Owners report catastrophic electrical failures across 65 complaints. The most dangerous: sudden engine shutdown at highway speeds (70 mph, 65 mph, 55 mph) with loss of power steering and brakes, sometimes accompanied by a burning-wire smell and a red lightning bolt warning light. Vehicles won't restart or require multiple cranking attempts.
The second major issue: ignition control gone haywire. Keys get stuck in the ignition and won't release without jiggling or fuse removal. Keys fall out while driving, letting the engine die in traffic. Some vehicles keep running after the key is turned off or removed—owners have had to disconnect the battery to shut them down. A few vehicles even start without the key being inserted.
Alternators are failing and smoking, sometimes after being replaced. One owner replaced an alternator twice plus the battery. Another found five of six wires in the trunk lid harness broken in the same spot, causing the third brake light to fail. One vehicle caught fire in the passenger cabin after sitting parked.
Dealerships and Chrysler repeatedly refuse to help, claiming recalls don't apply to specific VINs despite matching symptoms, or citing parts shortages. Owners report repair quotes of $1,000 to $2,000 for out-of-warranty fixes. The Wireless Ignition Node (WIN) module appears tied to multiple failures but remains unavailable or uncovered under recalls for many vehicles. Several fleet operators face the same issue: same problem as official recalls, same VIN exclusion, same $1,000+ bill.
Failure modes owners describe
Engine stalling and loss of power steering/braking
Engine dies suddenly while driving at highway speeds with loss of power steering and power brakes. Vehicle won't restart immediately or requires multiple attempts. Warning lights illuminate (battery, check engine, electronic throttle control, traction control, ABS).
When: Various speeds and conditions; reported at 6K miles, 70 mph interstate, 40-65 mph, at traffic lights
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden complete engine shutdown while driving; Loss of power steering; Loss of power brakes; Smell of burning wires in some cases; Red lightning bolt warning light on dash; Battery/check engine lights illuminate; Difficult or impossible restart attempts with starter cranking sound
Codes mentioned: Battery warning indicator, Check engine light, Electronic throttle control light, Traction control light, ABS warning light
Repairs/costs cited: Alternator replacement attempted multiple times by some owners without resolving issue; WIN Module replacement mentioned; Starter replacement did not resolve issue in one case; One owner replaced alternator twice and battery once with recurring failures
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealerships unable to duplicate or diagnose problem; recall 10V200000 (Electrical System) exists but many VINs excluded from coverage; P60/NHTSA 14V-634 alternator recall mentioned by one owner
Ignition switch and key control failures
Ignition key fails to turn off, gets stuck in ignition, falls out during driving, or vehicle continues running after key is removed. Key may require jiggling to release or vehicle won't turn off unless battery is disconnected.
When: All mileages from 38,000 to 205,000 miles; some early (6K miles), mostly higher mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Key won't turn to off position; Key stuck in ignition and won't release; Key falls out of ignition while driving; Vehicle continues running after key is removed; Vehicle starts without key being inserted; Key requires multiple attempts or jiggling to release; Ignition key turns to accessory position on its own
Repairs/costs cited: Ignition switch replacement; Ignition module replacement; Wireless Ignition Node (WIN) Module replacement ($1,000-$1,250 cost cited); battery disconnection required to shut off vehicle; fuse removal (#8) sometimes used as workaround
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall K08 and 10V200000 (Electrical System) exist but many VINs excluded based on build date or VIN number; owners report 10 days outside recall window; dealerships cite parts unavailability; some dealers charge $1,000+ for non-recalled VINs
Wireless ignition node (WIN) module failures
WIN module malfunctions preventing proper ignition control, causing stalling, inability to start, or loss of key control. Multiple complaints indicate this module is the root cause of several ignition-related failures.
