2007 Dodge Caliber

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE AIRPORT ON THE HIGHWAY, MY CAR SHUT DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. MY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE LIGHT ALONG WITH MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES SEEMED NOT TO FUNCTION AS I HAD TO MUSCLE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THANK GOODNESS IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND TRAFFIC WAS AT A MINIMUM. THE CAR SPUTTERED SO BAD IT SHUT DOWN ON THE ROAD AFTER I PULLED OVER. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, I STARTED THE CAR AND LIMPED IT HOME. COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO DO MORE THAN 10MPH. USED MY FLASHERS THE ENTIRE WAY HOME. *TR

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

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 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.

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 55 BACK TO PEORIA,IL . CAR INTERIOR AND DASH LIGHTS FLASHING AND SURGING. SMELT SOMETHING BURNING. CAR DIED, LUCKY GOT TO SHOULDER OF FREEWAY. HAD IT TOWED FROM PONTIAC, IL. TO FIRESTONE IN PEORIA,IL. *TR DIAGNOSIS, HOLE IN A/C COMPRESSOR (POSSIBLE PISTONS BLEW THROUGH CASING), SHORTED STARTER, FRIED BATTERY

THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE YESTERDAY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, AND THE CAR GO INTO A "LIMP" MODE (VERY LITTLE POWER), AND EVEN AT FULL PEDAL, IT SLOWLY SLOWS DOWN. HAVING HAD IT HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE, I LEARNED TO PULL OVER, AND SHUT OFF THE CAR, AND LET IT SET FOR A FEW MINUTES. SOMETIMES TIMES THIS IS NOT EASY, OR SAFE TO DO. THEN IT IS HARD TO RESTART, BUT WILL DRIVE SOMEWHAT BETTER. THIS ALLOWS ME TO GET TO A PLACE THAT I CAN SHUT IT OFF FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME (1/2 HOUR), AND THEN IT RUNS MORE LIKE NORMAL, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAY ON FOR SEVERAL DAYS. AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OUT, IT IS RUNNING NORMAL AGAIN UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. SO FAR, THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT I'M SURE SOMEBODY WILL BE HURT OR KILLED BEFORE THIS GETS RECALLED. GOOD LUCK FOLLOW DRIVERS. *TR

HEAD LIGHT WENT OUT, AFTER CHECKING THE BULB AND FOUND IT GOOD. DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND I NEED TO INVEST $1200.00 TO REPLACE THE TIPM. HEAD LIGHTS ARE A REQUIRED SERVICE ON ANY AUTOMOBILE TO DRIVE ON PUBLIC HIGHWAY. WHEN IS DODGE GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ISSUE A RECALL AND SOLUTION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ANY LOSS OF LIFE IS INCURRED. BY THEIR KNOWING THIS PROBLEM EXISTS THEY ARE OPEN A LARGE LAW SUIT WHEN AN INJURY OCCURS. *TR

I SEE THAT GM HAS FINALLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR THEIR ENGINES STALLING AND I'M WONDERING IF CHRYSLER EVER WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAME THING? THERE 2007 DODGE CALIBER STALLS WITH A FLASHING LEFT LIGHT, WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED TO CHRYSLER, THE NHTSA, AND TRANSPORT CANADA ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BUT NOTHING IS EVER DONE ABOUT IT. CONSUMERS ARE JUST LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES AND IT'S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. *TR