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Timing chain failure on the Dodge Challenger

1M views 6K replies 443 participants last post by  Mopar Frank 
#1 · (Edited)
I have been finding many reports of the timing chain breaking on the Dodge Challenger, mostly in the 5.7L Hemi engines. The timing chain breaks in most reported instances around the 35K-40K mile range.

Once the timing chain breaks, the end result is usually the valves smacking the pistons which bend the valves, damages the pistons and leads to catastrophic engine failure. This often requires a new long block.

How many of you have had the timing chain break? How many miles on the car when when it happened? and what was your experience in getting it repaired?

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Known instances of the timing chain breaking on the 5.7L Dodge Challenger just in this forum alone in the past few months:

1. 06/27/2011 -- mileage not mentioned -- ... come to find out the timing chain broke ...

2. 07/19/2011 -- 85,000 miles -- ... and the timing chain broke...

3. 09/27/2011 -- 33,385 miles -- 2009 R/T Motor Broke

4. 11/23/2011 -- 38,000 miles -- Club member's car. Broken timing chain. Car in shop for over two months.

5. 12/07/2011 -- 34,000 miles -- I found this thread the hard way...

6. 12/19/2011 -- 22,600 miles -- 2010 Challenger - Timing Chain Breaks...

7. 01/21/2012 -- 60,000 miles -- Engine went..........

8. 02/02/2012 -- 38,000 miles -- 2009 Challenger R/T lost a second motor .. (Second occurrence. See #3 above. 4,000 miles on new motor).

9. 03/08/2012 -- 50,000 miles -- BLOWN ENGINE 50,000 miles

10. 03/23/2012 -- 14,000 miles -- ... my timing chain snapped

11. 04/04/2012 -- 53,500 miles -- My timing chain just broke today ...

12. 04/16/2012 -- 46,000 miles -- Mine is in the shop with a broken timing chain...

13. 04/27/2012 -- 31,000 miles -- My chain broke back in December of 2011 ...

14. 05/22/2012 -- 37,000 miles -- Here's another 2010 Auto R/T with a broken timing chain! ...

15. 06/13/2012 -- 40,257 miles -- I too have a broken timing chain ...

16. 06/23/2012 -- 38,485 miles -- Guess I can be added to the list ...

17. 06/26/2012 -- 38,500 miles -- Just happened last Saturday ...

18. 08/02/2012 -- 59,134 miles -- ... all of a sudden Bam the engine shuts down

19. 08/03/2012 -- 38,000 miles -- I had this happen at 38000 miles, 2010 R/T Auto

20. 08/08/2012 -- 27,000 miles -- The timing chain on my 2010 R/T just broke ...

21. 08/10/2012 -- 59,300 miles -- ... timing chain broke again. (Third occurrence. See #3 and #8 above. 16,000 miles on new motor).

22. 08/10/2012 -- 63,000 miles -- ... timing chain broke cruising at 70mph on the highway

23. 09/03/2012 -- 40,000 miles -- ... while driving to dallas my timing chain broke

24. 09/11/2012 -- 24,000 miles -- Welp - chalk up another one ... (first 2011 to be reported here)

25. 09/21/2012 -- 31,100 miles -- This just happened a few days ago ...

26. 10/10/2012 -- 42,559 miles -- Well it's looking like I'm the latest timing chain victim ...

27. 10/24/2012 -- 65,000 miles -- ... driving on the highway 65MPH and "Pop goes to weasel"

28. 11/18/2012 -- 40,000 miles -- Mine just broke...2010 mopar 10, no mods, auto ... (first to break not at highway speeds)

29. 11/19/2012 -- 39,000 miles -- just got another 2010 with 39000 in today ...

30. 12/04/2012 -- 40,000 miles -- The timing chain on my 2010 Auto RT broke last Friday ...

31. 12/09/2012 -- miles pending -- ... R/T not running at the moment timing chain broke ...

32. 12/11/2012 -- 27,000 miles -- ... cruising on the interstate at 70, MDS on, when suddenly loss of power ...

33. 01/03/2013 -- 58,000 miles -- ... the dealer has confirmed that I did have a timing chain failure.

34. 01/22/2013 -- 40,000 miles -- It has been confirmed I as well did have a broken timing chain

35. 01/22/2013 -- 43,000 miles -- 2010 R/T, 5-speed auto with mds. No mods at all.

36. 02/22/2013 -- 52,000 miles -- ... it happen to me this weekend ...

37. 04/15/2013 -- 55,000 miles -- I have now become victim to a failed timing chain

38. 04/20/2013 -- 73,000 miles -- cruising at 65 mph, in MSD, engine 'shut down'

39. 05/13/2013 -- 66,000 miles -- lost it on the interstate doing 73 in MDS

40. 05/20/2013 -- 56.616 miles -- ... on the freeway headed to work in the rain and Wham

41. 05/24/2013 -- 28,000 miles -- the chain went on the highway at 70+ mph

42. 06/07/2013 -- 88,256 miles -- ... driving down the highway heard a loud pop ...

