2007 DODGE CALIBER AWD Complaints

I OWN TWO 2007 DODGE CALIBERS. BOTH PURCHASED NEW IN 2007. ONE FWD (SXT MODEL), ONE AWD (R/T MODEL). I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM CHRYSLER IN LATE MAY 2014 THAT THEY WERE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE FRONT AND REAR CROSS MEMBERS OF THE FWD SXT CALIBER DUE TO PREMATURE CORROSION. THEY RECOMMENDED HAVING THE DEALER INSPECT THESE PARTS YEARLY. I BELIEVED I WOULD RECEIVE A NOTICE FOR THE AWD R/T MODEL EVENTUALLY SINCE I PURCHASED THAT ONE SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST. WHEN I DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE, I CALLED CHRYSLER TO INQUIRE. THEY TOLD ME BASED ON THE VIN OR THE R/T MODEL THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. I DID INSPECT THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER OF THE 07 AWD R/T (VIN ABOVE). THE CROSS MEMBER IS SEVERELY RUSTED AND HAS SEVERAL LARGER PERFORATIONS IN THE CROSS MEMBER FRAME FROM RUST. THE REST OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. I BELIEVE THE CROSS MEMBER ON THIS VEHICLE IS ALSO DEFECTIVE. I DO HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PART. *TR

ONE DAY AS I CAME BACK TO MY CAR AND UNLOCKED MY DOOR WITH MY CAR KEY BUTTON, I NOTICED THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO BUY A NEW HEADLIGHT BULB TO REPLACE IT, EXCEPT IT DIDN'T WORK WHEN I TRIED THE NEW ONE. I WENT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO ASK WHAT WAS WRONG. HE TOLD ME IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE WIRES AND WOULD COST A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX IT, LET ALONE THE PART ITSELF. I RESEARCHED OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN REJECTED A REGISTRATION STICKER BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE FOR IT TO BE OUT. I ALSO HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE COPS AND WAS TOLD TO GET IT FIXED. I WOULD, BUT IT COSTS TOO MUCH TO FIX. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A VALID REASON FOR IT TO BE RECALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, DUE TO SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALSO ON. *TR

I HAVE OWNED THIS CARE FOR NEARLY 7 YEARS AND I AM CURRENTLY REPLACING THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS FOR THE THIRD TIME. I HAVE KNOWN MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY BY 3000 MILES, NOT IT HAS HAPPENED LESS THAN 30000 MILES EACH OF THE TWO OTHER TIMES. PLEASE HAVE DODGE RECALL THESE VEHICLES AS RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS DONE TO FIX IT SO YOU CAN GET NORMAL WEAR. *TR

UPON DRIVING A LOUD METAL TO METAL CLUNK BEGAN. OWNER LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY PROBLEM. NOISE WAS SO DISTINCT THAT VEHICLE WAS CAREFULLY DRIVEN TO OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. HE STARTED TO GO OUT ON A ROAD TEST TO TRY TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO HIS GARAGE. HE FOUND ONE SWAY BAR LINK WAS UNATTACHED AT LOWER END. HE THEN USED A MIRROR TO VIEW THE TOP SIDE OF THE SUB FRAME AND FOUND IT WAS ROTTED OUT. UPON REMOVAL OF THE SUBFRAME A FIST SIZED HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE TOP OF THE SUBFRAME AND THERE WERE ALSO CRACKS RADIATING BACK THROUGH MORE OF THE FRAME. LOOKING AT THE REMOVED ITEM, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE DEGRADATION WAS SO SEVERE THAT HITTING A BAD ENOUGH BUMP OR HOLE COULD VERY POSSIBLY CAUSE LOSS OF INTEGRITY IN THE SUSPENSION, STEERING OR ENGINE MOUNTING. ALL IN ALL, THIS SITUATION LOOKED EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. AND CONSIDERING THAT A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM UNDERNEATH, AS DURING AN OIL CHANGE, ONE OF WHICH HAD BEEN PERFORMED RECENTLY, DID NOT SHOW THE DAMAGE, I WOULD SAY THIS IS A VERY BAD SITUATION. IN RESEARCHING THIS CONDITION ONLINE, IT SOUNDS POSSIBLE THAT THE AIR CONDITION DRIPPING COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CASES TO BE SEEN. I FEEL THAT WE ARE VERY LUCKY THERE WAS NO MAJOR INCIDENT DUE TO THIS CONDITION. THIS VEHICLE, WHILE A 2007 HAS AN IN SERVICE DATE OF FEBRUARY 2008. I HOPE YOU WILL FIND THIS SITUATION SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REVIEW, AND I HAVE TAKEN A SERIES OF PICTURES WHICH WILL HELP TO DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN REVIEWING THIS FOR US. *TR

