2008 Dodge Caliber

FRONT CROSSMEMBER FRAME RUSTED THROUGH. CAR IS NOT SAFE AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. CAR BELONGS TO OUR DAUGHTER WHO IS A SINGLE MOTHER AND WAS JUST PAID OFF. SHE CANNOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR. AFTER FINDING MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, WE CALLED CHRYSLER AND ONLY SOME OF THESE CALIBERS QUALIFIED FOR REPAIR (FREE). NOT SURE WHY OUR CAR IS NOT INCLUDED. THIS IS ALSO A PROBLEM ON THE JEEP COMPASS. IT WOULD SEEM THAT A FRAME WOULD LAST LONGER THAN 6-7 YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SPEED OCCURRED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED CAUTIOUSLY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY CONTROL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I REPLACED WITH TWO BRAND NEW BULBS BUT LIGHT IS STILL OUT. REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER, ONE BRAKE LIGHT, AND ONE LICENSE PLATE ILLUMINATION LIGHT ARE ALL NON FUNCTIONAL AS WELL. RECALL HAS BEEN MADE ONE YEAR OF MODELS OF CHRYSLER VEHICLES BUT NOT MINE, AND IT IS THE SAME FAULTY PART THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN SEVERAL MODELS AND YEARS OF CHRYSLER VEHICLES. UPON VISITING A CHRYSLER SERVICE CENTER I WAS ADVISED OF A $900 QUOTE TO FIX THE PART. I SEE NO REASONING FOR ME TO HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR A FAULTY PART THAT CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND REFUSES TO ADDRESS. *JS

TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR. REQUIRES DOUBLE CLUTCHING TO ENTER INTO 3RD GEAR AND ALSO GRINDS WHEN ENTERING. IT WILL SHIFT BACK INTO NEUTRAL IF GEAR SHIFT IS NOT HELD IN 3RD GEAR POSITION WHEN RELEASING THE CLUTCH. ALSO HAS INSTANCES OF TROUBLE GOING INTO 4TH WITH GRIND WHEN SHIFTING. ONLY GOES INTO GEAR 10% OR TIME; I MOSTLY SKIP 3RD GEAR ALTOGETHER. CHRYSLER/JEEP/DODGE SERVICE BULLETIN #21-011-08 (MARCH 7,2008) RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF 3RD/4TH/5TH & REVERSE GEAR SYNCHRONIZER RINGS IF THIS OCCURS. IT RECOMMENDS THAT IF THE TRANSMISSION IS OPENED FROM ANY SERVICE THAT THESE RINGS SHOULD BE REPLACED REGARDLESS OF CONDITION. *TR

A NOISE WAS HEARD THAT SEEMED TO COME FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION WHILE DRIVING. INSPECTION LATER SHOWED THAT THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WAS BADLY RUSTED AND HAS HOLES IN IT. BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR CROSSMEMBERS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE BADLY RUSTED. THE REST OF THE CAR IS RUST FREE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS CAR. THE 2007 DODGE CALIBER HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPLACE THESE PARTS IF THEY HAVE HOLES IN THEM UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER I WAS TOLD THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. THE DEALER AND CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE WERE CONTACTED AND WOULD NOT HELP. IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT FOUND AND REPAIRED IT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. *JS

FOR THREE SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURES: 1) APPROXIMATELY APRIL 16, 2014 NOTICED SOME OF THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS BLINKED A LITTLE. STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IT TURNED GREEN STEPPED ON THE GAS, THE CAR JUMPED AND STALLED IN TRAFFIC. WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND GO ABOUT A 100 YARDS INTO A SIDE STREET. WAS MET BY LOCAL POLICE. GOT TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER. AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED DROVE OUT OF THE DEALER BUT NOTICED THAT A DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. 2) APPROXIMATELY MAY 2, 2014 THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS BLINKED AGAIN BUT THE CAR KEPT RUNNING. DROVE TO MY DESTINATION. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR, TURNED ON THE IGNITION KEY IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN NOT EVEN TO CRANK THE MOTOR. GOT TOW TRUCK AND TOWED IT BACK TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER. AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE DOUBLE CHECKED, THEN DROVE OUT OF THE DEALER. 3) APPROXIMATELY MAY 20, 2014 WAS GOING DOWN HILL HIT A SMALL BUMP CAUSING DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS TO GO ON THE CAR STALLED, ROLLED THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN HILL AND PUSHED IT INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I TRIED MYSELF TO FIX IT. PULLED OFF THE MAIN FUZE COVER AND PULLED OUT SOME FUZES THIS BROUGHT BACK SOME POWER TO RESTART THE CAR. THE FUZES WERE APPARENTLY TO THE AIR BAGS BUT GAVE ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE THE ENGINE RUN. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH AN ELECTRICAL REPAIR SPECIALIST. DROVE IT TO THERE LOT. WAS ASKED DETAILED QUESTIONS ON HOW I GOT THERE. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED BUT WITH PROBLEMS, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS NOT PROTECTED IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND WAS ADVISED TO GET A SPLASH GUARD. BUT WENT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER PARTS DEPARTMENT. FOUND THAT IT WOULDN'T DO MUCH GOOD AND NONE EXIST TO COMPLETELY PROTECT IT. THE CAR RUNS FINE NOW BUT HAZARDOUS. I BELIEVE I SHOULDN'T BE PAYING REPAIR BILLS FOR THIS FAULT. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. UPDATED 3/12/15 THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AROUND 25 MPH, WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY, LOST POWER AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE SHUT THE VEHICLE DOWN AND EVENTUALLY RE-STARTED IT. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE ISSUED TWO MORE TIMES. UPDATED 04/02/15*JB

THE LIGHTS AND ALL DASH GAUGES TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH COME ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. WHEN RESTARTING ALL LIGHTS GO AWAY. THIS HAPPENS MOST OFTEN WHEN I AM BRAKING. NO PATTERN FOR WHEN OR WHAT SPEED. ABS SEEMS TO KICK IN FOR NO REASON DURING THIS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. POWER HAS BEEN LOST AND CAR HAS DIED WHILE DRIVING. I AM TOLD THIS IS THE TPIM MODULE FAULT THAT REQUIRES REPLACEMENT FOR $1,500.00! THERE IS LARGE AND COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TPIM AND DODGE HAS WRONGLY NOT PROVIDED A RECALL FOR THE CALIBER. *TR