2008 Dodge Caliber

ON 4/10/2013, I WAS BROADSIDED BY A PICK-UP TRUCK AT 18TH & PIKE STREETS. THE GLASS EXPLODED, MY CAR THEN WENT INTO A BACKWARD SPIN. I SPUN ABOUT THREE TIMES AND THEN COMING OUT OF THE SPIN CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A LARGE SUV THAT WAS DOUBLED PARKED. MY CAR BOUNCED OFF THE SUV, THE ENGINE THEN SHUT DOWN AND MY CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STEP ON THE BRAKE AND STOP THE CAR FROM ROLLING. ONE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE WAS THAT NOT ONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY CAR CAME EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIRBAGS, PASSENGER AND A DRIVER AIRBAG. I PURCHASED MY CAR BRAND NEW AND I WAS REALLY HAPPY ABOUT HAVING THIS SAFETY FEATURE BUT HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY DID NOT WORK. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT BECAUSE I WAS NOT PARAPLEGIC, PARALYZED OR DEAD! I FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE OTHER DODGE OWNERS ARE DRIVING AROUND AND MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM I DID. I WOULD HOPE NOBODY HAS TO DIE, BECOME PARAPLEGIC OR PARALYZED FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT FAULTY AIRBAGS. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. I HAVE PICTURES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM

I AM REPORTING A "POSSIBLE" SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND STARTING THE CAR TO DRIVE, I NOTICED THE LOSS OF CONTROL / POWER TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL ACTIVATION, FRONT AND REAR WIPER ACTIVATION, FRONT AND REAR WIDOW WASH, CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATION, PARK, AND INTERIOR LIGHT ACTIVATION. (NOTE: HEAD LIGHTS DID ACTIVATE.) ALL ACTIVATION LEVERS / SWITCHES ARE LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. PROBLEM WAS UNAFFECTED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL, OR THE MOVEMENT OF THE COLUMN POSITION. PROBLEM DISAPPEARED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. UPON RE-ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTING THE CAR THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED. PROBLEM IS NOT CURRENTLY PRESENT FOR EXAMINATION. *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

I AM WRITING TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE DANGER IN THE DESIGN OF THE FUSE BOX. THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD OF THE DODGE CALIBER APPEARS TO ALLOW TOO MUCH MOISTURE BEYOND THE UPPER SEAL. EVERY 10,15, AND 20 AMP MINI FUSE DEVELOPS EXCESSIVE OXIDATION ON THE CONTACTS. THE OXIDATION MAY CAUSE MALFUNCTIONS IN TWO WAYS. THE FIRST IS PHANTOM ERROR CODES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS. THE SECOND IS THE CVT TRANSMISSION MAY SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF DRIVE POWER AND LEAD TO COLLISIONS. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME IS THE POTENTIAL FOR CIRCUITS TO OVERHEAT RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL FIRES UNDER THE DASH AND UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CALIBER. *TR

WE WERE NOTICING THE CAR BEING SLUGGISH AND NOT WANTING TO PICK UP SPEED SO WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT LOOKED AT. BEFORE THAT COULD HAPPEN THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT POPPED ON WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR WOULDN'T GO ABOVE 20MPH AND FELT LIKE IT WANTED TO STALL OUT. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THE ETC LIGHT WENT OFF AFTER A FEW SECONDS. I WAS LUCKY IT WAS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND THE INTERSECTION WAS EMPTY. I CONTINUED ON MY WAY TO WORK ABOUT 1/2 MILE AND THE ETC CAME BACK ON. I MANAGED TO GET IT TO WORK AND PARKED IT. I LOOKED UP WHAT THE LIGHT MEANS AND PROCEEDED TO GOOGLE WHAT IT WAS FOR MY CAR. I WAS SOCKED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM FOR THE MAKE AND MODEL. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS ISSUE WAS NOT KNOWN OR RECALLED. CAR OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE IT BECAME A HAZARD. I LEFT WORK AND PRAYED MY CAR WOULD MAKE IT THE 1/2 MILE TO MY HOME. UNFORTUNATELY , THE ETC LIGHT CAME BACK ON THEN STARTED FLASHING. AFTER READING OTHER CAR OWNERS POSTS I DECIDED NOT TO RISK STALING IT ON A BRIDGE SO I COASTED IT INTO A GAS STATION WERE IT CHUGGED OUT. I WALKED THE REST OF THE WAY HOME IN 85 DEGREE WEATHER. WE TOWED THE CAR TO OUR REPAIR PLACE, THEY HOOKED IT UP TO THE COMPUTER TO READ THE CODES, THEN THEY RESET THE CONTROLS HOPING IT WOULD BY PASS A GLITCH. IT DIDN'T. THEY THEN HAD US BRING THE CAR TO A DODGE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS FAMILIAR WITH HE PROBLEM "THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH THESE CARS." THEY COULDN'T GET TO IT UNTIL AFTER THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND. THEY INSTALLED THE REPLACEMENT THROTTLE BODY $272.42 (PART 4891735AC) AT A COST OF 566.00 TOTAL. WE JUST GOT THE CAR BACK TODAY. IT IS RUNNING SMOOTHER BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. UPDATED 02/27/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING THE HORN TO MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY INTERMITTENTLY. AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE INTEGRATED POWER MODULE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.