Owners report the engine cuts out while driving at all speeds with zero warning—no lights, no codes, nothing. You lose power steering and brakes immediately; the car restarts right up but it's terrifying. This happens during deceleration or turns mostly, and dealerships can't replicate it or find any stored codes. Some vehicles stall and won't restart for 15–20 minutes. Fuel pump relay recalls (issued in 2019 and earlier) supposedly fix this, but they haven't; Chrysler acknowledged parts shortages and said remedy isn't yet available.
The 3.6L Pentastar engine also has a cylinder head defect on the left side (right side not covered) that shows up as check engine lights with misfire codes—P0302, P0304, P0300. Low compression in cylinders requires head replacement; Chrysler admits this hits 0.5% of 2011–2012 production. Extended warranty covers 10 years / 150,000 miles on the left side, but owners report the problem recurs after repair and right-side failures get denied.
A few vehicles experienced catastrophic engine seizure or fire under the hood. One owner's engine seized at 90,000 miles with a 2-month waiting list and $8,000 bill. Recall L33 covers engine replacement for a very narrow build window (August–September 2011), but parts availability is lousy across the board.
Starting failures, camshaft wear, and uncontrolled revving round out the complaints. Dealers struggle because many faults don't trigger codes or can't be replicated on the lift.
Failure modes owners describe
Unannounced engine stall while driving, no restart
Engine shuts off completely without warning while vehicle is in motion (anywhere from 15 to 70 mph). No check engine light, no diagnostic codes stored. Loss of power steering and brakes during stall. Vehicle occasionally will not restart immediately; may require 15–20 minute wait before restarting, or restarts immediately but dies again within seconds.
When: Typically during deceleration, braking, turning, or traffic; occasionally at idle after stop light. Reported from 2013 onward across multiple model years.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of engine power while driving; No warning lights or dash indicators; No stored diagnostic codes; Loss of power steering and power brakes; Radio, interior lights remain on; Engine restart successful after stall, or delayed restart after 15–20 minutes
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to replicate; no permanent fix identified in narratives. Related to fuel pump relay in some recalls but recall repairs have not resolved the issue. TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) wiring or fuel pump relay suspected by owners.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 15V-115 / NHTSA 19V-813 (fuel pump relay, 2019) issued; parts shortages reported; recall marked incomplete with no remedy available. Warranty coverage variable; extended left-side cylinder head warranty (10 years / 240,000 km or 150,000 miles) for defective left cylinder head.
Cylinder head misfire and failure (left side primary)
Check engine light illuminates with diagnostic codes P0300, P0302, P0304, P0306 (misfire codes). Low compression in affected cylinders. Dealer diagnoses left-side cylinder head failure requiring replacement; some reports include right-side failures not covered under extended warranty.
When: Reported from 20,000 miles onward; concentrated in 2011–2013 model years with 3.6L Pentastar engine. Narratives cite failures at 15,000 to 50,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light illuminated; Rough idle; Misfire during acceleration or driving; Loss of power; Stalling in motion
Codes mentioned: P0300, P0302, P0304, P0306
Repairs/costs cited: Left-side cylinder head replacement required; no repair of codes possible without head replacement. Some owners report recurrence after repair; right-side failures not covered. Aftermarket engines (LKQ, C&K) not available for this model.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Extended warranty issued for left-side cylinder head: 10 years / 240,000 km (or 150,000 miles per some narratives). Technical Service Bulletin 09-002-14 Rev. B (2014) acknowledges defect in 0.5% of 2011–2012 production. Right-side cylinder head failures denied warranty coverage.
Uncontrolled engine revving at low speeds
Engine revs uncontrollably to high RPM (over 5,000) when shifting into Drive from Park or when releasing gas pedal before braking. No driver input on accelerator. Brakes struggle to hold vehicle; burning smell reported. Single occurrence in one narrative; unconfirmed cause.
When: One report during parking lot maneuver; one report while decelerating to traffic light. Rare in corpus.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden high RPM surge (5,000+) on gear shift or deceleration; Difficulty controlling vehicle with brakes; Brake smell/overheating; No warning lights
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to identify cause; suspected floor mat or driver foot by dealer (rejected by owner). Computer diagnostics revealed nothing.
Connecting rod bearing failure and engine seizure
Engine seizes or makes severe seizure noise while driving. Debris inside engine block causes connecting rod bearing failure. Complete engine shutdown with no restart. Vehicle must be towed.
When: Reported at 90,000 miles and very low mileage (35 miles on new vehicle). Rare in corpus.
Symptoms owners cite: Severe grinding or seizure noise from engine; Temperature gauge moves toward high; Loss of engine power; Engine will not restart
Repairs/costs cited: Engine replacement required; 2-month waiting list reported. Cost ~$8,000. Parts shortages severe.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Safety Recall L33 (NHTSA 11V-487) issued for 2012 model manufactured August 31 – September 13, 2011, with 3.6L engine. Recall covers free engine replacement. Narrative #6 questions whether recall was performed on used vehicle.
Engine fire under hood
Fire ignites under hood or inside engine compartment during normal driving or while stopped. Hood smoke precedes flames. Vehicle deemed total loss by insurance.
When: Reported at low speeds (stopped and in motion); at 35 miles and during normal driving. Rare in corpus but high severity.
Symptoms owners cite: Smoke from hood or engine compartment; Flames erupting from under hood; Fuel odor inside cabin; Check engine light may be illuminated
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle totaled; not repaired. Fire department investigated.
Oil pump failure and engine shutdown
Oil pump fails; engine shuts down completely while driving. Check engine light illuminates, instrument panel lights all illuminate. Vehicle will not restart.
When: Reported at 119,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Noise from engine compartment; Check engine light followed by full instrument panel illumination; Loss of all engine power; Will not restart
Repairs/costs cited: Engine requires replacement or major rebuild.
Camshaft and lifter wear failure
Camshaft seizes or wears prematurely; lifters destroy camshaft. Caused by insufficient oil lubrication due to engine design flaw (camshaft location). Characteristic ticking noise precedes failure. Check engine light for cylinder misfire.
When: Reported at 114,000–126,000 miles; one report at 167,000 miles. Appears in later mileage failures.
Symptoms owners cite: Ticking noise from engine (driver side or general); Hesitation under medium to heavy throttle; Check engine light (P0303, P0304); Rough idle; Engine power loss
Codes mentioned: P0303, P0304
Repairs/costs cited: Camshaft and lifter replacement required; design flaw noted by owners as inherent to Hemi (5.7L) engine architecture.
Starting failure and no-start condition
Engine fails to start or cranks without firing. Occurs cold or warm. No specific diagnostic identified by dealers. Some cases linked to fuel pump relay; others attributed to cylinder head or other causes. Vehicle stranded after refueling in one case.
When: Recurring across ownership; one report specifically after refueling. Intermittent.
Symptoms owners cite: Ignition engages, engine fails to crank or start; No check engine light initially, may appear later; Cold and warm start failures
Repairs/costs cited: Fuel pump replacement attempted in some cases. Cylinder head replacement recommended in others. No consistent fix identified.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Fuel pump relay recall (19V-813 / V62) cited; parts not available. Extended cylinder head warranty referenced in some narratives.
Synthesized from 118 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.