2008 DODGE CALIBER Complaints

MY FIANCEE AND I GOT INTO THE CAR AND AFTER I STARTED IT, IT WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK. LUCKILY WE WERE CLOSE TO HOME AND I HAD INTERNET ON MY PHONE SO I COULD LOOK UP HOW TO MANUALLY OVERRIDE THE ISSUE. IF THERE'S A MANUAL OVERRIDE, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY KNEW IT WOULD/COULD HAPPEN. MY FIANCEE IS DISABLED, IF SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR (IT IS HER CAR) AND GOT STUCK OUT IN THIS 100 DEGREE HEAT WAVE, SHE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO DO OR HAVE EVEN BEEN ABLE TO DO IT HAD SHE KNOWN WHAT TO DO. I'M IRRITATED BECAUSE MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON DODGE ISSUE AMONGST MANY DIFFERENT MODELS YET THEY HAVE ONLY ISSUED RECALLS ON CERTAIN MODELS. I DID CALL DODGE HQ TO FIND OUT IF THIS MODEL HAD A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND OBVIOUSLY IT HASN'T. THE DRONE JUST DID THEIR JOB OF GETTING THE INFORMATION THEY NEEDED. I CAN'T STRESS THIS PART ENOUGH, IF THEY PROVIDE AN OVERRIDE, THEY KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. LOST POWER, THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 35 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED DUE BY THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. UPDATED 08/06/12

THE BALL JOINTS HAVE PREMATURELY WORN OUT ON OUR 2008 DODGE CALIBER. AT 40,000 MILES I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE TIE ROD ENDS AND THE BRAKE PADS. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE MADE A CLUCKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE REAR TIE ROD AND STRUT HAVING DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. THE IGNITION ALSO FAILED AND COULD NOT BE TURNED. THE REAR TIE ROD STRUT AND IGNITION WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT CONTINUED EXHIBITING A NOISE FROM THE REAR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,176.

SITTING ON I-10 STOPPED WHEN A TRACTOR TRAILER REAR ENDED ME. HIS SPEED WAS 40 MILES PER AND NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE FRONT AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE HELPED ME FROM GETTING MY FACE CUT AND PREVENTED MY INJURY. I WISH THE BAGS WOULD HAVE WORKED. WE JUST HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT AT THE DODGE DEALER A FEW MONTHS PRIOR. THE DRIVER FRONT BAG BURNING ME WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THEN THE BLUNT FORCE TO MY FACE. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED FROM GANLEY DODGE IN BEDFORD OHIO. WE HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE APROX 12000 MILES AND HAVE REPLACED OR SERVICED THE REAR BRAKES SIX TIMES AT TWO SEPARATE DEALERS. THE REAR BRAKES HAVE MADE A HOWLING NOISE SINCE THE DAY IT LEFT THE LOT. CHRYSLER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM SIX TIMES TO NO AVAIL. BOTH DEALERS THAT HAVE SERVICED THE CALIBER SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THEY ALSO SAY IT IS COSMETIC. AFTER DEALING WITH THE DEALERS NONSENSE I CALLED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY, AFTER A WEEK OF DEALING WITH THEM THEY FINALLY CALL ME BACK TO TELL ME THAT AN ENGINEER HAS STATED THAT REAR BRAKES MAKING NOISE IS A NORMAL THING FOR THIS CAR TO DO. AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I SUPPOSE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ALLOW AND AMERICAN CAR COMPANY TO BE OWNED BY AN ITALIAN AND GERMAN COMPANIES. *TR

2008 DODGE CALIBER STOPPED ACCELERATING NORMALLY IN SEPTEMBER 2010 AT ABOUT 43,000 MILES (AND ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT FROM A MAZDA DEALERSHIP). I TOOK IT TO SEVERAL TRANSMISSION SHOPS WHO ALL SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP, BUT HAD HEARD OF MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSIS AND WAS TOLD THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (AT ABOUT $4000). THIS DIAGNOSIS SEEMS TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE THROTTLE ISSUE THAT I'VE READ ABOUT ONLINE. I WAS TOLD IT MIGHT HURT THE POWERTRAIN FURTHER TO CONTINUE DRIVING IT, SO THE CAR IS STILL SITTING IN MY DRIVE WAY AS A NON-OP. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW DODGE IS GETTING AWAY WITH THIS, WHEN SO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS EXIST (MOST OF WHICH ARE WITHIN THE WARRANTY). *JS

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH MY CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 10-15 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES, WHEN I FINALLY FOUND A PLACE THAT I COULD LEAVE THE CAR IT WAS ONLY IDLING. UPON TAKING IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER WAS TOLD IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $500 TO FIX THAT THE THROTTLE BODY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IT WANTS TO DO. I ASKED IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE LIFETIME POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AS THE WARRANTY DOES NOT EXCLUDE IT AND WAS ADVISED THAT IT IS NOT COVERED. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH BOTH THE 2007 AND 2008 THROTTLE BODY GOING OUT. THIS IS REDICULOUS THAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE AND IS NOT COVERING IT UNDER THE WARRANTY SINCE THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE SAFELY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, DOES IT TAKE SOMEONE BEING KILLED BECAUSE THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN LOSE POWER AND GET HIT. IF THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE THIS TYPE OF WARRANTY THEN THEY SHOULD COVER IT AND IF IT IS NOT COVERED THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO LIST IT AS A NON COVERED ITEM AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. POWER TRAIN....THROTTLE BODY.....WITHOUT THE THROTTLE BODY YOU HAVE NO POWER. SOUNDS PRETTY SIMPLE TO ME.. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED. *JS

WE PARKED OUR 2008 DODGE CALIPER FOR THREE DAYS AND WHEN WE DROVE NEXT THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH WOULD NOT ACTIVATE THE HEAD LIGHTS AT ALL, THE AUXILIARY DRIVING LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK, THE WIND SHIED WIPERS WILL NOT WORK (FRONT OR BACK) THE WIND SHIELD WASHER WILL NOT WORK. THE HEAD LIGHTS DO COME ON AUTOMATIC WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE AND THEN THEY STAY ON UNTIL YOU TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF. THE HAZARD LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND FLASH BUT THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE DRIVER'S COLUMN THAT WILL WORK. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF LIGHTING CAPABILITY, THE WIND SHIELD WASHERS NOT WORKING. I HAVE GOGGLED THIS PROBLEM AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON THE DODGE AVENGER AND THERE ARE SEVERAL ENTRIES OF THE PROBLEM HAPPENING ON THE DODGE CALIPER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000.