2007 Dodge Caliber Awd

I HAVE OWNED THIS CARE FOR NEARLY 7 YEARS AND I AM CURRENTLY REPLACING THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS FOR THE THIRD TIME. I HAVE KNOWN MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY BY 3000 MILES, NOT IT HAS HAPPENED LESS THAN 30000 MILES EACH OF THE TWO OTHER TIMES. PLEASE HAVE DODGE RECALL THESE VEHICLES AS RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS DONE TO FIX IT SO YOU CAN GET NORMAL WEAR. *TR

UPON DRIVING A LOUD METAL TO METAL CLUNK BEGAN. OWNER LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY PROBLEM. NOISE WAS SO DISTINCT THAT VEHICLE WAS CAREFULLY DRIVEN TO OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. HE STARTED TO GO OUT ON A ROAD TEST TO TRY TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO HIS GARAGE. HE FOUND ONE SWAY BAR LINK WAS UNATTACHED AT LOWER END. HE THEN USED A MIRROR TO VIEW THE TOP SIDE OF THE SUB FRAME AND FOUND IT WAS ROTTED OUT. UPON REMOVAL OF THE SUBFRAME A FIST SIZED HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE TOP OF THE SUBFRAME AND THERE WERE ALSO CRACKS RADIATING BACK THROUGH MORE OF THE FRAME. LOOKING AT THE REMOVED ITEM, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE DEGRADATION WAS SO SEVERE THAT HITTING A BAD ENOUGH BUMP OR HOLE COULD VERY POSSIBLY CAUSE LOSS OF INTEGRITY IN THE SUSPENSION, STEERING OR ENGINE MOUNTING. ALL IN ALL, THIS SITUATION LOOKED EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. AND CONSIDERING THAT A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM UNDERNEATH, AS DURING AN OIL CHANGE, ONE OF WHICH HAD BEEN PERFORMED RECENTLY, DID NOT SHOW THE DAMAGE, I WOULD SAY THIS IS A VERY BAD SITUATION. IN RESEARCHING THIS CONDITION ONLINE, IT SOUNDS POSSIBLE THAT THE AIR CONDITION DRIPPING COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CASES TO BE SEEN. I FEEL THAT WE ARE VERY LUCKY THERE WAS NO MAJOR INCIDENT DUE TO THIS CONDITION. THIS VEHICLE, WHILE A 2007 HAS AN IN SERVICE DATE OF FEBRUARY 2008. I HOPE YOU WILL FIND THIS SITUATION SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REVIEW, AND I HAVE TAKEN A SERIES OF PICTURES WHICH WILL HELP TO DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN REVIEWING THIS FOR US. *TR

I PURCHASE A USED 2007 DODGE CALIBER SE 4 DOOR SEDAN IN OCTOBER OF 2008. THE CAR HAD 14528 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THE CAR ALWAYS HAD A FRONT END ISSUE. IN 2010, WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES, I BROUGHT THE CAR FOR TIRES BECAUSE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN ON THE INSIDE TREAD, AND IT WAS DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH THEM IN THAT CONDITION. I TOOK THE CAR TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AT THE COST OF $600, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CAR THAT THE TIRES WORE THE WAY THEY DID. I TOOK THE CAR, WITH NEW TIRES TO THE SHOP FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS BUILT TO ONLY BE ALIGNED IN TWO DIRECTIONS AND SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ALIGNED IN THREE WAYS.THE CAR ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH STEERING WHEN THERE WAS A SEAM IN THE PAVEMENT ON THE ROADWAY; THE FRONT END WOULD ?FOLLOW? THE SEAM IN THE ROAD AND HAD TO BE FORCED TO DRIVE PROPERLY. IN MARCH OF 2012, I STILL HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END, BUT BY NOW IT SOUNDED AS IF THE FRONT TIRES WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE HOOD WITH THE AMOUNT OF CLUNKING FROM THE FRONT END EACH TIME IT HIT BUMP IN THE ROAD. HE FOUND THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD, AND THE BUSHINGS WERE BROKEN THROUGH. THIS ISSUE COST OVER $500 TO REPAIR. THE FRONT END ISSUE WAS GREATLY DIMINISHED WITH THIS REPAIR, BUT NOT GONE. IN FEBRUARY 2013, THE FRONT END STARTED HAVING MORE PROBLEMS, I RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC AND HE DISCOVERED THIS TIME IT WAS THE STRUT ASSEMBLY, FRONT STRUTS AND TIE RODS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS SO BAD THAT HE WAS AMAZED THE FRONT TIRE DIDN'T FALL OFF THE CAR. THIS REPAIR COST OVER $1100, BUT ALSO MINE AND MY PASSENGERS? SAFETY WAS GREATLY AT RISK WHILE RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE C/MEMBER-F OR SUBFRAME WAS CRACKED IN THREE PLACES AND SO ROTTEN THAT WHILE IN THE SHOP SOMEONE PUT THEIR THUMB THROUGH IT. IT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY OUR REPAIRMAN. THIS IS A 2007 RT, HOW MANY CARS FIVE YEARS OLD DOES THIS HAPPEN TO? THE NEW PART WAS $572.00 PURCHASED AT DEALERSHIP, NOT INCLUDING THE LABOR FROM OUR REPAIRMAN. WE DO HAVE SOME PICTURES TAKEN, BUT NOT VIEWED YET. THE REPAIRMAN HAS HAD THE OLD SUB-FRAME ON DISPLAY SHOWING EVERYONE THAT COMES IN, ONLY BECAUSE IT IS SO UNBELIEVABLE. I DID READ ON HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/FORUM/DODGE/CALIBER/CONSUMER+COMPLAINT/5641-5641 OF SOMEONE ELSE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY SAID SORRY NOT UNDER WARRANTY. ON DODGE ON FACEBOOK THEY ASKED FOR PHONE NUMBER AND VIN, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER CONTACTED ME. THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE RUNS ONTO THE SUB-FRAME, THE OTHER PERSON INDICATED THIS IS THE PROBLEM. I KNOW MY WARRANTY WAS OVER, BUT I WOULD SAY THIS IS DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT; WE HAD A 5 HOUR TRIP PLANNED FOR THE DAY AFTER I BROUGHT IT INTO THE SHOP. I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK TRAVELING AROUND 45MPH WHEN IT BEGAN TO MAKE CRACKING AND THUMPING SOUNDS. WE HAD CANCELLED THE TRIP DUE TO THE FRONT END STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE. GLAD WE DID WOULD HAVE HATED TO HAVE BEEN ZIPPING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT BROKE. WE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED OR TAKEN OTHER CARS WITH US, SCARY THOUGHT. *TR

