2008 Dodge Caliber

ON 09/19/2008, MY VERY FIRST STATE INSPECTION ON MY BRAND NEW VEHICLE, I WAS DENIED A WINDOW STICKER, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THREE OF MY TIRES HAD A SLIGHT BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL OF EACH. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE THAT I PURCHASED ON 02/29/2008. SO I CALLED GOOD YEAR AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A SERVICE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THEM. I DID. THE TIRE COMPANY TOLD ME THAT THE TIRES ARE RADIAL TIRES, AND THEY NORMALLY DO HAVE THAT SLIGHT LITTLE BULGE ON THEM. MY POSITION IS " WHAT DO I REALLY KNOW" I AM BEING PUSHED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO. MAYBE THE TIRE COMPANY DO NOT WANT TO GIVE NEW TIRES, AND MAYBE THE INSPECTION STATION WANTS TO DEFRAUD ME AS HE HAS SO MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS. HOW DO I REALLY KNOW IF THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. TAKE IT TO A INDEPENDENT TIRE COMPANY? IF I COULD AFFORD THE COST I WOULD BECAUSE SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT. BUT I DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO DO THAT. I'VE SEARCHED YOUR DATA BASE, AND FOUND A RECALL VERY CLOSE TO THE TYPE AS MINE BUT IT IS NOT THE EXACT NUMBER TIRE. SO IS IT REALLY TRUE THAT RADIAL TIRES HAVE A NATURAL SLIGHT BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. *TR

ON 08/09/08 I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO GET CHECKED; I HAD ALREADY BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES. AT THAT MOMENT THE LIGHT WAS NOT ON AND THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHT HAD TO BE ON IN ORDER TO CHECK THE VEHICLE EVEN AFTER I SHOWED HIM A RECENT VIDEO ON MY PHONE SHOWING THE LIGHT FLASHING. ON 08/12/08 I TOOK THE VEHICLE AS THE LIGHT WAS ONE, THEY ASKED ME TO BRING IT IN ON 08/14/08. I DROPPED OF MY VEHICLE ON 08/14/08 AND THEY FOUND THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR NEEDS TO CHANGED; SO THEY PLACED THE ORDER AND ASKED ME TO COME IN ON 08/19/08 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. DUE TO TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ON THE 19TH, I DID NOT TAKE MY VEHICLE, WE RESCHEDULE FOR 8/21/08. DROPPING OFF MY VEHICLE ON 08/21/08 THEY CALLED ME IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON THAT MY VEHICLE WAS READY. THE NEXT DAY 08/22/08 THE LIGHT TURNED ON AGAIN; ON 08/25 OR 08/26 I CALLED CHRYSLER FINANCIAL TO COMPLAIN; THEY TOLD ME I NEED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE AGAIN WHEN ONLY THE LIGHT IS ON. ON 08/27 THE LIGHT TURNED ON AND I WENT AND SPOKE WITH THE MANAGER, HE PROMISED ME A DRIVER AT 7:00AM ON 09/02 TO BRING ME TO WORK SO I MAY LEAVE ME CAR; THAT PROMISE WAS NOT FULFILLED AND MY CAR FINALLY WENT IN ON 09/05 AS THEY NOW SEE IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE AFTER I HAVE BEEN SAYING IT IN THE BEGINNING. I AM WAITING FOR THE WEEKEND TO SEE IF THE LIGHT TURNS ON AGAIN ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD OTHER INSTANCE ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF 2 TIMES! I TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE AND THEIR COMPUTER COULD NOT PICK-UP ANY CODES AND NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MAROONE DODGE OF PEMBROKE PINES SERVICE. *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

WAS TRAVELING 30 TO 35 MPH WEST ON HIGHWAY APPROACHING INTERSECTION WITH GREEN LIGHT, ANOTHER 4 DOOR SEDAN TRAVELING EAST MADE LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS SEEN, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND HIT BOTH DOORS OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH THE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE CAUSING EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH 2 FRONT AIRBAGS AND A KNEE AIRBAG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *TR

MY BOYFRIEND AND I HAD A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IN MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER THIS PAST WEEKEND. DURING THE ACCIDENT WE WERE TRAVELING BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH IN FOG AND WERE UNAWARE THAT THE ROAD WE WERE ON ENDED IN THE SHAPE OF A "T". WE THEN FLEW IN THE AIR LANDED AND CRASHED THE WHOLE FRONT PART OF MY CAR. THE ANGLE AT WHICH WE LANDED WAS WITH THE FRONT OF THE CAR POINTED DOWN. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HIS INJURIES INCLUDE 3 CHIPPED MOLARS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS MOUTH AND A PIECE OF FLESH MISSING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS MOUTH. HIS LEFT JAW IS ALSO SWOLLEN AND HE CAN HARDLY OPEN HIS MOUTH TO EAT. MY INJURIES INCLUDE A SWOLLEN LEFT KNEE, BOTH KNEES ARE SKINNED UP. MY LEFT SHOULDER AS AN IMPRINT OF MY LACE SHIRT ON IT AND IS SORE TO THE TOUCH, BOTH MY ARMS ARE IN PAIN AND THE LEFT IS SCRAPPED. I CAN'T LOOK TO EITHER SIDE WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE MY WHOLE BODY AND I CAN'T LOOK UP WITH MY NECK. MY CHEST, RIBS AND BREAST BONE ARE ALSO SORE, SORE ENOUGH IN FACT THAT I HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM THE NIGHT AFTER BECAUSE I HAD THROWN UP THAT MORNING AND IT WAS HURTING TO BREATHE AND FROM THE STRESS I EITHER HAD A SEIZURE OR ANXIETY ATTACK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE VEHICLE HAS FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 8 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE FAILED. THE CONTACT SLIGHTLY STRUCK THE CURB AND THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE FAILED. THE TIRE SIZE AND DOT NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,410 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,300. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. DURING ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT HAS TO ACCELERATE VERY HARD AND THEN OVERSTEER TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM DRIVING OFF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FOUR DEALERS AND NONE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CAN OCCUR AT SPEEDS OF 5 MPH OR GREATER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 1,000. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB