The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the U.S. equivalent of Transport Canada, has opened an investigation concerning around 299,000 Dodge Dart cars from the 2013 to 2016 model-years. The affected vehicles were all equipped with an automatic transmission.
The problem is related to the shifter cable bushing. If this disengages from the transmission, the transmission might then be unable to shift gears, including into or out of the Park position. If this happens, the vehicle could roll forward or backward without warning.
Complaints received from owners regarding this issue in the vehicle, despite a previous recall for this issue, led the NHTSA to launch an investigation.
Specifically, in April 2019, FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) recalled all Dart cars equipped with the 6-speed automatic transmission. The parts used for the repair were supposed to withstand wear over time, but the NHTSA notes it has received 44 customer complaints reporting that the problem has resurfaced. Hence the launch of the investigation.
No injuries have been reported in connection with either of these recalls.
Stellantis has stated it is cooperating fully with the NHTSA's investigation.
At the time, in Canada, 20,117 vehicles were recalled for the problem.