CAR SWERVED TO THE LEFT SUDDENLY AND FORCEFULLY TWICE. FIRST TIME WAS ON A 3 LANE ROAD. IF ANOTHER VEHICHILE WERE IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOIUS COLLISION. SECOND TIME NEARLY AVOIDED A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THEN WHEN I PULLED INTO MY DRIVE WAY, THE U-JOINT ON MY FRONT PASSENDER TIRE BROKE COMPLETELY. CAR BECAME UNDRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. *TT

I OWN A 2007 DODGE CALIBER AWD AND RECENTLY HAD THE TIRES REPLACED AND REQUESTED AN ALIGNMENT CHECK. THE TIRE COMPANY NOTIFIED ME THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS/ CONTROL ARMS ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AND SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM IN THE CALIBER FREQUENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 30,000 MILES, HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON HARD SURFACED ROADS. THESE COMPONENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. THE FAULT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND REPAIRED BY THE DEALER, BUT IF THE PART FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

2007 DODGE CALIBER AWD, TIE ROD ENDS HAD TO BE CHANGED WITH ONLY 17,000 MILES ON IT. BACK IN SEPT. 2009. NOW WITH ONLY 29,000 MILES ON IT . DURING A STATE INSPECTION ON 22, OCT. 2011 NOW I AM TOLD BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS WITH BALL JOINTS ARE BAD. THEIR SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR THIS . THE CAR DRIVES ONLY ON WELL PAVED ROADS. WHAT IS DODGE DOING ABOUT THIS ? DEALERSHIP KNOWS ABOUT THIS BIG PROBLEM. BUT CAN NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL A RECALL.! ! ( COST 800.00 DOLLARS ) *TR

IN FEBRUARY 2011, I HAD MY 2007 DODGE CALIBER R/T SERVICED AND TIRED ROTATED, AT THIS TIME FIRESTONE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE BAD BALL JOINTS AND NEED THEM REPLACED, IT ONLY HAD 46,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD IT REPLACED AND NOW I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH IT AGAIN. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND GET IT IN FOR A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS REALLY HURT. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 23,700 MILES, MY 2007 DODGE CALIBER RT HAD TO HAVE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS REPLACED (CHRYSLER REIMBURSED FOR THE RUINED FRONT TIRES THAT HAD BEEN PUT ON 9 MONTHS BEFORE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM). WITHIN A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED, I STARTED HEARING A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING LOSE IN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE AREA. UPON HAVING MY ANNUAL INSPECTION AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME I HAVE A BUSTED DRIVERS' SIDE STRUT. THERE IS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 25,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND THIS IS TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE SUSPENSION IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS! I KEEP READING OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND AM WONDERING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DODGE/CHRSYLER IS GOING TO FIX VIA RECALL (OF COURSE, THE STRUTS STARTED MAKING THE NOISE WITHIN WEEKS OF COMING OUT OF MY BASIC 3 YR/36,000 MILE COVERAGE - I AM NOW INTO EXTENDED COVERAGE WITH A DEDUCTIBLE). *TR