IN JULY 2009 I RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR A SERVICE, I ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY FROM A STOP OR NEAR STOP, IT HESITATED DRAMATICALLY. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD DO NOTHING TO FIX IT. THIS IS STILL AN ONGOING ISSUE. THEN IN JUNE OF 2013, WHILE DRIVING ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES AN HOUR, THE CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION, A MOMENT LATER STARTED A WARNING BEEP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ON THE FLASHERS WHILE TRYING TO MANEUVER FROM THE MIDDLE LANE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, AFTER A WEEK AT THE MECHANIC HE CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT IT COULD BE THE CRANK SENSOR, WHICH WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. HE REPLACED THE SENSOR AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE WAS CORRECTED. I DIDN'T GET FIVE MILES FROM THE MECHANIC WHEN THE CAR AGAIN LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THE MECHANIC TOWED THE CAR BACK THE NEXT DAY. HE HAD THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CHRYSLER TO HIS SHOP SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING THE ISSUE. THE REP THOUGHT THE COMPUTER NEEDED AN UPDATE AND THAT IS WHAT WAS DONE, IT DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE. (I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY CHRYSLER THAT THE COMPUTER HAD UPDATES THAT WERE REQUIRED.) THE MECHANIC HAD SEVERAL OTHER PROFESSIONALS LOOK AT THE CAR, ALL OF WHICH WERE NOT FINDING THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO HAD NO NEW COMPUTER CODES, WHICH WAS WHEN THEY REALIZED THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE WAS THE PROBLEM. THIS TOOK A MONTH TO SOLVE AND THE COST WAS $1130. *TR

I PURCHASE A USED 2007 DODGE CALIBER SE 4 DOOR SEDAN IN OCTOBER OF 2008. THE CAR HAD 14528 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THE CAR ALWAYS HAD A FRONT END ISSUE. IN 2010, WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES, I BROUGHT THE CAR FOR TIRES BECAUSE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN ON THE INSIDE TREAD, AND IT WAS DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH THEM IN THAT CONDITION. I TOOK THE CAR TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AT THE COST OF $600, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CAR THAT THE TIRES WORE THE WAY THEY DID. I TOOK THE CAR, WITH NEW TIRES TO THE SHOP FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS BUILT TO ONLY BE ALIGNED IN TWO DIRECTIONS AND SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ALIGNED IN THREE WAYS.THE CAR ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH STEERING WHEN THERE WAS A SEAM IN THE PAVEMENT ON THE ROADWAY; THE FRONT END WOULD ?FOLLOW? THE SEAM IN THE ROAD AND HAD TO BE FORCED TO DRIVE PROPERLY. IN MARCH OF 2012, I STILL HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END, BUT BY NOW IT SOUNDED AS IF THE FRONT TIRES WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE HOOD WITH THE AMOUNT OF CLUNKING FROM THE FRONT END EACH TIME IT HIT BUMP IN THE ROAD. HE FOUND THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD, AND THE BUSHINGS WERE BROKEN THROUGH. THIS ISSUE COST OVER $500 TO REPAIR. THE FRONT END ISSUE WAS GREATLY DIMINISHED WITH THIS REPAIR, BUT NOT GONE. IN FEBRUARY 2013, THE FRONT END STARTED HAVING MORE PROBLEMS, I RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC AND HE DISCOVERED THIS TIME IT WAS THE STRUT ASSEMBLY, FRONT STRUTS AND TIE RODS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS SO BAD THAT HE WAS AMAZED THE FRONT TIRE DIDN'T FALL OFF THE CAR. THIS REPAIR COST OVER $1100, BUT ALSO MINE AND MY PASSENGERS? SAFETY WAS GREATLY AT RISK WHILE RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

