2007 Dodge Caliber

DRIVING NORMALLY ON A TOWN ROAD AND I HEARD A THUD. STEERING WHEEL JERKED AND CAME BACK TO CENTER. CAR SWERVED INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. DROVE HOME AT A STEADY CRAWL WITH FRONT END SHAKING AND FEELING REAL LOOSE. CHECKED MY FRONT END AND COULD SEE MY SPRING BINDING OVER THE STRUT AND STRUT MOUNTS WERE SQUEAKING AND MAKING NOISE WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. STRUT RODS WERE STUCK AND WOULD NOT COMPRESS. ORDERED NEW STRUTS AND MOUNTS. WILL BE REPLACING AS SOON AS THEY COME IN. GLAD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND THERE WERE NO CARS COMING IN THE ONCOMING LANE OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS CRASH. *TR

MY PARTNER AND I WERE AT FIRESTONE TO HAVE A OIL CHANGE FOR OUR CAR DONE. ONE OF THE REPAIR GUYS CAME OUT TO TELL US OUR TIE RODS ON OUR CAR WERE LOSE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. OUR CAR HAS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 61,000 MILES ON IT. TIE RODS ON A CAR ARE USUALLY REPLACED AT 120,000 TO 170,000 MILES. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE CARFAX WERE PROVIDED AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER BABIED THE CAR. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS CAR WRECKS AND WE HAVE HAD NO CAR WRECKS EITHER. WE ARE AT A DISBELIEF, AS THIS SERIOUS OF AN ISSUE ON A CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED UNTIL IT IS EXPECTED. WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF OUR CAR. WE CHANGE THE OIL BEFORE IT IS DUE AND REGULARLY SCHEDULE CHECK UPS TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO MAJOR ISSUES. NOW WE ARE TAKING OUR CAR IN THIS WEEKEND TO GET THE TIE RODS DONE AND TO SEE IF ALSO CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS NEED TO BE REPLACED. FOR TIE RODS TO GO OUT WHILE DRIVING IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. WE COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HURT OURSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND DODGE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE MALFUNCTIONING PARTS OF THE CARS THIS IS HAPPENING TO. A TIE ROD SHOULD NOT GO OUT ON A CAR AT 61,000 MILES WHEN THE CAR IS TAKEN CARE OF. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN IN PLACE AND WHY DODGE HAS NOT COME FORWARD TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ISSUES. THE TIE RODS WILL BE COSTING US $400 DOLLARS ALONE TO REPLACE AND IF BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS NEED TO BE REPLACED WELL OVER $1,000 DOLLARS FOR PARTS THAT ARE WEARING OUT PREMATURELY. IF OUR MECHANIC HAD NOT CAUGHT THE FAULTY PARTS MY NEW WIFE AND I MIGHT BE LYING IN A HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE HURT OR WORSE. AS RESPONSIBLE OWNERS WE ARE HAVING THE PARTS REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF DODGE WOULD HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE THE PARTS REPLACED WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUR SAFETY AND OTHERS SAFETY. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 DODGE CALIBER AND THE SUB FRAME IS SO RUSTED THROUGH THAT IT CRACKED WHILE MY SON WAS DRIVING IT. THANKFULLY HE WAS COMING HOME AND IT HAPPENED COUPLE MINUTES FROM HOME. I CANNOT BELIEVE A CAR, THAT IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD, CAN RUST SO SEVERELY IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I CANNOT BELIEVE DODGE HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS. WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? ARE THEY WAITING FOR ENOUGH PEOPLE TO GET INTO ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLY KILL SOMEBODY, BEFORE THE RECALL THIS MANUFACTURE DEFECT? THEY MUST HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD BEAN COUNTERS. WHEN I STARTED LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE SO MANY COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS I AM HAVING, AND THEIR CARS WERE YOUNGER THEN MINE. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY RECALLS ISSUED FOR THIS. *TR

I'VE HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW (A 2007( AROUND THANKSGIVING 2006. THE FIRST ISSUE INVOLVED THE STEERING AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH FRONT STRUTS, CONTROL ARMS AND OUTER TIE ROD ENDS WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT - AT 6K MILES! THIS REPAIR ALSO INVOLVED REPLACING THE REAR BRAKE SHOES. THE STEERING WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN PARKING OR PARALLEL PARKING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. I HAD THIS REPAIR PERFORMED USING PARTS I PURCHASED MYSELF AND A LOCAL MECHANIC I FOUND ON CRAIGSLIST WHO WAS WILLING TO DO THE LABOR FOR ABOUT $300 INCLUDING THE NECESSARY 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE PARTS COST ABOUT $500 OR SO. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE I BROUGHT THE CAR HOME HAS BEEN THIS RATTLE AND CLUNK IN THE REAR SUSPENSION. IT SEEMS THAT NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM MAY BE. I REPLACED THE REAR SHOCKS MYSELF THINKING THAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT STILL MAKES THIS ANNOYING NOISE. THE CAR HAS NO REAR SWAY BAR. I WAS TOLD IT'S NOT A CONTROL ISSUE AND HAVE "LIVED WITH IT" AS ANNOYING AS IT IS ALL THESE YEARS. IT SEEMS IT HAS NOT AFFECTED THE VEHICLE CONTROL, BUT IT'S A NUISSANCE. I'M GETTING READY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM MYSELF AS IT MUST BE THE REAR CONTROL ARMS OR TOE LINKS. THIS ALWAYS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING OVER AN UNEVEN SURFACE LIKE A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY OR A VERY BUMPY ROAD. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THE FRONT TIE RODS APPEAR TO BE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT YET AGAIN AS I INPSECTED THESE MYSELF AND NOTED THERES NO BOOT ON THEM AND GETTING SOME STEERING NOISES AGAIN, INCLUDING A CLUNK WHILE STEERING OR BRAKING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. MIGHT NEED ANOTHER SET OF CONTROL ARMS (NOT SURE YET) REALLY FEEL AS IF DODGE SHOULD ADDRESS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A DEFECT AND PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS - AS I'VE BEEN READING HERE AND ON PLENTY OF CALIBER FORUMS I'M DEFINITELY NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S HAD THESE EXACT PROBLEMS. *TR

