Overview The first-generation Dodge Nitro uses a pretty old-school drivetrain layout, and that matters. A lot. This thing is not a crossover with a tiny turbo motor and a CVT waiting to implode. It is a longitudinal setup with real driveline hardware under it, rear-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive depending on trim, and actual…
Overview The real story with the 2000–2005 Dodge Neon is pretty simple. Front-wheel-drive only. No transfer case. No PTU. No rear diff. No prop shaft. What you’re dealing with is the transaxle, the front differential built into it, the axle seals, and the two front half-shafts. I’ve seen a lot of these cars come through…
Overview The first-generation Dodge Magnum, sold in the U.S. for 2005 through 2008, is one of those wagons that looks tougher than it has any right to. Long roof, LX bones, rear-drive layout, V6 or V8 up front. Good stance. Good road manners for a big Chrysler. But when people ask me about Magnum transmission…
Overview The first-generation Dodge Journey, 2009 through 2020, is one of those crossovers that can be cheap to buy and expensive to guess wrong on. I’ve seen plenty of them come through real shops. Some were fine. Some needed nothing more than a software update and fluid service. Others were one bad road test away…
Overview The second-generation Dodge Intrepid, sold in the U.S. from 1998 through 2004, is a pretty simple car when you strip the badge drama away and look at the drivetrain. One tranny family. One basic layout. One set of repeat problems that keeps showing up in the bays. I’ve seen dozens of these, and the…
Overview The 1993-1997 Dodge Intrepid keeps the transmission conversation pretty simple. One tranny family. One basic front-drive layout. And a whole lot of ways for that setup to get expensive once age, heat, leaks, bad wiring, and sloppy previous repairs start piling on. In my experience, that is both good news and bad news. Good,…
Overview The third-generation Dodge Durango is one of those SUVs that can fool people. Big body. Strong engines. Good tow ratings. Feels stout on the road. So buyers assume the transmission and driveline side must be just as simple and bulletproof. It is not that simple. I’ve seen a lot of these in real service…
Overview The second-gen Dodge Durango is one of those SUVs that can look a lot worse on paper than it feels on the road, right up until the day the drivetrain decides it has had enough. I’ve seen that pattern more than once. Clean body, decent interior, strong tow rating, V8 sounds healthy, then you…
Overview The 2013–2016 Dodge Dart is one of those cars that looks simple until you get underneath the thing and start sorting out which tranny it actually has. Then the story changes. A lot. Same body. Same basic platform. Three very different ownership experiences. This is a front-wheel-drive car only. No AWD. No transfer case….
Overview The 2005–2011 Dodge Dakota is one of those trucks that gets talked about like the whole drivetrain is cursed. It isn’t. I’ve seen a lot of these in real shops, and the truth is a lot narrower than the internet makes it sound. The big risk on this generation is not some across-the-board automatic…
Overview The 1998-2003 Dodge Durango has more than one transmission story. That’s the first thing people miss. I’ve seen buyers lump all first-gen Durangos together like they’re the same truck with a different badge on the tailgate. They aren’t. A 3.9L V6 truck with a 42RE is one animal. A 5.9L truck with a 46RE…
Overview The second-generation Dodge Dakota is one of those trucks that can fool people fast. Looks simple. Sometimes it is. Then you get under one, drive it hot, scan it, pull the dipstick, check the transfer case, and you realize Chrysler gave this platform a whole pile of different tranny and driveline combinations, all with…
Overview The 2011-2023 Dodge Charger is one of those cars that gets talked about like it used one tranny for a dozen years. It didn’t. Big difference. And if you miss that difference, you can buy the wrong car, order the wrong parts, chase the wrong noise, and burn a pile of money doing it….
Overview The 2006–2010 Dodge Charger is pretty straightforward once you strip away the brochure fluff. Two automatic transmissions. Rear-wheel drive on most cars. All-wheel drive on selected trims. No manual. No CVT. No dual-clutch science project. Just a big LX sedan with either the lighter-duty 42RLE or the tougher A580/NAG1 hanging off the back of…
Overview This platform is not a one-problem tranny story. Never was. You have to split these cars by transmission code first, then by engine, then by build range, and only after that do you start talking about whether one is a smart buy or a rolling repair bill. I’ve seen people lump every 2008–2023 Challenger…