2007 Dodge Caliber

ENGINE HAS CONSTANT 'RATTLE'; SOUNDS JUST LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE NOW. STARTED AS A TICKING SOUND WHILE CAR IDLED, TICKING GREW INTO A GROWL AFTER STARTING THE CAR, NOW ROARS UPON ACCELERATION AND GRINDS/KNOCKS LOUDLY WHEN STOPPED WHILE IN GEAR--QUITE EMBARRASSING AT RED LIGHTS. FORUM HAS INDICATED SAME PROBLEM AS AN ALTERNATOR PULLEY. VISUAL INSPECTION DETECTS SOURCE OF NOISE ON LEFT SIDE OF ENGINE (LOOKING IN UNDER THE HOOD) WHERE THE 7 BELTS ARE SPINNING--HARD TO TELL WHICH ONE IS THE CULPRIT BUT THE ALTERNATOR POST MAKES SENSE. PLEASE VISIT THAT PARTICULAR COMMENT AT HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/WEBX?14@414.TYHOAEDIJXU@.F0F6BB2/187#MSG187; AND THAT WAS PAGE 20! MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM, AND NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY IN FEAR OF A BREAKDOWN OR POWER LOSS (I'VE LIVED THROUGH ONE OF THOSE BEFORE BY THE GRACE OF GOD). THAT SITE RECOMMENDED THAT I POST THE COMPLAINT TO YOU, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT FOR NOT ONLY MYSELF (I.E., JUST TAKE IT TO THE SHOP AND SPEND MONEY I DON'T HAVE FOR WORKAROUND FIXES THAT WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM), BUT FOR OTHERS WHO LOVED THE CAR THEY PURCHASED BUT ARE NOW REGRETTING THEIR DECISION (*THEREFORE PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL TO ENCOURAGE DAIMLER CHRYSLER TO REVIEW THEIR ENGINEERING RECRUITMENT AND PERFORMANCE). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND PURPOSE IN THIS ECONOMY. :) *TR

I HAVE A 2007 DODGE CALIBER WITH 42,000 MILES THAT I WAS TOLD WAS A DEATH TRAP!! SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO EXIT HIGHWAYS BECAUSE I FELT I WAS GOING TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR. I THOUGHT I WAS IN NEED OF TIRES. NOT ONLY WAS I IN NEED OF TIRES BUT THE BALL JOINTS WERE COMPLETELY WORN. I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC IN NO WAY SHOULD THIS HAPPEN WITH A CAR WITH ONLY 42,000. HE ALSO INFORMED ME HE HAS SEEN MANY CALIBERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE COST TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS/ARMS AND TIRES WAS $1,000. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED....ISSUE A RECALL AND REFUND TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINT DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE SAME BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT BY THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 43,000. UPDATED 6/8/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED TWO MONTHS LATER, THE TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 06/23/11*JB

I HAVE HAD ON GOING STEERING VIBRATION ISSUES WITH MY CALIBER SINCE 15K MILES AND MANY TIMES IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT NOTHING IS WRONG AND THE VIBRATION WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. MOST RECENTLY THE TIRES BEGAN EXCESSIVELY WEARING ON THE FRONT (2 REPLACEMENT SETS IN 6 MONTHS). EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC FOUND THAT THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE FAILING. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD BEEN QUIETLY FAILING FOR ABOUT 30K-40K MILES. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 88K MILES ON IT AND THE BALL JOINTS ARE BEING REPLACED. DEALERSHIP ADMITS THAT 1,200 REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN SOLD BY DODGE IN THE LAST WEEK AND THE PART NUMBER HAS CHANGED 5 TIMES SINCE 2007. I FEEL THAT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT LEAD TO THIS ISSUED AND I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT FIND THIS "QUIET" FAILURE BEFORE IT LEADS TO AN ACCIDENT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE TIRES WEARING I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOW IT AS THEY DID NOT BECOME NOISY LIKE MOST BALL JOINTS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NO SIGNS OF ABUSE OR DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO THE BALL JOINTS AND THE RUBBER BOOT WAS COMPLETELY INTACT WITH NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. FURTHER, THE BALL JOINTS ON THIS MODEL ARE NOT SERVICEABLE AND ARE SELF LUBRICATED. THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR BALL JOINTS ARE AT LEAST 100,000 MILE. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE DEEMED THIS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESS BEFORE THIS 5-STAR RATED VEHICLE SERIOUSLY INJURES SOMEONE. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP, THIS IS A CHRYSLER ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CONTROL ARM, OUTER TIE ROD ENDS AND BALL JOINTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A TURN, THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND CRASHED INTO AN UNOCCUPIED PARKED VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED A CHAIN REACTION INVOLVING ANOTHER UNOCCUPIED PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITH THE IMPACT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SEVERAL BRUISES TO THE BODY AND A NECK INJURY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL BODY DAMAGES AND WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR, WHO WAS REFERRED BY THE MANUFACTURER, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE DETECT AN ACCELERATION FAILURE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V234000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL) HOWEVER, THE CONTACTS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 4/11/2011 *CN UPDATED 1/13/2012 *LN *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE ABNORMALLY. AS THE CONTACT DECELERATED, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN UNUSUAL NOISE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FRONT BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER YET THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. ON THE THIRD VISIT, THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BUSHINGS, FRONT BEARING AND OTHER UNKNOWN REPAIRS BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT NEVER REPAIRED. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE A FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER MADE FOUR ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40.