Dodge is recalling a small number of Durango police cruisers over a shift boot that is too stiff, and can cause the vehicle to pop out of gear
September 25, 2023 at 18:32
Back in June, Dodge opened an investigation into concerns that Durangos equipped with the Pursuit package were losing motive power on the road. Following an investigation, it determined that the vehicles were popping out of gear.
Why the vehicles, used as police cruisers and for other law enforcement purposes, were sliding out of Drive was the matter of some confusion. However, by August, the automaker determined that the problem didn’t have to do with the transmission per se.
Instead, Dodge’s investigation revealed that the transmission was being forced out of gear at the selector, which on the Pursuit vehicles is located next to the instrument panel. In fact, it was perhaps the most innocuous part of the system that was causing the problem: the shift boot.
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Read: Police Ordered Not To Use Some BMWs For High-Speed Pursuits Over Safety Concerns In The UK
Dodge determined that, for a period of time, the shift boots equipped to the Durango Pursuit were too stiff. This caused interference with the shift lever, preventing the selector from seating in the detent properly, and allowing it to pop out of place unexpectedly.
That’s a big problem, because if a vehicle suddenly slips out of gear and into neutral, it loses motive power, which would be very inconvenient during a pursuit. More importantly, if the transmission slips out of gear on a busy road or highway, it can increase the risk of an accident occurring, and the driver will have no prior warning. That has prompted the company to launch a recall campaign of a total of 125 Durango Pursuit models from the 2023 model year, in the U.S.
As a result, Dodge will reach out to customers on November 7, and will replace the shifter boot on all affected vehicles with a new part that has been built to the correct specification and will allow the vehicle to remain in gear.
