Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number 06511385A$) are one-time usage. Vehicles built prior to 10/23/2015 requires Service Kit PN 68461214AA; includes Transmission Isolator PN 68264483AA, and Adaptation Bracket 68264479AA and Fastener Service Kit PN 68329056AA Vehicles built after on or after 10/23/2015 will require only the Fastener Service Kit PN 68329056AA. 2. All 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the vehicle you are repairing has a crack in the flex plate or failed pump bushing inspect and confirm that both (2) dowel pins
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2009 Dodge Challenger powertrain problems
severe 23 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
1crash
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 23 powertrain complaints filed for the 2009 Dodge Challenger, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Among the 12 model years of Dodge Challenger in our records for powertrain problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
No new NHTSA powertrain complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Manual Transmission Shifter Noise This bulletin involves greasing or replacing the manual transmission rear shifter bushing. Customers may experience a clunk, squeak, or similar noise heard from center console area while shifting.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Manual Transmission Shifter Noise This bulletin involves greasing or replacing the manual transmission rear shifter bushing. Customers may experience a clunk, squeak, or similar noise heard from center console area while shifting.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Flash: Performance Derate Above 55 MPH Immediately After Start-Up When Accelerating At Wide Open Throttle This bulletin involves selectively erasing and reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with new software. A small number of customers may experience any of the following conditions: Performance derate above 55 MPH when accelerating at wide open throttle immediately following engine start-up.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Manual transmission owners describe hard shifting and clutches that don't fully disengage, with Dodge acknowledging excessive grease on the input shaft splines as the culprit (case numbers K38556860 and S1021000004). The grease turns gummy when hot, trapping the clutch disc and causing grinding. Owners report paying $1000 to $5100 for transmission rebuilds, though Dodge's own procedure involves draining, cleaning with mineral spirits, and regreasing—without parts replacement—yet dealerships deny warranty coverage for out-of-warranty cars despite the known defect.
Timing chain failures occur under 70,000 miles when plastic guides and tensioners wear out, causing chains to snap and bend all valves inside the engine. One owner faced a $7000 Dodge estimate; he paid $1000 repairing it himself after Dodge wouldn't cover it.
Automatic transmission owners report unexpected neutral slips while driving, hard shifts, and grinding. Input speed sensors fail and require $500 replacement. One owner traced a TCM problem to an undersized ground wire starving the module of voltage.
Stalling happens unpredictably at idle, traffic lights, and highway speed with no clear diagnostic code. Multiple owners report dealerships unable to pinpoint the cause after weeks of troubleshooting. The 1-4 skip shift feature designed for fuel economy causes sudden power loss during low-speed maneuvers. Across all complaints, owners cite Dodge's reluctance to issue recalls and warranty claim denials for acknowledged design flaws.
Same Dodge Challenger powertrain reports on nearby years: 2010 · 2012
Failure modes owners describe
Hard shifting and clutch disengagement (manual transmission grease defect)
Excessive or incorrect grease on the Tremec TR6060 transmission input shaft splines and clutch hub splines turns to a glue-like substance when hot, preventing the clutch disc from fully disengaging and causing grinding and difficulty shifting in and out of gear. Owners report the clutch pedal must be held down or the vehicle creeps despite full pedal depression.
When: Varies; some owners report onset after traffic sitting, others report progressive worsening over months starting around 70k–under 30k miles
Symptoms owners cite: Hard to shift into or out of gear; Grinding noise when shifting; Clutch does not fully disengage; vehicle creeps when clutch is depressed; Difficulty worse in cold and hot conditions; Grinding felt in stick and clutch pedal
Repairs/costs cited: Dodge procedure (case K38556860, S1021000004): Remove transmission, clean input shaft and clutch hub splines with mineral spirits (not harsh solvents), reapply correct grease (P/N 05083150AA) lightly on all splines, replace pressure plate-to-flywheel bolts (P/N 06508880AA, qty 6). One owner reported rebuilt transmission with new bearings, synchros, input shaft, and gaskets costing approximately $2000–$5100 labor included; another paid $1000+ for owner-performed repairs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dodge acknowledged the problem as known and that parts have been 'reworked,' but no official recall issued. Owners report dealers citing case numbers K38556860 and S1021000004 as service procedures, not recalls. Warranty claims denied for out-of-warranty vehicles despite acknowledged defect.
Timing chain failure and engine damage
Plastic timing chain guides and tensioners wear or fail prematurely, causing the timing chain to break. This leads to catastrophic engine damage including bent valves, broken valve guides, and loss of engine power while driving at highway speed.
When: 70,000 miles or less; one owner had 70k miles, another had under 70k
Symptoms owners cite: Engine dies while driving at highway speed (65–70 mph); No restart after stall; Camshaft position sensor code (may be initial diagnostic misread)
Codes mentioned: Camshaft position sensor code (owner initially misdiagnosed)
Repairs/costs cited: Owners replaced timing chain, plastic guide, tensioner, all valves, and broken valve guide. One owner reported $1000+ in owner-performed repairs; Dodge dealer estimate was $7000. Chrysler replaced plastic parts with metal parts during repairs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owners report Chrysler 'quietly replacing' plastic parts with metal upgrades as customers bring vehicles in, and acknowledging a 'harmonic issue with the MDS.' Warranty claim initially denied despite known issue; owner reported Dodge reluctance to issue formal recall.
