Is The Dodge Magnum A Lemon?
Please note the following article doesn’t necessarily represent my view or opinion about the Dodge Magnum. It was written on behalf of a lemon law attorney who decided he wasn’t going to pay me for my work, therefore I have posted it here for your review as is:
Lemon Report — Dodge Magnum
Introduction
Introduced in the fall of 2004 as a 2005 model, the Dodge Magnum was lauded by auto critics for its aggressive demeanor and rakish design. It was snapped up by consumers who were drawn to the car’s power and agility. The sport wagon appeared to be a great combination of a large convenient wagon, with style and flair. However, since its introduction, the Dodge Magnum has had one of the worst consumer complaint ratings of any car currently in production.
Owners are hit hard in the pocket in the form of lengthy stays at repair shops, a plunging resale value, and inopportune failures. Marjorie Atkinson’s 2005 Magnum failed during a vacation, she says, “I was totally burned by my Magnum! My husband and I took our kids on a road trip in July, and the engine failed in the middle of the woods, stranding us with our camper!” This was due to a problem, she later learned, that was well-known to DaimlerChrysler, in which an engine cooling glitch was present which led to fractures in the engine.
Common problems
Some of the top complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration {NHTSA} include:
- Intermittent loss of throttle control.
- An incorrect engine cooling module that could overheat and cause the engine to crack when the car is fully loaded and approaching maximum towing capacity.
- Transmission shudders when torque converter clutch engages.
- Shift hesitation during wide open throttle.
- Auto transmission fluid contamination.
- Passenger airbag disabled lamp light remains lit.
Some of these problems are indicative of 2005 models or 2006 models only. However, costly transmission problems have been reported with both model year vehicles.
This lemon is extra sour! The number of complaints made about the Dodge Magnum to the NHTSA far exceeds the second place car on the list, the Ford GT. Many grievances center on the 2.7L V6 that also powered its predecessor model, the Dodge Intrepid. In May 2006, DaimlerChrysler issued a recall on the Dodge Magnum equipped with this small V6 citing concerns that leaking brake fluid could cause an engine fire! This recall followed several other Magnum recalls including one issued in October 2005 noting that the car could start rolling even when the transmission was in park and the parking brake wasn’t engaged.
Do you have legal rights?
Many Dodge Magnums remain unsafe, some may be undriveable, and more problems with this model are now appearing. If you own a problem Magnum, you have lost confidence in the car and you may be due further remedy. If you want to know whether your Dodge Magnum is protected, and if the law is on your side, do a web search to find out the latest information about recalls and compensation.
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on 
September 22nd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Good information to know, This car became popular pretty fast due to the muscle under the hood. No fun when it leave you stranded though.
October 17th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I have had mine for three years, the only problem i’ve had is with the shifter assy.
November 6th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
i have had my magnum for 2 years. i had tire problem ,sunroof leak,brakes light that won’t go off,and my tire rods are bad.southland dodge, the place where i brought my car, is doing a bad job taking care of my problems with my car .so buyers beware of the magnum. it comes with alot of trouble.if someone can help me please post a comment.
November 7th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Angela, thank you for leaving your comment. It sounds like you have a real lemon on your hand. If the dealer isn’t helping out, then the district manager for Chrysler should be taking a look at the problem. If Chrysler isn’t giving you the satisfaction, then your state attorney’s general office might be interested in your plight.
With car problems the squeaky wheel gets greased. Leave no stone uncovered and exhaust every avenue through certified letters to the dealer and Chrysler, contact with the state, and following up with consumer affairs.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:09 am
I have had many, many issues with my 2005 Dodge Magnum including:
- Rear window would not open
- Sunroof would not close properly
- both of the remote keys have broken ($200 to replace?!)
- rear hatch pistons gave out
- no power to front cig lighter (for MP3 player)
- disc player overheats, tape player failed ($1,000 for new radio!! C’mon)
- windshield wipers fail to return to bottom position
- transmission ‘drops’ when changing from 2nd to 3rd in cold weather (throwing me against steering wheel under hard acceleration)
That’s about it off of the top of my head. Lots of annoying little problems have led to me absolutely hating this car.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Oh ya’, and I had to have brakes (calipers and rotors) on all 4 corners at 65,000 KMs.
And the emergency/parking brake rusted out and had to be replaced.
January 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
My Magnum is falling apart with only 13,000 miles and not even 10 months of use!
The main problem(transmission-hard jerking shift in reverse and bet.
1st & 2nd gear) has been there from 500 miles and on. I’ve taken it
in twice and it’s still doing the same things and getting worse. The
dealer says the second time I took it in, they couldn’t find anything
wrong. It’s still doing the jerks and now the engine shakes between 30
to 45 mph. Engine Mount? arghhh.
And now, the driver’s side door lock is burnt out , makes funny noises
and doesn’t open half the time.
And just yesterday, on Christmas, a metal piece of the frame somehow
ripped through the fiberglass carframe on the bottom of my passenger
driver side and was scraping the ground!
It’s laughable, and I’m getting ready to trade in/and or get a lemom law lawyer.
January 4th, 2008 at 7:32 am
DavidK and Tony — Wow, the information you share about your Magnums is eye-opening. I hope that you both get the recourse you deserve. What a black eye on Chrysler too!
January 6th, 2008 at 1:55 am
I have had mine for 7 months. I have only one complaint. The shuddering at about 30-45 mph in the transmission. I hope it stays running after reading about all the problems others have had. I am keeping my fingers crossed
January 8th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
My 05 has 90k miles on it! I am picking it up Friday after 3 weeks in the trans shop.(same issue on all the web, shuttering at 30-45 mph) Fortunatly the dealer I bought it from gave a 6 month unlimited mile warranty with the car and SHOCKINGLY they paid the bill!! At this time the only other issue is a thump in the front end at low speed? Not struts, wheels/tires and replaced stabilizer links! What could it be?
January 9th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Dee: I hope the tranny shuddering can be resolved — if it isn’t, I’m thinking tranny failure will be imminent.
Kent: That’s a long time to be without your wheels. Chrysler should pay the bill — it sounds like someone in Mopar-land realizes that they have a problem on their hands.
As far as the thump goes, you’ve named all of the components I would have looked at — take it to an independent mechanic (not Chrysler) and have them put your car up on a rack for a good looking over.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Thanks for the encouraging words! My son is a mechanic at an independent shop! We shake this thing down daily, no can find? Anyone else with the shuttering trany? It’s easy to diagnose! It’s junk, take it in and pay the repair. Keep your reciept I see a recall coming?
January 15th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
man that sucks to hear about your problems , ive had mine for a year or so and with 20,000 miles and all i did was change out the rotors to upgraded ones and ive had no problems !!!!!
January 16th, 2008 at 4:38 am
I too have had problems-like my rear window acting up. There is a TSB on this so the dealer will fix it free. That’s it–with 95,000k I’ve noticed that no one’s mentioned their model. The RT is one mean machine and the SRT is just plain NASTY!!! My Honda and Saabs were not nearly as problem free and sucked to drive.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:56 am
You guys are crazy to completely slam the Magnum. Any mass produced vehicle is going to have problems. Hence the term “Mass Produced” I am sorry if you are having problems but many people like myself love their magnums so to completely slam it is WRONG!!!!
January 16th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Well the only problem I have is the raw HEMI power!!!!!!!! NOT, I LOVE IT!!!! Can you put a 50″ plasma in a GTO and then go stomp a Mustang GT, NO. You can with a magnum.
KENK: Are you saying that the AMG tranny that is in the LX vehicles is junk?
January 16th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I love my 06 R/T. 39,000 miles and no issues…
January 16th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I have owned my car for 1 year now. In that time I had a window that would not go down, ALL tires replaced due to the poor continentals that came with the car. Air conditioner / computer flash problems, passenger side seat airbag light stuck on. All of that was fixed under warranty. Now I have a repetitive thump while a make shallow turns to the right and the sunroof has begun to leak. I agree there are some quality control issues here. I would like to buy the extended warranty but it costs around $1800.00 I think in leu of the quality control problems from the factory that Dodge should extend the warranty for FREE! Could this be a possibilty?
