2007 DODGE CALIBER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH AND ENGAGED THE BRAKES WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION AND CRASHED THROUGH THE GLASS FRONT OF A GAS STATION. THE CONTACT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY WERE AWAITING A PENDING INVESTIGATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

SUSPENSION - BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. 2007 WITH 50,000 MILES WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. *TR

ENGINE HAS CONSTANT 'RATTLE'; SOUNDS JUST LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE NOW. STARTED AS A TICKING SOUND WHILE CAR IDLED, TICKING GREW INTO A GROWL AFTER STARTING THE CAR, NOW ROARS UPON ACCELERATION AND GRINDS/KNOCKS LOUDLY WHEN STOPPED WHILE IN GEAR--QUITE EMBARRASSING AT RED LIGHTS. FORUM HAS INDICATED SAME PROBLEM AS AN ALTERNATOR PULLEY. VISUAL INSPECTION DETECTS SOURCE OF NOISE ON LEFT SIDE OF ENGINE (LOOKING IN UNDER THE HOOD) WHERE THE 7 BELTS ARE SPINNING--HARD TO TELL WHICH ONE IS THE CULPRIT BUT THE ALTERNATOR POST MAKES SENSE. PLEASE VISIT THAT PARTICULAR COMMENT AT HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/[email protected]@.F0F6BB2/187#MSG187; AND THAT WAS PAGE 20! MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM, AND NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY IN FEAR OF A BREAKDOWN OR POWER LOSS (I'VE LIVED THROUGH ONE OF THOSE BEFORE BY THE GRACE OF GOD). THAT SITE RECOMMENDED THAT I POST THE COMPLAINT TO YOU, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT FOR NOT ONLY MYSELF (I.E., JUST TAKE IT TO THE SHOP AND SPEND MONEY I DON'T HAVE FOR WORKAROUND FIXES THAT WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM), BUT FOR OTHERS WHO LOVED THE CAR THEY PURCHASED BUT ARE NOW REGRETTING THEIR DECISION (*THEREFORE PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL TO ENCOURAGE DAIMLER CHRYSLER TO REVIEW THEIR ENGINEERING RECRUITMENT AND PERFORMANCE). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND PURPOSE IN THIS ECONOMY. :) *TR

I HAVE A 2007 DODGE CALIBER WITH 42,000 MILES THAT I WAS TOLD WAS A DEATH TRAP!! SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO EXIT HIGHWAYS BECAUSE I FELT I WAS GOING TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR. I THOUGHT I WAS IN NEED OF TIRES. NOT ONLY WAS I IN NEED OF TIRES BUT THE BALL JOINTS WERE COMPLETELY WORN. I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC IN NO WAY SHOULD THIS HAPPEN WITH A CAR WITH ONLY 42,000. HE ALSO INFORMED ME HE HAS SEEN MANY CALIBERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE COST TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS/ARMS AND TIRES WAS $1,000. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED....ISSUE A RECALL AND REFUND TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINT DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE SAME BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT BY THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 43,000. UPDATED 6/8/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED TWO MONTHS LATER, THE TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 06/23/11*JB

I HAVE HAD ON GOING STEERING VIBRATION ISSUES WITH MY CALIBER SINCE 15K MILES AND MANY TIMES IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT NOTHING IS WRONG AND THE VIBRATION WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. MOST RECENTLY THE TIRES BEGAN EXCESSIVELY WEARING ON THE FRONT (2 REPLACEMENT SETS IN 6 MONTHS). EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC FOUND THAT THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE FAILING. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD BEEN QUIETLY FAILING FOR ABOUT 30K-40K MILES. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 88K MILES ON IT AND THE BALL JOINTS ARE BEING REPLACED. DEALERSHIP ADMITS THAT 1,200 REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN SOLD BY DODGE IN THE LAST WEEK AND THE PART NUMBER HAS CHANGED 5 TIMES SINCE 2007. I FEEL THAT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT LEAD TO THIS ISSUED AND I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT FIND THIS "QUIET" FAILURE BEFORE IT LEADS TO AN ACCIDENT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE TIRES WEARING I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOW IT AS THEY DID NOT BECOME NOISY LIKE MOST BALL JOINTS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NO SIGNS OF ABUSE OR DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO THE BALL JOINTS AND THE RUBBER BOOT WAS COMPLETELY INTACT WITH NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. FURTHER, THE BALL JOINTS ON THIS MODEL ARE NOT SERVICEABLE AND ARE SELF LUBRICATED. THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR BALL JOINTS ARE AT LEAST 100,000 MILE. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE DEEMED THIS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESS BEFORE THIS 5-STAR RATED VEHICLE SERIOUSLY INJURES SOMEONE. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP, THIS IS A CHRYSLER ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CONTROL ARM, OUTER TIE ROD ENDS AND BALL JOINTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

AT APPROXIMATELY 23,700 MILES, MY 2007 DODGE CALIBER RT HAD TO HAVE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS REPLACED (CHRYSLER REIMBURSED FOR THE RUINED FRONT TIRES THAT HAD BEEN PUT ON 9 MONTHS BEFORE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM). WITHIN A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED, I STARTED HEARING A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING LOSE IN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE AREA. UPON HAVING MY ANNUAL INSPECTION AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME I HAVE A BUSTED DRIVERS' SIDE STRUT. THERE IS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 25,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND THIS IS TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE SUSPENSION IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS! I KEEP READING OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND AM WONDERING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DODGE/CHRSYLER IS GOING TO FIX VIA RECALL (OF COURSE, THE STRUTS STARTED MAKING THE NOISE WITHIN WEEKS OF COMING OUT OF MY BASIC 3 YR/36,000 MILE COVERAGE - I AM NOW INTO EXTENDED COVERAGE WITH A DEDUCTIBLE). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A TURN, THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND CRASHED INTO AN UNOCCUPIED PARKED VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED A CHAIN REACTION INVOLVING ANOTHER UNOCCUPIED PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITH THE IMPACT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SEVERAL BRUISES TO THE BODY AND A NECK INJURY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL BODY DAMAGES AND WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR, WHO WAS REFERRED BY THE MANUFACTURER, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE DETECT AN ACCELERATION FAILURE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V234000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL) HOWEVER, THE CONTACTS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 4/11/2011 *CN UPDATED 1/13/2012 *LN *TR

DRIVING ON FAST LANE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER TURNING RIGHT, ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE CAR WAS BOUGHT, COULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, CAR STARTS JITTERING, CANNOT KEEP DRIVING IT AND HAVE TO PARK CAR ON THE SIDE ROAD HOPING THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. *TR