BOUGHT CAR NEW IN 2007, SINCE THAT TIME HAVE HAD TO HAVE LEFT TIE ROD REPLACED 5 TIMES, MOST RECENT BEING THIS MONTH (6TH TIME), PREVIOUS 3 MONTHS PRIOR. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ON THIS CAR, I HAVE CALLED CHRYSLER AND REPORTED IT. THEY DID REIMBURSE ME A COUPLE YEARS AGO FOR PARTS FOR THE PREVIOUS THREE TIMES IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THE TIE ROD GOES, IT HAS BEEN FOUND ON MY YEARLY INSPECTIONS. I AM WORRIED THAT THE STEERING WILL GO SOMEDAY WHEN I AM DRIVING AND THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT, WHICH KEEPS ME ON EDGE WHENEVER I DRIVE IT; THERE IS 80,256 MILES ON IT, I DON'T ABUSE IT BY ANY MEANS. *TR

THE CAR WOULD NOT START (LIGHTS WORKED, BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER). AFTER REPLACING THE THROTTLE CABLE AND BOX, AS WELL AS SOME BROKEN WIRING, THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. THE MECHANIC THEN TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE COMPUTER WAS RESET. THE CAR RAN FOR ANOTHER WEEK AFTER IT WAS FIRST "FIXED," AND THEN AGAIN DID NOT START (SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE). ADDITIONALLY, THE LIGHT TO INDICATE THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING TURNED ON PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING. THIS IS MORE FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR (REPLACED ALL TIE RODS, BUSHINGS, CONTROL ARMS, HAVE A BROKEN DOOR FROM THE HINGE BREAKING, AND HAD MULTIPLE TIRES WEARING UNEVENLY DUE TO THE CAR'S SUSPENSION PROBLEMS) ALREADY, AND HAVE SUNK WELL OVER $6000 IN REPAIRS THIS YEAR ALONE. *TR

HAVE HAD SPORADIC ELECTRICAL ISSUES FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, CHALKED IT UP TO NORMAL WEAR & TEAR. AFTER LOOKING AT OTHER TESTIMONIES ONLINE, BEGINNING TO REALIZE THE ISSUES I'VE HAD ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF OTHER CALIBER OWNERS. JUST REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR IN JUNE 2014 AND NOW CAR IS SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR 3 WEEKS AND WILL RANDOMLY NOT BE ON FOR A SERIES OF DRIVES ONLY TO COME BACK ON AGAIN. DASHBOARD LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON ALL THE TIME, I'D SAY MORE OFTEN THAN NOT NIGHT DRIVING IS DONE WITH NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS. I CHANGE HEADLIGHTS & TAILLIGHTS FREQUENTLY. ABOUT TO HEAD TO AUTOZONE NOW TO HAVE IT HOOKED UP TO DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE TO SEE IF ANY CODES COME UP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ASAP OR THERE WILL BE SEVERAL PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK, INCLUDING MY ENTIRE FAMILY SEEING AS HOW THIS IS OUR MAIN VEHICLE. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH SLIP FROM "ON" TO "ACCESSORY" TWICE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON I-95 JUST NORTH OF RICHMOND, VA. I WAS DRIVING, SHIFTED MY KNEE (WITH A LONG KEYCHAIN), AND THE SWITCH SLIPPED. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AT THAT POINT. I HIT THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS BUTTON AND TRIED TO RE-START THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AND CONTINUE DRIVING WITHOUT ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THE SECOND TIME WAS ON EDWARDS MILL ROAD IN RALEIGH, NC. AT THAT POINT, I WAS NOT DRIVING WITH THE LONGER KEYCHAIN, BUT A SHORTER ONE WITH ONLY FOUR KEYS, AND THE SWITCH SLIPPED AGAIN. BECAUSE IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE, I KNEW WHAT I NEEDED TO DO WAS TO RE-START THE CAR, AND I WAS ABLE TO DO SO SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT ACCIDENT OR INJURY. BECAUSE AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT, AND BECAUSE I HAD NO CONCEPT THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BIGGER ISSUE, AND BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, I DID NOT STOP TO WRITE DOWN OR REMEMBER THE DATES/TIMES OF THESE INCIDENTS. I KNOW THAT THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AT NIGHT; THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS DURING THE DAY. I REMEMBER WHERE I WAS BECAUSE I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY; HOWEVER, BECAUSE I DIDN'T STOP TO LOOK AT THE DATE OR TIME THEN OR LATER, I DON'T RECALL EXACT DATES AND TIMES. MY BEST GUESS, BASED ON MY TRAVEL SCHEDULE THROUGH RICHMOND, VA, IS THAT IT TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND THEN THE SECOND INCIDENT SOMETIME AFTER THAT. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF THESE INCIDENTS EVEN WHEN THE GM RECALLS STARTED HAPPENING, BECAUSE IT WASN'T A GM VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE OTHER DAY, I READ THAT CHRYSLER VEHICLES WERE BEING RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE, AND SOMETHING TRIGGERED MY MEMORY WITH THE SWITCH SLIPS. I WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION AND NOTICE SO THAT A DECISION COULD BE MADE ABOUT INVESTIGATING OTHER CHRYSLER MODELS, AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO THE COMPANY OF AN ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT WHEELS BECAME UNSTABLE AS THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE FRONT TIE RODS AND BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

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