January 16th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
By the way I still LOVE my Magnum. What a great look, 340HP HEMI with a back seat and room for luggage! That in a car that will easily sprint past 120mph at the whim of the driver with no drop in the powerband! Not to mention the exhilerating acceleration. Too bad Chrysler didn’t do a better quality control job
Even still, when all the bugs are worked out you have the power of a Lamborghini, the looks of a dodge charger, in a package that will fit a family of four on vacation. I still think they should extend the warranty for FREE though.
Wade
January 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Great comments, folks. Get ‘em coming. To those of you defending the Magnum by dismissing the comments of owners whose experience may be different from your own, you’re missing the point — these people have demonstrated flaws with their own cars. They aren’t speaking about your Magnum. Why some Magnums are duds and others are not is a mystery to me. However, for those of you with a crappy car on your hands, Chrysler should provide warranty service on everything.
January 17th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Matt, we are no dismissing the complaints. We are defending a car we love. This artical call all of the Magnums lemons and that is not the case. I ordered my RT in July of 04 and took ownership in Dec 04.
IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT WONDERFULL. Did I have the tires replaced? yes, thats only partially a Dodge issue, Continental produced bad tires. All other things are fit and finish (minor). I now have 37K+ miles and would trade it for anything.
January 17th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Actually, TonyB I was referring to Nathan’s comments which seemed to dismiss the problem. I disagree with the assertion that any mass-produced car will have problems, particularly to the degree that some owners have experienced.
I do like the Magnum’s looks and the fact that it is a rarity — a street wagon. Chrysler, however, is axing the model as they trim their fleet.
Also, please read the intro to the article — I wrote for someone else, but I don’t necessarily agree with all of the allegations.
Enjoy your Magnum!
January 17th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I have 117,000 trouble free miles on my 04 built 05 RT Magnum. Best built car that I have ever owned, used to own Camrys and Mazdas. Most incredible thing is the fuel economy in this rocket ship, average 21-22 mpg and 25-26 mpg on the highway, that’s same as my old Mazda with 2.5l v6. Funny Consumer Reports give the Chrysler 300 top ratings, they are built on the same assembly line. I love this car and since they will not be built, I’m gonna drive it forever. I do agree that the Continental tires were poor.
January 18th, 2008 at 7:18 am
John, you raise a good point. With the Magnum being built on the same assembly line as the 300C (Charger too?) why is it that the Magnum is problem plagued and the 300C isn’t?
February 4th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I own a 06 Magnum. I have had it over a year. I put 27,000 miles so far. Never had a problem till this weekend. I was entering the highway so I accelerated to full throttle. I felt the pull and suddenly a big thump and a shake happened I freaked out. I was just rolling unable to speed up. I kept on pressing the accelerator and nothing was happening. I braked to a complete stop. Shifted to park and went back to D and took off. Then I see my Check Engine light came on.
Well, Monday morning I took it to Planet DOdge in MIAMI. They took me in very nice. After invastigating my torque converter broke in pieces. They order one and I got my car the back the same day. I even did a fuel injector Cleaner service done while I was there. I love my magnum. Its the best alternative to a person that married and have kids. (NO MINIVAN) lol.
Raul
February 5th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Raul, the Magnum is an awesome looking car. A great looking kid hauler and better than any minivan.
Wow, that torque converter issue is amazing. Best of all, Dodge took care of it right away. Good thing you got in it for repairs right away too.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
understanding other comments from above, ALL Magnums are not lemons! I guess it is just a name of a site we all just searched and found? Earlier I had stated mine was in for a tranny, all fixed, love my car and yes this may eventually cost you sum bucks. The issue is, click on a few other sites. Most issues are the same. For those of you with the perfect one! Congratulations! Others like myself were not so fortunate. Let’s face reality, if Chrysler corp. has a recall like this, we will never see parts because they will be out of business! Great reading and enjoy the ride! After this year you will not buy another! ENJOY
February 21st, 2008 at 6:48 am
Kenk, this article certainly has gone viral and taken on a life of its own. That happens occasionally, which builds up excitement (never mind that it brings me the traffic!) about a particular topic.
Chrysler will be around in some form or another, count on it. Likely, they’ll be absorbed by someone else as I predicted a few days ago.
The Dodge Magnum is history, no matter what. Chrysler is cutting models left and right, the Magnum is one of the first to go.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I have a 2006 Dodge Magnum RT that after 19k miles has been constantly stalling for the last 4 months. I keep bringing it in to the dealership with the response of “we can’t find the problem, please come in and pick up your car”. I wish I would have been able to read some of the articles on the magnum BEFORE I paid $30k to put my family in danger. The stalling is not even the only problem, constant failures with other sensors making the airbag light come on, the windows not able to roll up or down, and lights not working on the dash. These are just a few of the experiences I have had with the car. I wonder what else is around the corner…
March 5th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I have a 2005 magnum with 61,000 kms. I am the original owner and the only things I had to have fixed so far ( knock on wood ) are the sunroof, drivers seat and the rack and pinon steering. All three were covered by warranty. Thank goodness I got the extended warranty, it covered my steering problem. Having problems with a ginding noise in the back brake system right now, but thankfully my brother will have a look at that for me.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:56 am
MattG: Putting my family in danger would be one of my biggest concerns too. Some of the problems you mentioned are small, but annoying, but the window issue is scary. Let’s hope that things don’t worsen over the next few months.
Suzy: It is unfortunate that an extended warranty is needed to cover so many things that shouldn’t go wrong with a car, especially when your mileage is quite low. The brake issue is normal and can probably be rectified with simple maintenance. Let’s hope so!
March 10th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I own a 2005 Dodge Magnum RT and have had several problems with the vehicle. First, after we purchased the vehicle (new), it needed an alignment. The dealership where we purchased it took care of that problem…at that time. Well, a few months after that, we had a transmission leak. The dealership took care of that issue as well. Well, at 32,000 miles, our oil level sending unit went out. At first, the service department where we purchase it said it was because we used the wrong oil – nope, that wasn’t the case – I’ve used Royal Purple from the start! The service manager also said that Royal Purple wasn’t a good oil to use…sigh, that angered me too. Well, another dealership replaced the faulty oil-level sending unit and did it under warranty. Well, we just went over 38,000 miles and our transmission just took a dump! It needs a complete rebuild!!! Also, the car needs yet another alignment as our front tires are feathered rather badly. The dealership where we took it too are being quite accomodating and I laud them for their efforts. When I called Daimler-Chrysler’s customer service dept, they said there was nothing they could do. I’m rather upset that my 2 1/2 year old, $33,000 car needs a new transmission!! Help!
March 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Henry, I don’t know where you live, but if you live in the US, your state’s Attorney’s General office would be interested in hearing about this problem.
What Chrysler needs right now from all Magnum owners who have been hit by a plethora of quality problems is for all parties to speak up. A class action suit may be necessary, at least some sort of regional assistance (above the dealer level) is required.
This is terrible — no car should perform as badly as the Dodge Magnum. Unfortunately, these aren’t isolated incidents.
March 10th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
MattK,
It’s me again….I live in Texas…btw, I had to give you the “Reader’s Digest” condensed version. Do you think I should persue this with the Texas State’s Attorney’s General office??
Clay
March 11th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I have an 05 SXT RWD 3.5l. No issues other than tires, came with googyear integrities, switched to Yokahama TRZ. Also put snows on the rear this winter, will put 4 snows on next. Had the inner tie rods replaced (whole steering rack) under warranty. I pull a trailer full of wood, (i think i exceeded the 2000 lb limit) a camper, and I now have 160K kilometers on it, and still going strong.
I live in the Ottawa region, and had fun driving in the 50+ cm of snow we just got
Paul
March 11th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Well, this morning I sit here waiting for a tow truck.
