2009 DODGE CALIBER Complaints

MY MECHANIC AND MULTIPLE OTHERS HAVE STATED THAT THE INTAKE RUNNER IS STUCK AND THE INTAKE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RECEIVE EMISSIONS ON MY VEHICLE. WHEN IN DRIVE WAITING AT RED LIGHTS AND ALSO TO TURN ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS MY VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE POWER, SHUTTING OFF ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENTS. LUCKILY ACCIDENTS WERE AVOIDED. *TR

I BOUGHT MY CAR USED IN JUNE OF 2014 AND THOUGHT IT WAS IN PRETTY DECENT SHAPE AT THE TIME, LITTLE DID I KNOW. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR (2009 DODGE CALIBER) AND HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND HEARD SOME RATTLING AFTERWARDS. I ASSUMED IT WAS MAYBE A CLAMP ON MY EXHAUST AND SO WASN'T REAL WORRIED ABOUT IT AND FIGURED I WOULD HAVE MY MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT IN A WEEK OF SO. I GOT CONCERNED AFTER A COUPLE DAYS BECAUSE THE RATTLING TURNED INTO CLUNKING. I SENT IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THERE WAS MAJOR ROT ON THE ENGINE CRADLE WHICH WAS ROTTED AND BROKEN AND BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE NO GOOD AND SWAY BAR BUSHINGS ALSO NEEDED REPLACING, TWO DAYS BEFORE THIS NOISE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT SPEED LIMIT, HAD THIS ALL FALLEN APART I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE COST TO REPAIR ALL THE PARTS WHICH WERE, AS FAR AS MY MECHANIC IS CONCERNED, FAULTY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED, WAS $1920.13 !!! THIS CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD WITH 86,000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THE ROT IN THESE PLACES AS SEVERE AS IT IS. I KNOW ON THE DODGE CALIBER FORUMS MANY OWNERS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE MAJOR FRONT END PARTS ROTTING. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND I WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE NOTICED HAD MY MECHANIC NOT PUT IT ON A LIFT AND LOOKED AT IT AND EVEN THEN ONCE HE TOOK OFF THE ENGINE CRADLE TO REPLACE IT HE NOTICED THE ROTTED PARTS THAT WERE COVERED BY THE CRADLE, THANK GOD I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL AND GET KILLED AS I TRAVEL A LOT ON THE HIGHWAY, THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO LIGHT AND CALIBER OWNERS NEED TO HAVE THEIR MECHANICS CHECK OUT THEIR CARS BEFORE SOMEONE'S ENGINE FALLS OUT AND THEY GET KILLED. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT WAS MOST LIKELY ROTTED PRETTY BAD AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS A DEFECT IN THEM AT THE TIME. I SEE LOTS OF THESE CARS FOR SALE STILL ON LOTS, PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE THE FRONT ENDS INSPECTED THOROUGHLY BEFORE THEY PURCHASE ONE . *TR

WHEN DRIVING FOR LONG DISTANCE WITH TWO OR MORE IN CAR, TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS AND SLOWS CAR UNTIL IT COOLS. IT WILL NOT COOL UNLESS STOPPED AND SHUT OFF. THIS TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES. *TR

FIRST TIME HAPPENED NOTED ABOVE. WAS DRIVING FROM OHIO TO MI TO TAKE MY GRANDCHILDREN HOME. LOST SPEED ON MAJOR HIGHWAY DOING 70 MPH. CAR WENT DOWN TO 45 AND I WAS JUST ABOUT REAR ENDED BY A SEMI. I WAS IN PURE SHOCK AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE CAR. I KEPT GOING BECAUSE I COULD NOT PULL OFF. GOT TO EXIT, READ BOOK, WAITED AND WAITED FOR IT TO COOL DOWN SO I COULD DRIVE. WOULDN'T...GOT TO GRANDCHILDREN'S HOME, CALLED CROWN MOTORS IN HOLLAND MI. THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, NO CODES, ETC. THE CAR WAS STILL SLUGGISH WHEN THE WRECKER PICKED IT UP AND TOWED IT TO THEM. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES SINCE THEN, AND WHEN I CALL TO MAKE A COMPLAINT, THEY HAVE SAID: "TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHEN IT IS DOING IT" NOT POSSIBLE. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. PLEASE HELP ME. I TAKE IT IN AND NOTHING IS FOUND. IT MAKES AND IS STILL MAKING A HIGH WHINNING, WHEEZING OR WHATEVER NOISE IN THE ENGINE JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE STARTS TO LOOSE SPEED. I AM NOT A MECHANIC, BUT IS SOMETHING STICKING IN THIS. PLEASE HELP ME. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE ANY MORE THAN 2 HOURS IN THIS VEHICLE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE DOOR LATCH FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE AND FUEL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND AS THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,248.

