2021 Dodge Challenger Reliability Report

The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Challenger. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Additionally, the vehicle pulled back while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,160.

I purchased this vehicle from Vroom, who is also my lender under United Auto Credit. The car was sold with a washed title and undisclosed prior structural and mechanical damage. I have documentation confirming the vehicle had serious pre-existing issues and should never have been sold as a clean-title car. The differential has failed three times in under 6 months, and I’ve experienced full drivetrain failure following multiple service visits to Dodge. I had requested inspection of the transmission, but after every visit, the issues worsened. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. The car exhibits violent vibrations, power loss, and unpredictable handling, making it unsafe to drive at highway speeds. The differential is on the verge of catastrophic failure again. These issues risk loss of vehicle control, wheel lock up, and potential collisions. Has the issue been confirmed by a dealer or service center? Yes. Dodge dealerships have confirmed repeated differential failure and ongoing drivetrain problems. Independent shops have also verified signs of prior impact and poor repairs. Has the vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance? It has been brought to authorized Dodge service centers at least six times and is the subject of an open Dodge customer care case (7+ months). No police or insurance inspections at this time. This vehicle was fraudulently sold with hidden damage and has presented major, repeated safety hazards. I am asking the NHTSA to investigate not only this vehicle, but the broader pattern of dangerous sales by Vroom/United Auto Credit and Dodge, including title washing and stalling tactics to run out factory warranties before resolution.

On [XXX] I was traveling s/b on [XXX] in Florida in my Dodge Challenger which I purchased from New Smyrna Dodge this year. I was traveling approx 65 mph and all of a sudden the back of my drivers seat went back all the way putting me in a flat position against the rear seat. I was lucky enough to pull myself up and keep control of the vehicle. The incident could have been a disaster because my father was also riding in the vehicle on the passenger side. I pulled over on the median and checked the drivers seat thinking maybe the manual recline had just slipped. In doing so I saw that the metal frame on the right side of the seat had snapped where it connects to bottom of seat frame. Obviously it is a defect in the metal because the frame was not damaged in any way and metal just to broke(Snapped). Had it happened in an accident the injury could have been severe. These seat are suppose meet certain standards. I responded to The dealer today and spoke to a service representative who did agree it was probably a defect because he never heard of that happening but also said unfortunately you are just over warranty by three thousand miles. Stated you can leave car but it will involve full days labor taking seat apart. Doesn't say much for dealer mechanics. Also said there was no recall on it but admitted when it happened could have been serious accident. He also made no attempt to even go out and look at it. If in fact this is a defect people's lives could be in danger. If I wasn't able to pull myself up immediately to a sitting position we probably would have had an accident. The actions of this dealer did not surprise me at all. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

This may not be the correct place to report this but it is a serious problem. Since Google took over the Waze navigation app they have been relentless in popping up ads, useless information and so on. They are now asking if I am driving an electric car of all things.... all while I'm driving on the highway! This strong, relentless encouragement to get drivers to distract their attention from the responsibility of driving is a menace! These apps know when a vehicle is in motion and these marketing idiots should not be doing this. This is a Nationwide problem that NHTSA could put a stop to tomorrow should they decide to. And I very much hope you will. These distractions serve no useful purpose... it's just one more way to annoy people with unwanted advertisements and unhelpful "tips". Thank you for your attention to this very important issue