2008 Dodge Caliber

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A KNOCKING COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO PURCHASE THE BALL JOINTS SEPARATELY. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON BOTH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS WEARING RAPIDLY AND THE KNOCKING NOISE WAS STILL HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

THERE IS A SERIOUS GROWLING ROAD NOISE COMING FROM THE WHEEL BEARINGS. IF YOU CHECK "CAR FORUMS AND AUTOMOTIVE CHAT" THERE IS A FIX UNDER CHAT LABELED "STWSTI" DATE 10-19-2008... I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS ENOUGH PROBLEM FOR DODGE TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES OR AT LEAST TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM OF BEARING FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS... *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO WITH AIRCHECK. LITTLE DID I KNOW I WAS BUYING A MORE DEFECTIVE CAR THAN I ORIGINALLY HAD. ABOUT A WEEK AGO MY A/C GOES TO CRAP I ASK THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT AND ALL HE SAYS IS I KNOW A GUY THAT CAN FIX IT FOR YOU FOR ALITTLE CHARGE. AND TO TOP IT OFF THE A/C GOES OUT ON THE HOTTEST FREAKING DAY OF THE MONTH. THEN MY ENGINE MAKES THIS RATTLING NOISE MY FREAKING RADIO DOESN'T ACCEPT CD'S WHAT KIND OF WHOLE DID I GET MY SELF INTO. AND FOR THIS CAR TO BE A 4 CYLINDER IT DRINKS GAS AS IF IT WHERE A V8. *TR

STARTED HAVING NOISY FRONT END/BRAKE ISSUE @16000 MILES ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE, HAVE HAD THE CAR IN 7 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE SAME COMPLAINT, THE DEALER JUST KEPT REPLACING DIFFERENT PARTS HOPING THE NOISE WOULD GO AWAY, IT HASN'T, NOW THAT THE CAR IS 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY, THE DEALER TREATS US LIKE WE ABUSED THE CAR, IT ONLY HAS 37000 MILES ON IT!! A NEW CAR SHOULD LAST LONGER THATN 3 YEARS WITHOUT MAJOR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS !! DODGE HAS A REPUTATION OF USING DEFECTIVE SUSPENSION PARTS AND SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HARD-WORKING CONSUMERS THAT BAILED THEM OUT!!!! ALL I WANT IS MY CAR FIXED THEY CHOOSE TO USE INFERIOR PARTS AND NOW THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR HINDSITE. *TT

AT AROUND 35000 MILES IS WHEN THIS STARTED: WHEN I WOULD SLOW DOWN I WOULD NOTICE THAT IT FELT LIKE MY DRIVER FRONT TIRE WOULD WOBBLE, THIS WENT ON FOR A WHILE, AND NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS, BLAMED IT ON BAD TIRES. I EVEN TOOK IT TO MY DEALERSHIP BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS GOING TO BE UP SOON AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK OVER EVERYTHING AND THEY NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. SO I GOT NEW TIRES AND IT WOULD STILL SOMETIMES SEEM TO WOBBLE BUT IT WASN'T CONSISTENT. FAST FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER (2011) I START TO NOTICE THAT IT IS REALLY BAD PULLING OUT OF MY WORKS DRIVEWAY TURNING LEFT SO I THINK MY SHOCKS ARE GOING BAD. ALSO I START TO NOTICE THAT WHEN I START MOVING AGAIN FROM A STOP IT SEEMS LIKE THE CAR HAS A LITTLE JERK. SO I GO TO GET MY OIL CHANGED AND TIRES ROTATED (DIFFERENT PLACES) AND AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE OIL THEY FILL OUT A LITTLE INSPECTION SHEET, ONLY THING MARKED IS A BAD AIR FILTER. SHOCKS ARE GOOD THEY SAID. TIME TO CHANGE THE BRAKES TOO, SO I BUY SOME WITH THE AIR FILTER AND TELL MY HUSBAND WHEN HE IS CHANGING THEM TO PLEASE LOOK GOOD BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. WELL, HE FINDS OUT THAT HE CAN COMPLETELY MOVE THE WHOLE WHEEL ASSEMBLY ON ITS OWN! SO I TAKE IT TO A LOCAL SHOP AND BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS ARE BAD AND MAYBE A TIRE ROD! AT APPROX 48,000 MILES (CURRENT) THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! SO CALL DODGE DEALERSHIP AND OUT OF WARRANTY SO... UNLESS WE BRING IT DOWN AND ALL THESE OTHER INSTRUCTIONS THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SOME OF IT. NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE 45 MILES WHEN THE WHEELS MIGHT SNAP OFF AND FOR THEM TO MOST LIKELY SAY "TOO BAD"! AFTER SEEING HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM SOMETHING IS OBLIVIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THE CALIBER, AND FOR DODGE TO DO NOTHING, WE WILL NEVER EVEN CONSIDER A DODGE, OR MAYBE EVEN A CHRYSLER (NEVER HAD ISSUES WITH PAST JEEPS) AGAIN!

THE FRONT TIRES WERE VIBRATING AND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING, SO I THOUGHT THE TIRES NEEDED BALANCING. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO A FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THE FRONT RIGHT STRUT WAS BLOWN OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT STRUTS HELP HOLD THE WHEELS TO THE ROAD. ALSO, MY FRIEND WHO IS AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC CHECKED THE STRUT AND HE VERIFIED THAT THE STRUT WAS BROKEN.

2008 DODGE CALIBER WITH 44,000 MILES. BOTH FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE SEVERELY WORN, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR HAD ONLY NORMAL DRIVING (NO SEVERE USE). THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE IF I HAD NOT HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE SUSPENSION LOOSENESS WHEN ROTATING THE TIRES. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS SYMPTOM WHEN DRIVING THE CAR. *TR