2007 Dodge Caliber

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

EVERY TIME I GO OVER A BUMP IT MAKE A HORRIBLE SQUEAKING/ JERKING MOTION I'VE LOOKED ON THERE AND IT SEEMS EVERYONE IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES, I REPLACED THE STRUTS THINKING THAT WAS IT AND IT SEEMED THE SOUND GOT WORSE. I SHOULDN'T BE REPLACING ALL THIS THAT EARLY, THIS CAR HAS NOTHING BY HIGHWAY MILES. IT LITERALLY SOUNDS LIKE MY TIRES ARE GONNA FLY OFF. THIS REALLY WORRIES ME BECAUSE I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN. *TR

THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT IS OUT. THE BULB WAS REPLACED AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIPM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ONLY HAVING ONE HEAD LIGHT. I GUESS WHEN I RECEIVE A CITATION FOR ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT THEN THE CITATION WILL BE MAILED TO DODGE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. *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

THE CAR WILL LOSE ALL POWER WHEN DRIVING, ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE FIRST 2 TIMES IT HAPPENED WERE AT NIGHT (THE SECOND DURING A COMPLETE DOWNPOUR) AND SINCE I LOSE ALL POWER, THE HAZARD LIGHTS WON'T EVEN WORK SO I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO ALERT OTHER DRIVERS SO THAT THEY WON'T HIT ME!! SO DANGEROUS!! THE FIRST "FIX" WAS TO DO A FULL COMPUTER SYSTEM RE-FLASH ($300). THE SECOND "FIX" WAS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ($600). THE THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS 3 DAYS AFTER THE SECOND "FIX" AS I'D DRIVEN NOT EVEN 100 FEET FROM A PARKING SPOT, I TURNED THE VOLUME UP ON MY RADIO AND THE CAR DIED! THE 3RD "FIX" WILL BE UPWARDS OF $1500!!! DODGE KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IN FACT, IT IS THE FAULTY PLACEMENT OF THE TIPM THAT HAS CAUSED THIS!! IT WAS PLACED IN A SPOT WHERE IT CONSTANTLY RECEIVES DAMAGE FROM WATER AND DIRT ON THE ROAD, WHICH CAUSES CORROSION AND THEN BAM! LOSS OF POWER!!!! DODGE HAS NOT CREATED ANY RECALLS FOR THIS WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE! THIS PROBLEM, IF IT HAPPENS ON ANY HIGHWAYS OR IN MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, COULD KILL SOMEONE!!! I'VE DONE A TON OF RESEARCH AND THIS IS HAPPENING TO TOO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME EXACT MODEL YEAR CAR!!! I'VE CONTACTED DODGE CORPORATION TO REQUEST A RECALL AND/OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER AND THEY WON"T DO ANYTHING! I'VE OWNED THIS CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AND I'VE ALREADY HAD IT IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. WHEN WILL DODGE REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? WHEN SOMEONE DIES????? I'M GOING TO REACH OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN WHO HAVE HAD/ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM SO WE CAN GET A LAWYER INVOLVED!!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT SOMEONE IS DODGE!!!!!!! *JS

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

YOU CAN TURN THE CAR OFF BY BUMPING THE KEY/IGNITION WITH YOUR KNEE. LET'S SAY YOU ARE ON A LONG DRIVE AND SHIFT IN YOUR SEAT. IF YOU KNEE PUSHES INTO THE KEY, THE ENGINE WITH TURN OFF AND YOU'LL LOSE POWER. SEEMS TO BE MORE PRONE TO HAPPEN TO TALLER PEOPLE, AS THEIR KNEES ARE CLOSER TO THE IGNITION. ON THREE OCCASIONS THIS HAPPENED UNTIL I FIGURED OUT HOW IT HAPPENED AND AM NOW CAREFUL TO NOT BUMP IT. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A CITY STREET AND THE SECOND TWO WERE ON AN INTERSTATE. IT CAN BE QUITE SCARY TO LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, AND I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ON A LONG, STRAIGHT SECTION OF INTERSTATE WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. *TR