2007 Dodge Caliber

WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN AT SPEEDS AROUND 25-40 MPH I KEPT HEARING A CLICKING NOISE BENEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN I MADE TURNS. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY LIFTED IT UP. TURNS OUT THE ENTIRE SUSPENSION CARRIAGE WAS RUSTING AND ROTTING. THE CLICKING NOISE I WAS HEARING WAS RUSTY PIECES OF METAL RUBBING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. WE TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THE AC CONDENSATE LINE WAS DIRECTED TO THE SUBFRAME/UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CALIBER. THE WATER WAS POOLING AND CAUSING IT TO RUST. I'M GRATEFUL WE FOUND OUT ABOUT IT WHEN WE DID INSTEAD OF HAVING THE WHOLE BOTTOM OF THE CAR FALL OUT FROM UNDER US WHEN WE WERE GOING AT A HIGH SPEED. THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO MANY OF THE DODGE CALIBERS RIGHT AROUND 7 YEARS. WE HAVE PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE. UNBELIEVABLE. *TR

I NOTICED A PERIODIC CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. UPON INSPECTION BY THE DEALER, THE K-BAR OR K-FRAME, WHICH IS THE PART THAT HOLDS THE FRONT SUSPENSION TOGETHER, WAS FOUND TO HAVE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. IT IS COMPLETELY ROTTEN. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED AND WILL NOT HELP WITH THUS $1400 REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 64000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THIS PART IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MARCH 12, 2014 MY MILEAGE WAS 56700 MILES I HAD TO HAVE MY LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY HAD BOTH FAILED. THE LAST ISSUE I HAD WITH STEERING & SUSPENSION WAS IN MARCH 2012. MY MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE DIAGNOSIS BY THE DODGE DEALERSHIP WAS 34,898 AND I NEEDED TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD REPLACED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS TO THE NHTSA/ FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGARDING BOTH THE TIE RODS AND BALL JOINTS OF THE 2007 DODGE CALIBER. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE TIE RODS AND BALL JOINTS ARE KNOWN TO DODGE TO BE COMMON FAILING PARTS ON THE 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHEN I REPLACED THE TIE ROD ON 2012 I DID NOTIFY DODGE DIRECTLY, MY VEHICLE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AT THAT TIME AND DODGE CLOSED MY CASE AND I WAS BRUSHED OFF. DODGE STOPPED REPLYING TO MY EMAILS AND WOULD NOT RETURN MY VOICEMAILS. I HAVE FOUND NO FATALITIES IN MY RESEARCH SO FAR, BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME WITH THIS VEHICLE DESIGN. HOW MANY REPORTS ARE REQUIRED BEFORE AN INVESTIGATION IS LAUNCHED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. *TR

UPON HITTING A SMALL POTHOLE, THE SUBFRAME BROKE CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. THE TIRES NOW GO TWO SEPARATE DIRECTIONS. AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, THEY DISCOVERED THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH DUE TO THE AIR COMPRESSOR LEAKING DIRECTLY ONTO THE SUBFRAME. WHEN HAVING OUR INSURANCE ADJUSTER FROM STATE FARM OUT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE IT WAS DETERMINED IT WAS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED. I THEN CONTACTED DODGE WHO STATED THAT THE PERFORATION FOR RUSTING WAS 100,000 MILES. ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENT ON THE VEHICLE WE ARE STILL PAYING FOR THROUGH AN AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALER HAPPENED ON A VEHICLE THAT HAS EXCEEDING THE 100,000 MILES BY ONLY 10,000 MILES - WE ARE NOW STUCK WITH A CAR THAT'S GOING TO COST OVER $1,100 TO FIX DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THIS INCIDENT COULD'VE RESULTED IN A FATALITY. DODGE NEEDS TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

