CarComplaints.com Notes: The first year of the new Dodge Dart had a rough start, with owners reporting a disproportionate number of engine and transmission problems.
For transmission, the main complaints are transmission failure & rough shifting. So far, average mileage for transmission failure is 25,000 miles. Not good.
For engine problems, it usually starts with the engine light coming on for any number of reasons: bad sensors, ignition coil replacement, bad wiring, faulty gas cap ... dealers are replacing various components with varying degrees of success, or telling owners they can't duplicate the issue.
This will be the 4th time I have replaced the battery because the car won't start an I have only had the car for less than 4 years. It has left me stranded several times and I had the alternator tested and it is fine. I have owned other cars and never had to buy this many batteries in my life.
I have had to replace the battery for this car twice. Once the year after I bought it and again about a year later. Batteries should last a lot longer than a year. Most people have never even replaced their battery. Clearly something else is causing the battery to drain that mechanics can't find because there is no way I bought that bad quality of a battery twice.
So this is like the 3rd time that my battery has gone dead. At first it was the stock battery. Then I bought a brand new on at my local Autozone for $200 and something. Then the same thing keeps happening. Once it happens the steering wheel begins to get really, really tight until you can't really move it. One day my girlfriend was driving it and she got stuck in the middle of the highway because she couldn't move it. It is really scary because you have cars behind you driving 60+MPH and you pray that you don't get hit because you don't want nobody to get injured, especially you. Hope Dodge does something about. Really starting to dislike the car I love. :/
Battery died the day before a scheduled trip to the dealership to take care of an entirely separate issue. It didn't just up and die though, it would still power the center console display, A/C, lights, etc. Seemingly so that you wouldn't suspect the battery was dead and that you would have to worry you might need to replace your starter or some crap. I hate this car so much.
My wife went to work. When she came out of work, her car wouldn't start. The gauges just danced, just as described in some of the other complaints on this page. It was jumped off and started up. She took it and had the battery tested, and the guy there was totally confused saying the battery was testing fine. We have also went through the problem of the shifter cable snapping and her car not coming out of park. The sad thing is she works across the street from a Honda dealership, at a restaurant. Some dealers came in to eat and were trying to get her to come get a car from them. When they asked what she drove, and she said a Dart, they laughed and said, never mind, we won't take a Dodge Dart. Dodge, you really need to get your act together. This is ridiculous.
the battery kept draining down and car would not start if it was not used for several days, we could not locate the short so we had to add a bypass switch into the battery cable line to kill the short draining the battery when the car was not being used
In 2013 I had to replace the battery in my 2013 Dodge Dart. The garage would not replace it even though it was a 5yr battery. Then the cruise, audio system, and the bluetooth stopped working. The odometer blinks,and the dash lights blink when the car is turned off. The garage would not look at it when it was under warranty. Now the car is out of warranty they want to work on it.
My 2013 Dodge Dart has been stalling intermittently when I make right turns. I get the oil changed when I am supposed to. I took it to a mechanic thinking it was a battery problem and they tested the battery and said it was fine. Now I am trying to get into the dealer to have them run a diagnostic on it, but the next appointment is a week and half away. This is becoming dangerous. Today it happened as I turned right in heavy traffic and my car completely stalled. I lost power steering and had to force the wheel to get it to the side of a road where there was no place to go. I have to turn the car completely off and turn it back on then I have to reset all of my stations and my clock. It is getting worse because this is the 5 time it has happened this week, two of which were this morning. Some people are saying it might be faulty connection wires to the battery and others are saying the alternator. My dealer wants to charge me $95 just to run the diagnostic. I am afraid of what they are going to say. I have not had a very good experience with them in the past.
I purchased a used 2013 Dodge Dart in April of 2015, by June I had to replace the battery. One year later I had to replace the battery again. I originally took the car back to the dealership and was told that "you purchased a used car, so the battery is not our responsibility" After MUCH feet stomping, they paid to have it replaced. (they also tried to charge me a diagnostic fee of $125.00, but "because you have only had the car a few months we won't charge you")
Now one year to the month after purchase and 10 months after the first replaced battery I am having to replace again. I DID NOT leave any lights on, (they cut off if you have them set to, and if not then there is a warning "bell" that sounds until you cut them off) I seriously did not appreciate the attitude I received from the dealership about it because I purchased used and now that I am on the second battery I am really mad and upset about it!
ABSOLUTELY WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE AGAIN OR USE THE DEALERSHIP THAT I USED WHEN I PURCHASED IT. There have been other issues, like I had to replace the entire set of tires within 6 months, but upon purchase tires had great tread, then also had to have the wheel rim replaced as it was warped. (did not hit anything just no explanation) Also the car would go into "nonslip" mode and I was unable to accelerate. HORRIBLE CAR! I am sure that dealerships are aware of issues with vehicles based on the kinds that are brought in for repairs!! I got screwed!!! I will shout about this car until I get heard!
