2009 Dodge Challenger: Busted Knob

If it was my brand new 2009 ANYTHING, I would fix it.

Or rather, have the dealer do it.

@wobbly_ears

Yeah, because no other car has any parts come off from someone hitting it with their foot. Is the M3 crap because the trim came loose? Is the 370 Z crap because the door trim came loose? No! s$#% happens and if this were my car I would be at the dealer the day it happened to replace it.

Yes replace it, I would.

Same thing happened on the '83 300SD I used to own (albeit at somewhere north of 200k miles)--pretty much the same part, from the looks of it. I bought the cover piece (yes, it's sold separately from the switch itself) for about $5, and glued it on. Took ten seconds, and well worth it IMHO, even though the switch works just fine without it.

On my new challenger I would absolutely replace it. But on my 97 mercury grand marquis its been missing for a year and a half.

Yes. If you just start to let things go here and there that is how your car ends up looking like complete crap after a few years.

I'd definitely get it replaced, but it's no big deal.

Well most likely you're going to sell it one day or pass it down as a classic. Either way, especially in a car that's going to be relatively rare like this, I'd replace it even out of warranty. I'd make them replace it under warranty no matter what it was.

Hard to tell, if 450 somolians vacated my bank account every month for the privilege of having the car parked in the driveway, I'd think pretty hard about it.

If its still under the B2B warranty then of course I would replace it. Why wouldn't you?

If the car were still under warranty, of course. If not...it would depend on how much it would cost and how easy it was to adjust the seat without that little piece of plastic.

I think I'd probably fix it. I can't stand stuff like this to be missing - noticeable or not. It would just bug me...

That plastic looks cheap and awful.

@ jeepsrt

I agree, s**t happens, especially when a bunch of people (this does appear to be a popular car with the team) use the one feature over and over again.

sh!t happens. but a new plastic piece from the dealer for a couple of bucks and glue it on yourself.

Yes, I would.

Dodge should just rename their lousy vehicles for why people actually buy them:

Dodge Rebate
Chrysler Cash Back

Since it would still be under warranty, absolutely. But even if I was outside warranty I would. Little details like this say a lot about an owner. If you can' be bothered to replace a minor $10 part how conscientious are you about the big stuff?

Yup that's it........... the car is a total piece of sh!t because some moron at the car wash ripped the freakin switch piece off.

Nevermind the car is still rattle and squeak free, faster since it was new (test driver's words, not mine)you smash the hell out of the door edge, somebody's brother in law wasted the clutch and who knows what else, has had the bejezus beat out of it, and you dis a car because a little piece of trim falls off?

Wow, some of you are amazing.

typical Dodge/Chrysler quality. i have a feeling that Dodge/Chrysler will disappear from existence during my lifetime (and thankfully too!)

So the power seat knob was snapped off by an editor or attendant. After 21,000 miles of testing, that's the only hiccup in the car. No mysterious rattles. No air bag warning lights, no shifter that pops out of gear mysteriously, no shredded tires, no transmission failure, no engine failure. No busted nav screen.

Let's be honest- Most of the cars in the LT test fleet would be HAPPY to have the build quality and reliability of the Challenger.

+1 on getting it fixed.

"Dodge should just rename their lousy vehicles for why people actually buy them:

Dodge Rebate
Chrysler Cash Back"

"typical Dodge/Chrysler quality. i have a feeling that Dodge/Chrysler will disappear from existence during my lifetime (and thankfully too!)"

ROFL two ignoramus' in one thread!

I am late to this blog's party, but I agree with those who can't believe the Chrysler rants. The Challenger has been more reliable than most of your LTRT vehicles. Give Chrysler some credit when credit is due.

On the other hand, I would not care to purchase a Chrysler with an automatic transmission. So, I could see myself in a stick Challenger RT-- but I can't afford it. It is much more expensive than a Camaro SS. And the Challenger V6 does not offer a stick. Sorry, Chrysler.

your negative bias is so evident. First of all you guys already covered this switch problem about 10,000 mile ago. Like many people here said that is basically the only failure this car has had. And I guarantee you it was from abuse of some kind. Accidental or not I am not sure.

The fact that you now covered this issue again, shows how just because it is a Chrysler you have to have a negative tone to all your writing, even in blogs of which you speak "well" of the Challenger.

makes me wonder, are all you Edmunds staff writers family? related some how?

You guys are weak!

Anyone bashing all of Chrysler for a stupid little trim piece like this is brainwashed.

My buddy just got a new GTI, guess what, the seat knob is already broken. Reviewers do nothing but gush over the GTI's interior.

I recently busted the passenger's side adjustment on another friends' Outback...he said it had happened before.

I stepped on the power chair lever in my speed6, guess what, it popped off. I popped it back into place.

Seriously, this is the result of someone stepping on it and not an impression of quality at all. What do you guys want, a leather wrapped seat knob covered in diamonds that is step-on-proof? I have never encountered a seat adjustment that wasn't either a plastic knob, piece, or metal bar, except in a few select mercedes' (my grandpa's S class comes to mind).

There are some cases where owner wear and tear is indicative of quality, but this isn't one of them. I'm almost positive this piece did not just pop off on its own.

I agree that Chrysler has a lot to work on and has a few of the worst interiors in the industry, but relating this to their overall level of quality is ridiculous.

I actually posted this on another comment thread, but its really more appropriate here.

After reading all of this endless Chrysler bashing on every Challenger thread, I just had to comment.

I have had my Challenger R/T 6-speed since October 2008. It is equipped almost identical to Edmunds' long-termer, with the exception that mine came with 20s instead of the 18s. I now have 21,000 miles on it, and it is, without a doubt, my favorite car I have ever owned (and I have had 40 over the last 24 years). The swicthgear is still holding up well, the shifter still works like new, and my clutch hasn't even thought of slipping, and I drive it the way it was meant to be driven. I thought the car sat too high, so I put the Mopar/KW coilover suspension on it, and the handling was VASTLY improved. So as far as the twisties, I am more than happy to pitch it into any curve that comes my way, having done so at Road Atlanta myself and with professional driver Randy Pobst at the wheel, and found it would do a lot more than I personally wanted to.

I have a wife and three kids now, so my days of Camaros and Mustangs (of which I have had several) are over for a while. The Challenger is so much larger than either of those two (both of which I like very much, by the way, with a slight preferential nod to the new 5.0 GT coming soon) that it shouldn't even be compared.

I understand that Chrysler has earned some grief because of their automotive misses (what manufacturer hasn't), but the fact of the matter is that this car has held up as well or better than any Honda I have had. I would recommend it to anyone looking for what I was--a muscle car with room for five real people. In fact, I'd be more than happy togive a full writeup (with photos) to the fine editors at Inside Line for a parallel of what their own experience has been.

And yes, replace the button somebody snapped off.

is anyone else sick of the Edmund's InsideLine not updating these blogs for days its very disappointing they used to update all the time, now it is rare to see an update even every three days apart (or more like every 2weeks) I WISH THEY WOULD UPDATE THEIR BLOGS MORE even if its about something simple like the exhaust smell or something i miss reading them every other day if not every day.