That didn’t take long, did it? Chrysler has announced that it is already recalling all 6,636 Dodge Challengers it sold that have an automatic transmission. The problem seems to be that the "keyless go" option may fail to meet a federal safety standard for theft prevention, which could result in accidental rollaway. A rollaway means that a car that isn’t secured in the "park" position could literally roll away on its own and hurt somebody or cause property damage.
"If the stop/start button is pressed and held and the engine turns off, the electronic key code is removed from the vehicle," said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its recalls summary of the problem. "Since this can occur in a transmission or gear selector position other than ‘park’, and the transmission or gear selector does not become locked in ‘park’ as a direct result of key removal, it was determined that a noncompliance may exist. This standard specifies vehicle performance requirements intended to reduce the incidence of crashes resulting from theft and accidental rollaway of motor vehicles."
Of course, Chrysler dealers will reprogram the wireless ignition node module free of charge. This way, the engine can only be turned off when the transmission and gear selector is in the "park" position. Chrysler stated the recall is scheduled to begin this week. Owners can contact Chrysler at the number listed below. If you have a shiny new Challenger, then go get this recall done so you can make sure it stays shiny. Chrysler: 1 (800) 853-1403