43. 07/01/2013 -- 52,000 miles -- Timing chain broke on freeway ...

44. 07/23/2013 -- 54,057 miles -- Was in a canyon going uphill at about 55mph ... (claims MDS not engaged)

45. 07/26/2013 -- 49,000 miles -- Cruising along 65 mph engine stalled.

46. 08/10/2013 -- 22,281 miles -- I wish I found this topic sooner

47. 09/17/2013 -- 40,091 miles -- driving 74 mph in cruse control just died ...

48. 10/04/2013 -- 68,000 miles -- Add another one to the list OMG.

49. 10/22/2013 -- 89,000 miles -- Timing chain went on my 09 Challenger

50. 11/13/2013 -- 55,320 miles -- I had hoped I would never be posting this message ...

51. 11/13/2013 -- 42,342 miles -- Just got up to highway speed Bam Powerloss ...

52. 11/21/2013 -- 53,000 miles -- Add me to the list of failures ...

53. 11/27/2013 -- 73,000 miles -- I was cruising at highway speeds (70 mph), in MDS

54. Recall initiated, see below.

Remember, these reports are from this forum alone. Real world numbers are greatly increased.

The things in common when the timing chain breaks so far are:

1. MDS is activated (auto trans., so 6-speed are excluded)
2. Traveling at freeway speeds (or coming off of freeway)
3. 2009-2011 model years affected so far.
4. Limited to the 5.7L motor so far
5. Dodge Challenger only

Things ruled out thus far:

A. 6-speed manual transmissions not affected
B. Other 5.7L vehicles not affected, i.e., Charger, 300, Ram truck
C. New guide shoe (white color) has also failed (see #8 on list of failures)
D. New crate motor has also failed (see #3 and #8 on list of failures)
E. Both stock and mod cars affected
F. Both stock tune and Predator tune (with MDS turned on) affected
G. All oil change intervals affected, i.e., 3,000 miles, 5,000 miles, etc.
H. All types of oil affected, i.e., both synthetic and conventional oil

* Author's notes (last updated 10/28/13):

(1) When I created this thread, I was so taken back by a timing chain failure happening and discovering at least a half dozen similar occurrences, that I attempted to discover if anyone here had experienced a timing chain failure and what their dealership experience was. I got a lot of adverse feedback along the lines of "alarmist" and "chicken little" and other name calling, including some from dealerships and master mechanics, as can be seen in just the first few hundred posts below. Many attempted to derail this thread by taking it off-topic on many, many occasions. Some are still out there promoting denial of the issue. Still, the problem remains, it is real and it continues to plague fellow Challenger owners.

(2) The timing chain concern can be alleviated by disabling MDS (a band-aid solution not a fix). All but one recent report have shown that MDS was engaged and the car was traveling at freeway speeds. You can prevent MDS from being activated by switching into manual mode while driving on the freeway. You can read How to use the Autostick feature and manual mode here. You can also use a tuner to disable the MDS feature, but be forewarned, if the dealership discovers your use of a tuner on the car, you are in for a fight to get the repairs done under warranty.

(3) Chrysler is aware of the issue and has been monitoring this thread for some time regardless of they might tell you. In addition, many people have already telephoned customer service and have written to Chrysler directly. But, even without all of that, you don't have timing chains, tensioners, heads and short blocks rolling out of the warehouse in the numbers that they have without raising some internal red flags of a potential issue.

(4) Talks of running off to court and filing a lawsuit over this issue are misguided. Your warranty specifically states that you MUST first submit the matter to arbitration. Any lawsuit would be immediately dismissed, and now you are out the filing fees.

(5) When I first created this thread, the weekly parts demand for timing chains was at about 15. It is currently hovering around 35 at the moment.

(6) Chrysler has switched from the black tensioner and guide to white (supposedly stronger) and then to an aluminum tensioner and guide with a plastic face plate (the current part). Both black and white guides have failed. No reports of the aluminum failing yet but they are relatively new first showing up in mid-2013 R/T's.

(7) The exact cause of the timing chain failure is still unknown. In fact, it may never been known. There are just too many factors involved to isolate the problem, and if we haven't discovered the cause in over 350,000 page views, how can we expect Chrysler to? While there is a lot of speculation as to the exact cause, which seems to go round-and-round every few hundred posts, it is all just that -- speculation. What we do for for certain is that MDS is playing a part in the timing chain failures.

(8) Special shout outs to Desert Bum, Hal H, hmk123, Force10, 19johned53, and the nameless many who have helped to keep this issue real and on topic. Your comments are appreciated.