AT 47,000 MILES HAD A 800.00 REPAIR TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BOTH SIDES. ALSO REPLACED THE OUTER TIE RODS AND NEW TIRES, FRONT END ALIGNMENT. JUST UNDER 2 YEARS SINCE THIS WAS DONE ANOTHER UNSUSPECTING INCIDENT WITH THE SUSPENSION, WHEELS SHIMMING AT 40MPH. CALLED CHRYSLER, AND THEY STATED NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE MECHANIC THAT CHECKED THE TIRES SAID HIS WIFE HAD HER VEHICLE RECALLED FOR SIMILAR BREAKDOWNS. MY POINT ALL OF THIS STARTED AT 47,000 MILES. IF MY TIRE RODS BREAK OR SOME OTHER INCIDENT WITH THE SUSPENSION I COULD HAVE A MAJOR OR FATAL ACCIDENT IF I LOSE CONTROL ON THE FREEWAY. -SUSPENSION ON THESE VEHICLES IS VERY UNSAFE AS IS THE CHRYSLER NEON. NEED VERIFICATION ALSO IF THERE WAS A SILENT RECALL ON THIS, MEANING THEY ONLY PAID WHEN ASKED. THEY ADMITTED THE PROBLEM ON THE FIRST INCIDENT AND PAID 400.00 AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE. THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION IS JUST PLAIN SLOPPY ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT. *TR

NOTICED RUSTED SUBFRAME WITH BIG HOLE. WE KNEW IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO PARTICULAR REASON FOR THE EROSION OTHER THAN THE WAY THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED. VEHICLE IS ONLY 6-7 YEARS OLD. THIS TYPE OF EROSION IS USUALLY ONLY SEEN ON OLD VINTAGE VEHICLES. A FEW DAYS AGO, WE RAN OVER A HIDDEN POT HOLE AND THE SUBFRAME IS COMPLETELY BROKEN APART. NOW CAR IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS CAR WAS POORLY DESIGNED IN THIS AREA. THE COMPANY SHOULD RECALL THE SUBFRAME TO REPLACE AND INSTALL A REROUTING PIECE FOR THE AC TO DRIP ON AND BYPASS DRIPPING ON THE FRAME. *TR

MY 2007 DODGE CALIBER WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE A CORRODED ENGINE CRADLE AND A BROKEN SWAY BAR BRACKET. THE CAR WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY THE SERVICING CENTER, AND I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $731 TO REPAIR IT. AT THE TIME OF THE DIAGNOSIS, THE CAR WAS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD WITH 75,825 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED DODGE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE, AND I EXPLAINED THAT I FOUND IT COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE HAD RUSTED THROUGH TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACTED THE SERVICE CENTER TO VERIFY THE DIAGNOSIS AND CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD TOLD ME THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER, CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUTSIDE OF IT'S 3 YEAR WARRANTY AND I "DIDN'T FIT THE PARAMETERS" FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME. AN ENGINE CRADLE THAT HAS COMPLETELY CORRODED AFTER JUST 75,000 MILES IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND, IN MY OPINION, ALSO INDICATIVE OF A SERIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT, YET BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND DODGE REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. *TR

MY 2007 DODGE CALIBER WAS TAKEN TO MY MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MAIN SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH IN MULTIPLE PLACES. THE CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 76,150 MILES. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND MENTIONED IT. CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THAT THEY WOULD ONLY PROVIDE COST ASSISTANCE IF I HAD THE WORK DONE AT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THE CAR WAS TAKEN APART AND ON THE LIFT AT MY PREFERRED MECHANIC. I HAD MY MECHANIC PROVIDE THE SERVICE. I DID RECEIVE A QUOTE FROM A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IT WOULD HAVE COST ME $ 850.00. MY MECHANIC DID THE SERVICE FOR $ 650.00. CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED PAYMENT. THIS SUBFRAME COMPONENTS IS RUSTED THROUGH IN THREE LOCATIONS. AFTER ONLY 6 YEARS, THIS DOESN'T SEEM ACCEPTABLE ON A MAJOR FRONT END COMPONENT. *TR