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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,555 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.

2013 Dodge Dart electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Dodge Dart Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #48

Sep 212023

Dart

  • miles

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

The micro shift on the shifter does not push the lever up enough to register that the car is in park. You think your car is in park until you go to take the key out and it does not come out. OR I parked in a parking spot thinking I put it in park as my car displayed park and it started rolling. There is a whole forum about this issue. So I know I-??m one of hundreds. This is really unsafe.

- Orland Park, IL, USA

problem #47

May 122023

Dart

  • miles
Transmission control module failed. Gear shifts into neutral when driving and shuts car off. Gear position sensor bad causing gear to shift while driving.

- Texas City , TX, USA

problem #46

Oct 302021

Dart

  • miles
As a I was driving to pick up my friends to go out, I was approaching a red light, I started to slow down but I was still about half a mile fro mt he light so I hit the gas a little bit.when I hit the gas the car jerked very hard and then did not accelerate at all.all the lights remained on, I did not hear any strange noises.previous to this happening, I had put in new spark plugs as I noticed the old ones were covered in oil but unsure why as I-??m not a mechanic. Anyways as the car was not accelerating, I tried pulling to the side of the road with the car not accelerating whatsoever, it finally kept rolling until I had came to a complete stop on the side of the road.when it came to a stop I tried Turning on and off, I checked the battery, for any leaks and saw nothing, I had some people try to jump the car or see if they noticed anything but couldn-??t see anything unusual. When I got it home diagnosed by a mechanic company, Al they said is the timing chain may have broke and maybe a piston got hit/bent. But it doesn-??t makes sense at to why it wouldn-??t accelerate compared to at least jerking if that was the case.about a year later of it sitting, I finally decided to take it somewhere else as it could not be driven and it-??s still being financed, and got it checked out.this mechanic was able to look around and said a piece called an actuator had fell into the engine as I was driving, which caused the piece to continue getting crushed between my whole engine and caused it to stop running.anywhere and anyone I talked to, was no willing to fix it and didn-??t understand how that happened.

- Tucson , AZ, USA

problem #45

Jan 202023

Dart

  • miles

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

Transmission shifts rough. Dealership replaced transmission but it has been doing the thing since day one when they replaced it. Motor bogs down when turning. Passenger seat belt flashes and dings even though the belt is clicked. Hands free system longer works. Airbags light is always on. Back up camera is flipped upside down and is a backing hazard. Odometer is flashing as well. Tire pressure sensors will show that there is no air in the tires after driving about 45 mins. It asks if there has been and crashes, I have not but it could happen. you never know when the car isn't going to respond.

- Great Bend, KS, USA

problem #44

Jan 112022

Dart

  • miles
Car stops moving as you are driving it. Took it to multiple mechanics including Dodge dealership. Dodge stated they see this often with Darts. Engine light and service transmission is on screen after it stops moving (rpm revs but no movement). Been ongoing since august 2018. Sending photos of some of the beginning incidents to not overwhelm.

- Defiance , OH, USA

problem #43

Aug 122022

Dart

  • miles
My 2013 SXT 2.0 started to have the right front TPMS sensor stop working a few weeks back after driving the car for about 30 minutes. I assumed the issue was with the sensor itself as the car is 9 years old now and thought the sensor battery may be getting weak. Had the sensor replaced and others checked, and we were back to normal for a few weeks. Then the right front again dropped out after driving for 30-40 minutes. Checked the sensor again, and it is putting out the signal OK per the tire store, so we went on our way. So here is what is happening now. The car acts like it resets itself overnight and all the sensors behave in a normal fashion after first starting a drive. But they start to drop out beginning with right front consistently after about 30-40 minutes of driving. Then sometimes the left front goes out soon after followed by the left rear. The other thing I have noticed is the range on the fob for locking / unlocking gets really short during this same time of driving the car for a while. Fob batteries are all new. Car sits overnight for a day and things seem to be normal first thing again. Have been told this is a real common issue of late with the Darts and the RFHM (Radio Frequency Hub Module) is typically the culprit. This hub failure can also lead to other electronic issues such as dash lights / wipers / door locks / etc failing or working intermittently. Apparently to replace this module, it is expensive and can involve new keys as well.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

