2008 Dodge Caliber

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER IN FEBRUARY 2015 TRAVELING ROUGHLY 45 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE BATTERY LIGHT AND ALL DASH LIGHTS BEGAN TO COME ON AND FLASH. I WAS ABLE (JUST BARELY) TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PARKED THE CAR; IN THE PREVIOUS 30 DAYS I HAD SEVERAL REPAIRS MADE THAT INCLUDED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTER, ET CETERA. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIRING SHOP WHERE A NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE INSTALLED, THEN TONIGHT 20150411 THE BATTER LIGHT HAS AGAIN COME ON WITH FLUCTUATING SPEEDS. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND READ ABOUT MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE DODGE CALIBER REGARDING THE TIPMS SYSTEM OR SUCH; THE FACT THAT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY FAIL TO MAKE THE REQUIRED REPAIRS TO THESE VEHICLES IS ATROCIOUS. THE LIVES OF OTHER VEHICLE OPERATORS ARE BEING PUT AT RISK; I'M CERTAIN THAT SOMETHING MORE SHOULD BE DONE. *TR

I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC AT A RED LIGHT, TRAIN WAS COMING SO I WAS HOLDING MY BRAKES. IT FELT AS IF THE CAR WAS JERKING FORWARD NOT WITH ALOT OF POWER BUT ENOUGH FOR ME TO NOTICE. I LOOK AT MY DASH AND I NOTICED THAT A REDLIGHT THAT SEEM TO BE RED LIGHTING BOLTS WAS ON. I IMMEDIATELY PULL MY CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC. WHILE TRYING TO GET THE CAR OUT OF THE ROAD I NOTICE IT WAS SLOWLY ACCELERATING MY CAR DIDN'T GO PASS 20MPH. I PARKED THE CAR AND WAITED TO SEE IF I COULD JUST TRY TO DRIVE IT HOME WHICH WAS ONLY 1.5 MILES AT THE MOST AWAY. I HAD NO ISSUES BESIDES THE CAR WOULDN'T GO PASS 20MPH AND WHEN IT STALLED IT SEEMED AS IF IT WOULD JERK FORWARD, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR HOME. BEFORE THAT DAY I HAD NO ISSUES. *TR

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN 2008. DECEMBER 24TH 2013 AT ONLY 43,000 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY WHICH WASN'T COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY $367 TO HAVE FIXED. MY CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION & WHEN I SPOKE WITH DIFFERENT DODGE DEALERSHIPS I WAS TOLD THAT IT'S JUST A GLITCH THAT HAPPENS TO SOME CARS BUT NOBODY COULD TELL ME WHY AT 43,000 MILES I WAS EXPERIENCING A MAJOR REPAIR! ALSO THE DEALERSHIP WHO FIXED THE CAR SAID THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER IT COULD TAKE UP TO 3 MONTHS TO GET PART CAUSE EVIDENTLY THE PART WAS IN HIGH DEMAND. THAT TELLS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FAULTY GOIN ON WITH DODGE VEHICLES. THIS NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED FURTHER TO SEE IF A RECALL SHOULD HAPPEN! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER DODGE NOT ONLY BECAUSE THE CARS ARE HORRIBLY MADE BUT THERE DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT CUSTOMER FRIENDLY (I EVEN CONTACTED THE DODGE CO. & GOT NOWHERE) AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PURCHASED. I WANTED TO SUPPORT & BUY AMERICAN BUT I'VE FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY THAT MAYBE BY BUYING FOREIGN WILL GET A RELIABLE CAR! *TR

CAR WAS ALREADY WARMED AND DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 5 MILES, AFTER STOPPING AT A GAS STATION TO REFUEL AND RE-STARTING, IT WAS IDLING VERY INCONSISTENTLY AND RUNNING ROUGH, SHAKING. THERE WAS A DASH INDICATOR FOR ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL FLASHING. I TRIED DRIVING IT AND THERE WAS JERKING AND PULLING AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT PAST 2ND, CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 12-15 MPH. I MADE IT HOME (ABOUT 2 MILES) AND LEFT THE CAR FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS. UPON RESTARTING AND WARMING, THE CAR DROVE FINE. ABOUT 1 1/2 WEEKS LATER, THE SAME DASH LIGHT CAME ON, STEADY NOT FLASHING, CAR RUMBLED, THEN LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE CAR WAS FINE. THIS HAPPENED ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THEN, WHEN READY TO LEAVE FROM WORK ONE DAY, I STARTED THE CAR TO WARM IT AND THE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON, THE CAR WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH, IDLE WAS FLUCTUATING BETWEEN ABOUT 500-1500 RPMS AND SHAKING. I LEFT THE CAR, ASSUMING WHEN I CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY IT WOULD START AND BE FINE JUST LIKE THE 2 TIMES BEFORE, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. I DROVE THE CAR TO A NEARBY MECHANIC, MAXING OUT AT ABOUT 15 MPH, STRANGELY THE CAR SEEMED TO PICK UP SPEED WHEN I EASED OFF THE ACCELERATOR, AND STEADY LOSS OF SPEED WHILE GOING UP HILL. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT FIX OR EVEN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, SAID IT HAS TO GO TO THE DEALER. IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL. I WILL UPDATE IT ONCE I HEAR FROM THE DEALER LATER TODAY. *TR

MY 17 YR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 2008 DODGE CALIBER WHEN ACCELERATION WAS LOST. THE CAR STARTED SHAKING WHEN SHE TRIED TO GIVE IT FUEL AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM LIKE CAME ON. NEEDLESS TO SAY, SHE WAS VERY SHAKEN BY THIS ORDEAL. WE HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WE PURCHASED THROUGH CARMAX, WITH A 300.00 DEDUCTIBLE, HOWEVER THE WARRANTY COMPANY WOULD ONLY PAY 144.00 DOLLARS OF THE 647.00 TOTAL BILL. THE CAR HAS APPROX 70,000 MILES SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE THROTTLE SYSTEM WOULD BE DEFECTIVE. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP, THE NEEDLE INSIDE THE THROTTLE THAT FEEDS THE FUEL WAS DEFECTIVE. LUCKILY MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY WHEN IT WENT OUT, OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SERIOUS. I AM VOICING MY COMPLAINT ON THIS PART AND ALL BE WARE OF THE THROTTLE NEEDLE GOING BAD. I WILL ALSO MAKE THIS A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH DODGE AS WELL. *TR