2023 Dodge Challenger Lemon Law Case Study: Cash and Keep Settlement in Texas
A 2023 Dodge Challenger With a Cracked Cylinder That Spent 154 Days Out of Service
Our Texas client purchased a 2023 Dodge Challenger, the final model year of an iconic American muscle car before Stellantis discontinued the nameplate, backed by FCA US LLC’s full new-vehicle limited warranty. When Stellantis issued a spark plug recall on the vehicle, our client had the recall service completed.
After the recall service, our client noticed a misfire in cylinder #8 and the check engine light illuminated. Our client also noticed a “milkshake-like” substance in the oil pan. Further inspection found a cracked cylinder. The vehicle went in for this repair on May 29, 2025 and was out of service for 154 days.
Easy Lemon filed a demand against FCA US LLC (Stellantis) citing both the Texas Lemon Law (Tex. Occ. Code Ann. §§ 2301.601–613) and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.). Stellantis settled for $27,000 Cash and Keep, our client receives full compensation and retains ownership of the Challenger. The $27,000 total includes the attorney fees.
What Went Wrong
- Stellantis spark plug recall completed on the vehicle
- Cylinder #8 misfire appeared after the recall service, along with check engine light illumination
- “Milkshake-like” substance noticed in the oil pan
- Oil cooler had recently been replaced at another dealership, but the issue persisted
- Cracked cylinder confirmed upon further inspection
- Vehicle out of service for 154 days after entering repair on May 29, 2025
One Repair Visit and 154 Days Out of Service
Prior to May 29, 2025: Oil Cooler Replacement
- Our client had previously brought the 2023 Dodge Challenger to another dealership, where the oil cooler was replaced
- Despite the oil cooler replacement, the issue persisted
May 29, 2025: Inspection After Spark Plug Recall; Engine Failure Discovered
- Stellantis issued a spark plug recall applicable to the 2023 Dodge Challenger; our client had the recall service completed
- After the recall service was completed, cylinder #8 began misfiring and the check engine light illuminated
- Inspection found a “milkshake-like” substance in the oil pan,
- Further inspection found a cracked cylinder
- Vehicle out of service for 154 days starting May 29, 2025
Why a Cracked Cylinder After a Recall Qualifies Under Texas Lemon Law
Texas’s Lemon Law (Tex. Occ. Code Ann. §§ 2301.601–613) requires that a manufacturer repair a new vehicle’s warranty nonconformities within a reasonable number of attempts. When the manufacturer fails, either through too many repair visits or an extended loss of use, the owner is entitled to a refund, replacement, or, in negotiated settlements, cash compensation. This case presented a uniquely powerful factual pattern that gave Stellantis little room to dispute liability.
- Texas Lemon Law, out-of-service threshold met and far exceeded: Tex. Occ. Code Ann. § 2301.605 provides that a vehicle qualifies for relief when it has been out of service for 30 or more calendar days for warranty repairs. Our client’s Challenger was out of service for 154 days, about five times the statutory floor
- Engine problems after the recall service: The misfire and check engine light appeared after the spark plug recall service, a milkshake-like substance was noticed in the oil pan, and inspection then found a cracked cylinder
- Cracked cylinder is a major safety and driveability impairment: A cracked cylinder allows combustion gases, coolant, and oil to intermingle in ways that can cause sudden loss of engine power, engine seizure, overheating, and, if the vehicle is driven, risk of catastrophic mechanical failure. This satisfies the “substantial impairment of use, value, or safety” standard under both state and federal law
- Prior oil cooler replacement establishes a documented failure pattern: Another dealership had recently replaced the oil cooler, and the issue persisted
- Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.): The Magnuson-Moss Act provides a parallel federal remedy whenever a written warranty is breached. Because FCA US LLC issued a written warranty covering the 2023 Dodge Challenger, and because the engine problems appeared after a manufacturer-directed recall service and the vehicle was out of service for 154 days, the breach is clear
- 2023 Dodge Challenger context, final model year: Stellantis discontinued the Dodge Challenger nameplate after the 2023 model year.
How Easy Lemon Built This Case Against Stellantis
Free Case Evaluation
We reviewed the complete repair history: the prior oil cooler replacement at another dealership, the May 29, 2025 visit after the recall service, the cylinder #8 misfire and check engine light appearing after the recall, the “milkshake-like” substance in the oil pan, and the cracked cylinder diagnosis. The single-visit timeline, combined with 154 days out of service, made the threshold analysis immediate.
Documentation & Case Building
Our team gathered the repair records, the recall information, and the diagnosis of the cracked cylinder. We documented the earlier oil cooler replacement and the fact that the issue persisted after it.
Demand to FCA US LLC (Stellantis)
We filed a formal demand against FCA US LLC citing Tex. Occ. Code Ann. §§ 2301.601–613 and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Our demand documented the recall-to-failure sequence, the cracked cylinder diagnosis, the milkshake-like substance in the oil pan, the earlier oil cooler replacement, and the 154 days our client had been without the vehicle.
$27,000 Cash and Keep Settlement
Easy Lemon negotiated a $27,000 Cash and Keep settlement with Stellantis. Our client receives full cash compensation for diminished value, extended loss of use, and the significant inconvenience of being without a vehicle for 154 days, while retaining ownership of the 2023 Dodge Challenger, a now-discontinued model. The $27,000 total includes the attorney fees.
$27,000 Cash and Keep Settlement Secured
Key Case Facts
- Vehicle: 2023 Dodge Challenger (final production model year)
- State: Texas
- Manufacturer: FCA US LLC (Stellantis)
- Triggering event: Stellantis-issued spark plug recall; misfire and engine damage discovered after recall service
- Primary defect: Cylinder #8 misfire, “milkshake-like” substance in the oil pan, cracked cylinder confirmed
- Prior repair: Oil cooler replacement at another dealership, issue persisted
- Date vehicle entered repair: May 29, 2025
- Days out of service: 154 days, about 5x Texas’s 30-day lemon law threshold
- Repair visits: 1 (with an active prior repair history on the same engine system)
- Settlement amount: $27,000 Cash and Keep
- Settlement type: Cash and Keep, client retains the Challenger
- Applicable law: Tex. Occ. Code Ann. §§ 2301.601–613 (Texas Lemon Law); federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.
What Our Clients Are Saying
Attorney on Record
Aaron Waldo, Esq.
Attorney, Easy Lemon by RockPoint Law P.C.
Attorney at Easy Lemon by RockPoint Law P.C., handling lemon law claims. Aaron has helped hundreds of consumers recover full buybacks and cash settlements against major vehicle manufacturers.
Engine Problems or a Recall Gone Wrong on Your Dodge?
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Your Dodge May Have a Lemon Law Claim Too
If your Dodge is experiencing engine failure, extended repair delays, electrical issues, or any recurring defect that the dealer can’t fix, you may qualify under your state’s lemon law, the manufacturer pays our fees, not you. We handle Stellantis claims like this one across all 50 states.
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