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* Author's notes (last updated 02/12/14):

Customer Satisfaction Notification P01
Engine Timing Chain and Chain Guide
Models
IMPORTANT: Some of the involved vehicles may be in dealer used vehicle inventory. Dealers should complete this repair on these vehicles before retail delivery. Dealers should also perform this repair on vehicles in for service. Involved vehicles can be determined by using the VIP inquiry process.
Subject
Repair
2009-2012 (LC) Dodge Challenger
(LD) Dodge Charger
(LX) Chrysler 300
NOTE: This recall applies only to the above vehicles equipped with a 5.7L Hemi engine (sales code EZD or EZH), automatic transmission (sales code DGJ) and rear axle ratio 3.06, 3.73 or 3.92 (sales code DMP, DME or DMH) built from August 04, 2008 through July 10, 2012 (MDH 080406 through 071008).
The engine timing chain guide on about 50,800 of the above vehicles may fracture. A fractured engine timing chain guide could cause the engine timing chain to break. A broken engine timing chain will result in severe engine damage.
The engine timing chain, timing chain tensioner and timing chain guide must be replaced.
Customer Satisfaction Notification P01 Engine Timing Chain and Chain Guide Page 2
Part Number Description
CBPRN291AA Engine Timing Chain Package
Each package contains the following components:
Quantity Description
1 Chain, Engine Timing
1 Guide, Engine Timing Chain
1 Tensioner, Engine Timing Chain
1 O-ring, Oil Pick-up Tube
1 Gasket, Engine Timing Cover
NOTE: Order two heater tube O-rings separately listed below for each repair.
Part Number Description
53013736AA O-ring, Heater Tube (order two per vehicle)
Each dealer
to whom vehicles in the recall were assigned will receive enough Engine Timing Chain Packages to service about 5% of those vehicles.

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Recall type:

Customer Satisfaction Notification - Customer Satisfaction Notifications are preventive in nature and involve warranty or customer satisfaction issues such as non-safety repairs. Chrysler will correct the problem, at no charge, even if the vehicle is out of warranty and you are not the original owner.

You can check if your vehicle is subject to the timing chain issue recall (or any other recall) by visiting the Chrysler website and entering your vehicle's VIN number. Visit: http://www.chrysler.com/en/mobile/webselfservice/

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We really want to thank everyone who wrote us, (Pietro), with their timing chain concerns. The engineering team has completed their work and the following statement has been released. If there are any questions, reach out to us on this forum as opposed to sending an email as that will be quicker.

Chrysler Group is launching a customer-service action to bolster timing-chain system durability in certain cars equipped with 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engines.

The decision follows an extensive investigation to determine the precise issue and appropriate remedy.
The investigation discovered the engine’s fuel-saving cylinder-deactivation technology may cause an adverse interaction with the timing-chain system. (Chrysler Group is unaware of any related injuries or accidents.) As a result, the Company will replace – at no cost to customers – the timing chains, tensioners and guides in certain vehicles built between Aug. 4, 2008 and July 10, 2012.

Affected are certain model-year 2009-2012 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 full-size sedans, and Dodge Challenger sport coupes. The scope is limited to vehicles equipped with 5-speed automatic transmissions and axle ratios of 3.06, 3.73 or 3.92.

Beginning this month, Chrysler Group will contact affected customers with instructions to schedule service appointments with their dealers.

Chrysler Group greatly appreciates the patience demonstrated by its customers while this issue was under investigation. The Company also values and shares the passion expressed on these pages by customers and fans alike.

Thanks,

DodgeCares
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Article: Timing Chain Failure on the Dodge Challenger – Ground Zero

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2
#2 ·
never seen one, the 5.7L Hemi in the Challenger is basically the same one in the Ram, again never seen one break ever!!!!!
in the last 5 years we have replace 5, 5.7L Hemis, 3 in the same police car, yep Chrysler permanently restricted the warranty on that car.....

also search it on dealerconnect, no case and no bulletins

Luke
 
#5,801 ·
never seen one, the 5.7L Hemi in the Challenger is basically the same one in the Ram, again never seen one break ever!!!!!
if they were breaking, we would see them!!!!

one incident doesnt make it a common failure
we sell 240/250 units a month, service 80 to 110 vehicles a day.........does it happen, im sure it does, anything can happen, but dont start a stampede because one coughed....
How would you like your Corvus prepared? fried or barbecued? :)
 
#3 ·
I thought I saw a post about a month ago here about a timing chain breaking on a 5.7 and the poster even had pics showing it. Several others stated this had happened to them as well.
 
#6 ·
... if they were breaking, we would see them!!!!
You can't see the wind, yet it exists. Curious about what you do for Christmas. I bet you close shop, don't you? :icon_wink:

Hemi666 said:
Where did you hear about this issue?
One of our club members has his car in the shop right now -- broken timing chain, 36k miles on the car. Almost the exact same story as below. Just cruising down the highway at 70 mph -- pop goes the weasel.

