NHTSA Complaint #10513329 — 2012 DODGE DART

I BOUGHT MY 13 DART (1.4 W/6SPD) AND AT THE 200 MILE MARK THE CAR BEGAN TO "SURGE" WHEN SHIFTING THROUGH 2ND AND 3RD GEAR, FROM 2,700 TO 3,300 RPMS. INITIALLY IT WAS JUST ANNOYING AND NOTICEABLE. MY 1ST TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME DODGE SAID IT IS A NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE MULTIAIR TURBO, AND I SHOULD SWITCH TO PREMIUM FUEL. WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP I DROVE A USED 1.4/6SPD AND IT HAD THE SAME SURGING ISSUE. ANOTHER WEEK WENT BY AND AT APPROX 1,400 MILES THE SURGING COULD BE FELT IN 4TH GEAR. A SECOND TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. AGAIN, DODGE TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER "IT'S NORMAL. SWITCH TO PREMIUM." I THEN SWITCHED TO PREMIUM AND AFTER THREE FULL TANKS THE VEHICLE NOW SURGES IN 2 TO 6TH GEAR, ALL AROUND 2,700 TO 3,300 RPMS. ADDITIONALLY, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS GOING 45MPH IN 4TH AND WHEN I TRIED TO SPEED UP THE CAR WOULD SURGE VIOLENTLY AND I HAD TO PULL OVER TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT GO ANY FASTER. NOW, A THIRD TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP STILL NO RESOLUTION. NOW, AT 6,100 MILES, I WAS DRIVING THROUGH WVA HILLS AND IN 6TH AT 75MPH THE CAR BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SURGE CAUSING ME TO PULL OVER OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. I HAVE SWITCHED BACK TO 87 GRADE GAS BUT I ONLY GET 39MPG AVG VS 45MPG AVG I WAS GETTING. INITIALLY, I WAS EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW PURCHASE AND THE DEALERSHIP COMMUNICATED WITH ME EXTENSIVELY. NOW THAT THEY HAVE NO RESOLUTION FOR THIS "NORMAL" SURGE THE GM WON'T CALL ME BACK OR ANSWER MY CALLS. WHEN I CALLED CHRYSLER THE INITIAL CASE MANAGER TOOK MY CASE FOR INVESTIGATION, BUT AFTER ONLY 2 DAYS SHE TOLD ME THE CASE HAS BEEN FORWARDED UP TO A HIGHER LEVEL EXECUTIVE INVESTIGATION TEAM, BUT IN OVER A WEEK I HAVE HEARD NOTHING. NOW EVEN THE INITIAL CASE MANAGER WON'T RESPOND. DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THE SURGE ISSUE IN EVERY REPAIR INVOICE. *TR