problem #42

Jan 022022

Dart

  • miles

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

My 2013 Dodge dart rallye turbo 1.4l. Started to lose power in the cold weather. It then stalls out while I was waiting at a red light. I got it started it ran fine. I got to a friend's house. visited for a while. got out to the car it wouldn't start. I jump-started it. To get home. And it was run slow and sluggish. The next day I went out there. and it just clicked. bought a brand new battery thinking it was that. it won't start check the fuses. All was working even relays starter solenoid and alternator also tested good. All cables and ground wires where in good condition tested and cleaned. Belt was like new and turned freely. Check engine light did flash when first tried to start 10 times then when off. But no error code was held. This has only happened one there time. And it was when I didn't have it in my garage at night. Last week and we got a bad winter storm. I didn't know. That I can't drive this car in Michigan. In the winter. Because it almost got me hit. When out at a green light. Because it was cold. If I would of known this I would of never got this car. And know it won't even. Start because I left outside of the garage for the second time in the hole time I own it.

- Greenville, MI, USA

problem #41

Dec 212021

Dart

  • miles
In 2013 I bought a new Dodge Dart Limited from a Dodge dealer. I bought the car in March and by October when it got cooler outside, it was evident there were some electrical issues related to the Uconnect screen blanking out and dash lights flickering while driving or when ABS engaged, and engine and battery lights on. The whole car seemed like it was resetting as everything electrical flickered and turned off and then on again. I took the car back to the dealership while it was under warranty at least 3 times to no avail. It would sometimes come back on after turning the car off for a period of time but then it turned off and stayed off for days. The Dodge mechanics claimed they could not get the problem to come up for them at all during yearly visits from 2014-2018. I researched the internet for solutions and disconnecting and reconnecting the battery seemed to fix it so that became a temporary resolution. After a while it became much more consistent and the battery trick didn't always work anymore. So I went to a second Dodge dealership in 2019 when my car was at the end of it's warranty and they did see the issue occur and decided to replace the screen all together. That next winter the problem came back so I went back to the dealership and this time they replaced the body control module. It's the next winter and the center console is completely out so I cannot control hazard lights, the turn signals don't make noise, backup camera is out, seat controls don't work, rear defrost never turns on but the front defrost blasts hot air constantly causing fog. I feel unsafe as I cannot see out of the rear window due to consistent under 40 degrees temps. The dash lights went completely out yesterday and I could not see my speedometer, but it came back on 60 min later. The engine and battery lights are on constantly since the weather changed. The dash lights are a huge safety concern as I don't know how fast I'm driving and it happens while the car is in motion.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #40

Apr 012021

Dart

  • miles
Car constantly stalls while driving and goes into neutral while driving as well. Recently, I was meeting up with my husband and I came to a red light and my car wouldn-??t stop. My car finally stopped in time thank God; but when I went on to continue driving the car would not move or shift into other gears. Police came and car got towed, huge safety concern!

- Cherry Hill, NJ, USA

problem #39

Jan 052021

Dart

  • miles
The seat belt warning light will continue to beep and flash when someone is in the seat and has the seatbelt on, also my car is unable to be parked for more than one day without starting it or it drains the battery and then has to be jump started with another car for it to run again and then the battery has to be replaced this seems like a serious defect the car should be able to sit for at least a couple days and be fine and this is during regular temperature times also so it's very strange it definitely seems like electrical issues.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #38

Jul 282021

Dart

  • miles

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

I have a 2013 Dodge Dart that's been having issues since i got the car. First my transmission goes out, get a new one 02/21 then 7/21 service transmission. Take my car to the shop the TCM needs to be replace. My car would start and move than all of sudden i can't move Auto Stick unavailable shift to N then D then my car is stuck. I can't move only can drift. This is crazy I see that the Dodge Dart has 6 recall and i only received recall postcard for bushel cords" My car is having the same problems the recall was inplace for but my car doesn't qualify? My life don't matter huh" The car doesn't have many miles on the car, i service my car (oil changes, tires rotated and replace) I just don't understand. Someone is going to get hurt driving these Dodge Darts.