With no warning, the car — upon acceleration — “slipped” out of gear. Stopping and restarting helped some, but not for long. I had to come home and am now waiting for a tow truck.
It goes in reverse pretty darn good right now, but going forward, not much luck.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
I’m upset with this site right now..I typed in a whole blog and submitted it, just to be asked to verify my email address, so when I went back and did so, everything I typed in was wiped out.
So, here we go again..went to my brothers’ and he found out that yes, my back passenger rotor was metal on metal. Really worn down!!! Going to order new rotors and pads tomorrow and he will replace them on the weekend. Checked the front pads and rotors, all is good..I have about another 10,000km on the pads.
Oh man..you guys would love his garage. He just installed a hoist about a month ago and has all the toys.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Got the rear brakes done this morning. Ahhhh….no more grinding noise, the car is fun to drive again.
While we had the car up on the hoist, we checked everything underneath and my brother was quite inpressed with the rear wheel suspension. He looked everything over and all is good, and for him to say that, I feel relieved beccause he is very picky about how new cars are made so cheap these days.
I love my Magnum !!!!
Cheers, Suzy
March 31st, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I have had my Magnum new since 04 . I have had my tranny changed by the dealor . The car does have problems though . I think the tranny is going out again . It shivers between reverse and drive and sometimes it seems to take off in second gear . Also the rear windows don’t seem to work all the time .
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Mike, I hope that you are able to resolve the problems you are having with your Magnum. Good grief, are there that many people having problems with this car?
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Hey folks, Kenk from back in January (above). Trans is fixed and all good but 8k miles later, I now have a steering issue. At fist start the wheel is tight as could be, as it warms up it seems to loosten up. After about a week it now is tight or loose whenever I turn. Grab the wheel and hold on baby, don’t know what the heck to expect. Drivin my Ford til’ this one gets figured out! Bet this one sucks some cash out of the pocket!
May 5th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Just to add to the comments. My 2006 Magnum SRT8 was problem free,with 13000 miles on it, until it developed a grinding noise in first gear, a month ago. The car has been at the dealer since (yes for a whole month) where they changed the torque converter, then a front pump and two planetary gears, then a valve body and then a computer module. When it still wouldn’t shift correctly they finally go authorization to put in a new transmission, which I am now waiting on. Meanwhile I am pricing an extended warranty.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
kenk once again, we have confirmation of a bad rack after they thew all the other parts in the world at it and expect me to pick up those bills also! What could be next, this thing is like a box of chocolate! Never know what your gonna get!
May 13th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Me and my wife got a used 2007 magnum V6 Auotmatic. The Car has body leaks in the rare of the body of the wagon and they had a so called water doctor check the car for leaks, now its still leaking and I still have not herd back from them all. The first time the changed the fuse box and the wires from the fuse box. Nothing else wrong with it yet since we got the magnum (Fingures crossed) but I will say this having two young tods for sons my wife feels very safe in the car and loves to blow away vetts! yes vetts she did it twice and also high way races with mut-stangs LOL! People love the car where we are from the Tor-red looks great on a bright sunny day, even rodders love the car. But since we got the car from a dodge dealer used with a little over 22,000 miles on it they said this dodge magnum is not covered by any lemon law what so ever in New Hampshire or in any other state they said also even if we lived in any other state a used dodge magnum is not covered what so ever by the lemon laws if it was used at the time of sale. so basicly I guess we are screwed and out a great car and a deal down the road in 6 more years of payments. If any one would like to contact me about this issue please do I would love to hear from the lawyer of this blog also.Man I wish my cousin was still alive I would have loved him to trick this wagon out!.
From Mike
May 31st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Hi, My magnum has been a big problem. The first one I bought (2005 SE) stalled just after leaving the dealer, I was told that the engine must have gotten cleaner in it when it was being ‘Dolled up’ in the shop… seemed strange but I gave the a 2nd chance, got the car back and headed home which was about 100 miles away. Half way there it died again, then it was in the shop for over a month while the problem could not be found, so I was given another magnum again a 2005 SE, this one is just as bad. The entire front end has been replaced on it, the ac has been replaced, the battery/electrical problem has come up also. The rear breaks went in the car at 40K miles and when replacing them my self was shocked to find that the replacement parts for this model do no fit on because during assembly they must have ran short and put a less sturdy type on instead. (The correct rotors have a fan like area in the middle to cool them down, but those will not fit on the rear of my car, only the front, so I had to go with a different kind and make them fit) My favorite problem is that every 2000 miles or so my friend Mr check engine light comes on. I have had it in the shop 11 times in just a little over a year. Every time they say that there is an evaporation emission leak but hey cant find it, Smoke tests have been done, gas cap replaced, battery replaced, after market remote start/alarm was taken out b/c it was thought to be the problem and yet it still comes on. I have taken it to 2 different dealers in my area and n one seems to be able to fix it. The best part is now it is into the aftermarket warranties which requires me to bring it to the dealer that I bought it from or pay a $100 deductible each time it goes in and they are not happy with me. They have already made me pay for the ac to be charged because it wasn’t working then they saw it was leaking and replaced the unit, but wouldn’t credit me for the charge which was $200…. I wish I didn’t have so much into the car, with new breaks and rotors all the way around, new tires, and it not being worth even what I owe it looks like im stuck with the car … Hope others have better luck!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Hi folks! Ken k once again! Look above, we started on April 23 with a steering problem. New pump, new rack, new colmn knuckles! NO STEER! Anyone else seen this? It is $1300 later not fixed and at it’s second dealer! No new Chrysler product in my future!
June 12th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
I bought my 2005 Magnum in September of 2004 and really have been disappointed with several issues.
3/8/05-recall of radiator brackets and Anti Freeze Issues
4/4/05-Water leaking through rear window-repaired quarter glass and right side roof seam
7/20/05-rear pinion seal leaking fluid-replaced and updated flange; electrical issue with temperature gauge-a service bulleting applied and it was fixed; problem with A/C-service bulletin applied and the a/c compressor clutch hub and pulley had to be replaced
6/8/06-Seam coming out of front seat
6/12/2008-problems with engine light coming on and the car stalls on some turns. Found out today that there is another “service bulletin” for a computer update to stop the stalling!
June 12th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
FILE Complaints at nhtsa.gov. This is the first step in getting your issues addressed!
June 17th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I have a 2005 Magnum SXT with 110,000 kms and have also had my fair share of problems. It requires a litre of oil between every oil change, new brakes all the way around at 80,000kms, new tires at 80,000 kms (gyr integreties)the back end rattles over bumps (I just figured thats the ways it was). My biggest disappointment right now is the sound system. The speakers are dying one at a time. I’ve lost 2 so far, over the last couple of months, now the third one is starting to get crackly and is failing. I used to be enamoured with this car but now the blush is of the rose and I’m thinking of trading it in.
Tracy from Ottawa
June 17th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Tracy again
my check engine light was the ERG sensor a $200.00 plus fix. It would come on and go away week after week. Finally it went off and hasn’t come back on in months.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
As for the production of the cars made it is a faked that there is a 1% failure in all cars yes thats 1% i know you say thats it but remember 1% of 100 is not much but 1% of 1,000,000 made is a bunch. quality control says that 1% of all made cars have problems with them and not all problems are the same. remember that a person is doing the Q C on your car and we all know that man make mistakes. some things are passed over unfortunately but they are. NOTHINGS PERFECT EVEN THE $500,000 LAMBO HAS THINGS GO WRONG AND THERE HAND BUILT
gOOD LUCK TO ALL AND YES I LOVE MY 06 HEMI
August 8th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I have had my 05 Magnum rt since Nov 04. I have had a bunch of problems: Tires replaced every 20k miles, engine light on starting 20000 miles — dealer turn it off and it would come back on, finally at around 65000 the dealer found it was the egr valve and replaced it under warranty and that took care of it. I While slowing down, or stopping i will feel a kick–kind of like being rear ended– but the dealer can’t reproduce, this has been going on since 15000 miles. My dash is popping up, but warranty doesn’t cover that. Now (78000) they tell me my steering rack is going on.. but i haven’t noticed any problems, so i am waiting on that to come in and they will do that under extended warranty.. I’ve had problems with the a/c when it was new and finally they said it was a defect they had to fix somehow thru the computer…Sometimes taking off, the motor/trans will jerk really hard, i tell the dealer but again if they can’t get it to do that when they drive it, they don’t know what to do… Fine car,, but too many problems.. Worried about when the warranty is up!!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I thing I don’t understand, is why are you compaining about the tires? It all depends on what type you buy, it has nothing to do with the vehicle.