I replaced the battery in june 2015 and sept 2015. When the battery light comes on I lose all power, steering and brakes. There is something seriously wrong with this car. Dealership is no help.
I drive in a lot of traffic this is dangerous. I use to love my car, but now I do not feel safe.
Second time my brakes and steering failed. Each time I am told to replace the battery?????? Car ran without issue for about 5 1/2 months...before I lost brakes and steering again.
Dealership is worthless. This car is too new to have these kinds of issues. I have had to replace all four tires in the first year and the windshield. The second year, 2 batteries.
I really don't believe that I should have to pay for any diagnostic if my car is less than a year old after purchasing it. It should be covered by the manufacturer of the car. If you make a car that breaks down all the time, I guess you really don't want to take money away from your repair people. Well it should be the manufacturers paying those repair people to diagnose the problem of the car. I think if your a dealer selling a used car you replace everything that might be an issue later down the road, i.e. hoses, wire harness, fluids, oils, batteries, filters. Simple fixes. I really don't think a diagnostic of a vehicle should be charged unless no repairs to the vehicle will be done by the people that conducted the diagnosis to the car. If they diagnose your car, and you have them repair your car, then no diagnostic fee should apply. If they diagnose your vehicle, then they go somewhere else to repair their vehicle, you can charge and you didn't waste your time.
I would have paid for the battery and labor, then became a returning customer cause they didn't charge me for a diagnosis every something was up with my car. I really hate not being able to fix a vehicle unless they first run a diagnostic on my vehicle. Imagine if they did a diagnostic on your vehicle every time you brought it in for an oil change? Are you sure this car needs an oil change, we need to run a diagnostic on it first to verify that this car does need an oil change. Cant touch the car unless they diagnose the issue first. $110 bucks every time you bring your car into the shop. INSANE!
CAR HAD TONS OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES... THE MOST SEVERE BEING A DEAD BATTERY. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP: HENDRICK CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM OF CONCORD, NC & THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THAT THE LIGHTS HAD BEEN LEFT ON. THOUGH EVEN AFTER REPEATED CHARGES THE BATTERY KEPT DYING. AFTER CHARGING FOR 4+ HRS THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO REPLACE THE BATTERY.. FIRST TRYING TO CHARGE ME, THEN ACCEPTING THAT THERE WAS A WARRANTY FOR THE BATTERY THROUGH MOPAR.
I CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN OF OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH RADIO, A/C, LCD SCREEN, POWER LOCKS, ETC.. THEY REPORTED CAR WAS FIXED. THEY ALSO REFUSED ME A RENTAL, EVEN THOUGH BRAND NEW CAR WAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR 4 DAYS!! PICKED IT UP & DEFROST WAS BLOWING OUT OF FACE VENTS, AND AIR WAS ON HIGH IN DEFROST VENTS. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP, AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THEY RECOGNIZED THE SCREEN LOCKING UP. THEY ORDERED A NEW RADIO STATING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, IT WAS REPLACED, STILL DID NOT CORRECT ISSUES.
I DECIDED SINCE IT WAS A 1ST YEAR MODEL THAT WAS THE ISSUE, AND TRADED FOR A 2015 DODGE DART (I LOVE THE DARTS), IF THEY COULD GET THEM RIGHT... I SWAPPED THE FIRST LESS THAN 24 HRS LATER AFTER STRUT BUSTED, THEN FEW DAYS LATER SAME ISSUE. CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND I'M IN A RENTAL TIL WHO KNOWS WHEN. DEALING WITH HORRIBLE DEALERSHIP, AND HOPING DODGE CAN OFFER MORE HELP. AWAITING CASE MANAGER'S CALL.
In June of 2014, my vehicle would not start. I had to get a jump and from that time, I needed a jump every time I started the vehicle. I took it to the dealership and they worked on the vehicle for about a week and told me they replaced the battery. I've only had the car for a year, I don't understand why I needed a new battery already. The car is just a lemon, the first Dart I received from Dodge had electrical problems so Dodge gave me this, any now the battery doesn't last.
In mid-July of 2014, I took my car on a road trip and while out of state, my car would not start, again, and this is after I was told I received a brand new battery. I was afraid that I would not make it home and had to get a jump from a stranger while out of town just to make it home. Now, every time I want to head out, I am afraid that my car will not start and I just don’t feel safe. I can be out in the evening and not be able to make it home; I should not feel this way having a one-year old vehicle. This happened one month after I was supposed to have received a brand new battery. Upon return, the dealership damaged my frame and now refusing to fix it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This will be the 4th time I have replaced the battery because the car won't start an I have only had the car for less than 4 years. It has left me stranded several times and I had the alternator tested and it is fine. I have owned other cars and never had to buy this many batteries in my life.
- Debbie T., Orlando, FL, US