2010 Dodge Challenger

ENGINE STALLED IN TRAFFIC. MY WIFE ,A NURSE LIVES 3 MILES FROM WORK. THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS ALWAYS BEEN POOR WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY AN MORE EFFICIENT ON THE HIGHWAY BUT NEVER REALLY COLD. HER CAR HAS HAD THE WATER PUMP REPLACED FOR LEAKING SHAFT SEAL. ENGINE SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE SHOWED HOT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND AGAIN THE WATER PUMP GASKET WAS LEAKING. THEY SAID THAT WAS THE REASON THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS NOT UP TO SPECIFICATIONS. NO CODES IN THE COMPUTER. AFTER CHANGING THE ORIFICE TUBE. STILL NOT COOLING. NOW CHANGING THE DRYER AN CONDENSER. STILL DOESN'T COOL. FREON HAS BEEN DRAINED AN REFILLED NOW 5 TIMES DURING TROUBLE SHOOTING. COME TO THINK ABOUT IT. THE CAR HAS STALLED TWICE ON ME TURNING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AT MY LODGE. THIS ENGINE STALLING IS A CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE SHE IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE STEERING AN BRAKES. I SEE IT'S AN ISSUE WITH OTHER OWNERS. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE A MAJOR INJURY HAPPENS. *TR

2010 CHALLENGER SRT8 WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. 7800 MILES. TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES HARD TO STOP. ENGINE STALLED. HAD TO PUT IN PARK AND RESTART THE CAR. AFTER RESTARTING, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AND CAR WAS FUNCTIONING. COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON I-55 NORTHBOUND 10 MILES NORTH OF BLOOMINGTON, IL, WHEN I LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP (SAM LEMAN) NOTED NO COMPRESSION AND A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT A DEALERSHIP FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS (PREVIOUS THREE IN APRIL 2013 FOR A FAULTY OIL CONTROL SOLENOID). IT APPEARS THAT THE BROKEN TIMING CHAIN IS COMMON WITH MY MODEL OF CHALLENGER (R/T SUB MODEL WITH 5.7L ENGINE (WITH VVT AND MDS) AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). *TR

TRAVELING UPHILL-SLIGHT INCLINE- AT APPROX. 55 MPH ON CANYON ROAD WHEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, FLASHED. THEN ALL DASH LIGHT INDICATORS CAME ON AS ENGINE FAILED. COASTED OFF TO SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE I WAS STRANDED WITH NO CELL SERVICE. ABLE TO GET HELP FROM A CHRYSLER SERVICE REP WHO HAPPENED TO HAVE A COMPUTER FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES. COMPUTER INDICATED "CAM SHAFT SENSOR FAILURE". REP ADVISED REMOVE SENSOR, LOOK TO SEE IF "GEAR" TURNS WHEN ENGINE IS CRANKED. IF GEAR TURNED THEN TIMING CHAIN OK, AND IT WAS JUST A BAD SENSOR. IF GEAR DIDN'T TURN THEN THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND SENSOR REMOVED. GEAR DIDN'T TURN WHEN ENGINE CRANKED, SO THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER CONFIRMED TIMING CHAIN BROKE- ALSO DAMAGED SEVERAL VALVES. COVERED UNDER POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AT THE MOMENT. *TR

WHILE COMING AROUND A SHARP LEFT BEND IN THE ROAD OF A WINDING ROAD MY CAR STALLED AND I HAD A VERY HARD TIME STEERING AND BRAKING TO GET THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T END UP IN THE DITCH AND ALSO VERY LUCKY THAT THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS ALERT AND DID NOT CRASH INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. I RESTARTED MY CAR AND IT SEEMED TO BE OK. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR SOMETIME AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER POSTINGS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT IT. *TR