I am still loving my 2005 magnum. Had the rear rotors and brake pads done a few months ago. My brother did them for me and said that the sensor to let me kmow the pads were going was bent, that’s why I didn’t hear the squealing noise to let me know the pads were low. I do expect to replace brake pads within time, no big deal..
Maybe the people that are having such problems, the person on the car line that day, was hung over or having an off day, and didn’t did their job. Scary thought, but think of it…it can happen easily.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
bought my 06 magnum new,now 2 years later,heres all the problems ive had with “my” car:
airbag light on/ weight sensor in seat
recall brake lines
tranny jerk/no problem found
window mounts broke in drivers door(twice)dont slam door
dashboard lights going out
headlight switch sticks
most recent,water leak,under passenger seat flooded,no visible window or door source
out of warranty now,would love to trade it but its kinda hard when the resale value on the vehicle keeps plumeting.
when its right,shes my baby.when its not,shes a bitch!
water leak really bothering me though,wheres it comming from!!!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Had my Magnum since 2004 and have put only 17,000 miles on it due to military deployments. Since that time it has been in the shop 5 times. 1. window stuck in down position. 2. Spoiler on back coming apart. 3. car won’t shift out of park. 4. keys stopped working with the car. 5. Car won’t shift from Park. Had this problem for 2 years..now that the car is out of warranty, they found the problem in the shifter and are charging me $349 to repair it. I know of 2 others with same problem…love my car but what is going to happen next?
September 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I took my 2006 Magnum (2.7L, 54k miles) into the shop Tuesday for transmission shift problems. Similiar to what others have posted: between 2nd and 3rd it sounds like it is slamming into a pile of bricks under the car. $211 dollars and a computer flash upgrade later and it still is not right.
I took it back today and talked to the transmission expert. He does not know what is up. Said the fluids looked okay. He suggested a valve body replacement. It’s $800 I don’t have and don’t appreciate on a vehicle I have not owned for even two years.
Wish Chrysler would extend the warranty and help out some on the tranny!
September 18th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Anyone out there happy with their Magnum??
Chrylser does offer an extended warranty, and you should have had the option to buy it when you bought the car.
I don’t know, I live in Canada, please advise me of where you live, all you people that are having so many problems.
September 21st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I got my ‘06 Magnum R/T used with 14k miles on it. Picked it up in mid April, and has not had any issues yet. I love the car to death, although I’m still cautious. It seems the problem is mainly, but not limited to, the SE and SXT models. So, Suzy to answer your question, I’m happy with mine
.
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:35 am
Glad to see I’m not the only one having problems. My 06 Magnum is giving me fits! About a year ago, my husband ran to get me a latte. After leaving the car for 2 minutes to run the coffee into the house, he returned to find that the magnum had taken upon it’s self to drive across our front yard and take out the mailbox. Luckily the car only suffered minor scratches. The poor mail box died though. With barely 40,000 miles, we need new brakes and tires. The lights on the dash for the AC controls do not light up, there were some problems with the back windows not wanting to roll down but they seem fine now. The key fobs will no longer work (the piece that holds the battery in place broke in one of the keys) even with new batteries. And tonight, I go to leave work only to find the stupid car will not budge out of park. Pressing the pink override does nothing. After some googling, I found that it’s because some $10 piece of crap plastic broke rendering my car useless. The fix will cost me a couple hundred bills. Thank goodness I found a solution to put it in to drive so at least I won’t have to pay for a tow truck.
Between me and my husband, we have owned 8 cars. The only one that even comes close to being this big of a pain is 26 years old and still, it only needs minor work done because of aging parts and not enough TLC from the previous owner.
We have taken good care of the Magnum as far as maintenance and what not. So what the crap Chrysler?
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 am
2007 SXT 3.5, bought at 12K miles 06/20/08, now 16K miles: Runs silky smooth. I do my own full sevice lubes,filters,etc. However, just after purchae began hearing “slight irratic knock / rattle” coming distinctly from lower engine area. Somewhat diminishes after fully warmed up and hot.
Any other folks out there with similar “slight irratic knocking / rattling sound” after 5 or so min of slow driving ?
Thanks
October 11th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Dean Jackson found the answer to his own question!! Just recently had Dodge dealer flush out trans, clean out the screen in pan, replensih with new trans fluid.
The “irratic / light knocking” sound has totally disappeared.
All Magnum owners: Get your ATF changed out ASAP. Dealer showed me significant contaminants found in my old ATF at 16 K miles!! Do not go by the “recommended change intervals” found in the owners manuals. My magnum is the 3.5 SXT, RWD. You folks with transfer cases be especially careful to do the above ATF change-outs more often.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Dean — Thanks for sharing your solution to this problem. I’m sure other Magnum owners will find the information to be highly useful, as far as the automatic transmissions goes.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Hi All
I’ve got an 2007 Magnum with all the isues that you have complained of exept heres the kicker. Mine rolls out of my driveway backward clunking, jerking and bucking with no throttle response , all while if in forward gear. I am sueing chrysler because it only has 7000 miles on it and they tried to fix it three times to no avail. The best part is that when I brought it to the last dealer (at chryslers request). They told me ,after having it for a week, that the vehicle is acting exactly as designed. I’m not sure about this but did I do something so bad to that engineer that he wants me to die? I hope all of your fix’ dont turn into what I have.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
By the way I’m a Master tech with 25 yrs experience. The trans fluid should not have to be change after only 16 thousand miles. If there is “contamination in it” there is only two reasons for it. 1 if dirt can get in then fluid can get out so there should be a leak @ The fluid is getting too hot and cooking itself. I have not had the opportunity to open mine up (being under warrantee I’m not allowed) but I have a feeling that they have poorly engineered the torque converter and had to drop the line pressure to compinsate for it. They did this with programing rather than fixing it right. Now the torque converter slips too much on the highway above 35 which is causing your chatter/vibration thus in turn causing your converter to burn out. If they don’t by my junk back I will be taking it apart to find out what the problem really is. If that happens I will let all of you know what I’ve found and how to fix it perminantly.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
This article is stupid because most of the people that’s having problems purchased the under powered 2.7 V6 Dodge Magnum.When you have a car that heavy with an underpowered engine of course you’re going to have problems.I had my ‘06 Dodge Magnum 3.5 liter V6 SXT for over 2 years with no problems.The only thing I changed was the rotors and the tires.More brainwashing and bashing of American vehicles.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
John J — Your answer makes no sense. How can you blame people for choosing the wrong engine when the 2.7L V6 was offered in the first place? They have every right to be upset with the car if that was the engine offered, otherwise what would have been the reason to place the engine in the Magnum to begin with?
Certainly, not everyone has had problems with their Magnum, but you cannot consider this article and the subsequent comments to be the bashing of American cars.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
matt,youre right,john is a jackass.his answer makes no sense,if anything it verifies these complaints from us “american car bashers”.it still doesnt change the fact that dodge put this under-sized engine in this over-sized vehicle,still doesnt change the fact that we’re pissed off cuz they wont do anything to fix these problems.john,your magnum might not have been a lemon,but mine sure as hell was,so shut the hell up!
December 24th, 2008 at 2:27 am
No matter what make of car you buy these days, there will always be some type of problem, or recall. Suck it up. No wonder the American car industry is going belly up, no one has faith in their vehicles anymore. Everyone whines and cries about every little thing.
