Chrysler to Dodge Challenger Owners: “Stop Driving”

By Leslie Spellman :: 12:57 AM

Chrysler yesterday announced a recall of its Dodge Challenger vehicles – nearly 4,500 of which are affected by an electrical issue that could lead to a fire. Certain wire harnesses in 2013 model year Challengers could short circuit, overheat, and catch fire.

Roughly 2,500 of the 4,500 vehicles have been sold, the rest are on Dodge dealers’ lots. The recall only includes Dodge Challengers equipped with V6 engines, not V8-powered Challengers. The affected cars were assembled by Chrysler during an eight-week period that ended January 24.

According to a Chrysler spokesperson, the electrical fault was found in a single batch of misconfigured electrical components, and the company has yet to identify the particular part that is causing the problem. So far there have been seven incidents of the harness overheating, but no injuries have been reported.

Chrysler is recommending that Challenger owners refrain from driving their cars until the problem is fixed. In addition, Chrysler is suggesting that owners not park their cars in garages or adjacent to their homes or other structures in case they catch on fire while parked. The company will make free loaner cars available to Challenger owners while repairs are being completed.

This is the second fire-related recall this year. Last month, Chrysler recalled 1,785 model year 2013 Chrysler 200’s and Dodge Avengers over a fuel tank issue. According to the government regulators, cars affected by that recall may contain a broken control valve in the fuel tank assembly, which could lead to fuel leakage.

Owners with questions have been encouraged to contact Chrysler by telephone at (800) 247-9753.