NHTSA Complaint #10578095 — 2008 DODGE AVENGER

ON OR ABOUT FEB. 17, 2009 AND CONTINUING TO PRESENT, MY 2008 AVENGER HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SHIFTING. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH HARD SHIFTING AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. NOW, WHEN DRIVING AT 45MPH WHEN THE CAR GOES TO SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE, AND MISSES 4TH GEAR. THERE IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF GEARS AND THE TACHOMETER CLIMBS RAPIDLY BECAUSE THE OVERDRIVE GEAR WILL NOT ENGAGE. WHEN ENGINE RPM IS LOWERED, CAR DOWNSHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR (LIMP MODE) AND WILL NOT SHIFT NORMALLY UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND RE-STARTED. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED MAY RESULT IN A CRASH AND PERSONAL INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE NOTICED A LOT OF SERVICE BULLETINS RELATED TO IMPROPER SHIFTING OF THE 2008 AVENGER. EVEN THOUGH DODGE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, THEY HAVE REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE MODULE PLACING THE SAFETY OF ITS CUSTOMERS BELOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR PROFITS. *TR