When you by a new computer, and you get virus, do you whine and cry about it?
Cars are all computerized these days, and that’s the problem. We have let computers run our lives.
It’s not the problem with the computer, it is the probem with the programmer..
Maybe some of you that have such problems with your cars, the guy working on the line that day, had a hang over…
December 24th, 2008 at 10:55 am
“everyone whines and cries about every little thing”,how dare you!Excuse the hell out of me for complaining about a brand new $20,000 piece of shit that i had in the shop contantly,which by the way,not all repairs are covered by the warranty,thats the reason all these people are on here complaining,or whinning and crying as you put it.Your comment is stupid and it has pissed me off even more!Suck it up?Why dont you shut it up!
December 24th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Amen to you Sean. my thoughts exactly. If you look at my post in past you see i feel the same. I have an 06 hemi AWD and wouldn’t change to anything else. And don’t forget that the cars are partly put together by man and we all no how man makes mistakes. 10% of all cars will have problems that’s the statistic. Oh yea The all wheel drive magnum is the best car i have ever drove in the snow and i got 22’s on it and no chains. We took it snowboarding yesterday and made it all the way to the lodge with the 22’s on and no chains. There is no way to hate on my ride I JUST LOVE IT!
December 24th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Sorry my last comment went out to Suzy not Sean. Sean the 20′000 option must be the bare boons model. I bought the Mack daddy version and the only thing wrong yet is the electric fan went out warranty covered.
December 24th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
congrats jeremy,you must be the coolest person in the world,yeah us poor folk cant afford the “mack daddy” version.lol
February 20th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I have owned my 2005 Dodge Magnum for over a year now and I am very disappointed with the car. Dont get me wrong I love look of the car and I was attracted to the car right away. It took me almost 2 years to get my credit good enough to buy one and come up with the down payment. I bought the car with 32,000 miles on it, right now it has 48,000 miles on it. I cannot drive the car due to the AC compressor is out, the idler pulley, the belt and then the service person told me that there are 3 seals out of my rearend. All the things that are wrong with the car will cost me $1,200. I feel a car that has 48,000 on it should not have these types of problems. I have drove cars with over 200,000 miles on them and they did not have any problems.
When I first bought the car I had a light issues where my lights in the car would dim and then go bright, they told me that it was computer issue and it would never happen again. After that I had break problems, my rear brakes did not work at all. This is all that I can think of now. As I said I am not knocking the Magnum, I dont want to give up my car for anything, but when I spent $17,000 on a car I was looking dependablity, not something that is falling apart.
February 20th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
This is to Suzy, it is your way of thinking that causes things to fail. I did not spend $17,000 for a car and not complain with the fucking thing is falling about. I can see not saying a thing when the car only cost $1700, you are bound to have some shit that would go wrong with the car. So your thoughts on this issue is retarded.
February 20th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Dawn, unfortunately we don’t know how the original owner treated your car for the first 32,000 miles which may have some bearing on how your Magnum is running now. I’m not against buying a low mileage used car, but it seems with the Magnum that there are more issues with it then with the average car.
I would press your local Chrysler representative to see if any of the problems your car is facing is covered under an unwritten warranty. If needed, file a complaint with the NHTSA to get your problem before them. While I was on their page, I found four problems listed with the 2005 Magnum two for the seat belts, one for the battery cables and one involving the transmission.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I can’t believe this. Everytime I went into my dealer they would say you’re the only one experiencing this problem. Yeah right. I have a 2005 Magnum R/T with every option but the AWD. I don’t know where to start with the problems. The first major one was a shimmy in the front end that they said was alignment and wanted to charge me for it, I had the car for 1 week. I’ve got what sounds like a rod knocking that they say is normal, even when I tell them it’s getting louder. New brakes and rotors at around 36,000 miles. Replaced the stereo/nav system, went bad. Both keys no good. The shocks on the hood haven’t worked for 2 years. There have been countless other problems too. I was so excited when I saw the first pictures of the magnum. Couldn’t wait to get one. Now I can’t wait to get rid of it.
February 25th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I own a 2005 Magnum SE and over the last few years, I’ve encountered many of the similar problems people have already reported. Some of the problems haven’t been as severe but lately my Magnum has not been shifting out of Park. It did it off and on for a while and every time I took it to the dealership, I would encounter the same thing; “I’m sorry we can not replicate the problem you are having, therefore we can’t fix it or figure out what is wrong. In the last week almost everytime I have started my car, pressed the brake, and then attempted to put it in drive it doesn’t budge. It takes a almost sort of dance to get it into drive, which entails turning the tires from side to side and then turn the car off and then back on and moving the tires from side to side. I wasn’t sure if anyone else was encountering similar problems? It also seems to jerk when I put it from park to drive and back, it kicks a quite a bit. I would understand a little, but the dealership has always called it “normal”. I absolutely love this car, because it is everything I wanted, looks wise and also there is plenty of space, I’ve even slept in my car. But it seems the first and second years model encounters a wide array of problems. Also I was wandering if anyone knows whether or not I can still take it in to see about the recalls issued in 2005 (those four mentioned earlier) I had no idea that there were even recalls on the 2005 magnum. I’ve always said I wish I could take the magnum body and put it over another car that is a little more reliable and rugged. My one regret is not waiting a little longer to get one, because generally there are always problems with the models from the first year or two of production.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I sure still love my sexy looking dark blue 2007 SXT. I am not one inclined to draw attention to myself via the kind of car that I drive. However, most everywhere I go results in many looks / walk-up inquiries,etc. (was fun to hear comments from the young ladies at the boat ramp last summer re the Magnum – - – not much directed toward me, ha,ha.)
I see on TV ads Toyota and Lexus, and other makes, now have “the Magnum look.” on their smaller models.
Could it be that this discontinued car will be a sought after item soon or in the near future because of the unique look ? I see that a lot of kids are buying up the used ones now.
Sorry to read about so many horror stories regarding this car. Although mine still has rather low miles for an 07, (17500) I do not anticipate any major problems in the future, probably because it’s overly cared for and pampered.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Dean, I still like the style of the Magnum and was sorry to see it go. True, some people are having big problems with their cars, but not every Magnum is a lemon nor should each one be traded in before its time. Down the road could it become a collector’s item? You never know — its unique design, bold look and overall limited production could mean that ten to twenty years from now it’ll be desired by avid car collectors.
March 10th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I have a 2006 Dodge Magnum 3.5 liter V6 SXT. I have had it 2 years. Bought it with 22,000 miles on it. Was very happy with it up until about the last 6 months. I have noticed transmission fluid leaks occasional (which, how convenient that you have to take it into a dealer to have it checked cuz you can’t get to it yourself) and my car has been stalling at intersections and shutting itself off after I have started it. Also with acceleration from a stop or when speeding up, it hesitates and acts as if it is going to shut off. I also have a huge clunking sound coming from the rear driver’s side. My tie rods had to be replaced this past summer and the drivers door lock/window controls are falling into the door. I guess I consider myself a person who takes good care of her vehicles and being only 3 years old w/ 65,000 miles on it, I’m not impressed at all with the performance of my vehicle. I love how roomy it is and how cool it looks, being a mom and not wanting a minivan, but I need something reliable. Hopefully the dealership I’m taking it to will be able to fix it and not screw me.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:51 am
I bought my ‘06 SXT a year old in ‘07 and although I love the car, I’ve had a few problems with it that were mostly resolved under the extended warranty I bought with it.
The steering rack was the biggest item, but I had the security module go on me where it no longer recognized the keys and left me stranded. Luckily the warranty included roadside assistance…and a loaner vehicle.
I’m poised to put the fourth set of front brake rotors on it because they keep warping and pulsing. I suspect the OEM rotors are under-spec for the weight of car so I’m putting an upgraded set on this time. None of these have been covered under warranty and cost me about $130 a pair installed.
Nuisance items – dash lights that are intermittent, driver window goes down dry, comes up wet for days after a wash or rainfall and the tailgate occasionally drops on your head. I’m at 95K of the 100K warranty so they told me they’d give it a good looking over and fix anything they can do under warranty.