- District Height, MD, USA

problem #37

Jun 022021

Dart

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact stated the vehicle was shifted into park and the turned off however, the key remained stuck in the ignition. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times causing the battery to be drained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch was not making good contact and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Kaysville,, UT, USA

problem #36

May 142021

Dart

  • miles
Despite saying there are no open recalls on my vehicle it does seem to malfunction the same as the last recall. The vehical got stuck in drive last week and had to use the emergency brake to keep it from rolling. After having it towed (friday) to my dealership and manual override to put it in park, it acted normal. The car was looked at the following morning and they could not get it to malfunction. I picked it Monday because I have a warranty that will cover it but they can't do anything unless it is acting up. Today I went to go to tue store and it is stuck in park. I just want to make sure that if any cars were missed in the last recall it can be addressed. Or if it is one of the included vehicles, figure out if it was actually repaired.

- Williamsburg, VA, USA

problem #35

Apr 112021

Dart

  • 81,150 miles
Windshield wipers came on one day after using the turn signal and have not shut off. Multifunction switch has been replaced and issue is not resolved. Currently the wiper motor is disconnected to prevent wipers from running continuously. Dodge customer service has told me there is no recall and there is nothing they can do. Dealership wants money to run diagnostic and then more money for labor to fix the issue they find. This needs to be investigated as a safety issue for distraction and visibility for the driver.

- Ladson, SC, USA

problem #34

Apr 112021

Dart

  • miles
I was driving and while I was in heavy traffic so I tend to always put it in the N position so that I can rest my leg while the emergency brake is on and once traffic started to move I attempted to put it in the D position to move forward and started to notice a it to be difficult to move the automatic stick but did not really think much of it but I knew once I get back into my state I would take it to get looked at. Once on the interstate high way of a 3-hour drive, I started to worry since my car sounded like if I had a rock bouncing in my transmision so aproching to a toll pay stand I decided to put it on N position to keep it running buy make a stop on the side and was not able to so I try to put it on D again to see if it responded and that was what made us know we were in trouble. I could not control my Dodge Dart.

- Monclova, TX, USA

problem #33

Feb 212021

Dart

  • miles
When the vehicle is either in motion or while idle, the climate control will periodically not function at all. Other times when the vehicle is turned on, it will only function at a high setting. The seat warmers on the passenger side and the bluetooth does not work at all. Occasionally, the cruise control button will work to turn the function on, however, setting or resetting the cruise control does not work at all while in motion.

- Kanab, UT, USA

problem #32

Mar 142013

Dart 4-cyl

  • miles
Ever since we purchased the vehicle in 2013 we have had issues with it. I have taken it in numerous times as the panel would just go blank from time to time and heater would go full blast no way to control radio or anything through the panel. I would also complain that the gear shifter would stick meaning only when I would be in reverse it would stick and not go into drive unless you forced it to the left and back into drive it would catch the gear. This has been a non going thing through the dealership we went as far as filing a complaint with Chrysler as that is the number dealership referred us too. They said it was a defective car, but we got no where with it and finally warranty was up and then they wanted alot of money to replace the panel after it had been replaced before by them. Our chart is probably so thick in regards to the same wrong malfunction. It only happens during the winter months as right now its doing it again and I am sure with the sticking and us needing to force it into drive is probably not a good thing either. I have thrown my hands up in the air with this car and trying to get someone to help me, but I can not afford to buy a new car. I would just like for someone to do right by this lemon they make it so hard to constantly try and followup or they keep giving us different numbers with no call back. So if you could please do a report on this and look into this for me. I would truly appreciate it. I am sure my car is not the only one with this malfunction as the people in the service department have made it clear that they were no good. Please help me with this I can be contacted at [xxx]. thank you in advance. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Oswego, IL, USA

problem #31

Jan 132021

Dart

  • 95,000 miles
Just call me please

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #30

Jan 112021

Dart

  • 44,000 miles
My Dodge Dart wipers remain turned on, with no ability to control the speeds or use windshield wiper fluid. After inspecting, the control ribbon cable rubs against plastic whenever blinkers are used. This is a very common issue and almost caused a crash when driving in bad weather. Dodge needs a recall because of this design. I can have the part replaced, however it could just reoccur again. The vehicle only has 44,000 miles

- Manchester, NH, USA

problem #29

Nov 112020

Dart

  • 79,200 miles
There has to be some kind of issue with my vehicles computer system. My iphone no longer connects to the car via bluetooth, the entire computer screen will shut down and reload randomly, the reverse camera goes in and out (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and there are times when the buttons on the radio function won't work at all.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

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