-------

October 2011: While driving home from work last night with the cruise control set at 74mph she started to shake rattle and roll. CEL and ETC lights came on (flashing). Went to "N" and limped to the shoulder, waited a few seconds and attempted a re-start. Ouch. sounded real bad. ... (I'm at 35200) ... . Adviser called me this morning to tell me the tech thinks the timing chain broke! ... Foreman told me the 5.7 Hemi timing chain is on back order. When I questioned him he told me that the chains are popping all over the country on the Challengers and they have run completely out.
October 2011: WOW this is like the 3rd one i have heard about??
October 2011: Had the same thing happen to me about 30 days ago. Had it towed to the dealer and after the tear down they determined that it was a broken timing chain.
-------

So that's just three reports right there, and there are more. In my 30+ years of driving and racing, I have personally only encountered one instance of a timing chain breaking. It's a rare occurrence, no doubt about it. So, when you see reports coming in like the above, you kind of scratch your head and ask yourself, "Is there a problem here? This shouldn't be happening so frequently."

There are to date some 52k Challenger 5.7L Hemis out there. Many are just now coming up on 35k miles. Hence, the problem, if it is a problem, is just now beginning to materialize.

Anyway, this thread was intended for those who HAVE experienced the timing chain break. A depository for information to see if there is an actual problem out there that needs to be addressed by the manufacturer.

So, once again, if you have had the timing chain break on your Challenger, please post up how many miles on the car when when it happened? and what was your experience in getting it repaired?
 
#5 ·
Oh well, 41k is less than 100k, I'm not going to be any easier on it than I have been :D
 
#8 ·
The only timing chain "issues" that I've heard about are on this forum. In my neck of the woods, there's not many Challengers, but a TON of RAM Hemi's running around.

Most have lived a "hard life", and the owners really like them.

This alone helped me decide on the 5.7l motor as being a "good one".

Yes, anything can happen, and that's why I bought the Chysler Lifetime Bumper to Bumper warranty. The drivetrain has the normal 5/100 coverage, and after that, the extended takes over for $100 deduct.

I'm running mine as usual, and not losing any sleep over anything on the Challenger. It's covered, and it's been a great ride for over a year now and 16k + miles :)
 
#9 ·
My experience in instances like this is along the lines of what Luke/stevewhiteparts is conveying.......My brother has worked (dealer level) automotive and truck parts sales and service for about 20 years.....whenever I have an issue I go straight to him.......doesn't matter the part or the make.............. he says that when you have a component that has large failure rate like the timing chain is being portrayed in this instance..... it is pretty obvious that there is a problem just by the sheer volume of that part that goes thru the shop .....

If Luke is saying he isn't seeing it..... I'm thinking there's not a problem......

my $.02

rich
 
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#45 ·
Funny, I own both a 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T with 17,000 miles on it, and a 2000 Dodge Intrepid with 180,000 miles on it. I guess I am screwed. I have not had a issue with either of them. Not to say that others haven't.
 
#10 ·
I found this thread the hard way...

Last Friday I was driving home on the highway at about 70-75 mph when all of a sudden my engine just quite. There was no noise, nothing that would have suggested that there was a problem with the engine or that there was a major problem. It acted as if the car was out of gas and so I shifted to neutral and tried to coast as far as possible. I checked the fuel gauge and that was above half a tank so I knew it wasn't out of gas. I attempted to restart the engine and it just cranked and cranked and cranked.

Had the car towed to the nearest Dodge dealership and had to wait till Monday to find out what was wrong. "BROKEN TIMING CHAIN", sorry but I have to disagree with those who think this is not a problem! If all of the "HEMI's" are not built on the exact same line then you can not compare the truck "Hemi" and the Charger "Hemi" with the Challenger "Hemi". Like many others my car had only 34,000 miles on it when it failed. I am currently waiting to hear how much damamge it did to the motor and what they are going to do to repair it. The ironic thing is that this car has not been driven hard at all. I have only smoked the tires 3 times, never topped it out and never drag raced it. It is my daily driver and I drive around 50 miles one way on the highway 4 days a week.

I think that no matter how little the damage is, if the heads, valves or pistons were damamged I am going to demand a new motor. In today's age of "CarFax" all of this information gets recorded and a new engine would be more favorable then a rebuilt engine. If the "CarFx" report showed a major rebuild of the engine at 34,000 miles we all would be less likely to pay the true value of this car.

At first the dealership was not going to provide me with a rental or loaner car, then they called Chrysler and they apporved a 5 day rental for me. I doubt that they will be able to get this car repaired in 5 days. One failed is a fluke, 3 failed a bad batch of parts, 20+ a problem! Look, two Chevy Volts caught on fire and they start a major investigation into the cause of these fires, think about the possible consequences of losing all power at 70 mph in rush hour traffic...I am just saying!
 