One thing I noticed is the dealerships are not created equal. The dealership where I bought it takes very good care of me while I had the most horrendous trouble with another one where I bought my old PT Cruiser.
I love my Magnum all and all, but I hope I don’t get whacked with an expensive repair after I pass 100K. I’d like to hang onto it until it’s a collector car!
March 31st, 2009 at 10:17 am
Well again my Dodge Magnum is on my shit list, last night me and my family went to town and parked the car. We all got into the car and went to put the car into drive it would not even come out of park. After awhile we rocked the car back and forth and that seemed to work and we went home.
Dodge did fix my air conditioner compressor, idler pulley, belt, and the three seal in the rear end. But I called the dealer where I bought my car from and they told me that I would have to pay for the shifter problem; if it is the tranny the power train will cover that. But after about 5 minutes of research on the internet I am sure I will have to pay for this problem out of my pocket.
Used or not, the car should not be a big piece of shit at 48,000 miles, it’s to the point where I can’t even sell the car. I owe $15,000 on the loan and the car is only worth $8,000, so I am stuck paying for it.
April 10th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I have a 2005 SXT Magnum w/3.5L engine. I bought the car from the dealer used, (Was A rental car) with 19,989 miles on it. The 1st year I had the car I got A recall for the trans plug. Then the enigne light comes on. That was an EGR valve. By the time I had 60,000 miles I’ve had 2 sets of tires, tie rod ends, and 4 alignments on the car (I heard that the spec’s were wrong for the alignment from the factory, that could have caused the fast tire wear. I have not had any transmision problems yet, but did just have it serviced. The car has 107.231 miles, and I always do the scheduled oil changes, and Guess what. Yesterday morning, started the car before going to work, and the engine sounds like it has a Rod or Lifter knock that does not go away. I saw the guy Dean Jackson had a knocking noise, and was the Trans…..THIS does not sound like a Transmission, but a bad Rod or lifter knock coming from the front right bank of the engine.
The car is 4yrs old, and have only put on 87,327 mile, and this is JUST UNEXCEPTABLE, but I’ve been told there is no coverage………….Whats a guy to do.
Sincerely,
Phil
April 17th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I bought my 2005 dodge sxt with 24, 000 mies on it, In a year I put 55,000 miles on it. So far I have not had any problems. I love my magnum, and take care of it. oil change, I am good to go so far.
April 24th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I have 2008 Magnum SXT with 32500km…..They just replaced my torque converter and front pump and solenoid pack in my tranny due to a leak….
It is a great car and the problems are severe sounding but Blame it on the Transmission that Mercedes Engineered not Chrysler….
Hope to see everyone has been taken care of.
Rob
April 25th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I HAVE A 07 DODGE MAGNUM THAT I BOUGHT A YEAR AGO….THANK GOD NO PROBLEMS.. YOU CANT JUST DOG YOU R CAR OUT EITHER SOUNDS LIKE ALOT THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF THER CARS OR THEY WOULDNT HAVE HTESE PROBLEMS……..SUCKS
April 30th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Unlike everyone else, i’m looking at a used 2005 dodge magnum that has a little over 62k miles on it. They’re asking, with taxes added, $1300. i tested it and i felt like i was driving my old 88 chevy pickup. Only it was such a smooth ride. As soon as i sat behind the wheel to when i got out, the magnum put a smile on my face i havent had in a long time. i loved the way it felt. As far as the problems? The only things i’ve been reading here is transmission problems and shifting assys. Well those problems would never accur if you inspected your vehicle. Cars need a little love to be happy. Your car will almost talk to you if you’d pay attention to warning signs.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Sorry bout that last comment. I got carried away. What i was getting at when i started is i was wandering if it’s a good deal with only 302/mth.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
I have a 2005 Magnum SE and have taken it to several mechanics including the dealer. I have this grinding rattling noise in the front driver side…no one can tell me what it is. i spent $500 on the tire rods and $300 on lower control arm (ball joint) STILL THE SAME NOISE!!!!! the mechanics told me not to spend anymore money until i find out what the real problem is. i am going to call chrysler and if i get no help i am going to call my local tv investigation team to find others with costly problems from the magnum
May 28th, 2009 at 3:36 am
We bought a used 05 RT 2 years ago, in TX. No problems until recently, engine light on with an EGR system fault, bucking between 40-50 mph. I have a 7 month old and until recently thought I had a reliable fun car to drive. I am a SAHM and require the use of my car almost daily for play dates, errands, dr appointments etc. I loved the looks I get in it. I am afraid to drive with my son in the car now. So this doesn’t help my charity work either. We are barely past 51k with regular maintenance from the dealer, then a reliable less expensive mechanic. Thankfully the shop honors my extended warranty. So we ar egoing to try and change the stupid EGR valve on our own, hubby is a car guy but never worked on something this new but concept seems the same, otherwise lets hope chrysler decides to cover this. They covered the tansmission o-ring leak…
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Never had any problems with mine. Love it. Does seem as though people are not taking care of thier wheels. especially on the SE’s,
I have a SXT AWD, and it is happy. Does anyone have problems with those? Doesn’t seem so by what I’ve been reading.
Do the SE’s have the Mercedes Tranny? Being a 4100 pound car, I could see how a lesser transmission could take a beating. It’d be like a F250 with a Mazda tranny (just won’t last to long). Any thoughts?
June 11th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Hello Everyone: I just found this website. I have some important information for many of you regarding front end rattles, etc. I have a 2006 AWD R/T I acquired in May 2005. At 9000 miles I began noticing a hum in the front end. At 12000 still there and the dealerships checked front end, tie rod, engine mounts, tires, rims, balancing, etc. etc. etc…. The only time there was a significant change was when I changed the tires…..but then it came back….again and again rearing its ugly noise. The dealership determined it was tires/balancing/rims. I replaced a rim, tie rods…nothing until now…..
I now have 80K and replaced the tires again and when I did the noise that has progressively got worse over time became a loud banging noise….sounding like a broken metal rod or something. Well it looks like it is the AWD Transfer case all along. I am trying to work with Chrysler on it but no resolution yet.
I LOVE my Magnum but also share many of the problems you all have, including the rear window not working anymore, transmission noise (forward/back) replace vicous coupler.
That said, it is an awesome looking and performing car. I just wish they had put some higher end parts in it.
Good luck….check out those AWD transfer cases!!!!
