NHTSA Complaint #10574424 — 2012 DODGE DART

BRAND NEW 2013 DODGE DART, SIX SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. BEGAN SMELLING AND SMOKING WHEN TEACHING MY SON HOW TO START ON A HILL. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF TRANSMISSION. SMELLED LIKE A BURNING CLUTCH. THIS OCCURRED AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ON THE HILL (LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES). TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP TODAY (3-24-14), AND WAS TOLD THERE IS A STICKER ON THE TRANSMISSION THAT BURNS (IT WAS REMOVED TODAY, AND HAS BEEN REMOVED ON OTHER DARTS THEY HAVE WORKED ON FOR THE SAME PROBLEM), AND THE SMELL AND SMOKE WERE ALSO COMING FROM THE CLUTCH. THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR OVER SOME HILLS NEAR THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE SAME SMELL, BUT SAID IT IS LIKELY CAUSED BY THE NEW CLUTCH AND SHOULD BE DRIVEN 1500-2000 MILES BEFORE BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED CLUTCH BURNING LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY AFTER SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ON THE HILL, AND I'VE DRIVEN MANY MANUAL CARS/TRUCKS OVER MANY YEARS. *TR