic module cost approximately $500 and corrected the problem.

- Lockport, IL, USA

problem #11

Apr 072016

Challenger

  • 28,000 miles
Hello! hard shifting 6speed manual: I have been having shifting problems with my manual trans for a couple of months. It started back in Nov 11 when traveling out of town, got stuck in traffic and clutch started to not disingauge all the way (would creep) had to hold foot on brake or put in neutral even after pulling off the road. Latter when coming home baked into parking space turn key off wanted to put in other gear was very hard to pull out of reverse. Has gotten worse, it is getting harder to shift while driving. My wife went to get on the highway and had very hard time going into lower gear almost getting hit in the rear.Dodge says worn clutch, but it doesn't slip, but they have a notice about grease being on input spline thats the clutch slides on getting dirty from to much grease and dirt, making the disc stick not fully disengaging. This is a manufacturing defect, assembling line defect not mine. Been to two dealers and ask 4 about the problem.

- Pickerington, OH, USA

problem #10

Feb 242011

Challenger 8-cyl

  • 30,152 miles
The vehicle will stick in gear with the clutch pedal fully disengaged (pressed to the floor) and the vehicle will continue to be driven by the engine power. This issue can cause the vehicle to enter an intersection or run over a pedestrian despite the driver's efforts to disengage the vehicle's transmission/drive system. Chrysler addressed the issue as excessive grease on the input shaft splines collecting excessive amounts of dirt which did not allow movement of the clutch disc on the input shaft.

- Arab, AL, USA

problem #9

Feb 012016

Challenger

  • 29,900 miles
Known tremec TR6060 issue & Dodge refuses to help!! star case# S1021000004 & K38556860. The grease used in the transmission turns into a glue at high temps causing the trans to not shift properly through the gears either going into gear or getting stuck coming out of gear. If hot enough this grease fuses the Pilot & throwout bearing to the input shaft requiring those be replaced at minimum. This happened to me & the car could not be put in 1st-4th without a severe grinding noise. It can be heard in the trans & felt in both the stick & clutch pedal. The only way to slow down was to put the car in neutral & use the brakes without any engine control. Because of this high heat Fusion I had to have essentially the entire trans rebuilt (bearings, synchros, input shaft & gaskets). When I spoke with Dodge (both the number listed on their website & local dealership) they acknowledged this was a known problem & that the parts have been "reworked" so the issue doesn't continue. Said parts are at a cost of $2,000 before labor. I was told that because my car is out of warranty by date that I was not covered because even though the issue is known & there are multiple reports of it all over the web there is no official recall & I have to pay completely out of pocket. This car is on 09 & has less than 30K miles on it!! I'm still in disputes with Dodge as of now but this is completely unacceptable.

- Deltona, FL, USA

problem #8

Apr 272015

Challenger

  • 81,000 miles
There is a known defect with the tremecs as assembled in 2009... the grease they used was incorrect. Please reference vehicle issue trans is hard to shift into gear. Year 2009 model lc - Challenger engine 6.1L srt hemi (smpi) V8, 5.7L hemi vct, 5.7L hemi vct mds (ezd) system or component;gear driver input / vehicle operation; shifting case verification; vehicle affected is the lc Challenger equipped with a manual transmission. It may be difficult to shift in and out of gear. Recommendation ;repair this condition by removing the transmission, cleaning the transmission input shaft splines and the clutch hub splines, regreasing, and putting all the same parts back together. No parts need to be replaced because clutch disc wear or shaft/hub spline wear are not contributing factors. The clutch should be removed from the flywheel to properly clean the clutch splines, because it is not possible to thoroughly clean the clutch splines otherwise. Do not use harsh spray solvents (brake clean, etc.) on the clutch discs... care must be taken to keep cleaning solvents away from the clutch friction material. Mineral spirits or similar will get the job done. Both of the clutch hub splines and transmission input shaft splines must be carefully cleaned. When applying the grease for reassembly, the entire exposed length of the clutch hub splines (both discs) and the entire length of the input shaft should be lightly coated with the P/N 05083150aa grease, spread evenly on all splines without excess. The flywheel does not need to be removed for this repair. New clutch pressure plate to flywheel bolts P/N 06508880aa (quantity 6) must be used. Saw this happen yesterday with difficulty shifting out of first on an incline. Enough people are seeing this problem that a recall must happen. This can affect the transmission at speed.

