NHTSA Complaint #10664722 — 2012 DODGE DART

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SOUNDS AN AUDIBLE ALERT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON, AND DISPLAYS "SERVICE TRANSMISSION" ON THE CAR'S DASH/DISPLAY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR DROPS INTO NEUTRAL AND I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ANY GEARS. ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND BACK INTO DRIVE DISPLAYS A "GEAR NOT AVAILABLE" MESSAGE ON THE CAR'S DASH/DISPLAY. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, OR IF I POWER THE CAR DOWN AND START IT BACK UP, I CAN GET THE GEARS BACK, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND THE CAR DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND THE CAR IS SLUGGISH. THIS CAR IS THE 1.4L TURBO WITH A DUAL DRY CLUTCH TRANSMISSION. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW WITHIN THE LAST 1.5 MONTHS. THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALER DID A "REFRESH" ON THE COMPUTER AND STATED THAT THE COMPUTER HAD TO "RELEARN" THE TRANSMISSION. THE SECOND TIME (12/09/2014) THE DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE THIRD TIME OCCURRED TODAY (12/16/2014) AND IT IS AT THE DEALER NOW WAITING ON SOMEONE TO LOOK AT IT. TODAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET MY CAR ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO THE SHOULDER OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN NEW JERSEY. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY AS IT WOULD HAVE INVOLVED A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH AN 18-WHEELER SEMI-TRUCK. *TR