2007 DODGE CALIBER Complaints

DROVE HOME FROM WORK PARKED MY CAR NEXT MORNING IT WOULDN'T START. HAD BATTERY POWER AND CRANKED WHEN I TURNED THE KEY BUT WOULD NOT KICK OVER TO START. TOWED TO MECHANIC. HE SAID THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, HE CLEANED THE SPARK PLUGS, WEATHER WARMED UP AND CAR WORKED AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, HE STATED I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO DODGE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE COMPUTER REPROGRAMMED (THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY CAR TYPE) TWO DAYS LATER, DRIVING TO WORK ALL THE LIGHTS WENT ON AND THE STEERING FROZE, NOT ABLE TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT AND PARK CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT NOW HAVING IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. *TR

IR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY IN JANUARY 2013. NEW A/C COMPRESSOR INSTALLED, BUT A/C CLUTCH FELL OFF FOURTEEN MONTHS LATER AS I WAS TURNING A CORNER. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE OF THE COMPRESSOR FAILURE, (WHICH ONE WAS NOT REFERENCED) THERE ARE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE A/C COOLANT LINES AND THE ENTIRE SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACEMENT. SERVICE ADVISER STATED THAT HE HAS RECEIVED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS AND THAT I WILL BE UNABLE TO USE VEHICLE DEFROST DUE TO THIS AND IT IS THE SNOWIEST TIME OF THE YEAR. DODGE WILL NOT REPLACE, AS VEHICLE AND PART ARE NOW BOTH OUT OF WARRANTY. REPLACEMENT PART ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 12 MONTHS, BUT HAVE NOT HAD TO ENGAGE EITHER DEFROST OR A/C IN THE PAST 8 MONTHS UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN THE REPLACEMENT FAILED AND THE CLUTCH BROKE OFF. USING THE DEFROST COULD RESULT IN THE UNIT OVERHEATING, CAUSING AN ENGINE FIRE OR OTHER FAILURE.

DROVE HOME FROM WORK AT MIDNIGHT, PARKED MY CAR WOKE UP IN THE MORNING AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T KICK OVER. HAD BATTERY POWER AND IT CRANKED WHEN I TURNED THE KEY BUT WOULD KICK OVER TO START. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. *TT

THE FIRST SIGNS OF A PROBLEM WERE A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT DID NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME, AND I DID NOTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL DECEMBER, WHEN A PORTION OF A STRAP WITH ELECTRICAL WIRE EMBEDDED BEGAN TO PROTRUDE FROM THE UPPER STEERING COLUMN. IT SOON BEGAN TO BE A NUISANCE AS THE PORTION GREW LONGER AND WOULD CATCH ON THE STEERING POSITION ADJUSTMENT KNOB. I GREW ALARMED WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS A BROKEN CLOCKSPRING, AND THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART. IT COST ME OVER $300 TO GET THIS REPAIRED, AND NOW I SEE TOYOTA IS DOING A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME THING, A SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY THAT BECOMES DAMAGED FROM TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT IS A POOR DESIGN. TOYOTA IS REPLACING THIS WITH A BETTER PART, BUT I DO NOT THINK DODGE DID THAT, AND I HAD TO PAY TO GET THIS REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AND BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY DODGE ALSO. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

WHILE ACCELERATING ON THE HIGHWAY ON-RAMP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ACCELERATING IN SPITE OF THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN MOTION. THERE WAS A RECALL PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE IN 2010 TO PREVENT A STICKY ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT APPARENTLY THE SAME ISSUE THE RECALL WAS INTENDED TO PREVENT STILL EXISTS TODAY. *TR

WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CAR LOOSES POWER BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF DEALER STATES IT'S NOTHING GET OIL CHANGE FROM DEALER STATED NOTHING IS WRONG. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING MAINTENANCE PERFORMED, HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

I WAS TOLD BY MEINEKE THAT MY ENGINE'S SUBFRAME WAS SO CORRODED THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL FOR A CAR THIS YOUNG TO HAVE A CORRODED SUBFRAME. I LEARNED FROM ONLINE RESEARCH THAT CORRODED SUBFRAMES ARE A FREQUENT COMPLAINT WITH DODGE CALIBERS, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. THERE WAS NO RECALL. I IMMEDIATELY REPLACED THE SUBFRAME AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1,000. *TR