2008 Dodge Caliber

I'VE HAD SOOO MANY ISSUES WITH MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER THAT I'VE LOST COUNT. THE MOST RECENT ONES ARE REALLY BOTHERING ME, AS I HAVE ONE MORE PAYMENT AND THE CAR IS PAID OFF. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, MY ETC LIGHT CAME ON AND I JUST KNEW IT HAD TO BE AN ERROR BECAUSE I HAD IT TOTALLY REPLACED IN 2011 AND PAID OVER $500. SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE SO I EMAILED DODGE TO LET THEM KNOW THIS AND TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ETC. OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T REALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SO I ENDED UP PAYING OVER $500 TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN. NOW, I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY DRIVER DOOR, THE SPRING HAS POPPED OUT AND NOW IT WON'T CLOSE! I TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID IT'S GOING TO COST BETWEEN $1200-$1400 TO HAVE IT FIXED BECAUSE I NEED A NEW DOOR! AGAIN, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FIND OUT THAT THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME CAR! AND BOTH OF THESE ISSUES POSES EXTREME SAFETY RISKS, AS WITH THE ETC, THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY STOPS ACCELERATING. THEN WITH THE DOOR, IF THE SPRING IS JUST POPPING OUT AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, I FEEL THAT THE DOOR COULD EASILY SWING OPEN WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO CHILDREN AND NOW I HAVE NO CAR SINCE THE DOOR CAN'T CLOSE.THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND UNFAIR! HOW CAN THESE CARS BE SO DEFECTIVE AND NO ONE IS ADDRESSING IT? THIS IS IN ADDITION TO COUNTLESS OTHER ISSUES I'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS. I WOULD LIKE FOR DODGE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE COST OF MY REPAIRS. THIS JUST ISN'T RIGHT. AND I CAN SEE IF THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT WITH A FEW PEOPLE, BUT IN RESEARCHING AND FINDING OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE, BOTH OF THESE ISSUES, IS EXTREMELY ALARMING. IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS THEY NO LONGER MAKE THIS CAR! I TRULY BELIEVE IT'S A LEMON!! *TR

TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY IN WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS. DRIVER LOST CONTROL ON BLACK ICE. HIT HIGHWAY GUARDRAIL HEAD ON, THEN ON THE PAX FRONT SIDE, THEN ON DRIVER FRONT SIDE. MAJOR DAMAGE TO FRONT COSTING APPROX $6000.00 IN DAMAGE. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGHT LIGHTS ON DASH WERE ACTIVATED AS DEPLOYED. WITH SEAT BELT ON PASSENGER WAS THROWN FORWARD HITTING STEERING WHEEL AND KNEES TO LOWER DASHBOARD. SEVER CONCUSSION AS RESULT, BRUISING AND SORENESS. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2011 FROM ENTERPRISE/NATIONAL CAR RENTAL WITH 31K MILES ON IT. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 09/11/2013 AND A DAY LATER I NOTICED THE BACK DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR & MAT WAS SOPPING WET.(IT WAS RAINING THE DAY I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) I FELT UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT & THAT WAS WET AS WELL BUT NOT AS WET AS THE BACK. FEELING THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE MAT I NOTICED THAT WAS WET TOO AS WAS THE CARPET UNDERNEATH! I RAN THE SHOP VAC TO GET ALL THE WATER OUT. I WAS GOING AWAY FOR THREE DAYS SO WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I CHECKED THE FLOOR AGAIN & IT WAS SOPPING WET AGAIN!! THERE WAS NO RAIN THAT DAY! I WILL BE CALLING THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THIS "USED" VEHICLE TODAY. SO FAR I CLEARED THE WATER OUT TWICE & IT JUST REAPPEARS. WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES COMING THIS COULD BE A VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION DUE TO THE FLOOR & MATS FREEZING UNDER YOUR FEET WHEN YOUR DRIVING THE VEHICLE!! *TR

IT IS RAINING IN MY VEHICLE. RAIN IS POURING IN THROUGH THE SUNROOF AND ENTERING MY CAR THROUGH THE DOME LIGHT, PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE SUPPORT PILLARS, AND ONTO THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FLOOR AND SEATS THROUGH A FAULTY DRAINAGE SYSTEM. THERE IS ALREADY A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT FOR THE 2007 MODEL FOR THIS ISSUE. I WENT TO DODGE TODAY AND THEY WILL NOT FIX MY CAR PER THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN: 23-043-06 SUBJECT: WATER LEAK FROM HEADLINER, BECAUSE IT IS OUT FOR THE 2007 MODEL. THEY SAID THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I BOUGHT THROUGH CHRYSLER WILL NOT COVER THE PARTS OR LABOR AND THEY WILL NOT APPLY THE SERVICE BULLETIN TO MY VEHICLE BECAUSE I OWN A 2008 VEHICLE. THE ISSUE, NOT TAKEN CARE OF LEADS TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, AS REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS ON VARIOUS BLOGS THAT PERTAIN TO THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS COMPANY HAS IRRESPONSIBLY PRODUCED A 2008 MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2007 MODEL, HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICULAR DEALERSHIP I WENT TO AT 9600 ATLANTIC BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL, WANTED ME TO PAY AT $105 DIAGNOSTIC FEE IN ADDITION TO THE WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLE OF $100 IF THE WARRANTY WAS TO COVER THE PROBLEM THAT DODGE CREATED IN THEIR COUNTERPRODUCTIVE MANUFACTURING METHODS. *TR