- Stone Mountain, GA, USA

problem #7

Dec 152013

Challenger

  • 30,000 miles
Engine quit with no warning. Steering and brakes compromised. Shifted into neutral while in traffic.has been occurring more and more frequently. Dealer reports cannot replicate. Sounds just like the recalled GM's.

- Suffield, CT, USA

problem #6

Jun 162014

Challenger 8-cyl

  • 70,546 miles
2009-2010 Dodge Challengers came out with grease on the input shaft that pretty much turned to glue when hot. The star case # is [xxx]. Dodge never issued a recall. There are threads all over the internet that show as many as 50% of the tremec 6060 6-speeds were affected, but unless you took it to the dealer by chance, or happened upon a forum, you were out of luck. I recently took my car in due to problems shifting. The throw out bearing and Pilot bearing were fused to the input shaft causing it to warp and damage the transmission. This is exactly why Dodge had the star case number issued. So, they declined my claim. The initial repair estimates were $3500, now it is $5100 because you cannot buy the 2009-2010 parts any longer and must upgrade to the carbon fiber parts used in 2011 and up (additional 1000.00). If there was nothing wrong and nothing to recall, why can you no longer get replacement parts? information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Olympia, WA, USA

problem #5

Oct 042013

Challenger 8-cyl

  • 70,000 miles
I was driving normal at about 70mph and was exiting highway and the car just died. I pulled over and tried to crank it and nothing. Called a wrecker and they took me to the parts house to get a code checked and it said camshaft position sensor. I bought one and took it home and replaced it and still nothing. You could see that the timing chain had broke through the hole where the sensor went. Over a few weeks I had to replace the timing chain, plastic guide and tensioner (they gave me metal parts as a replacement), hsd to remove the heads and replace all valves because they were bent, had to find and replace broken a valve guide. This was caused from what I was told by the plastic parts wearing out and Chrysler is quietly replacing them as people bring them in, I fixed my own and kept receipts and all broken parts. They are also saying it is a harmonic issue with the mds either way I called and made a claim with Chrysler and they tried to deny it was common. I have found that it is way more common than are saying and they just don't want to have a recall. I was also yelled at by a manager at freedom Dodge when I mentioned this in front of other customers, he said "Dodge never does a recall unless its a safety issue!" I said, " if I'm going 70mph on the highway and the motor dieing wasn't a safety issue I didn't know what was." He went to the back and was mad and then another employee that was getting my parts whispered to me it more common than they want to admit. I feel like I got ripped off and they are advertising a product that doesn't last, the car only had 70K and hasn't been driven very hard. I spent a little over $1000 to fix this and that was cheap, Dodge wanted $7000 to do it and I am not a mechanic, thank goodness for good friend and the internet.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #4

Jun 122013

Challenger 8-cyl

  • 72,000 miles
I was driving on the highway, traveling at an approximate speed of 65 miles per hour, when all of a sudden the car loses power, and at that point I could no longer accelerate my vehicle. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad, so I was able to safely pull over to shoulder without getting rear ended by the cars that were traveling at very high speeds. Soon thereafter, I had my 2009 rt Dodge Challenger towed to the dealership, apparently, the timing chain broke. It doesn't end there, not only is this vehicle fairly new, but I attempted to fix it already on multiple occasions, but it seems as if nothing helped. Currently my vehicle now has acquired engine damage as a result of the dealership being unable to properly diagnose and address these issues, for lack of knowing what the real issue was all along. In all honesty, I feel as if they need to recall the timing chains on the rt Dodge Challengers before more people end up in my situation, or worse.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #3

Nov 092011

Challenger 8-cyl

  • 42,000 miles
Hello! hard shifting 6speed manual: I have been having shifting problems with my manual trans for a couple of months. It started back in Nov 11 when traveling out of town, got stouck in trafic and clutch started to not disingauge all the way (would creep) had to hold foot on brake or put in neutral even after pulling off the road. Latter when coming home baked into parking space turn key off wanted to put in other gear was very hard to pull out of reverse. Has gotten worse, it is getting harder to shift while driving. My wife went to get on the hiway and had very hard time going into lower gear almoast getting hit in the rear.Dodge says worn clutch, but it doesn't slip, but they have a notice about grease being on input spline thats the clutch slides on getting dirty from to much grease and dirt, making the disc stick not fully disengaging. This is a manufacturing defect, assembling line defect not mine. Been to two dealers and ask 4 about the problem.

- Gwyn Oak , MD, USA

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