2008 Dodge Caliber

The entire underneath of my car is rusted out. I was driving to work one day when someone pulled out in front of me and I had to hit the brakes. That resulted in the subframe and front drivers axel to break as I’m driving! The sunroof leaks when it rains and half the time the electricity doesn’t work on the sunroof button. My doors have completely stopped auto locking and my hazards will randomly start flashing without pushing the button. Steering is absolutely terrible, it feels like you’re skidding on ice or hydroplaning the entire drive.

The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while taking the vehicle into a local state inspection, he was notified that the vehicle did not pass inspection due to the K-frame of the undercarriage was fractured due to corrosion and rust. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

2008 DODGE CALIBER SUB FRAME/K-FRAME FRONT END CROSSMEMBER COMPLETELY RUSTED THRU CAUSING THE DRIVER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO RIP FREE FROM FRAME (SEPERATING PART OF FRAME, WITH LOWER CONTROL ARM) FROM REST OF FRAME. THIS LEFT DRIVER WITH NO CONTROL OF AFFECTED WHEEL WHICH TURNING IT 90 DEGREES OUT FROM NORMAL OPERATING POSITION. LEFT OPERATOR WITH NO ABILITY TO STEER WHILE DRIVING ON MAIN PRIMARY (35 MPH SPEED LIMIT) TWO LANE ROAD. CAR SLID TO HALT IN MIDDLE OF ROAD. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED. DODGE/CHRYSLER APPARENTLY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM AND NEVER NOTIFIED OWNER. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED NOTICE. FRONT AND REAR CROSSMEMBER CORROSION (X69 WARRANTY EXTENSION) - 2008-2012 DODGE CALIBER & JEEP COMPASS/PATRIOT OEMDTC JULY 17, 2017 15 COMMENTS NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10140027 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: 23-007-17 REV. B SUMMARY FRONT AND REAR CROSSMEMBER CORROSION (X69 WARRANTY EXTENSION) THE DRIVER OF THIS CAR COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY HURT. IT IS UNFATHOMABLE THAT DODGE CHRYSLER WAS ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH NOT NOTIFYING POTENTIAL CRASH VICTIMS

RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 DODGE CALIBER(OHIO). ON INITIAL DRIVE RETURNING WITH VEHICLE I NOTICED A VIBRATION COMING THROUGH STEERING WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION, WAS INFORMED THE TIE ROD ENDS AND CONTROL ARMS BOTH COULD USE REPLACEMENT, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE MORE IMPORTANT BAD FRONT AND REAR CROSSMEMBERS AS WELL AS FRONT AND REAR CRASH BARS, BOTH HAVE SEVERE RUST DEVELOPMENT WITH METAL DETERIORATION WHICH COULD IMPOSE A SAFETY CONCERN DOWN THE ROAD. WAS ADVISE TO LOOK INTO REPLACEMENT. REACHED OUT TO ONE OF THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS A BULLETIN, HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT AM OUTSIDE OF 10 YEAR PERIOD. RUST FROM CROSSMEMBER IS NOW IN PROCESS OF TRANSFERRING TO ACTUAL FRAME AND COMING THROUGH AS HOLES IN ROCKERS NOW AS WELL. DEALERSHIP OFFERING NO HELP AFTER STATING THE ENHANCED SAFETY CONCERN. HARD TO BELIEVE AN 08 CAN DETERIORATE SO FAST. YOU WOULD THINK WITH THE COMPLAINTS AND T.S.B. AS WELL AS SAFETY CONCERNS, SEEING STILL ORIGINAL PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN WARRANTIED TO REPLACE BUT HAVE NOT ON THIS VIN, GETS NO HELP AT ALL. *TR

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, THE FRONT SUBFRAME CROSSMEMBER RUSTED THROUGH, CAUSING HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AND SHE COULD NOT SAFELY OPERATE IT WITHOUT REPAIR. I MANAGED TO GET IT TO A FIRESTONE FOR THEM TO LOOK AT AND THEY REFERRED ME TO A DEALER AND TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE IT ANYMORE BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT DODGE KNEW ABOUT, BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY ME ABOUT. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM FROM THE DEALERSHIP, WHO TOLD ME THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVERS THIS PROBLEM HAD EXPIRED IN 2018 AND THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF ANY REPAIRS. I OWNED THE CAR DURING THAT TIME AND I DID NOT KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM, SO I COULD NOT ACT ON GETTING IT REPAIRED. THIS NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL TO KILL PEOPLE WHEN THE SUBFRAME RUSTS OUT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT THE TIME AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED, BUT HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE KILLED HER AND MY SON, AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD. NUMBER: 23-007-17 REV. B GROUP: BODY DATE: MARCH 10, 2017 *TR

FIAT CHRYSLER AMERICA RELEASED 2 BULLETINS AND AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AN INFERIOR MATERIAL CAUSING SEVERE RUST AND PERFORATION OF THE FRONT AND REAR CROSSMEMBER ON 2008-2012 DODGE CALIBER AND 2008-2012 JEEP COMPASS PATRIOT. THE CROSSMEMBER IS AN IMPORTANT STRUCTURAL COMPONENT OF ANY VEHICLE. IT SUPPORTS THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR AND CARRIES THE WEIGHT OF THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. FCA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS CURRENTLY REFUSING TO REPLACE THESE PARTS EVEN THOUGH THE BULLETIN ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE PART IS FAULTY. THE SEVERE RUST ON THIS PART WILL CAUSE MY VEHICLE TO NO LONGER PASS STATE INSPECTION. I HAVE OWNED MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER SINCE FEBRUARY 2017. THE FIRST BULLETIN RELEASED BY FCA REGARDING KNOWLEDGE OF THIS FAULTY PART WAS MARCH 2017, ONE MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. A SECOND BULLETIN REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE WAS RELEASED JULY 2017. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED ON AUGUST 2018. AFTER THE SECOND BULLETIN WAS ISSUED, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF 13 MONTHS BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND WHILE I OWNED THE CAR. I WAS NOT CONTACTED OR MADE AWARE BY FCA IN ANY WAY THAT THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING HAD A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT I COULD HAVE IT ADDRESSED WITHIN EXTENDED WARRANTY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL OCTOBER 2019 THAT I WAS HAVING WORK DONE ON MY CAR AND THE MECHANIC BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE THE RUST IS SO BAD IT WILL NOT PASS THE NEXT STATE INSPECTION. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. I ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO RECALL THIS PART AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE RUST WEAKENS THE METAL AND IF THIS PART WERE TO BREAK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE RESULTS COULD BE DEADLY. FCA IS AWARE OF THE FAULTY PART AND IT IS CLEARLY DANGEROUS FOR FCA TO DENY ADDRESSING THIS KNOWN ISSUE. EVEN THOUGH THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAS PASSED, FCA HAS PRODUCED VEHICLES THAT ARE UNSAFE AND THE ISSUE SHOULD BE CORRECTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MOVE AND THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MUFFLER SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CROSS MEMBER BAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,500. *DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE SAME DAY AT THE TUNE OF $1,100 AT OWNERS EXPENSE FOR A RECALLED PART. *TR *DT THE CONSUMER PROVIDED PHOTOS OF THE DEFECT. *TR *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR AND FRONT WHEELS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RIDENOUR AUTO GROUP (500 W BROADWAY ST, NEW LEXINGTON, OH 43764, (740) 342-5146) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AND FRONT SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE OIL WAS CHANGED, BUT THE SUBFRAME WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.