What breaks most · 2012 to 2016 model years
Dodge Dart problems by year
Owners have filed 2,506 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Dart across model years 2012 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2012 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2015 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2014 for powertrain and transmission complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 2015, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 25062012 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 20121081 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 13532 fires · 88 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 49kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1081 | 63 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (454) | |
| 278 | 6 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (152) | |
| 370 | 20 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (132) | |
| 521 | 32 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (176) | |
| 256 | 14 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (82) |
What fails on the 2012 Dodge Dart
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 42% |
454 | 11 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 23% |
252 | 26 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
175 | 3 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
163 | 4 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 10% |
103 | 6 | — |
| Air bags | 6% |
68 | 25 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 4% |
41 | 2 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 3% |
37 | 4 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The transmission shift cable bushing broke and the car is stuck in reverse and unable to drive or turn off. The vehicle is in my driveway. Recall is already issued but would have been nice to receive the letter before 2 days ago when the recall was issued in february!
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Recall on parts not available tried several times to get appointment no parts. This I and 1 car family must use daily to work and and cannot get fixed per dealership no parts available 2+ years or so. Need help for this severe issue as a consumer. Who is responsible if collision or death from this.
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The current recall shows no remedy and life threatening problem can occur. Since no remedy available, driving this car poses risk to driver or other vehicles on the road.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Dart years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2012, 2015, 2014 carry the most filings on the Dodge Dart. The 2012 alone has 1081 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Dodge Dart problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 454 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Dart problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Dart complaints that include mileage is about 49,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.