2007 Dodge Caliber

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 137,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE UNDER MY DODGE I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF RUST. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I SAW THAT THEY DESIGNED THE AC CONDENSATION TO DRIP DIRECTLY ONTO THE FRAME. THIS BAFFLES ME SINCE ALL THEY HAD TOO DO IS DESIGN A TUBE TO DIRECT THE WATER ONTO THE GROUND. I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THIS HAS EFFECTED THE STRENGTH OF THE FRAME BUT FROM THE AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE SPOT WHERE THE WATER DRIPS I DON'T HAVE A WARM AND FUZZY THAT THE FRAME WILL LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR OR THAT THE FRAME WON'T JUST SNAP WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE AND WITH SUCH AN EASY FIX DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AT ALL. *TR

WOKE UP TO A FLAT TIRE. WHILE PLACING ON THE SPARE I REALIZED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DANGEROUSLY LOW ON EACH OF THEIR INNER TREAD. ALIGNMENT? MAYBE HOWEVER WAS ALIGNED 7 MONTHS AGO. TIRE TREAD IS WITHIN SAFE LIMITS ON THE OUTER SIDE. HAVE COMPLAINED FOR YEARS TO THE DEALER THAT THE SUSPENSION SQUEAKS AND WAS TOLD NEED NEW WHEEL BEARINGS, AT APPROX. 35,000 MILES. THE SUSPENSION HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ABOUT A YEAR AFTER WE BOUGHT IT. OF COURSE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY NOTHING WAS REPLACED OR FIXED. NOW OUT OF WARRANTY WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM AND FIX FOR WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH MONEY. MY COMPLAINT STEAMS FROM HAVING SUSPENSION ISSUES WITHIN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF OWNING THIS CAR. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS ON ONLINE FORUMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT DODGE DOESN'T CARE OR WILLING TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE? WHILE WE HAVE DRIVEN IT TO OVER 100,000 MILES THE SUSPENSION ISSUES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS AND NO DEALER EVER FIXED ANYTHING? NO RECALL? IT NOW IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WILL COST US AN ARM AND LEG TO FIX WHATEVER DODGE DIDN'T CARE TO PUT RESEARCH INTO BUILDING PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM THE DEALER ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. I WAS DRIVING AND THEN WENT OVER A BUMP AND MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS SO WORRIED WHY THAT HAD HAPPENED SO I WENT TO AN AUTO ZONE TO GET THE ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED AND HE TOLD ME NOTHING IS COMING UP ON THE COMPUTER SO IT SHOULD TURN OFF. SO THEN IT DID TURN OFF BUT THEN LAST WEEK MY CAR STARTED ACTING WEIRD AND THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING BACK ON AND GOING OFF. WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON SOMETIMES EVEN THE ABS LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE LIGHT AT THE SAME TIME. ONE TIME I WAS EVEN DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND GOING 55 AND THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN AND WOULD BARELY MOVE WHILE I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY I COULD HAVE GOT HIT!! I BROUGHT IT TO A DIFFERENT DODGE DEALER THEN I HAD PURCHASED IT FROM TO GET AN OPINION AND FOUND OUT IT WAS THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE. THIS PART IS $700 AND I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS. THIS IS SO UPSETTING BECAUSE I JUST GOT THE CAR. I STARTED DOING MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE SEEN MY EXACT CAR HAS HAD SO MANY RECALLS AND SEEN MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE. THE DODGE DEALER SERVICE ASSISTANT TOLD ME HE HAS HAD TO PUT THESE IN MANY CALIBERS AND THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM FROM THE FACTORY. I AM BEGINNING FOR YOUR HELP FOR MYSELF AND EVERYONE WITH THIS CAR THAT HAS HAD OR IS GOING TO GET THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS. *JS

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, ALL OF MY DASH LIGHTS CAME ON-BATTERY, FUEL, TEMP, ETC. CAR LOST SPEED AND BECAME SLUGGISH. LOST POWER STEERING AND PULLED OVER. CAR IMMEDIATELY DIED AND WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. LOCKED UP COMPLETELY. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS, IT STARTED BACK UP AND RAN FOR PAX 3 BLOCKS BEFORE DOING IT AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED. REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, THEN 3 WEEKS LATER SAME ISSUES. REPLACED THE BATTERY. DID NOT FIX IT. NOW TOLD ITS A COMMON ISSUE FOR THE DODGE CALIBER AND IS THE CONTROL MODULE WHICH IS A 1000 DOLLAR PART PLUS LABOR. AND THAT DODGE IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS NOT RECALLED THEM. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD BE STUCK WITH THE COSTS OF A MAJOR REPAIR THAT IS A DESIGN FLAW FROM THE MANUFACTURER THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF FOR YEARS AND IS OBVIOUSLY A HAZARD WHEN IT SHUTS DOWN IMMEDIATELY WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING. MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN AND 84 YEAR OLD GRAND MOTHER WERE WITH ME IN 100 DEGREE WEATHER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY FOR HOURS WHILE WAITING ON A TOW AND A FAMILY MEMBER TO COME GET US SINCE WE COULDN'T RIDE IN THE TOW TRUCK. AFTER READING FORUMS ONLINE, HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF CALIBER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. SOME HAD CARS THAT WERE ONLY TWO WEEKS OLD! I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION AND HOPEFULLY A RECALL HAPPEN. *TR

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT TURN ON BUT THE HIGH BEAM WORKS FINE. HAVE CHECKED WIRING AND FUSES AND IT SEEMS TO BE THE TIPM. TOOK INTO A SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS THE TIPM TELLING THE LIGHT NOT TO TURN ON SO IN OTHER WORDS ITS A BAD TIPM. I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE PART WOULD BE CLOSE TO $1200. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND I SEE THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. I AM NOW STARTING TO HAVE ISSUES WITH WHAT I THINK IS A BEARING GONE BAD, STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE THIS. TODAY AS I WAS ALMOST HOME, MY CHARGE SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I GOT HOME, SO TURNED CAR OFF AND LET IT SIT A FEW MINUTES, TURNED THE CAR BACK AND NO ISSUES. THE 2007 DODGE CALIBER SEEMS TO HAVE ISSUES. I WROTE TO DODGE ABOUT THE HEADLAMP ISSUES WITH NO RESOLUTION OR THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS AN ISSUE. FROM READING THE FORUMS TODAY, IT SEEMS MY LIGHTS OR ISSUES MAY GET WORSE AND POSSIBLY LOOSE MY LIFE OR CAUSE A HORRIBLE WRECK BEFORE ALL OF THIS OVER. DODGE NEEDS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND RECALL THEM SO WE ARE NOT OUT THE HUGE SUMS OF MONEY THAT IS REQUIRED TO FIX THIS. I AM CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED AND NO UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AS OF YET, I AM AFRAID MY ONCE RELIABLE CAR WILL JUST QUIT ON ME ONE DAY WHEN I LEAST EXPECT OR CAUSE LOSE OF LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER RT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH IN HEAVY RAIN WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ACTIVATED BUT FAILED TO OPERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO MOVE OFF THE ROADWAY UNTIL THE RAINING CEASED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE THEN REACTIVATED BUT FAILED WITHIN SECONDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TOTAL INTEGRATED POWER MODULE (TIPM) HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED ONCE THE PART BECAME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.