2008 Dodge Caliber

AS YOU START TO DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION BEGINS TO MAKE A LOUD WHINNING NOISE AS YOU SPEED UP IT GOT HIGHER PITCHED. TOOK TO DEALER 10/12/12 AFTER PAYING $112 FOR THEM TO TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE COST OF THAT WAS GOING TO BE $3700 AND THERE WAS NO ASSISTANTS BY DEALERSHIP. INFORMED ME THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH CVT TRANS BECAUSE IT IS UNSERVICABLE. TOOK TO LOCAL TRANS SHOP PAID $3200 FOR A REMANUFACTURED, WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE GET RID OF CAR BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. WORST WARR. EVER AN TRANS OF 18MONTH 18,000 MILE. CALLED DODGE DIRECTLY AND THE DECLINED TO HELP IN ANYWAY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM LISTED WITH THESE CARS OR TRANS. *TR

DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. THE CAR LOST ENGINE POWER WILL RUNNING VERY ROUGH. CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND BECAME HARD TO HANDLE. WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS ON A CITY STREET. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A VERY BUSY STREET OR THE HIGHWAY I COULD HAVE BEEN STUCK RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH NO OR VERY LITTLE POWER TO GET IT OUT OF THE ROAD. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AT HIGHER SPEEDS OR MORE TRAFFIC. THERE WAS NO WARNING OTHER THEN THE LIGHT THAT CAME ON WHEN IT HAPPENED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. LOST POWER, THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 35 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED DUE BY THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. UPDATED 08/06/12

2008 DODGE CALIBER STOPPED ACCELERATING NORMALLY IN SEPTEMBER 2010 AT ABOUT 43,000 MILES (AND ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT FROM A MAZDA DEALERSHIP). I TOOK IT TO SEVERAL TRANSMISSION SHOPS WHO ALL SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP, BUT HAD HEARD OF MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSIS AND WAS TOLD THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (AT ABOUT $4000). THIS DIAGNOSIS SEEMS TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE THROTTLE ISSUE THAT I'VE READ ABOUT ONLINE. I WAS TOLD IT MIGHT HURT THE POWERTRAIN FURTHER TO CONTINUE DRIVING IT, SO THE CAR IS STILL SITTING IN MY DRIVE WAY AS A NON-OP. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW DODGE IS GETTING AWAY WITH THIS, WHEN SO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS EXIST (MOST OF WHICH ARE WITHIN THE WARRANTY). *JS

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH MY CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 10-15 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES, WHEN I FINALLY FOUND A PLACE THAT I COULD LEAVE THE CAR IT WAS ONLY IDLING. UPON TAKING IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER WAS TOLD IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $500 TO FIX THAT THE THROTTLE BODY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IT WANTS TO DO. I ASKED IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE LIFETIME POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AS THE WARRANTY DOES NOT EXCLUDE IT AND WAS ADVISED THAT IT IS NOT COVERED. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH BOTH THE 2007 AND 2008 THROTTLE BODY GOING OUT. THIS IS REDICULOUS THAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE AND IS NOT COVERING IT UNDER THE WARRANTY SINCE THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE SAFELY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, DOES IT TAKE SOMEONE BEING KILLED BECAUSE THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN LOSE POWER AND GET HIT. IF THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE THIS TYPE OF WARRANTY THEN THEY SHOULD COVER IT AND IF IT IS NOT COVERED THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO LIST IT AS A NON COVERED ITEM AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. POWER TRAIN....THROTTLE BODY.....WITHOUT THE THROTTLE BODY YOU HAVE NO POWER. SOUNDS PRETTY SIMPLE TO ME.. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 10 MPH. DURING THE FAILURE, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 05/26/11 *BF UPDATED 2/9/12 *CN

2008 DODGE CALIBER - CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR $700 IN REPAIRS. THEY STATE THAT THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR WOULD RANDOMLY AND SUDDENLY BOGG DOWN UPON NORMAL ACCELERATION--VERY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC-- AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE EITHER MOMENTARILY OR FLASH. IT WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 10 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS REVEALED MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. DODGE TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS CLAIMING IT NOT TO BE A COVERED PART OF THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. WHEN QUESTIONED, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT WHEN CARBON BEGINS TO FORM THAT "APPARENTLY THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE THROTTLE BODY UNIT CARBS UP". I ASKED, "DO YOU MEAN NORMAL CARBON FORMATION THAT HAPPENS IN ALL ENGINES." THE RESPONSE WAS, YES AND THAT THEY RECOMMEND A "CARB CLEANOUT" EVERY 30,000 MILES (MINE IS AT 53,000). I THEN ASKED (KNOWING THE ANSWER) IF THAT WAS MAINTENANCE THAT WAS INCLUDED WITH OTHER MAINTENANCE IN THE MANUAL. OF COURSE, THE REPLY WAS "NO". THIS FAILURE, WHEN IT HAPPENS, PRESENTS AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT ONLY HAD TO PUT ME IN A BAD PREDICAMENT ONCE BEFORE I HEADED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MERE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP SEEMED TO BE AWARE OF THIS EXCESSIVE CARBON PROBLEM MAKES ME FEEL THAT THEY DO, INDEED, HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY TO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE READ COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. ONE UNFORTUNATE MAN WAS HIT BY A GASOLINE TRUCK WHEN THIS OCCURRED. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT MORE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW TO COME HERE AND FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT RATHER THAN POSTING ON BLOGS TO TRY TO HELP OTHERS. I IMPLORE WHOMEVER HAS THE AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR