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:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
32,486 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Dodge Dart Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #42

May 092024

Dart

  • miles

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

The car has a mind of its own but now it's a constant problem. I will be trying to go and it's like it shift to nuetural and I loose all powers so I keep pushing gas tell it does something. so i don't cause a accident. When this happens the middle screen where shows speed and stuff like reboots. It will also sometimes say gear not availiable. There is no warning lights on. I try not to drive unless I have to because it dangerous if the. Car does not give trouble backing our of my house it will do fine. And if it has trouble backing out of driveway it won't stop loosing power any time I have to stop or slow down. I did have 1 recall done last year when I left dealer ship it worked fine for like 7 days and back to doing the same thing. The vechicle is availiable for inspection I'm going to take it back to dodge because it's going to kill me and others.

- Wylie, TX, USA

problem #41

Feb 012020

Dart

  • miles
The car looses power turbo has never worked it has a growing noise under the bonnet it has a loud noise when shifting

- Layton, UT, USA

problem #40

Oct 272023

Dart

  • miles
The transmission is completely faulty. The transmission modular that was recalled I replaced that already. The transmission needs to be replaced completely. I've found articles that the Dodge Chrysler had recalled transmissions for the same year make and model. I want to have it replaced with a new one. Contact me at [XXX] [XXX] or [XXX]. thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Loganville, GA, USA

problem #39

Jul 222023

Dart

  • miles

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

I was driving in the interstate and out of no where my car starts to make aloud noise and breaks down. At this point the car begins to read -??Service Transmission.-?? And is no longer to switch between gears. The shifter cable bushing failed and detached from the transmission

- Englewood , CO, USA

problem #38

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 #37

Jul 312022

Dart

  • miles
I just bought this car last month, from my knowledge it has not been repaired, this is my first time buying a car or I would have never purchased it, one month after getting the car I finally receive a history report and I find out I have 6 recalls, have been having so many issue with this car since the week I purchased it, the speedometer does not work in heat and apparently the blower motor to the a/c as well huge inconvenience buying in the summer, the recalls state I have issue to look forward to in the winter as well. My parking brake does not work and I notice that the car rolls slightly in park, I have to press down hard on the gas just to pull out of my parking space in the morning it does not shift into reverse properly and I have been told by many people my brakes are bad despite them being changed recently and another recall says it-??s a brake pad issue, I cannot test the other recalls because I am not a mechanic and I have not gotten into an accident but I would like to know if my airbags work and why my engine is having problems despite paying to get it fixed and still having issues

- Edgewood, MD, USA

problem #36

Mar 182022

Dart

  • miles

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

Our 2013 Dodge Dart Turbo had the actuator-hydraulic shift in the transmission go out and was replaced on October 27th 2020. Now the hydraulic pump dual disk clutch for the or in the transmission is going out and the part is unavailable...

- Twin Falls, ID, USA

problem #35

Jan 022022

Dart

  • miles
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 #34

Sep 022021

Dart

  • miles
Car suddenly shuts off

- Santa Ana, CA, USA

problem #33

Jul 282021

Dart

  • miles
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 #32

Jun 172021

Dart

  • miles

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

The failure was when i was shifting gear.so i shifted 5 to 4,3,2 and thats when it stayed in 2 gear.i exit the freeway and drove the street to my home.the vechicle at that point only travel 21 mph.2 years prior i had a similar issue on the freeway and my kids where with me at the time of the failure. So i had to pull to the shoulder and try to encounter the issue at a peaceful way.like i said i had my kids with me and 9:45 p.m..so i tooked me 2 hours to move the vehicle to a safer place and had my friend give me a ride home.next day i have the tow truck picked up the vehicle and take it to dodge dealer.they fixed it with no charge towards me.but now this second time they are not trying to help out.either Toyota who sold the car.or dodge the dealer.or Chrysler the manufacturer wont help.and dodge is saying the vehicle requires a new motor at the cost of $13,000 dollars.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #31

Jun 162021

Dart

  • miles
On June 16, 2021 I exited a parking lot and joined a line of traffic that was stopped for a stoplight. Traffic began to move and as I stepped on the accelerator the engine started ROARING and the car accelerated uncontrollably across the opposite lane and into a utility pole. It was totaled and I was left badly bruised by the airbag explosion; I have also found I have strange noises in my ears and am seeing an otolaryngologist for that. The car has ben disposed of and I don't know where it is. I am fortunate that there was no oncoming traffic, no one was on the sidewalk and I was the sole occupant of the vehicle. The only one who may have inspected the car was the insurance adjuster. There was no warning of any kind and I had never experienced this before.

