Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Dodge Dart owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I came home from work, (drove 18 miles) and parked, walked towards my building and I heard a noise, as if something turned on under the hood. Like a electrical motor spinning. And it was not the fan because that one had already turned off. I walk back to the car and pop the hood, white smoke starts coming out and in less than 2 minutes a huge flame comes straight out from the passenger side of the hood. Called the fire department. Fire was on for 4 minutes, neighbor mechanics came running with fire extinguishers and put out the fire before the firefighters arrived. Too many parts melted and damaged. So far estimate is at $4,000. I do not have the estimate on paper, since at the moment I did not have budget to fix my car. My car was perfectly fine, services got done regularly. Never had issues other than wear and tear. I've had that car for almost 10 years.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH there was a loud abnormal banging sound before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle went dark and there was no electrical power. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who could not duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure occurred two more times and the vehicle was driven to the dealer, who was able to diagnose the failure on the third visit. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the onboard computer needed to be reset as well as the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired; however, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,815. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the engine temperature warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the throttle warning light also illuminated on the instrument panel causing the vehicle to go into Limp Mode. The contact stated that the vehicle then started losing motive power. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto and diagnosed with a faulty thermostat. The contact was informed that the thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by an authorized dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Car not shifting gears correctly. Dodge Dart accelerating poorly to the point where driving can be extremely dangerous for everyone involved. Sometimes car will not go over 40mph which is extremely dangerous. Car jerks and surges forward. Constant Problems with Transmission and gears. Car looses horsepower going up hills to the point where it can back into cars behind me. Gas Mileage extremely high constant trips to gas stations to refuel car. Car has been to dealership shop multiple times for transmission and engine problems but the car still has the same issues nothing is getting fixed car is unfit to and is a safety hazard to all on roads. Dealership doesn't care as long as they get their money. Engine light and slip light constant on. The car is dangerous to and dealer won't issue me refund or any other car. I'm scared for my safety everytime I drive this car. …
I received a safety recall on my vehicle in October, and it is now almost february and there is still no remedy. This safety recall is the Transmission Shift Cable A0C. The recall states: "This can cause an unexpected and unrecoverable loss of PARK function and/or vehicle movement in an unintended direction which can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning and/or injury to others outside the vehicle." This is putting myself and others at risk. The dealership has confirmed the issue and has no remedy. They informed me to wait for the remedy. My vehicle has been developing the symptoms of this recall for about 3 years. The key gets stuck in the ignition, the car does not go into or out of PARK easily, it sticks. After I park my car rolls backwards. My vehicle does not feel like its in park. The shifter has become stiff and does not want to move. …
On December 13, 2021 my 2016 Dodge Dart shut down while driving and would not start back up. Had it towed to a repair shop, they could not duplicate the problem. I contacted Chrysler and the agent who helped me said there is no known issues with this particular vehicle. I found at that was a lie with a little google search. Picked my vehicle up and immediately took it to the Dodge dealership. They checked the oil level and it was so low that the tech said that if it would have been driven much longer it would have completely disabled the engine. No oil light, oil was changed recently, no reason for this to have happened. Found out there was a campaign to update software to the PCM module so that was completed along with an oil change. This created a COMPLETELY unsafe situation, luckily there was very little traffic on the roadway at the time. …
The vehicle got too hot, almost all the electric system of the car had very little energy and blinked, the air conditioning takes a long time to work either to defog the windows, heat or cool. The radio is not working properly. Lights are not level. Emergency equipment is missing as well as an emergency repair tire. And also when I am driving it accelerates and brakes automatically and suddenly. Since I bought this car it has given me many mechanical problems
The car keeps stalling and several scans, thousands into repairs to include the dealership itself. I'm convinced that it's one of the recalls re: power train and engine keeps randomly stalling. This is a huge safety concern that will result in an accident. It happens after start up, at stop lights and signs And randomly throughout driving. I don't feel safe and I'm taking it back to the dealership to do the job right .
The car stops unexpectedly. It smoked the other day. I don't know what fuel. The gas cap says 85 but the dealer never told me this. The lighting and inside above. Falls out like it has been tampered with. It doesn't run properly. Sometimes it just stops and won't stop. Like it's a bate car. Used by cops. But I wasn't informed when I was sold the car
When I start my car and depart the car feels like it is gonna die and when I accelerate the gears slip and the engine revs up when I am pressing on the brake and sometimes when I come to a complete stop after exiting the freeway my car dies and the battery light turns on and I have to put it in park and start the car again....
Engine complaints in other Dart years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Dodge Dart?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Dodge Dart, 25% of the model year's 261 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Dodge Dart engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2016 Dodge Dart, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Dodge Dart engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.