Timing chain failure on the Dodge Challenger

[Isaac-1]

Is this a small or large dealer, do they sell many challengers? Having not seen the problem may just be a matter of luck even if this is a mid-medium large size dealer they may only sell 10-20 automatic R/T challengers per year, and this problem happens to a few percent when they reach 30,000 miles or so. Of Course the big unknown is how many does it happen to by 100,000 miles.

[Force10]

Originally Posted by sublime 781

I am only trying to get people to think about this, look around at all the products you come into contact with daily and see the disaters out there. I am in the aerospace industry where if things like this happen, people die. Unfortumately it does happen, I do not want to start listing repeated aircraft parts failures but there have been many documented cases over the years.

I agree one is to many but it is a machine built by humans and these things happen.
Be very thankful you can coast to the side of the road and stop. Yes some engineer designed it a bit to weak, possibly, but I am sure none of us ever made a mistake at work which cost our company money.

There are a ton of highways being worked on in my area, and they have no shoulders just barriers right up to the edge of the lanes. Believe me...I get a shudder when I think if the chain blows in those areas, I'm gonna get hit. Just because nobody has been hurt yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen. Highways are dangerous enough without having your car implode at 70+ on a highway in the rain. It's sad but somebody getting hurt or dying is the only way Chrysler will address this.

[raVenX]

Originally Posted by aarcuda

i already made this argument back on page 5 or somewheres. they didnt buy it then but yes, I agree with you!

Because, it was wrong then and it's wrong now.

Through to November 2011, there were only some 26,000 R/T 5.7L with an automatic transmission made (the actual production numbers are posted in the this forum, go look it up). You cannot take every single Challenger or every single 5.7L and include those into the statistics. That's doesn't wash. Only the R/T Challenger 5.7L with an automatic transmissions are affected. R/T's with 6-speeds are excluded as are all other Chrysler vehicles. This problems seems unique to the R/T Challenger 5.7L with an automatic transmissions, so let's keep the statistics realistic on that level.

If you take that 26,000 number above and use the reports of timing chain failures in this thread, you are already at 1 in 1,000 units affected. Of course, not every person who suffers a timing chain failure will come into this thread and report it. So, obviously, the real world numbers are much, much higher.

[2ndgen]

Originally Posted by raVenX

If you take that 26,000 number above and use the reports of timing chain failures in this thread, you are already at 1 in 1,000 units affected. Of course, not every person who suffers a timing chain failure will come into this thread and report it. So, obviously, the real world numbers are much, much higher.

How are you calculating 1 in 1000? Based on what data? At this point saying it is obvious is premature. Yes, it stands to reason that there are more failures in the real world than have been reported here. Saying that it is "much, much higher" is likely difficult to prove, let alone obvious.

I have yet to even see all of the requisite data points gathered in one place to even perform the calculations. So far all I've seen are WAGs.

[RNashCPA]

Dealer service rep I just talked said he had never heard of this problem. This is disturbing to me.

[hmk123]

Originally Posted by raVenX

Because, it was wrong then and it's wrong now.

Through to November 2011, there were only some 26,000 R/T 5.7L with an automatic transmission made (the actual production numbers are posted in the this forum, go look it up). You cannot take every single Challenger or every single 5.7L and include those into the statistics. That's doesn't wash. Only the R/T Challenger 5.7L with an automatic transmissions are affected. R/T's with 6-speeds are excluded as are all other Chrysler vehicles. This problems seems unique to the R/T Challenger 5.7L with an automatic transmissions, so let's keep the statistics realistic on that level.

If you take that 26,000 number above and use the reports of timing chain failures in this thread, you are already at 1 in 1,000 units affected. Of course, not every person who suffers a timing chain failure will come into this thread and report it. So, obviously, the real world numbers are much, much higher.

raVenX, I really appreciate all your information on here. But am not sure why you keep saying it is just Challengers. Online there have been reports of at least 3 300s and 2 Chargers. Three of these reports were even in this thread. I grant you that those numbers do not come close to those of the Challenger. But there have for sure been reports... One member on here even said that the dealer was working on a Charger with a broken chain before he would get to his car...

[hmk123]

Originally Posted by RNashCPA

Dealer service rep I just talked said he had never heard of this problem. This is disturbing to me.

Neither had mine when I asked him 2 months ago. And this dealership is one of only two serving over a million people. And they are the bigger dealership...

[conceptmachine]

Originally Posted by sublime 781

I am only trying to get people to think about this, look around at all the products you come into contact with daily and see the disaters out there. I am in the aerospace industry where if things like this happen, people die. Unfortumately it does happen, I do not want to start listing repeated aircraft parts failures but there have been many documented cases over the years.

I agree one is to many but it is a machine built by humans and these things happen.
Be very thankful you can coast to the side of the road and stop. Yes some engineer designed it a bit to weak, possibly, but I am sure none of us ever made a mistake at work which cost our company money.

I own a CNC machine shop and I can tell you that mistakes do happen, but in manufacturing and all the automation now days its usually engineering and process errors. Using a process that isn't as reliable than another just to save money/cut costs, or just a poorly engineered component that was designed to fail, which I believe this to be the case. A company that engineers and takes quality approach it happens FAR less. Now, to keep the customer happy, when it does happen, you bend over backwards to make it right, or that customer will go elsewhere. In the 12 years in business I have had a couple of part numbers that had a few bad ones in the mix. I went right to the box that had them, checked them, and replaced them with good parts...and issue solved. We're talking a far less than 1% scrap for sure, I've done literally a million and only had maybe 10 scrap parts that went to a customer. I've scrapped many on set-ups though. Maybe this is why I'm so darn busy in this crappy economy? Now onto Chrysler... they know exactly what is causing this issue GUARANTEED, but they don't tell us...and they sure in the heck wont do a TSB, even though they should. I like the challenger even though it has issues. No timing chain issues with the SRT8's yet, but they may be coming soon. Timing chains shouldn't break in this day and age.. its just unacceptable. Anything that destroys your engine at 20-40K miles is just wrong...and they know it. Poorly engineered and the lack of real testing is went wrong here. I'm having an issue right now with my 2012 Jeep wrangler right now, and will need to go in for a head replacement. Chysler is really putting out some bad stuff lately... May need to bail them out again soon

[conceptmachine]

Originally Posted by RNashCPA

Dealer service rep I just talked said he had never heard of this problem. This is disturbing to me.

Thats what mine said too, then I talked to the head tech and he said " yep, I've done A LOT of those"

[pdx.challenger]

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