When: 50,000 to 180,000 miles; some early failures around 6K-66K miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle won't start or requires multiple attempts; Vehicle stalls randomly at various speeds; Key falls out of ignition while driving; Vehicle continues running when key is turned off; Loss of wireless key fob function
Repairs/costs cited: WIN Module replacement required; costs reported $1,000+; one owner states parts unavailable; multiple owners report dealership inability or unwillingness to perform repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 10V200000 (Electrical System) exists for WIN module but excludes many VINs; recall K08 specifically addresses this but build date restrictions exclude some vehicles; parts availability issues delayed recalls
Alternator failure and electrical charging system collapse
Alternator fails causing battery drain, loss of electrical power, and engine stalling. Some alternators smoke or burn; repeated failures after replacement noted in several cases.
When: 87,900 to 164,000 miles; one reported at 160,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Battery warning light illumination; Smoke from under hood and alternator area; Burning wire smell; Lights dimming or flickering; Whining noise from engine compartment; Repeated battery drain; Engine stalling after restart; Alternator smoking or burning out after replacement
Codes mentioned: Battery warning light, Check engine light
Repairs/costs cited: Alternator replacement; one owner replaced alternator twice and battery once with recurring failures; battery testing showed battery in good condition but alternator failed; repair costs high; one owner states alternator diodes failed
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: P60/NHTSA 14V-634 alternator recall mentioned by one owner; recalls exist for some engine sizes and previous years but owner claims their vehicle was skipped; dealerships unable to resolve recurring issue
Key fob wireless remote failures
Key fob fails to unlock doors or start vehicle without multiple attempts. Batteries replaced and fobs reprogrammed without permanent fix. Vehicle becomes unusable when fob fails to work.
When: Various mileages; one owner reports issue ongoing for years since 2011 purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Fob won't unlock doors; Fob won't start vehicle; Multiple attempts required to unlock or start; Fob stops working after battery replacement; Fob stops working after reprogramming; Vehicle stranding in remote locations
Repairs/costs cited: Battery replacement and key fob reprogramming attempted without permanent fix; owners cite $1,000-$2,000 repair costs from dealerships without permanent resolution
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealerships and Dodge corporate claim nothing is wrong despite thousands reporting same problem; no recalls mentioned for this issue in narratives
Trunk and body wiring harness failures
Wires in trunk lid harness break or corrode, causing third brake light failure and automatic trunk/door locking and unlocking. One case of interior fire caused by electrical short.
When: Various mileages; fire incident occurred after 4 hours parking on 70F day
Symptoms owners cite: Third brake light non-functional; Trunk unlocking and locking repeatedly; Door locking and unlocking repeatedly; Smoke pouring from cabin; Interior fire in front passenger seat area; Melted center armrest and burned headliner; Windows blackened by smoke; Burnt debris scattered throughout cabin
Repairs/costs cited: Broke wires in harness manually reconnected by owner matching color codes; trunk lid water harness wiring found broken at same location on multiple vehicles; fire incident not repaired by owner due to cost
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership and Dodge customer service denied responsibility for brake light wire harness issue; no recalls mentioned
Fuse box failures and power surges
Fuse box in trunk fails, causing blown fuses throughout electrical system. Multiple fuse replacements attempted without identifying root cause until power surge detected.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: All fuses blown in system; Multiple modules failing; Repeated blown fuses after replacement
Repairs/costs cited: Trunk fuse box replacement attempted; later found all fuses blown; multiple modules replaced (key reader module); no resolution found by dealership
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership found recall for key reader module but vehicle excluded by 10-day build date difference; dealership unable to determine root cause despite multiple repair attempts
Shift interlock and key-off control failures
Vehicle able to be shifted out of park when engine is off or shifted while vehicle is off. Vehicle able to start without key inserted. Ignition safety features bypassed.
When: 66,000 to 119,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Shifter moves while vehicle is off; Vehicle starts without key in ignition; Key can be removed while in drive; Vehicle continues running without key engaged
Repairs/costs cited: WIN Module replacement recommended
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 10V200000 (Electrical System) exists but VINs excluded from coverage
Synthesized from 66 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.