This post has been deleted
#11 · (Edited)
I would think, if this was a widespread issue, we would have heard other Challenger owners speaking up. One member mentions he's read a number of reports of timing chains breaking, one thinks he remembers reading a thread about it in the past and one other member experiences a failure. Those two events do not make it anywhere near a widespread issue, in my book.

I visit three different forums that cater to late Model MOPAR's and Challengers specifically.. Haven't seen this discussed before on those either. Not they aren't happening, just doesn't fit the widespread definition in my book.

Just sayin....

Mike
 
#12 ·
2010 Challenger - Timing Chain Breaks...

Hey guys.. I found this forum because I was searching after the timing chain on my 2010 Challenger (22,600 miles) with a 5.7 Hemi broke while traveling at around 75 mph on the interstate two days ago. We coasted over to the emergency lane and I had to get it towed to a dealer... They are tearing it down today. I agree with most of the comments that this might not be a "wide-spread" problem but I think most intelligent people would agree that the timing chain should not be breaking at these low mileages. My engine is unmodified except for a mopar cold air intake. I bought this car to cruise in. We don't race it. I have to say, it really sucks to see your car on the back of a tow truck....
 
#22 ·
Hey guys.. I found this forum because I was searching after the timing chain on my 2010 Challenger (22,600 miles) with a 5.7 Hemi broke while traveling at around 75 mph on the interstate two days ago. We coasted over to the emergency lane and I had to get it towed to a dealer...
Thank you for taking the time to register with the forum and pass along your experience. Sorry to hear about your plight and I hope it all gets worked out as soon as possible for you.

Maybe come back and give us all an update from time to time while your car is getting repaired.

By the way, where about are you?
 
#14 · (Edited)
3 posts to this thread in under a month, all about the timing chain breaking while cruising down the road at roughly the same mileage...and people are saying "Hey, crap happens."

Sorry, but no. This is a major component failure. Power window button stops working, no big deal. They're cheap parts. Random things on random cars failing, typical.

The SAME issue on MULTIPLE vehicles with nearly the SAME mileage is not "Hey, crap happens." It's "Hey, maybe there are some defective parts or someone/something on the assembly line isn't doing installs correctly here and there."

Rear-end whine - Crap happens? ;) No
Door handles failing - Crap happens? ;) No
6-speeds getting stuck in gear - Crap happens? ;) No

When the same component has failed on multiple cars it's not just a random, crap happens problem. The timing chain is a major component, not some cheap plastic part that people should be OK with it failing so soon, if at all.

Am I saying there should be a recall? No, but I think people should be willing to acknowledge that there are people out there having the same problem with timing chain related engine failures instead of blowing it off like they modded their cars or drove them wrong and they got what they deserved. That's not cool.
 
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#15 ·
3 posts to this thread in under a month, all about the timing chain breaking while cruising down the road at roughly the same mileage...and people are saying "Hey, crap happens."

Sorry, but no. This is a major component failure. Power window button stops working, no big deal. They're cheap parts. Random things on random cars failing, typical.

The SAME issue on MULTIPLE vehicles with nearly the SAME mileage is not "Hey, crap happens." It's "Hey, maybe there are some defective parts or someone/something on the assembly line isn't doing installs correctly here and there."

Rear-end whine - Crap happens? ;) No
Door handles failing - Crap happens? ;) No
6-speeds getting stuck in gear - Crap happens? ;) No

When the same component has failed on multiple cars it's not just a random, crap happens problem. The timing chain is a major component, not some cheap plastic part that people should be OK with it failing so soon, if at all.

Am I saying there should be a recall? No, but I think people should be willing to acknowledge that there are people out there having the same problem with timing chain related engine failures instead of blowing it off like they modded their cars or drove them wrong and they got what they deserved. That's not cool.
not blowing anything off, in 5 years that i have been here never seen a broken timing chain, never!!!!!!
the 5.7L found in the Challenger is the same engine found in the Ram, Charger, 300 & Grand Cherokee, not that many Challengers around, but that engine is out there in large quantities, last time i spoke to my field service engineer, questioned him regarding timing chain failure, he stated never even heard of one failing, does it happen probably, but 3 out of several million engines, does it matter....nope
all you have to do is talk to any tech in a large dealership, he'll tell you in a hurry the issues we have....the new gen hemi's are kick ass engines, any engine pushed to the limit can and will break, doesnt necessarily make it a bad engine...

Luke
 
#19 ·
Curious what the total weekly demand is for, say, crankshafts or other major hard parts. Maybe blocks as well. The timing chain numbers may be statistically insignificant for install base, but it truly isn't a part that should need to be replaced frequently. If there are nearly-equal numbers of cranks and blocks being ordered then I'd say there's no abnormal spike in demand, however if the demand for other hard parts is much lower then this does stand out as a potential problem, though on a much smaller scale.
 