AFTER PURCHASING MY DODGE CALIBER IN FEBRUARY OR 2008 I NOTICED THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOT CONSISTENTLY ACCURATE. IT TOOK A TOTAL OF 6 MONTHS FOR SCHAEFER AND STROHMINGER TO "FIX" IT. I CALLED THEM AFTERWARDS TO TELL THEM IT WAS BETTER BUT NOT COMPLETELY CORRECT AND THEY PUT ME OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CALL THE ENGINEER AND FOLLOW UP WITH ME. THAT NEVER HAPPENED EVEN AFTER THE CEO OF THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME I MET THE LEMON LAW REQUIREMENTS. DURING THIS TIME THE CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN STARTING. I ALSO ASKED THEM ABOUT THAT PROBLEM. THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM AFTER HAVING IT IN THE SHOP TWICE. ABOUT A YEAR LATER THE CAR WOULDN'T START AND LEFT ME STRANDED AT WORK. IT WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. I CALLED AHEAD TO TALK TO THE MECHANIC WHO KNEW EXACTLY WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE HE'D HAD SEVERAL OTHERS NEED TO BE REPLACED ALREADY IN THE CALIBER. IT WAS THE WIRELESS CONTROL MODULE. WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEY REPLACED IT. IT'S BEEN A FEW MONTHS NOW AND THE CAR HAS HESITATED WHILE STARTING 4 TIMES ALREADY. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A FAULT IN THE WIRELESS CONTROL MODULE UNIT THEY ARE USING. FINALLY, I'M TAKING IT BACK TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE WATER IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT AND WET CARPET BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT. I'M VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS CAR AND DO NOT PLAN ON BUYING FROM DODGE OR SCHAEFER AND STROHMINGER AGAIN. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS NOT FOCUSED ON THE AUTO MANUFACTURER. IT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE AUTO INSURANCE INDUSTRY, AND IN PARTICULAR NATIONWIDE INSURANCE BASED IN COLUMBUS, OH. I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, AND A NATIONWIDE CLIENT REAR-ENDED MY NEW 2008 DODGE CALIBER. IT WAS LESS THEN 1 WEEK OLD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND HAD FEWER THEN 300 MILES ON IT. NATIONWIDE PROMPTLY AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BY REPLACING THE BUMPER. HOWEVER, IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE COMPANY'S POLICY IS TO REPLACE THE BUMPER WITH A REFURBISHED PART, OR A PART MADE BY A COMPANY THAT MAY NOT BE LICENSED OR REPRESENT MOPAR, THE PARTS COMPANY THAT SUPPLIES DODGE REPLACEMENT PARTS. I AM VERY CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT LOSING VALUE FOR MY BRAND NEW CAR, BUT ALSO THAT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS COULD BE POTENTIALLY COMPROMISED BY THE USE OF POSSIBLY INFERIOR PRODUCTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A GOVERNING BODY FOR THESE TYPES OF PARTS KNOWN AS CAPA, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERY PART IS CERTIFIED BY CAPA, NOR COULD I FIND A CERTIFIED PART LISTED FOR THE REAR BUMPER OF A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND NATIONWIDE MUST REPLACE MY BUMPER (AND ANY UNSEEN DAMAGED PARTS) WITH GENUINE MOPAR-SUPPLIED PARTS TO RESTORE MY VEHICLE TO ITS ORIGINAL, SAFE, OPERATING CONDITION AS IT WAS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HASN'T EVEN BEEN FULLY BROKEN-IN YET. *TR

THE EXHAUST PIPE PROTRUDES TOO FAR FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR SMALL CHILDREN TO RECEIVE INJURY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS HOT. A SMALL CHILD IN OUR HOME RECEIVED A SECOND DEGREE BURN WHEN WALKING AROUND THE VEHICLE TO ASK A QUESTION. IN MERELY WALKING BY, THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE VEHICLE'S EXHAUST PIPE CAUSING A BURN. *TR