July 1st, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I have an 05 Magnum SXT. I got new in July O4. 174,000 miles later and it is still rolling. I purchase 2 set so tires and updated to 18in wheels. Purchased 2 sets of tie rods and now it needs rear axle work. Yesterday I got that EGR valve replaced. The factory radio sucks by I use my satellite radio most of the time. I haven’t spent that much on maintenance but I’ve wasted much more money on gas. I’d by another one if I could.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
well I have an 05 magnum sxt and the problem I am having is a weird flashing with my lights interior and exterior they flash like a pulsing high low high low like the battery is weak or the alternater is going bad I tested both in my shop but they were in good shape and I can’t seem to find the issue but other than that I love my car it has the power I need and the space I want not to mention it looks so aggressive in the rearview to other cars I believe all cars have issues and they are all the same I work on cars for a living and for a hobby and my nissan 240 has a lot of issues to also my 06 lancer evolution has its issues but all in all it comes down to maintaining a vehicle to avoid these issues preventive maintenance is what you all need
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:17 am
my 2005 dodge magnum will not go into drive from park please help
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:30 am
I have a 06 magnum R/T AWD,I took my car to the dealer here in MONTGOMERY,AL to get #5 ROCKER ARM/BUILD SHAFT REPLACED now my magnum gets over-heated whenever I idle or when driving and,I stop at a light.I have to keep turning the car off so It can cool down.I took It back to the dealer 3 times,and they can’t seem to find anything wrong with it.Can anybody help me? My magnum only has 42,000 miles on It.(or point me in the right direction)
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Robert
I know it sound funny but have them look at the cooling fans. Mine went out and we thought it was the thermostat. Mine had 43,000 miles when it went out yours has the same mileage.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
“# CurtisT Says:
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
well I have an 05 magnum sxt and the problem I am having is a weird flashing with my lights interior and exterior they flash like a pulsing high low high low like the battery is weak or the alternater is going bad I tested both in my shop but they were in good shape and I can’t seem to find the issue but other than that I love my car it has the power I need and the space I want not to mention it looks so aggressive in the rearview to other cars I believe all cars have issues and they are all the same I work on cars for a living and for a hobby and my nissan 240 has a lot of issues to also my 06 lancer evolution has its issues but all in all it comes down to maintaining a vehicle to avoid these issues preventive maintenance is what you all need”
CurtisT, I have a 2005 Dodge Magnum and when I bought the car the lights were doing the same thing. Turns out it was a computer problem and the dealership update the computer and the lights stopped flashing. It has been a little over a year and I have not had a problem since. I hope this helps.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
You would think that after 3 years of production Dodge would have figured out the transmission problem by now. I currently own an 2008 magnum with the weed eater 2.7L. Once a week while you are taking off from a light the engine will hesitate, and while turning corners do the same thing. I have yet to experience the exploding torqe converter or the loud banging noise but From reading all of these stories I am very worried. I knew I should have kept my Impala…
Mike Hughes´s last blog ..WS: Trip to FeilongShan
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
OK…My 2005 Dodge Magnum is the biggest pain in my ass ever! List of problems listed below…
Loss of Power.
Rear driver’s side window.
Passenger side airbag light stays on.
Shifting Problems.
Shifter stuck in “P” would not leave that position.
Interior trim falling down (Driver/Passenger windows)
Throttle Body needed and Can NOT get on…2000 plus back order and no time frame when it would be shipped to Dealer Ships.
Fender welds falling down due to plastic screws not holding them in place. (Noted by body shop).
Popping in steering on hard right and left turns.
Hood will not stay open. (Falls down)
How do I go about finding out if my car is a lemon?
Anyone that can help me feel free to email me at police0319@gmail.com.
I can’t even get parts to fix my car….Dodge is not issuing parts due to bankrupts within DC.
I need help!!
July 30th, 2009 at 1:33 am
I own a 2005 Dodge Magnum RT that I bought in june 2004 and is now over 5 years old and has over 50k miles now and still runs great and I still love it, few minor issues like any car out there (you’re kidding yourself if you think Toyota’s & Honda’s don’t have issues like this too) all of which were covered by warranty with one exception, the tires wore exceptionally fast, though I question how much that’s a design problem and how much that’s a hard to not floor it with the Hemi cause addition tires of another brand i’ve also worn out exceptionally fast.
August 9th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I have a 05 RT bought in June 04. 70K miles.
Problems.
-Tires(continental)
-gas level sensor(warranty)
-Pink piece under shifter broke(self fix with screw and spring, service shops charge $200)
-car stalls if topped off, due to a bad vent recirc line design(Not topping it off works great for me)
-car goes really fast(I have paid over 1k in speeding fines, that is more than all fixes)
August 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
We have an 05 R/T, bought new in April 2006. The tires were replaced (Continentals) at 27K miles and the warranty on them was stupid. It said that if you noticed that the wear bars were showing, then it was too late to get cover under the warranty! Cost over $800. On a trip to SC this year, we stopped for gas the the car was stuck in drive. We called a tow truck and had it towed to a big dealer. We have the extended warranty. The service manager there went out and put it straight into park with no problem. They couldn’t replicate the problem, so we took it back after renting a car for 24 hours. On the same trip we noticed that the cd changer got very hot. On the return trip, we didn’t use cruise control or the radio or cd changer! It hasn’t done it again, but now we’re always nervous. Also, some days it does 19 mpg around town and some days it does 15! Highway varies from 19 to 25 and we have no idea why. Also, the keys had to be replaced. All very strange, but we love the car. The transmission problem worries us though as we have lost trust in the car.
August 25th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I own a 2005 Magnum R/T with 96k on odo, zero issues with vehicle from day 1 with 30 miles on it, still have original brakes on it as well. Amazing vehicle, damn shame they stopped producing them. Best car i’ve ever owned cut and dry. It’s all in the maintenance, take care of the car and the car will take care of you.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Recently bought an 05 SXT RWD, Have loved the car, don’t know its past, the previous owner loved it though, hope I dont run into these prolems that some of you are experiencing, I did find out today that the inner tie rods are shot and need to be replaced, no biggy, been there done that got a shirt…great car in my opinion, to bad not everyone can love thiers as much as i can
Kevin´s last blog ..Threadless Tshirt Giveaway at jaypeeonline.net
September 9th, 2009 at 12:09 am
I just want to know where Matt K went. I have never seen someone spend so much time on one thread. Who do you work for Matt?
George´s last blog ..Threadless Tshirt Giveaway at jaypeeonline.net
September 9th, 2009 at 5:51 am
I’m here. And, I’m not spending time on this thread, rather I’m allowing people to continue posting comments as long as they are on measure and are of benefit to all. BTW, I’m self employed and I don’t have an ax to grind with Chrysler, et al.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 am
I have a 2006 dodge magnum srt8. Love the car hate the problems. Coolant smells like ammonia with cloudy residue, cooling fans whine,overheats,and now trans won’t shift so car stuck in driveway. I’m trying lemon law.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
I have a 2005 RT and love it. Small issues (like all cars) but nothing bad.
It is good looking, fast and gets decent gas mileage for a car with so much performance. The SRT version is awesome ( a friend has one).
Charles Hawkins- not sure how long you have had your SRT but lemon laws are fairly short in some States. Your cooling problems all might be related- whining fan and overheating may both indicate a fan problem. If stays cool running on the highway and overheats at stop lights and in parking lots you have a fan problem.
The cloudy coolant was/is covered by Chrysler. Check with you dealer and/or Chrysler customer service. Mention RRT07-026.
The transmission failing to shift out of park is not a transmission problem- it is a small piece for the interlock up near the shifter. Not a good problem, but it is not a sign of real transmission issues. It will be OK.
Get these fixed and enjoy an awesome car.
November 14th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
We just bought an ‘05 R/T with 71k on it. I checked several review sites to see how people liked their Magnums and was quite pleased at the results, so when I found one at a really good price, I snatched it up. Now I’m terrified that I’m stuck with a piece of crap. I have had it for just 2 weeks and already some of the interior components are crapping up on me. Driver side door/window lock panel pushed in, so I have to take that in for repair, the piece under the gear knob keeps falling down,the MP3 player is acting up, and my rear window wiper broke (although, to be fair, I think the dealer caused that. Still pisses me off though). I wish I had found this site before I bought it.
Any tips for maintenance? Hopefully I can avoid these major issues I’m reading about.
November 27th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Have mine 2006 RT/AWD now for 47k miles and three years. I changed my plugs myself at 32k and burn Royal Purple 5-20w since 1100 miles. Changed the Rotors and Pads at 45k. Car has been nothing but a pleasure to own and drive. Safest car I’ve ever owned./ Must have gotten a special one…
December 1st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I was interested in purchasing one of these cars for my girlfriend, the reviews here seem very negative. I have two friends with Magnums one a 6.1 and the other with a 5.7. Both love there cars only complaints were tire wear with admitting its probably the hard acceleration and driving habits. The 5.7 is an o6 around 70k and the 6.1 is 08 around 20k.
My post is regards to the 3.5, awd or just rear. I do work for farmers insurance and they have these for some of there employees, I have tried to get info out of them but they don’t seem to know much about the engine, trans, setup, ect. All they tell me is its fun to drive! I assume these are all 2.7 and 3.5. Being a dodge guy I have had many dodge vehicles been very happy with all my Dodge cars but I have only had rear wheel drive cars trucks and vans. I know the 2.7 is not the best of engines and am avoiding those. Also like ANY CAR MADE never buy the first production year, I have found you are the beta tester.
Any help would be great if you are a 3.5 v6 owner, prefer the 2006-08 years but I will listen to the 05 owners. Just want to get my girlfriend out of the honda, so I have more time, money and my shop is available for classics! We rented a 3.5 for a week and she loved it!
Thanks All
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Good morning, I have a 2005 Magnum 2X4 3.5L and for the most part are the tires. I have 18″ wheels and the car has 120,000 plus miles and have spent more on tires since I bought the car in 06. I had a stuck lifter that put the car down for a bit, but is a great driver, good mileage 26+ mpg and I have yet to replace the brakes…No other problems.
The only thing I can saw is that my wife does not like the blind spot of the windshield posts, but is a great daily driver…
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Purchased an 06 RT AWD new in 07. Got the lifetime warranty then standard. Have 50k miles and car has been great except felt like trans slipping when first put into gear on cold days a few times. Also have seen an occasional pool of trans fluid under car. Not a regular leak, just a rare pool! Am currently out of town with car and tran is definately slipping yesterday and today when cold. Will have checked when back home later this week. Has been great otherwise. Rear window struts getting weak. OEM Contenentals were junk. Replaced at 30k with Goodyears that have no sign of wear after 20k.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Anyone else having trans slipping or random leak problems?
December 12th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Reading alot of the post (complaints) about the 30-45mph shake; I can tell you the most likely problem. I just ran into this recently. The cause is in the rear drive shaft. The rear drive shaft bolt(s) most likley 1 has broken off that holds the companion flange on the driveshaft.
December 15th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Seeking advice – My ‘05 AWD Mags had shown some tranny problems last year (under warranty) and the dealer told me it would not be the ATF level as the system is sealed. He didnt seem to offer any solutions unless the problem got worse. Now, just past warranty, the tranny is out. I cant try to use my car when it is freezing cold out and hope it doesnt stall. I was lucky to get home the other day at 30mph (sometimes 0). Any advice as to luck getting repairs done under warranty now, what should i be asking the dealer, or should i just go to the trusted Ma and Pa shop for repair? Thank in advance….Don
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm
I have owned my 2006 SXT 3.5 for 2 1/2 years. I bought it used from some crooks named Rairdon’s Dodge (another story). Let it be known that I have always been an avid Mopar fan, and have owned many, both classics and new. I do all my own routine maintenance. Here is the issues I have had with this car.
1. Airbag light comes on intermittently with no one present in the passenger seat after. Dealer has no idea why, so I live with it.
2. At 22,000 miles I was hearing a signifigant “knock” in the engine. Since it was still under warranty I took it in. The problem was a roll pin that backed out of the rocker shaft, causing lack of oil to the arms. Fixed.
3. Lately, I have been noticing a knock over bumps and what seems like pulsating brakes. Well I was doing the oil change and grabbed the wheel while on jacks…sure enough…tie rod ends. They are available($100), and seem to be easy to change for an experienced mechanic. It just seems like premature failure, due to only 57,000 miles on the car.
In conclusion, my Magnum has great lines, decent performance. The fit and finish is substandard, as well as the overall reliability. I am looking to trade it in on a new Dodge Ram.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:30 am
I am on my 2nd Magnum RT. First was a 2005… loved it.
2nd is a 2006 also love the car. Only complaint that I have is vibration in driveline. Suspect the poor design in the driveshaft. Have had driveshaft replaced. Dealer admits it has vibration but can not pin point. Why I suspect the driveshaft, is the weird 2 piece design. From the transmission you have a rubber companion flange. Then the driveshaft bolts to that rubber flang… moving towards the rear, the driveshaft tube accepts the 2nd part of the driveshaft with a spline… then a hanger bearing, then a u-joint… finally the end of the driveshaft bolts to another rubber flange, which is then bolted to the diff. Alot of junk in between, while rotating that can be causing a vibration. I have put on 40,000kms, 3 sets of rims, 2 set of tires (1set of tires tried on 2 sets of rims) rotors recut, and 3 tie rods replaced to tighten the front will now be having the 2 piece driveshaft pulled, and build a 1 piece driveshaft to see if i can make this vibe go away. Figure if we eliminate all the possible loose things… like the rubber flange, hannger bearing, spline shaft… out, this will work. Have done a custome shaft on another vehihcle similar problem, and it worked out great. Just because an engineer designed something, doesn’t always mean it works well. Theory on paper is great, along with all the formula’s, etc, but once put out in the real world… some of the designs can be found not to work as well as once thought.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
have a 2005 Magnum R/T with 50,000 miles so far I have had the following replaced:
4 sets of front rotors 1 set barke pads
1 set rear rotor and pads
water pump
tie rods inner and outer
lower control arms and bushings
I am on my third set of tires all the way around
both remote keys are broken
Needless to say I am very disappointed in this car, I can remember being over joyed when it was delived now I wish someone would take it and my mega reapair bills of my hands. Dodge should be ashamed…..
Marianne
January 11th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
I have 197000 on my 2005 Magnum and it is still running strong. Replaced the front tie rods twice. Replaced tires and brakes. Getting the radiator fan fix today. Replaced the rear end differential. I would still get another one. Like I said 197000 and still running strong. Never had a tune up. Thanks Mobile One.
Ken.
January 11th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
My 2005 Magnum 3.5 is a Great Car…Yeh I’ve had a few minor problems, but for the most part, this Baby Rocks…I did Tie Rods, Tires replaced 3 times, a Lifter replaced and the car is a daily driver with 159,000. get this, I have never had to replace the brakes as of yet…..Unreal, but I have them checked every 5000 miles…Don’t know what I am doing but it’s working….This car has the looks, the performamce and is still getting about 24mpg…..Hope I’m the licky one………..
January 12th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Ok here’s one I haven’t seen- this am I went into my garage to find the rear window on my 2006 magnum falling apart into little pieces around the edges of the window with NO other visable defects on window itself. NO cracks-nothing parked it in the garage as always and the window is just falling apart piece by piece(looks completely shattered). My insurance says they have NEVER seen a window do this and state it is clearly some sort of defect. And as you might expect, the dealer won’t do anything about it. Haven’t been able to even move it today because it is also popping outward(not inward)and still making crackling noises this afternoon(more pieces have come off while I was at work)
January 13th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
The window problem is strange but there was probably an impact or something. 2006 to now is unlikely to be defect. Of course the insurance company does not want pay- anything to deny a claim. It is their job to prove its a defect- they can discuss it with the dealer.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I’ve got a 2006 Magnum SE. When turning on the AC, I hear this extremely loud clicking sound coming from behind the dash. Not so bad in winter, but when the summer kicks in, it is absolutely unbearable. Has anyone else had this problem? Is this an easy fix? I did mention it at the dealer once, and they said that they’d basically have to disassemble my entire dash to fix the problem, costing about $2k. At this point, I’m willing to drive it as is until I can trade it on for something safe and Japanese. Thanks.
February 11th, 2010 at 12:36 am
Well… I’ll start by saying, I love to hate my Magnum?
62,000 miles and 2 transmissions, 3 planetary assembly rebuilds, delaminating paint, cheap cracked leather, new brakes, leaky sunroof, collapsed strut supports, and the list goes on.
But damn is this car still a blast to drive!!!
Mine, and proud of the p.o.s. is a 2006 Magnum R/T AWD and after 48000 and the first tranny… I learned I was stuck with her. She’s not worth what I owe (thanks for the BK Chrysler… you could have waited after I bought an SRT to go for broke)… anyway, she now has an intake, exhaust, mopar tuned ecu and tcm, Eibach lowering springs, 20″ MHT wheels, custom dvd and audio… a blast to drive.
Yeah, it took me spending money to make it mine, but I love it again.
Simple truth… just buy an aftermarket warranty. Don’t finance one, just pay the $1500 out of pocket. Without it, I’d be about $12000 in the hole on repairs. Go National Warranty!!!