P0622: How to Diagnose & Fix — Generator Field "F" Terminal Control Circuit

Both 3.6L and 5.7L engines with 160, 180, or 220 amp alternators prone to sudden failure. Voltage regulator in PCM can fail. Internal diode failures cause battery drain, fires, and loss of power while driving.

The Dodge Challenger has a well-documented tendency to stall or shut off completely without warning while driving — a top-3 engine-category complaint at NHTSA and one of the most-reported electrical/engine problems at CarComplaints. There are two primary, separately documented root causes that present the same symptom. (1) ALTERNATOR FAILURE (3.6L Pentastar, and later 5.7L/6.4L with electro-hydraulic power steering). Chrysler began investigating stalling complaints on 2011-2012 Dodge Chargers in August 2014 and found thermal fatigue of the silicon diodes inside the alternator. The large, intermittent current draw of the electro-hydraulic power-steering (EHPS) pump thermally stresses the diodes until the alternator fails suddenly. This became NHTSA recall 14V634 (Chrysler P60), covering ~434,000 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles with the 3.6L engine and 160-amp alternator (remedy began Feb 27, 2015). It was later expanded under NHTSA recall 17V435 (remedy began Feb 12, 2018) to additional 2011-2014 cars with EHPS and 5.7L or 3.6L engines. NHTSA's stated consequence for both: "If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash," with an additional risk of an underhood fire from a short circuit. (2) TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) / FUEL-PUMP-RELAY FAILURE (2008-2014, all engines). The TIPM is the car's central fuse/relay/electrical-distribution computer. When it (or its internal fuel-pump relay) degrades, owners report the engine stalling or shutting off mid-drive, intermittent no-starts, flickering lights, and multiple simultaneous warning lights (check engine, traction control/ESC, ABS). CarComplaints documents this on the 2009 Challenger ("engine shuts down while driving," 7 complaints, severity 8.6/10, ~$800 average repair, ~43,300 miles) and the 2013 Challenger ("bad TIPM," 12 complaints, severity 7.2/10, ~$940 average repair, ~43,050 miles). Because the engine quits unexpectedly, the driver loses power steering and (on automatics) power braking assist while the car is in motion — making this a genuine safety hazard, especially in intersections, on highway merges, and during turns. Multiple NHTSA complaints describe near-crashes and crashes from sudden loss of power.

The Dodge Challenger has two distinct, well-documented power-steering complaints on the pre-2015 LC/LX-platform cars, and both are flagged by RepairPal as common problems (MotorBiscuit lists "a loud power steering system" among the four most-reported Challenger issues). FIRST, a HYDRAULIC NOISE: owners hear a honk, hiss, groan, or whine from the steering during low-speed parking-lot maneuvers, worst when turning the wheel toward full lock. RepairPal documents this as a recognized concern on 2008-2012 Challengers; Chrysler addressed it with TSB 19-005-10 ("Steering Gear Honk, Hiss or Groan During Low Speed Parking Lot Maneuvers," superseding 19-003-09), which traces the noise to the power-steering return hose and, in some cases, the steering gear (rack). Fluid aeration, a low or contaminated fluid level, and worn pump vanes/bearings produce the same groan/whine. SECOND, an ASSIST-LOSS failure on EHPS cars: 2011-2014 Challengers with the 3.6L Pentastar or 5.7L HEMI use an electro-hydraulic power-steering (EHPS) pump that depends on the charging system. Under NHTSA recall 17V-435 (Chrysler recall T36, ~442,214 vehicles across Challenger/Charger/300/Durango/Grand Cherokee), the alternator can suffer diode thermal fatigue specifically because of the cyclical electrical loads the EHPS pump imposes; when the diodes fail, system voltage drops, the EHPS pump shuts down, the steering goes heavy, and the vehicle can stall without warning (failed diodes can also short and cause heat/smoke/fire). Note the engine/fluid split: 3.6L/5.7L EHPS cars require Mopar Electric Power Steering Fluid, while the conventional hydraulic SRT8/392 (6.1L/6.4L) and base V6 systems use ATF+4 — using the wrong fluid causes noise, seal damage, and pump failure. This entry is distinct from the later electronic-EPS-rack failure on the 2015+ refreshed Challenger (recalls S19/16V-167 and VB8/19V-812), which is a different rack design and root cause.

Grand Cherokees with electro-hydraulic power steering subject the alternator to cyclical electrical loads that cause thermal failure of the internal diodes. The alternator can fail suddenly, stalling the vehicle without warning and, in some cases, short-circuiting and causing an under-hood fire. Multiple NHTSA campaigns cover the 160/180/220-amp units.

The 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger is the subject of two overlapping NHTSA safety recalls for sudden alternator failure, and CarComplaints.com ranks alternator failure among the worst-reported electrical problems on the 2012 model year (its lowest-rated year overall). The root cause is thermal fatigue of the alternator's internal silicon rectifier diodes: repeated heat cycling cracks the diodes, producing rapid, near-warningless failure that can manifest as no output, reduced output, or a fully shorted-to-ground condition. Recall 14V634 (filed October 2014, remedy began February 2015, Chrysler campaign P60) covers 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger and Durango plus 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee built April 22, 2010 to January 2, 2014 with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 and a 160-amp alternator -- roughly 435,000 vehicles. Recall 17V435 (filed November 2017, remedy began February 2018, campaign T36) expanded the population to vehicles with Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS) and either the 3.6L V6 or 5.7L V8 HEMI equipped with 160-, 180-, or 220-amp alternators, built August 23, 2010 to July 4, 2014. When the alternator fails the engine can stall without warning, raising crash risk; the voltage collapse can also disable safety systems (ABS / electronic stability control warning lamps illuminate and the systems can drop out) and, on EHPS-equipped cars, cause loss of power-steering assist, making the vehicle hard to control. In a worst-case shorted condition the alternator can overheat and catch fire. CarComplaints owners report failures clustering around 40,000-55,000 miles -- typically just outside the 36,000-mile basic warranty -- with whining/hissing from the engine bay, flickering ABS and traction-control lights, dimming headlights and interior lights, burning smells, and in several cases visible smoke or fire before complete shutdown.