Dodge Dart Recalls

The Dodge Dart has 26 recalls spanning 1975 through 2016, with the most serious recent issue being a shifter cable that can detach from the transmission on 2013-2016 models, preventing the driver from selecting Park and allowing the vehicle to roll away unexpectedly.

The shifter cable problem appears across several overlapping recalls affecting 2013-2016 vehicles with automatic transmissions. In each case, the cable bushing or attachment point fails, leaving the driver unable to shift gears and the transmission unable to hold the vehicle in Park. A car left without a functioning Park position and without the parking brake applied can roll freely. Prior repair attempts did not fully resolve the issue, which is why multiple campaigns addressed it across this generation.

Also on 2013-2016 models, the transmission control module can fail and cause the transmission to drop into neutral without warning, cutting drive power while the vehicle is moving. On 2015-2016 models with a 2.0L engine and manual transmission, a gap in the engine control software can allow an unintended surge in engine torque that the system fails to detect or correct. The 2013 model year with the 1.4L turbocharged engine and dual dry clutch transmission can stall in temperatures below about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, cutting power while driving.

On the brake side, 2013-2014 models with 2.0L or 2.4L engines can develop a problem where engine oil seeps from the vacuum pump into the brake booster, degrading the internal diaphragm and reducing braking assist, which lengthens stopping distances. Some 2013 vehicles were also assembled with incorrect rear brake calipers that leave the parking brake inoperable. The 2013 model year with the Mopar 13 trim package has a separate issue where the front seat-mounted side airbags may not have been properly installed, meaning they can fail to deploy in a crash.

Rounding out the modern era, 2016 models can lose windshield wiper function entirely due to voltage spikes from the washer pump damaging the wiper circuit in the body control module. On 2015 models, the tire pressure monitoring system warning light can fail to illuminate when a tire is underinflated, and certain 2015-2016 vehicles were equipped with a Kidde fire extinguisher that may not discharge properly.

Going back to the mid-1970s, 1976 models have a steering column bracket with a potentially weak weld that could affect steering integrity, and 1976 police package vehicles were built with incorrect power steering components. The 1975 model year has a recall for improperly routed left front brake tubes and a separate issue with variable load turn signal flashers installed where fixed load units were required.