I WAS COMMUTING TO WORK ON THE WESTPARK TOLLWAY IN HOUSTON IN TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00AM WHEN MULTIPLE ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE, AVOIDING A COLLISION BARELY AS ALL SYSTEMS WERE DEAD. AFTER 4 DAYS IN THE SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WHICH IN TURN CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, BENT VALVES, DAMAGED PISTONS ETC. UPON SEARCHING THE WEB I FOUND 39 INSTANCES OF THIS FAILURE ON ONE FORUM. PARTICULARLY MODEL YEARS 2009 TO 2011 AND CARS WITH 35 TO 40,000 MILES AND MDS. MINE HAS 44,000 AND ALL FACTORY MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME AS SHOULD THIS EVENT HAPPEN IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC OR PASSING SITUATION THERE COULD BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS ONE HAS NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE NUMBER OF INSTANCES AND WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE WHICH I FIND TROUBLING. THERE ARE ALOT OF CARS THAT ARE JUST NOW COMING INTO THE SUSPECT MILEAGE RANGE FOR THIS EVENT AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A PERSON OR PERSONS ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BY THIS. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND PRESSED ON THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON, CAR STALLED OUT AND I HAD TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THIS ALL HAPPENED AT 70 MPH, CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER SHIP WHERE A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN WAS DISCOVERED, DODGE HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE A SAFE FIX FOR THIS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 40 ON MY WAY TO WORK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC I WAS IN THE FAST LANE AND HEARD A POP IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. I PULLED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT. WHEN THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART I PUT ON MY BLINKER AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I RAN THE CODE WITH MY ONBOARD COMPUTER AND IT TOLD ME THAT THE CAM SHAFT WAS IN THE WRONG POSITION. A ROLL BACK CAME AND TOOK ME TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I LEFT WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AN HOUR LATER WHILE I WAS AT WORK I GOT A CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT LETTING ME KNOW THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THREATENING ME THAT IF THEY FOUND THAT I WAS ABUSING THE ENGINE THAT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND I WOULD BE PAYING FOR THIS PROBLEM OUT OF POCKET. WITH THE VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON HTTP://WWW.CHALLENGERTALK.COM/FORUMS/F188/TIMING-CHAIN-FAILURE-DODGE-CHALLENGER-69216/ I WOULD THINK THAT THE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE HERE WOULD BE LOOKED IN TO. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH WHEN A SMALL POP WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE BAY. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND I LOST ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TRIED RESTARTING THE ENGINE, WHICH JUST CAUSED THE STARTER TO RUN FOR 5+ SECONDS BEFORE TURNING OFF THE START SEQUENCE (PUSH BUTTON START). THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CAUSE HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A SNAPPED TIMING CHAIN AND BROKEN PLASTIC CHAIN GUIDE. THIS IS A 2010 5.7L MDS AUTO TRANSMISSION CHALLENGER. DODGE'S RESPONSE IS TO REPLACE THE CHAIN AND GUIDE AND SEE IF THAT ENABLES THE ENGINE TO RUN. THIS IS AN INTERFERENCE FIT ENGINE WHICH WILL MEAN SEVERAL VALVES WILL HAVE STRUCK THE PISTON HEADS AS A RESULT OF THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. IN ADDITION, THE VALVE HEADS AND PISTON HEADS MAY HAVE SUSTAIN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. THE DEALERSHIP HAD RECOMMENDED TO DODGE A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. WHILE, I FIND DODGE'S SOLUTION TO BE WHOLE INAPPROPRIATE, THE FAILURE OF THE CHAIN IS OF MORE CONCERN. APPROXIMATELY 40 OCCURRENCES OF THIS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AT HTTP://WWW.CHALLENGERTALK.COM/FORUMS/F188/TIMING-CHAIN-FAILURE-DODGE-CHALLENGER-69216/ WITH NO SOLUTION BEING PRESENTED BY DODGE TO STOP THE GUIDES FROM BREAKING AND THUS THE CHAINS SNAPPING. DODGE'S INABILITY TO ADEQUATELY AND PREEMPTIVELY ADDRESS THIS SITUATION WILL RESULT IN MORE INSTANCES OF CHALLENGERS BEING DISABLED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON A CROWDED INTERSTATE, SUCH AS I-75/85 THROUGH ATLANTA. I AM LUCKY MY INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR DURING HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, INJURY, OR WORSE. *TR

IF CHRYSLER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR, THEY WOULD REMEMBER IT FROM 3 DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED IT FROM WESTPOINTE DODGE IN OKLAHOMA. I HAD PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE, MAINLY FROM THE LIES I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP, I BOUGHT IT NEW! I WAS TOLD OF ALL THE EXTRAS ON THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING A NAVAGATION SYSTEM, I TRIED TO GET THE NAVAGATION SYSTEM TO WORK, NO LUCK. I CALLED THEM AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK, PROBABLY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE NAVAGATION SYSTEM HOOKED UP. I TOOK IT BACK, THEY SAID IT HAD ONE, THEN LOOKED AND CHECKED AND ON AND ON, THEN SAID NO NAVAGATION SYSTEM, THEY INSTALLED AN AFTER MARKET MIRROR SO I WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL ME WHAT DIRECTIONS I WAS GOING. THAT WAS NOT THE END THERE. I SENT 10 PAGES OF NOTES TO CHRYSLER EXPLAINING ALL THE PROBLEMS I HAD WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY GAVE ME FREE OIL CHANGES. NOW, IN MARCH, THE CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING, IT WOULD DIE AFTER RUNNING ROUGH, THEN AFTER 2-3 TRIES IT WOULD START. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MAY 1ST, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, PROBABLY JUST BAD GAS, I HAD GOT IT BACK 2 DAYS LATER. THE NEXT DAY, IT WOULD NOT START, AFTER A FEW MORE TRIES IT DID START. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOOK IT BACK TO THEM ON MAY 6TH. I CALLED THEM MAY 7TH, SAID THEY THOUGHT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CHANGED SOMETHING. I CALLED THEM YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID IT STILL HAD THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAD CONTACTED CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP FIND THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TODAY AND SAID THEY "THINK" THEY HAVE IT FIXED, BUT WILL NEED TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY AND START IT AGAIN TO SEE IF IT IS FIXED. THIS IS A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAT 20 THOUSAND MILES. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAN IF AND WHEN I GET IT BACK,I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS. *TR