I HAVE BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEMS FOR 5 MONTHS. I TURN THE KEY AND THE CAR IS DEAD OR IT ATTEMPTS TO TURN OVER. USUALLY AFTER 6 - 8 TRIES IT WILL START, TWICE I HAVE BEEN STRANDED BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. I HAVE HAD WITNESSES IN THE CAR WITH ME WHEN IT HAPPENS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. CHRYSLER DEALERS REFUSE TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT TO FAIL AT THEIR SITE. IT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF SERVICE FOR OVER 20 DAYS SINCE JUNE. CHRYSLER GROUP SAYS THEY WILL REFUND PART OF THE REPAIR COSTS IF "I" CAN IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THEY APPARENTLY CANNOT IDENTIFY IT. THE CAR NOW HAS 31,750 MILES ON IT. I NO LONGER DRIVE IT BECAUSE IT IS UNRELIABLE. SO I HAVE A $17,775 CAR WHICH I MADE PAYMENTS ON FOR 4 YEARS WHICH IS USELESS. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER. I AM DESPERATE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER NEW CAR RIGHT NOW. *TR

IN JUNE OF 2013 WHILE DRIVING DOWN I-75 HEADING UP NORTH, MY TEMP LIGHT CAME ON, THE TEMP GAGE NEVER MOVED PAST THE NORMAL RANGE (DIRECTLY BETWEEN COLD AND HOT) AFTER I NOTICED THE LIGHT I WAS WATCHING THE TEMP GAGE AND MY CAR JUST SHUT DOWN. I LOST ALL POWER, SPEED, STEERING, EVERYTHING. THANKFULLY I WAS ALREADY IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND I WAS CLOSE TO AN EXIT SO THAT I COULD EXIT THE HIGHWAY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I GOT THE CAR AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER SITTING FOR AN HOUR I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK DOWNSTATE. I GOT THE CAR APRIL 1 2013. IN DECEMBER OF 2013 THE LIGHTNING BOLT POPPED UP ON MY DASH, I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT THAT MEANS SINCE MY CAR DID NOT COME WITH AN OWNERS MANUAL WHEN I GOT IT USED. THE RPMS JERKED UP TO 4, THEN DROPPED BACK DOWN. THIS HAPPENED ROUGHLY 10 TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. IN AUGUST OF 2014 THE CAR BEGAN TO JERK LIKE IT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING INTO GEAR. AT FIRST IT ONLY HAPPENED AT STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS, THEN IT BEGAN TO DO IT WHILE I DROVE. ANYWHERE BETWEEN 10 TO 60 MPH. NORMALLY IT WOULD ONLY DO IT A COUPLE A TIMES AND THEN IT BEGAN DOING IT EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS RUNNING. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP, THEY CHECKED IT ON THE COMPUTER AND EVEN TEST DROVE IT, ACCORDING TO THEM IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING IT AND SINCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOESN'T COME IT THE COMPUTERS DIDN'T PICK UP ANY ISSUES. ALSO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AFTER I SHUT OFF THE CAR. *TR

I HAD BEEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WHEN I BEGAN TO CLIMB THE INCLINE OVER SB 5 FWY (GRAPEVINE) AND THE ENGINE BEGAN WHINING, RPMS ROSE TO 4 AND REMAINED THERE, THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT DASHBOARD LIGHT ILLUMINATED, SPEED DROPPED TO ABOUT 30 MPH AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE UP THE INCLINE. HAD TO PULL OFF AND LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR 30 MINUTES AT WHICH TIME I CONTINUED UP THE INCLINE MAKING SURE THAT THE RPMS DID NOT GO ABOVE 2.5 - SO KEEPING THE SPEED LOW - AND HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ON 8/21/04, SAME CIRCUMSTANCES, AT APPROXIMATELY 79,000 MILES. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MODEL AND MODEL YEAR VEHICLE FOR THIS SAME ISSUE (RECALL #08V528000) ON NOVEMBER 10, 2008, BUT ACCORDING TO MY DEALER, MY CAR'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. I BELIEVE THIS WARRANTS INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS A MORE WIDESPREAD ISSUE THAN WAS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT AND WHETHER MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.