2007 Dodge Caliber

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY CAR HEARD A SQUEALING NOISE AND COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR. THE STEERING SEEMED VERY LOSE. SHE WAS BY A GARAGE AND STOPPED AND LEFT THE CAR THERE. TODAY THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SEND THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS SHOT AND COULD NOT BE FIXED.. CAN CHRYSLER BE NOTIFIED OF THIS AND SHOULD WE GET A SECOND OPINION? ITS A GOOD THING THIS HAPPENED ON A BACK ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC OR MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.

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

WITH ONLY 38,550 MILES ON MY CAR (WHICH HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR) I HAD TO HAVE THE WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED. WHEN I PICKED IT UP, MY MECHANIC (WHO HAS BEEN THE ONLY MECHANIC I HAVE USED FOR OVER 10 YEARS) TOLD ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE ALSO TOTALLY SHOT & HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THE DANGER I WAS PUTTING MYSELF & OTHERS IN, HAD HIM DO THE BALL JOINTS THE NEXT DAY. THESE 2 PARTS SEEMED TO NEED REPLACEMENT WAY BEFORE THEY SHOULD HAVE. THE DEALERSHIP HERE (SERVICE PERSON/AL) TOLD ME SINCE I WAS OVER MY 3 YEAR, 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, (AND HAVEN'T BEEN THERE IN 2 YEARS) THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WORK WAS COMPLETED BY MY MECHANIC, I STOPPED AT THE BANK. THERE I SAW ANOTHER DODGE CALIBER PULL IN. WHILE IN THE BANK, I SPOKE WITH THAT DRIVER. SHE TOLD ME SHE JUST HAD THE WHEEL BEARINGS DONE ALSO. IM NOT SURE WHAT YEAR HER CAR WAS BUT IT APPEARED TO BE NEWER THAN MINE! WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE CARS? SHOULDN'T THE DEALER HAVE HAD A LITTLE MORE INTEREST WHEN MY ACTUAL MILEAGE WAS ONLY 2000 OVER THE WARRANTY. THEY KEPT POINTING OUT THAT THE CAR WAS OVER 5 YEARS OLD & ONLY HAD A 3 YEAR WARRANTY. TO ME THAT HAS NO SIGNIFICANCE...THE MILEAGE IS WHAT CONCERNS ME. I HOPE OTHERS WILL TAKE NOTE & BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF CHRYSLER BEFORE THERE ARE RELATED ACCIDENTS OR DEATHS. I DID TRY TO FIND A NUMBER ONLINE TO CALL CHRYSLER, ONLY TO COME UP WITH SALES...I WOULDN'T BUY ANOTHER! PLEASE INFORM ME OF ANY ACTIONS TAKEN. THANK YOU *TR

AFTER TWO SETS OF TIRES WE WERE TOLD THE LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON FRONT END. HAD TO PARK THE CAR AND WAIT A WEEK BEFORE THE PARTS CAME IN. WE WERE TOLD IT WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO THE MANY PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE. ALSO THE WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE WAS SERVICED EACH TIME AT THE DODGE DEALER WHO INFORMED US THESE PROBLEM SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPEN SO SOON. *TR

NOTICED THAT THE FRONT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE WORN DOWN TO THE STEEL RADIAL ONLY ON THE INSIDE EDGE, ALL THE WAY TO THE STEEL RADIAL, EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES WERE ONLY A YEAR OLD. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND FOUND OUT THE BALL JOINT AND FRONT CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AUTO SHOP SAID WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE NOTICED THE PROBLEM, AND SUGGESTED NOT DRIVING ANY FURTHER UNTIL IT WAS FIXED. ALSO TOLD US THEY HAD TWO OTHER CALIBERS THIS YEAR WITH SAME PROBLEM. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND WANT TO CHARGE $1400 TO FIX AND REPLACE OUR RELATIVELY NEW TIRES. UPON RESEARCHING MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. JUST GRATEFUL THAT WE FOUND THE PROBLEM WHILE PARKED AND BEFORE THE TIRES BLEW ON THE HIGHWAY OR SUSPENSION BECAME EVEN LOOSER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES WOULD EMIT A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V196000 (WHEELS:CAP/COVER/HUB), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. ALSO, THE EXTERIOR HEADLIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 53,000. UPDATED 1/13/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE HIGH BEAMS WOULD COME ON, BUT WHEN SHE HIT THE DIMMER SWITCH, THE DIM LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON. ALSO, THE TAIL LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS WATER IN THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. UPDATED 02/2/9/12 UPDATED 03/07/12

TL*THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER 28 MPH THERE WAS A NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE NOISE CAME FROM THE REAR HUB BEARING, BECAUSE IT WAS WORN OUT. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT BOTH THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS WERE WORN OUT AS WELL WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE TIRES TO WEAR BECAUSE OF THE REAR HUB FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 07V196000 (WHEELS: CAPS/COVER/HUB) WAS RELATED AND COULD CAUSE UNINTENDED MOVEMENT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,250.

MY 2007 DODGE CALIPER SE WAS EQUIPPED FACTORY WITH 15 IN STEEL WHEELS. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE I NOTICED A EXTREME VIBRATION FROM 60-70MPH. I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAD THE WHEELS BALANCED AND ROTATED SEVERAL TIMES, TEST TO MAKE SURE THE WHEELS WERE NOT OUT OF ROUND, AND FINALLY THE TIRES REPLACED. I HAD THE FACTORY TIRES INSPECTED AT ONE OF THE DUNLOP RETAILERS AND THEY WERE TO BE FINE AND THAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE WHEELS. ALL OF THE WHEELS. REPLACING THE TIRES DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE OR MAKE IT ANY BETTER. NONE OF THE REPAIRS DID. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THIS I FOUND THAT THE VIBRATION IS NOT APPARENT IN THE ALUMINUM WHEELS SO I OPTED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THEM PLACED ON MY VEHICLE. THE ISSUE HAS SINCE BEEN RESOLVED WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE NEW WHEELS PLUS TIRES WITH AND EXPENSE OF $600.00+. I DID ATTEMPT TO REPORT THIS ISSUE TO DODGE DIRECTLY BUT HAVE ONLY RECEIVED THE RESPONSE OF "NO RECALL". *TR