#20 ·
Can't use forums as the basis for the majority of owners, we are but a small fraction of the owners out there. Using any forum statistics and applying them to the entire install base is using flawed data. Clearly the fact that "nobody" on here is complaining about it is not proof that there's no problem. You obviously know it's a problem, yet now you're saying that nobody is complaining about it on here...

So no complaints and there's a known problem...
But people complain and it's not a problem... :confused:

Again, all I'm saying is that the attitude of "I haven't seen it so it must not be a problem." doesn't help anyone and it certainly doesn't help the people reporting their problems feel like those that are in a position to help care about them or the problem.

The issue I have here is about attitude, not the numbers.
 
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#26 ·
I'll give Revotech a call, see what he's heard as he is the one who came up with the star center " replace too thick grease" on the early 6-speeds. He ALSO talked me into a catch can on the 5.7 as he had replaced a LOT of intakes due to that little none problem, tho they usually go ( intake silicone seals deteriated due to oil puddles under PCV inlet), out under a covered warranty repair id rather not worry bout it. My problem is like RavenX stated, if it's happening and being repaired with the same parts there IS the possibility of having it happen 3-4 times in the 100k warranty, NOT a very comforting thought.
 
#27 ·
Missing the point

Your right, guys don’t buy Challengers because the timing chains break…we buy them because we wanted to believe that Chrysler had finally gotten it right and made the most unique and well designed and manufactured “retro” car. I had a 72 Challenger and loved it, great car and never once gave me an issue. Every Chrysler product I have had since then has been a mistake. But I heard good things about the Challenger and really liked the looks of the car so I took a chance and bought another Chrysler product…what a mistake!

I couldn't agree more with raVenX on this matter. After I first posted and got the response that I did it made my blood boil. The attitude of one person on this forum is exactly what keeps others from sharing their experiences because it just isn't worth it to argue with an idiot because they will only drag you down to their level and end up beating you with their experience....

It takes a lot of time out of a day to come here read other peoples posts and then sign up and post your experience. We are here because we are experiencing problems with our cars that we want to find answers to. When my timing chain failed I thought that was an odd thing so I “goggled it” and found this forum. Much to my surprise I found out that I wasn’t the only one who had this problem, and in fact I found several other web-sites that showed other people had the same problem.

The real problem is we purchased vehicles that are over $40,000, that the manufacture marketed to us as being “strip ready”, and some of us now have cars that have not been lived up to the “hype”. In my case I have only smoked the tires 3 times, I have never topped it out, and I drive 110 miles to work 4 days a week and 95 of those miles in highway travel. I never rag on it, have not gotten a speeding ticket in this car, nor had one in the last 30 years. My case isn’t about me abusing the car or being to hard on it…my case is about this car being a piece of “s*#t”. I have had nothing but troubles with this car since I first bought it. It all started when it would randomly not start and the key fob’s wouldn’t unlock the doors. I had the key fobs replaced 4 times and within a few weeks I would have the same problems all over again. I had it in the dealership on 5 occasions for this problem and was seriously looking at what recourse I had under the “lemon law” because no one could fix the problem. The dealership kept telling me that they have never heard of this type of a problem and they use this exact type of key fob on a number of Chrysler products. They were baffled and the last time I took it in they ended up with the car for 27 days before they finally got it fixed. Just like the person here who says “they never seen one or heard of that” I was accused of making things up until I finally had it happen and was able to take the car to the dealership so they could see it first hand. After all of their talk about that they didn’t know what the problem was and had never heard of it imagine my surprise when looking for answers to my timing chain issue to find that there were service bulletins about this key fob issue dated prior to my problems and yet the dealership lied to me telling me that they couldn’t find any information about this being a known issue. So excuse me if I don’t “trust” the dealership, mechanics or others who claim that they have never seen something.

In regards to my timing chain repairs I got screwed by Chrysler. After the dealership tore down my engine they determined that the valves needed to be replaced because they were bent from impacting the pistons and that was all the damage to the motor. They told me that the pistons were scuffed, but otherwise they were ok and that they were not going to replace them. I contacted Chrysler and asked that s senior field rep contact me. Never heard from the person, he called the dealership and they agreed that the pistons weren’t damaged and they put my car back together without ever consulting me. Now I am not a mechanic but I do have some knowledge…it is called “common sense” which seems to be lacking in most mechanics today. Anytime two pieces of metal collide with each other with enough force to bend one of them and cause a “scuffing” on the other there is no way that you can guarantee the structural integrity of those parts. If this was a drag car and the same thing happened the owner would do a complete rebuild of the engines internal parts. Why because there is no way they can determine if one or all of those internal moving parts were bent or damaged, even slightly. Not in this case, they put the car back together and I am stuck with it till it fails again…which it will.

