Owners report intermittent stalling at low speeds and highway speeds—sometimes five or six times per trip—with the Check Electronic Throttle light illuminating during failures. Dealers cannot duplicate these stalls on their first two attempts but eventually find fuel pump or throttle body defects. One owner experienced a throttle body failure at 45,000 miles while still in the standard 3-year/30,000-mile warranty window, leaving them exposed for further repairs.
Water pump failure causes groaning, then squeaking, followed by uncontrollable engine surge. The dealer declared one vehicle unsafe to drive but kept the owner waiting over a month for a back-ordered replacement.
More severe: one owner's engine caught fire 10–15 minutes after parking in the garage, destroying the vehicle entirely. Another reports a chronic interior odor that the dealer could not diagnose despite multiple visits.
Radiator leaks appear at 7,100 miles on used purchases. All 12 rocker arm mounts on a 3.6L Pentastar failed at 60–70,000 miles, costing $1,600 to replace. Cylinder 2 misfire traced to a chewed camshaft points to poor lifter lubrication—described as a known but unacknowledged defect. Oil pressure sensors on the 392 SRT motor drop suddenly while driving. Multiple owners waited 8+ months for recall parts that never arrived.
Failure modes owners describe
Unplanned stalling
Vehicle stalls without warning while driving at various speeds. Restarts normally after a few minutes. Occurs intermittently and repeatedly, sometimes five or six times.
When: 300 to 10,700 miles; first occurrence within 8 months of purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls from stop or while cruising; Check Electronic Throttle warning illuminates; Instrument panel message to select appropriate gear; Vehicle restarts normally after 1-2 minutes
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer fuel pump replacement attempted; failure recurred. Dealers unable to duplicate issue in at least two cases despite repeated attempts.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified; advised owner 3-year/30,000-mile warranty applies to throttle body defect
Electronic throttle body malfunction
Check Electronic Throttle warning light triggers and vehicle fails to respond correctly to accelerator input. Deceleration occurs when driver accelerates, creating dangerous condition.
When: 45,000 miles; 8 months of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle decelerates when throttle applied; Check Electronic Throttle warning light illuminates; Dangerous loss of power during acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Throttle body identified as defective; warranty coverage ends at 30,000 miles
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: 3-year/30,000-mile warranty on throttle body; no coverage beyond 30,000 miles
Water pump failure with engine surging
Water pump develops groaning noise, then squeaking; leads to uncontrollable engine surge. Deemed unsafe to drive but dealer unable to complete repair due to parts back-order lasting over one month.
When: Mileage not stated; failure progressed within 200 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Groaning noise from motor; Squeaking noise from motor; Uncontrollable engine surge
Repairs/costs cited: Water pump replacement required; part on back order for over one month. Vehicle declared unsafe to drive.
Engine fire
Engine and engine compartment caught fire in parked vehicle 10-15 minutes after owner arrived home from 22-mile commute. Took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to extinguish.
When: Mileage not stated
Symptoms owners cite: Loud boom heard from engine compartment; Black smoke from garage door; Complete engine and structural fire
Repairs/costs cited: Total loss; vehicle destroyed by fire
Undiagnosed severe odor
Extreme odor inside vehicle that impairs breathing. Dealer notified multiple times but unable to identify cause or remedy.
When: Mileage not available
Symptoms owners cite: Extreme odor inside cabin; Odor severe enough to impair breathing; Owner required to open windows to breathe
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to diagnose cause
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer worked with owner but no remedy provided after months of investigation
Radiator leak
Radiator develops leak allowing coolant to escape. Occurs early in vehicle life on used purchase with low mileage. Dealer refuses warranty coverage claiming it has expired.
When: 7,100 miles; shortly after purchase of used vehicle with 6,800 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Coolant puddle under passenger front corner; Leak discovered after highway driving
Repairs/costs cited: Radiator replacement needed; dealer refused warranty repair citing expired OEM coverage
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer refused to address under warranty; owner states multiple other owners report same issue
Rocker arm mount failure
All 12 engine rocker arm mounts failed on 3.6L Pentastar V-6. Owner states this is a known common problem in this engine. Repair cost $1,600 at 60-70,000 miles.
When: 60,000-70,000 miles; below typical wear-and-tear timeframe
Symptoms owners cite: All 12 rocker arm mounts failed simultaneously
Repairs/costs cited: Rocker arm mount replacement; $1,600 out-of-pocket cost
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner notes this is a known common problem reported by multiple 3.6L Pentastar owners online
Camshaft wear with cylinder misfire
Cylinder 2 misfire caused by chewed camshaft. Owner alleges poor lubrication to lifters is the root cause. Described as known but unacknowledged defect.
When: Mileage not stated
Symptoms owners cite: Cylinder 2 misfire code; Chewed camshaft
Codes mentioned: Cylinder 2 misfire
Repairs/costs cited: Camshaft and lifter replacement required; owner typically forced to pay
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner characterizes as known but unacknowledged issue
Oil sensor pressure drop
Faulty oil pressure sensor on 392 SRT motor causes sudden oil pressure drop while driving. Owner states this is a known issue from earlier 2014-2015 Challenger models.
When: Mileage not stated
Symptoms owners cite: Oil pressure drops suddenly while in motion; Oil sensor malfunction
Repairs/costs cited: Oil sensor repair or replacement needed
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Described as recurring issue carried over from earlier model year Challengers
Recall parts unavailable and delayed
Multiple owners report inability to complete recall repairs (campaigns 15V114000, UB4 evaporative emissions canister, V86 catalytic converter) due to parts unavailability. One owner waited 8 months without scheduling; another reports 8-month delay with no parts available.
When: Timing varies; 8-month delays reported
Symptoms owners cite: Cannot schedule recall appointments due to parts back-order; Parts supply issues preventing recall completion
Repairs/costs cited: Recall parts remain on back-order for extended periods (8+ months)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA campaigns 15V114000, UB4, V86 issued; FCA/Dodge unable to source parts in timely manner
Synthesized from 14 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.