NHTSA Complaint #10693888 — 2012 DODGE DART

I PURCHASED A NEW DART, 2013 LIMITED 1.4 TURBO (MANUAL) AND WHEN I SAY NEW, IT HAD TO BE BUILT BECAUSE THERE WERE'T ANY ON THE LOTS YET. I ALWAYS FELT THE CAR LACKED POWER BUT ASSUMED IT WAS JUST THE WAY THE CAR WAS. GETTING OUT OF 1ST GEAR WAS REALLY TOUGH. AROUND 6K, AFTER A LONG ROAD TRIP, I STARTED TO HEAR A GRINDING NOISE WHEN CUTTING THE WHEEL AND THROTTLING IN 1ST GEAR OR REVERSE, BASICALLY PARALLEL PARKING. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR ITS 1ST MAJOR TUNE UP AND MENTIONED IT AND THEY SAID THE DIDN'T HEAR THE NOISE ( I ALSO MENTIONED THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD NOT GO AWAY) THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS GONE BUT SOON TO RETURN. AT 9K, I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR THE SAME ISSUES! AIR BAG LIGHT GONE (SOON TO RETURN) BUT THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR THE NOISE. AT 19K I WAS FUMING AND GOT THEM TO GO ON A TEST DRIVE WITH ME AND THEY HEARD THEY NOISE! THEY TRIED TO SAY IT WAS THE CA INTAKE I PUT IN, BUT I ASSURED THEM IT WASN'T AND GAVE THEM THE OEM PART TO PROVE THEM WRONG. LOW AND BEHOLD AFTER A WEEK THEY COME BACK WITH "CLUTCH BEARINGS"! I GOT THE CAR BACK AND IT FEELS LIKE A- BRAND NEW CAR!! IT'S AMAZING! IT HAS POWER, PICK UP, THE CLUTCH IS MUCH EASIER TO WORK AND NO NOISE! I WAS STARTLED BY THE POWER! THIS IS THE CAR I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS ECONOMY I'VE WASTED AFTER 19K, BUT I'M JUST GLAD TO FINALLY HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED! I REALLY HOPE THIS HELPS THOSE OUT THERE SO IF YOU HAVE A MANUAL SHIFT AND NO POWER/PICK-UP OUT OF 1ST, INSIST THEY CHECK THE CLUTCH BEARINGS! NOW LET'S HOPE THE AIRBAG LIGHT DOESN'T COME BACK ON. *TR