Summary
The Dodge Dart has 25 recalls spanning 1975 through 2016, with the most serious being a transmission control module failure on 2013-2015 models that can cause the transmission to drop into neutral without warning, cutting drive power and raising the risk of a crash.
The modern generation (2013-2016) carries the bulk of the recall history. Closely related to the TCM issue, several recalls address a shifter cable bushing that can fail and allow the cable to detach from the transmission on 2013-2016 models equipped with a 6-speed automatic. When this happens, the transmission may not respond to gear selections, and the vehicle can roll away even with the shifter placed in Park. Earlier repair attempts did not fully resolve this problem, and multiple campaigns addressed the same underlying cable detachment issue across the 2013-2016 run.
On the engine side, 2013 models with the 1.4L MultiAir turbo and dual dry clutch transmission can stall in temperatures below about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, cutting power unexpectedly while driving. A separate software deficiency affects 2015-2016 models with the 2.0L engine and manual transmission, where the engine control module lacks a protective software layer and can allow unexpected power surges the system fails to detect or correct.
Brakes are another concern on the modern generation. Engine oil from the vacuum pump can seep into the brake booster on 2013-2014 models with 2.0L or 2.4L engines, degrading the booster diaphragm and increasing pedal effort and stopping distances. Some 2013 vehicles were also assembled with incorrect rear brake calipers, leaving the parking brake unable to hold the car on a slope. On 2013 models with the Mopar 13 upfit package, the front seat-mounted side airbags may not have been installed correctly and can fail to deploy in a crash.
The 2016 model has a windshield wiper circuit that can fail due to voltage spikes from the washer pump, leaving the driver without wipers in rain or snow. The 2015 model has a tire pressure monitoring system that may not illuminate the warning light when a tire is underinflated, removing the alert that would otherwise prompt attention to a potential blowout.
Going back to mid-1970s production, the 1976 model has a steering column bracket with a potentially defective weld at the steering housing. The 1975 model has a brake tube routing concern on certain Dart Sport variants. Both years have minor electrical compliance issues involving flashers and, on police-package 1976 vehicles, incorrect power steering components.
