2008 Dodge Caliber

WHILE HAVING CAR INSPECTED FOR FRONT END NOISE THE MECHANIC FOUND A LARGE HOLE IN THE FRONT SUB-FRAME AND THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE TOLD US THAT HE BELIEVED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SUB-FRAME SO WE DECIDE WE WOULD USE THE RECALL TO REPLACE IT AND JUST PAY FOR THE REPAIRS ON THE SUSPENSION. FOUND OUT THAT ONLY THE 2007 CALIBERS HAVE THE SUB-FRAME/CROSSMEMBER RECALLED! IT SEEMS THAT THE SAME PART WAS USED IN BOTH YEARS AND THE 2008'S SHOULD BE RECALLED AS WELL. DODGE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT AND THEY BECOME LIABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER PASSENGER HEAD LIGHT ONLY WORKS ON "HIGH BEAM" WHILE BOTH STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. REPLACING THE BULB DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE. IT IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE TIPM BOX. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND HAS RECEIVED RECOGNITION EVEN IN THE NEWS MORE THAN ONCE. (HTTP://WWW.ABC15.COM/NEWS/LET-JOE-KNOW/LET-JOE-KNOW-HOW-A-BURNED-OUT-HEADLIGHT-COULD-COST-900). THIS ISSUE MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF A REAL AS IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AMONG SEVERAL DODGE CALIBERS ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS. IT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS WIRING RELATED AND EFFECTS LIGHTING WHICH IS A KEY SAFETY CONCERN TO BOTH MYSELF AND OTHERS WHILE DRIVING ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE TIPM BOX IS NOT AN ITEM THAT SHOULD REQUIRE REPAIR UNDER ORDINARY WARE OF THE EQUIPMENT. OCCASIONALLY THE LIGHT MAY FLICKER BACK ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN MAKING THE SITUATION EVEN MORE UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS. THIS ISSUE IS ALSO NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM RECALLS ALREADY ISSUED BY FORD FOR SIMILAR LIGHTING PROBLEMS WHERE THE LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS HAS RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS (HTTP://WWW.REUTERS.COM/ARTICLE/US-AUTOS-FORD-RECALL-IDUSKBN0U51TT20151222). I HAVE ASKED DODGE TO CORRECT THIS ISSUES BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED AS THEY CLAIM THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES THAT COVER THIS REPAIR ON MY VEHICLE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL AS OF YET DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR FOR A HEADLIGHT NOT WORKING WITH THIS PROBLEM AVERAGES BETWEEN $800 TO $1000 WHICH IS ALSO QUITE EXTREME AND AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THE GENERAL AMERICAN FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. PLEASE TAKE THIS ISSUE WITH DODGE HEADLIGHTS NOT PROPERLY FUNCTIONING INTO CONSIDERATION FOR A REQUIRED RECALL TO HOLD DODGE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAFETY CONCERN THAT IT POSES TO ALL WHO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND DRIVE ON THE ROADS WHERE THIS VEHICLE IS PRESENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE CROSSMEMBER/SUB FLOOR IN MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER IS SO ABNORMALLY RUSTED THAT IT IS LITERALLY A DEATHTRAP. THE CAR HAS 120K MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO GET NEW TIRES ON IT AND THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT I JUNK THE CAR AS THE ENTIRE SUBFLOOR IS SEVERELY ROTTED AWAY. I SEARCHED TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL AND FOUND OUT THAT ONLY THE 2007 MODEL HAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY USED THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS IN MY 2008 MODEL. THIS IS VERY DISTURBING.