Meanwhile, they have reported these “warranty repairs” to carfax and now my vehicle has this “black mark” against it when I go to sell it. It has this “major engine repair” and I for one would be less inclined to purchase this car, but I certainly wouldn’t pay the “maximum” for this particular car. Now that I have the car back (after 9 days) the car isn’t the same. The car never “shook” when sitting at a stop light, the gas mileage is decreased, and there is an obvious ticking noise in the head area. Crap does happen, but when crap happens fix the crap right the first time and don’t blame it on the driver.

I have a friend that has the exact same car, same year and when you drive his verses mine there is a difference, they sound different and both of them are 100% stock. The one thing I know is that if I were the owner of an auto parts supplier and one of my employees was posting on “forums” in the manner seen here that person would no longer be working for me… For those of us who have had the unfortunate “crap happens” experience as one person would have us believe I feel your pain as we know first hand that we no longer have “faith” in our vehicles.
 
#28 ·
own many Gt Mustangs convertibles, my daughter blew the transmission drag racing on the street on the last one, except for constant replacing of wheel bearings, never had a problem, i dont baby my Challenger......

absurb thread, 18 failures a week is insignificant, 700+ is real problem, this site suffers from the same fate as many of these sites, bench racers that have never turned a wrench and know everything.....

I dont know anything!!!!

but been a manager in a dealership since i was 24, have drag race everything from street to supercomp, for the last 20 years race dirt cars, last 15 years raced dirt modifieds and everyday i learn something new.....

Luke
 
#31 ·
Luke, although we apprecieate the dealership side of the experience to the forum, Im not sure why you are sho staunchly in the "its not a problem" corner.

And you are right, many people have never turned a wrench, but isnt that the point when you buy a new car at $40,000 - $50,000??? The poster above you (BacDoc) is obviously not a kid and has had issues since day one, and he STILL cant get it right. Why, because the dealership has the same outlook as you, which gets in the way of getting things fixed. You say 18 Timing chain failures in a year, We have at least 3 posters in this thread with failures. Not saying its a wide spread problem, could be regional, could be a "batch" of bad timing chains, but with your, and seemingly most dealerships attitude that "The customer is an idiot" and "must" of been hot rodding it is why dealerships and the people that work there get no respect. Why not just say, "yea, there could be other variables involved".
 
#30 ·
Interesting thread, for sure. I'm curious to know if the affected engines were manufactured within a narrow time frame relative to each other or are they spread out over various model years.:scratchhead:
Is it true that the newer hemi 5.7 (2009+) engine uses a much thinner timing chain compared to the older 5.7?
 
#33 ·
The internet creates a phenomina, people stretch the truth or pass on second hand information or outright lie. Taurus pistols for example, they are built in Brazil in the former Beretta factory,which retained almost all the engineers, smiths and assembly people when sold to Taurus.Taurus then spent $20,000,000 to upgrade most of the equipment to state of the art cnc machines.Some of their new models had bugs that were quickly corrected in almost all cases. I tracked one complainer and he had posted at least 100 times using multiple user names about a "Judge" failure, that in reality had happened to the father of a friend of his.Ruger had similar problems, few complaints.I've read about these three timing chain failures on four different sites but they are the same three.The Mustang Cobra 96-98 has tremec T-45's,havent found one that didn't have second gear synchro troubles.Replaced tranny rear-end and fuel pump on my 97 inside of 35k.Traded it in 2002 for a used C5corvette 14k which was even more troublesome.I could write a book on that one.IF you heard of a problem on C5's. mine had them, all of them.
 
#35 ·
Lashlarue;981334I've read about these three timing chain failures on four different sites but they are the same three.[/QUOTE said:
That says alot. Now, I will admit for the three that this happened to, it is a big deal, and I also agree that if the pistons were scuffed on the one, they shoulda been replaced.

I don't know how many 5.7L Challengers have been sold, but 3 would be a microscopic percentage Im assuming. Nevertheless, it doesn't make the owners of these three feel any better.

Unfortunately, some things do happen. Heck, I remember a few years back the recall about missing front wheel bearings! I don't think any cars made it on the road (that I heard of), but yet I remember seeing a thread bashing Camaro's because they had something along the same lines. Now, I know it's not the same, but my point here is, sometimes things happen, despite the best quality that can be provided. Nobody and no auto manufacturer is perfect.

So, if the masses want to quit buy the Challenger because of these instances, well, that's fine.. I won't, and it will make my more noticeable the less that are on the road.

How the dealership handles the repair is what really matters. In the one case, with the scuffed piston, that's not right and I agree with the poster. I also don't think that any business would re-engineer and refabricate a part based on less than 1% failure rate. So, fact remains is, if your timing chain fails, you should expect it to be replaced by the same part.

Sorry to hear about the problems that some of you have had. Truly I am..

Mike
 
#36 ·
No customer Service

Well I got my 2010 Challenger back from the dealer after the repairs. All they did was rebuild the heads, they did nothing about the scuffed pistons. When I got the vehicle back the engine wasn't right, you could feel a vibration that wasn't there previously and there is a tapping noise that can be heard. After driving the vehcile for 1,500 miles I decided to check the oil level and found that it was over a quart low on oil. I took the car to two different dodge dealers and they both agree that there is a stange vibration and noise coming fromt he engine and that the vehicle isn't running correctly. Talked to the dealership that did the work and they say that there is nothing wrong with the engine that it was repaired to Chrysler specs and that if I have a problem then I need to take it up with Chrysler.

There is no way that you can impact the valves and the pistons without causing damage to both parts to some degree. I know that that there si something bent in regards to the lower half of the engine and that there was no way you would be able to tell that until you put the engine back together and ran it. I had one dealership drive the car and they noted that the engine "brakes hard" when you let off the gas now. This never use to happen and it nearly cause me to have an accident last week. I bought this car as a daily driver, not as a toy, and I live in Michigan where the raods get realy bad at times. I dorve this car last winter without every once having a white knuckle moment and in fact perferred driving my Challenger to my Navigator in the snow. Now the other day when I was driving in the snow and I came over a hill to find several slower moving cars in front of me I immediately let off the gas and the engine "braked hard" as if I had downshifted, and the ass end of the car went out to the left and I found myself fighting to regain control of the car. After correcting 3-4 times I finally got the car straightened back out and just missed hitting the end of the guard rail sideways. I never had this happen before and I had driven in far worse weather last year (this was the first snowfall of the year for us this winter).

I am pissed because I have not gotten the customer service that I think I deserve when it comes to the value of the car I purchased. I am still waiting to hear back from chrysler on how and what they are goignt to be willing to do to fix the problem. If I have to use the lemon law then I will use the lemon law but all I want is a dependable car that runs the way it did when I first purchased it.
 
#40 ·
Well I got my 2010 Challenger back from the dealer after the repairs. All they did was rebuild the heads, they did nothing about the scuffed pistons. When I got the vehicle back the engine wasn't right, you could feel a vibration that wasn't there previously and there is a tapping noise that can be heard. After driving the vehcile for 1,500 miles I decided to check the oil level and found that it was over a quart low on oil. I took the car to two different dodge dealers and they both agree that there is a stange vibration and noise coming fromt he engine and that the vehicle isn't running correctly. Talked to the dealership that did the work and they say that there is nothing wrong with the engine that it was repaired to Chrysler specs and that if I have a problem then I need to take it up with Chrysler.

There is no way that you can impact the valves and the pistons without causing damage to both parts to some degree. I know that that there si something bent in regards to the lower half of the engine and that there was no way you would be able to tell that until you put the engine back together and ran it. I had one dealership drive the car and they noted that the engine "brakes hard" when you let off the gas now. This never use to happen and it nearly cause me to have an accident last week. I bought this car as a daily driver, not as a toy, and I live in Michigan where the raods get realy bad at times. I dorve this car last winter without every once having a white knuckle moment and in fact perferred driving my Challenger to my Navigator in the snow. Now the other day when I was driving in the snow and I came over a hill to find several slower moving cars in front of me I immediately let off the gas and the engine "braked hard" as if I had downshifted, and the ass end of the car went out to the left and I found myself fighting to regain control of the car. After correcting 3-4 times I finally got the car straightened back out and just missed hitting the end of the guard rail sideways. I never had this happen before and I had driven in far worse weather last year (this was the first snowfall of the year for us this winter).

I am pissed because I have not gotten the customer service that I think I deserve when it comes to the value of the car I purchased. I am still waiting to hear back from chrysler on how and what they are goignt to be willing to do to fix the problem. If I have to use the lemon law then I will use the lemon law but all I want is a dependable car that runs the way it did when I first purchased it.
Sounds to me like they have the cam timing off. This is easy to do on a VVT motor. I doubt the lower end of the motor is hurt beyond some eyebrows (I know it sucks) but I think the bigger issue and the reason the motor does not run properly is because the tech messed up installing the timing chain.
 
#37 ·
Will the other two Dodge dealerships give you something in writing that says there's an issue with the engine? Then, maybe you can take those letters, along with the one dealership who is not taking care of it, and use it for additional ammunition at the next level.

Mike
 
#39 ·
To the people on this forum saying:
This is normal
or
It must have been the owners fault
or
Were you hot rodding your car when this happened
or
Your timing chain must have been struck by lightning.............remember this

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REASON AND AN EXCUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS- Just because you are a mechanic does not make you the best mechanic in the whole F'n world.
 
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