- Vestal, NY, USA

problem #30

Jun 092021

Dart

  • miles
06/08/2021. My daughter stopped to gas up at Costco when a notice came up on the dash "Engage Parking Brake to prevent Rollback". She immediately called me to make me aware of it. Once home she again get this message. 06/09/2021. My daughter drove to school with no issues. However, leaving school she was going slowly over a speed bump when the car automatically shifted into PARK. She lost acceleration and the car rolled backwards off of the speed bump while she was wrestling with controlling the steering. The car shuts off and she was unable to start it again. She immediately called me and told me the message displayed again from yesterday "Engage Parking Brake to prevent Rollback". Now the car won't start. I am now on my way to the school when she calls me back to say it started and she is on her way home. I told her to be very careful. 06/10/2021. I drove the car while my daughter followed me to the dealership. On the way to the dealership at every stop the message displayed "Engage Parking Brake to prevent Rollback". While at the dealership I explained the problem and I had brought all repair documents that stated the same issue occurred in a repair with my son (twice), with me, and now with my daughter. It all stem from gear shift cable/bushings/TCM/transmission, which then was covered under warranty or recall. I emphatically didn't want to waste time with a diagnostic when I am sure its related to past repairs. The service tech was trying to convince me it could be something else and the diagnostics will tell them the true cause. I was reluctant but agreed for the diagnostic. I did state that what that diagnostic will show is that the transmission/recall is faulty. 06/11/21. The service tech called me to say the car coded P07B4 [Park Positioning Sensor]. However he never called it a Transmission Park Positioning Sensor because in my opinion this part should be covered under the transmission warranty (see Manual - Parts Covered - Transmission:).

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #29

Jun 082021

Dart

  • miles
FCA has issued Customer Satisfaction Notification (W20) regarding excessive oil consumption for vehicles equipped with the 2.4L MultiAir engine. It does not currently cover the 2013 model year Dodge Dart. I have a 2013 Dodge Dart that seems to have this problem. I have to continuously monitor the engine oil level and add as needed. The amount is inconsistent and you will never know if the level will fall low enough to stall the engine between the times that the level is checked. My complaint is that FCA should expand the notification to include all model years that are equipped with this engine. Attached is a copy of the W20 I received for my 2014 Dart which does not have the problem. I bought the 2013 without knowing it had this problem.

- Austin, MN, USA

problem #28

Apr 082021

Dart

  • 86,245 miles
I was driving down the highway when my car made a loud noise and jerked really hard. My car started slowing down and would not accelerate. The RPM's just kept riving up but car was not going any faster. It has done this twice in the past week. The dealership put it on the computer and ran some tests and cleared out all codes and updated some stuff and told me to let hi know if the engine light came back on. Well on the way home the engine light came back on and did the same thing and jerked really hard making my car slow down and not accelerate. The code says the PCM/tcm but it feels like the transmission is going out. It acts like it doesnt want to shift into the next gear.

- New Cordell, OK, USA

problem #27

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 #26

Mar 212021

Dart 4-cyl

  • 85,500 miles
I was driving home when I turned the corner to proceed on the highway my car would not speed up. I tried several times and it was only reving up the engine like it was stuck. I was able to slowly gain speed but no more then 45 mph. When I would try to gain speed it would reach high rpms but not go anywhere but then it would jerk hard and the transmission was making loud clanking noises like gears shifting more then they should. The engine light came on which it goes off and on all the time. I have also been putting more oil in the car then I've ever had to do. It is using oil and the gas fumes are still horrible from my last complaint and I am not getting good gas mileage like usual the consumer stated the dealer was notified, but the failure reccurred. The codes provided were for the PCM/tcm.

- New Cordell, OK, USA

problem #25

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 #24

Feb 232021

Dart

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the vehicle hesitated and was hard to steer while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to pep boys (2903 us-1, fort pierce, fl 34982) to be diagnosed however, the diagnostic result was still pending. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #23

Mar 232020

Dart

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the windshield wipers failed to stop. The driver's side windshield wiper detached from the vehicle. Additionally, after driving at various speeds the vehicle failed to start. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to w&L Subaru service center (535 point township dr, northumberland, pa 17857, (888) 739-7206) where diagnosed that the lever and ribbon needed to repaired. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

- Northumberland, PA, USA

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