Transmission Control Module (TCM) and ground wire issues (automatic)
TCM fails or inputs faulty shift commands, causing the transmission to slip into neutral unexpectedly during driving, particularly between 3rd and 4th gear. One owner identified undersized ground wire compared to power wire as the underlying cause of insufficient voltage to the TCM.
When: Shortly after purchase; issues develop progressively
Symptoms owners cite: Hard shift in 3rd and 4th gear; Transmission slips into neutral unexpectedly while driving; Vehicle will only shift into 1st and 2nd; neutrals when reaching 3rd; Neutral slip occurs under load (on the ground and driving), not on lift; Problem persists after TCM software reprogramming at dealership
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership attempted TCM software update without resolution. Independent shop identified undersized ground wire as root cause; repair not detailed in complaint.
Input speed sensor failure (automatic transmission)
Input speed sensor malfunction causes the transmission to remain in the highest gear and fail to downshift when approaching a stop, leaving the vehicle unable to accelerate from a stop without power cycling the ignition.
When: No specific mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Fails to downshift when stopping; Vehicle stuck in highest gear; Barely accelerates from stop; Must turn vehicle off and restart to regain normal function
Codes mentioned: Input speed sensor code
Repairs/costs cited: Input speed sensor replacement (part of electronic module) cost approximately $500 and corrected the problem.
Unexplained engine stalling
Engine stalls without warning in various conditions—idle, highway speed, stop signs, and cold or hot starts—with no consistent diagnostic code. Multiple vehicles and owners report stalling across Challenger forums. Dealers unable to identify or fix the root cause.
When: No consistent mileage; some stalls occur shortly after purchase or during initial use
Symptoms owners cite: Engine stalls at traffic lights, stop signs, highway speed; Stalls when honking horn and braking simultaneously; No consistent pattern (hot, cold, idle, moving, immediate startup); Oil warning light comes on intermittently; oil level normal; No diagnostic codes or codes do not match symptom
Codes mentioned: No codes or intermittent codes that do not correlate to stalling
Repairs/costs cited: Valve body and MAP sensor replaced at one dealer without resolving the issue. Multiple dealership attempts to diagnose have failed.
1-4 gear skip feature causing missed shifts or power loss
The automatic transmission's 1-4 skip shift feature, designed to improve fuel economy, causes missed shifts or sudden loss of vehicle power during low-speed maneuvering, creating a crash hazard.
When: Ongoing during low-speed operation
Symptoms owners cite: Missed shifts; Loss of vehicle power during low-speed maneuvering
Repairs/costs cited: Commercially available low-cost component can disable the feature, but use voids manufacturer warranty.
Throwout bearing seizure and clutch failure
Bad grease on input shaft splines causes throwout bearing to seize and clutch to fail. Slave cylinder ruptures, leaking clutch fluid and causing complete loss of clutch function.
When: No specific mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Throwout bearing squealing or screeching noise; Clutch failure; Slave cylinder blows out; Clutch fluid leaks from lines
Repairs/costs cited: Requires clutch and slave cylinder replacement; full scope of repair costs not provided in complaint.
Transmission stuck in gear (manual transmission lock-up)
Manual transmission locks into gear when parked, requiring excessive force to extract from gear even with clutch fully depressed. Occurs at standstill and at highway speeds; gear grinding occurs on every shift.
When: Progressive; one owner reported occurrence for 4 months near daily
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle locks in first gear when parked; Requires yanking on shifter to extract from gear; Gears grind on every shift; Difficult to shift at high speeds despite full clutch engagement
Repairs/costs cited: No repair details provided in complaints.
Synthesized from 23 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Manuel transmission grinds/hard to shift into the next gears. Feels like the clutch isnt completely disengageing and if you park with it in gear you cant get it out of gear to put it into nuetral,sticks or locks in gear. Sometimes double clutching it doesnt help
The vehicle is experiencing difficulty taking the manual transmission out of gear with the clutch pedal fully depressed. This occurs on both cold and hot start up as well as when driving or stopping during in town driving. This creates a dangerous situation in that the driver could inadvertently roll into an intersection where they do not have the right of way, another vehicle, pedestrian or…
Sudden engine stall at stop sign, at idle and also while on highway at speed. Oil light comes on intermittent no codes , oil level checked , gas was good . Many on every challenger forums are having this issue "stalling" , even brand new cars right off the lot. Dodge rejects there's an issue, from dealers to the top. Please help! We don't trust our cars!
Had powertrain trouble with your 2009 Dodge Challenger?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2009 Dodge Challenger?
It's a meaningful issue. 23 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $2,500.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 20 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 26,000 and 70,500 miles, with the median around 41,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 26,000; a quarter make it past 70,500. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Dodge/Challenger.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.