Why won't my Dodge Daytona shift into fifth gear?

Short answer: When a Daytona won't go into 5th, check the shift cables first. Disconnect them at the transmission and move the levers by hand. If the gearbox shifts fine, the cables need adjusting or replacing. An idle that surges and then dies, especially after engine work, usually points to a vacuum leak or the idle control.

Symptom: The shifter won't go into one gear (often 5th), or the idle swings up and down and the engine stalls.

What to check first

1. Run your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA lists 1985-1987 fuel hose recalls for these cars.
2. Disconnect the shift cables at the transmission and test the gears by hand.
3. Look for cracked or worn shift cable bushings.
4. For surging, listen for hissing vacuum leaks and check all hoses after any engine work.
5. Have the codes read.

Likely causes

1. Shift cables out of adjustment. The manual gearbox is moved by two cables. If they stretch or slip, some gears are hard to reach.
2. Worn shifter bushings or linkage. Worn plastic bushings make the shifter sloppy.
3. Vacuum leak or idle control problem. A vacuum leak or a bad idle air control motor can make the idle surge up and down and then die, especially after engine work.

What it usually costs

Owners in these threads didn't post prices.

Is it safe to keep driving?

An engine that stalls in traffic is risky. A missing gear is mostly an inconvenience. Fuel leaks from the recalled hoses are a fire risk.

DIY or shop?

Cable adjustment, bushings and vacuum hoses are DIY. Idle control diagnosis may need a shop.

Recalls, bulletins and complaints in plain words

• Related recalls: NHTSA lists these recalls touching this area of the Dodge Daytona: 85V010000 (1985-1985 model years, fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings); 88V105000 (1985-1987 model years, fuel system, gasoline); 89V237000 (1989-1990 model years, engine and engine cooling:engine). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your car is part of this recall, the dealer fixes it for free.
• Plain words: The complaint count below shows how often owners reported problems that mention these words to NHTSA. A count is not proof of a defect.
• NHTSA complaints: 13 keyword-matched complaints for Dodge Daytona 1984–1993 (of 144 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-10-29; keywords: shift, gear, cable, idle, stall, surg). This counts complaints that mention these words. It is not a defect finding.

What owners report

• In 1984 dodge daytona turbo z on Car Talk, an '84 Daytona Turbo Z wouldn't shift into 5th gear. Members said to disconnect the shift cables to see if the transmission itself shifts, and then adjust the cables.
• In 91 daytona idle problem on Car Talk, a '91 Daytona with a 3.0 V6 swapped in surged up and down at idle and then died. The thread had no posted fix.

Quick tip

Cheap shift cable bushings fix a lot of sloppy shifters on these cars. Look there before blaming the gearbox.

Vehicle focus: Dodge Daytona, 1984-1993, including the Turbo Z.

Safety / mechanic note

Stalling and fuel leaks are safety items. Verify with a mechanic.