2007 Dodge Caliber

I WASHED MY CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED MY CARS FRAME IS RUSTED OUT. THERE IS A BIG HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY FRAME THAT IS NEAR THE MOTOR. I HAVE TO DRIVE IT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BREAK IN HALF. IT IS WORST WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, LIKE SPEED BUMPS. MY CAR HAS 106K MILES THE BODY HAS LITTLE TO NO RUST. I'VE OWNED IT ONLY A FEW MONTHS.

WHILE IN FOR ROUTINE ANNUAL INSPECTON WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT FRONT SUBFRAME ON VEHICLE WAS RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE AND OTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLES. WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMMON ENOUGH THAT CHRYSLER HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS REPAIR. CONTACTED LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND WOULD NOT BE HONORED, EVEN THOUGH SAFETY WAS A FACTOR. GIVEN THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED WITH A RECALL.

WHILE GETTING MAINTENENCE DONE ON MY CAR, I WAS INFORMED BY MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT MY FRONT AND REAR SUB FRAMES HAVE RUSTED THROUGH AND THE CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS AN EXISTING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED FOR THE MANY CALIBER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE. DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT HONOR THE FORMER WARRANTY ALTHOUGH SAFETY IS AT STAKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD KNOCKING AND CLUNKING NOISES FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TATE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE FREDERICK (5629 BUCKEYSTOWN PIKE, FREDERICK, MD 21704, (301) 663-6126) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INNER AND OUTER TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-45 MPH OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SCREECHING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STOPPED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE, BUT THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE PRESENT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A SIBLING'S HOME WHERE IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE FRONT WHEELS TO ALMOST SEPARATE FROM THE SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE. SAWYER MOTORS (166 ULSTER AVE, SAUGERTIES, NY 12477, (845) 247-5027) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO ASSISTANCE WOULD BE OFFERED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 64699050. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. *TR *BF THE CONSUMER PROVIDED PHOTOS OF THE DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD A LOT OF CORROSION AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER (TERRY HENRICKS CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM, 1935 S DEFIANCE ST, ARCHBOLD, OH 43502, (419) 445-2576) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED FIVE TIMES BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AT 30,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,011.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DURING A ROUTINE CHECK-UP, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE MADE A LOT OF NOISE. THE CONTACT CALLED SHOTTENKIRK CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE AT 888-344-9954 (LOCATED AT 2301 E WASHINGTON ST, MOUNT PLEASANT, IA 52641) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 177,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY SON HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE (SQUEAKING AND CLUNKING) WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR BY THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. UPON INVESTIGATING WHEN WE GRABBED THE STABILIZER ARM ON THE RIGHT SIDE IT HAD SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT. WE GRABBED THE LEFT SIDE FOR COMPARISON AND IT DID NOT MOVE. WE FOLLOWED THE STABILIZER BAR AND FOUND THAT THE POINT WHERE THE BUSHING ATTACHES TO THE SUBFRAME HAD CRACKED OFF. WHILE LOOKING AT THE SUBFRAME CLOSER IT HAS SIGNIFICANT CORROSION/RUST (A LOT MORE THAN A VEHICLE WITH 120K MILES SHOULD HAVE). WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY WERE WILLING TO "WARRANTY" (EVEN THOUGH IT IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD) THE FRONT AND BACK SUBFRAME HOWEVER THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY PARTS THAT ATTACHED TO THE SUBFRAME. WE WERE TOLD THAT IF ANY BOLTS/PARTS THAT BROKE WERE OUR RESPONSIBILITY WHICH COULD COST UP TO $2000 WHICH IS HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. SO WITH CHRYSLER COVERING THE SUBFRAME PIECES AND LABOR (ESTIMATED $1000) TECHNICALLY THE VEHICLE IS TOTALED (COMBINED TOTAL REPAIR COSTS $3000 ON A CAR WORTH $4000)....AND NOW AN 18 YEAR OLD KID NO LONGER HAS A CAR. THE REST OF THE CAR IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND SHOULD HAVE EASILY GONE ANOTHER 80K MILES AT A MINIMUM. SUCH A SHAME TO SCRAP/PART OUT A VEHICLE AT 120K MILES FOR A MANUFACTURING/QUALITY DEFICIENCY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS CHANGING THE OIL, HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED. THE CONTACT CALLED GRIFFIN'S HUB CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (LOCATED AT 5700 S 27TH ST, MILWAUKEE, WI 53221, (414) 325-3333), BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000.

MY 2007 DODGE CALIBER'S SUBFRAME IS SEVERELY RUSTED AND THERE'S LESS THEN 80,000 MILES ON THE CAR. A CAR THAT NEW SHOULD NOT RUST SO BAD IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THE SUBFRAME IS SO RUSTED THAT IT'S DANGEROUS AND TOO UNSAFE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE. IN ADDITION TO THE CAR BEING A SAFETY HAZARD, THE SUBFRAME IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX THANKS TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO REMOVE THE SUBFRAME. WITH THE SUBFRAME GONE BAD, THE RUSTED OUT SUBFRAME ALSO DAMAGES ATTACHED PARTS OF THE CAR. THE STRUTS IN THE REAR AND FRONT HAVE GONE BAD DUE TO THE SUBFRAME'S EROSION.