FIANCE HAD A SEIZURE AND CAR WENT TO SIDE OF ROAD. CAR FLOPPED ON THE LEFT DRIVER SIDE AND CRASHED INTO TREES. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, SEAT BELTS WERE INTACT AND WORKING. PREVIOUSLY, SEAT BELTS WERE FOUND TO UNLATCH AT TIMES WHEN DRIVER WAS IN CAR AND CAR WAS IN MOTION. AMAZED THAT SEAT BELTS WORKED BECAUSE IT SAVED OUR LIVES. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT MY CAR STARTED JERKING AND ACTED LIKE IT WOULD DIE WHEN I GAVE THE CAR GAS. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO DID AN OIL CHANGE AND CHECKED THE ENGINE CODES. I PICKED THE CAR UP FROM THAT MECHANIC AND THE CAR WAS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THEY UPDATED THE COMPUTER ON THE CAR, CHANGED THE PLUGS AND FLUSHED THE MOTOR. THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. THE OTHER DAY I WAS ACCELERATING UP A HILL AND THE RED LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHT CAME ON THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING BUT WAS NOT GETTING ANY GAS. I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND DID NOT ACCELERATE OR ANYTHING TILL I GOT TO MY DESTINATION. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH. I HAVE SPENT OVER $400 TRYING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF DODGE. *TR

THE C/MEMBER-F OR SUBFRAME WAS CRACKED IN THREE PLACES AND SO ROTTEN THAT WHILE IN THE SHOP SOMEONE PUT THEIR THUMB THROUGH IT. IT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY OUR REPAIRMAN. THIS IS A 2007 RT, HOW MANY CARS FIVE YEARS OLD DOES THIS HAPPEN TO? THE NEW PART WAS $572.00 PURCHASED AT DEALERSHIP, NOT INCLUDING THE LABOR FROM OUR REPAIRMAN. WE DO HAVE SOME PICTURES TAKEN, BUT NOT VIEWED YET. THE REPAIRMAN HAS HAD THE OLD SUB-FRAME ON DISPLAY SHOWING EVERYONE THAT COMES IN, ONLY BECAUSE IT IS SO UNBELIEVABLE. I DID READ ON HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/FORUM/DODGE/CALIBER/CONSUMER+COMPLAINT/5641-5641 OF SOMEONE ELSE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY SAID SORRY NOT UNDER WARRANTY. ON DODGE ON FACEBOOK THEY ASKED FOR PHONE NUMBER AND VIN, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER CONTACTED ME. THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE RUNS ONTO THE SUB-FRAME, THE OTHER PERSON INDICATED THIS IS THE PROBLEM. I KNOW MY WARRANTY WAS OVER, BUT I WOULD SAY THIS IS DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT; WE HAD A 5 HOUR TRIP PLANNED FOR THE DAY AFTER I BROUGHT IT INTO THE SHOP. I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK TRAVELING AROUND 45MPH WHEN IT BEGAN TO MAKE CRACKING AND THUMPING SOUNDS. WE HAD CANCELLED THE TRIP DUE TO THE FRONT END STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE. GLAD WE DID WOULD HAVE HATED TO HAVE BEEN ZIPPING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT BROKE. WE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED OR TAKEN OTHER CARS WITH US, SCARY THOUGHT. *TR

WHEN DRIVING IN THE WINTER, SNOW HAS A TENDENCY TO BUILD UP ON THE INSIDE OF ALL THE WHEELS. THE INSIDE DIAMETER SURFACE OF THE WHEEL IS FLAT NOT ALLOWING ANY BUILD UP OF SNOW TO WORK ITS WAY OUT CAUSING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNBALANCED. CLEARING THE SNOW IS DIFFICULT AT BEST. THE WHEEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED WITH SOME SORT OF TAPER TO ALLOW THE SNOW TO COME OUT OR WHEN MELTING IN THE WARMER PART OF THE DAY TO FALL OUT, NOT BUILD UP ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL. THIS IS A CONSTANT OCCURRENCE THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY WINTER, MANY TIMES A WEEK. *TR ## VIN FAILED ##