IllustrationDOOR HINGE ISSUE. INITIALLY THE DOOR SEEMED JUST STUCK DIFFICULT TO CLOSE SPRAYED WD-40 WHEN NEEDED. THE OTHER DAY THE ENTIRE DOOR SHIFTED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. THE SPRING AND HINGE DISLOCATED SHIFTING DOOR WHERE IT CATCHES BENDS THE FRONT FENDER. WHEN LOOKING ONLINE I SEE THAT THIS IS COMMON
2008 Dodge Caliber
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Caliber years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Dodge Caliber are substantially higher than the model-year median of 165.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Caliber years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
240–25K
4325–50K
5850–75K
5575–100K
83100–150K
31150K+
294 reports with mileage · 66 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
21 crash reports4 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
360 reportsA FRAME RUSTED OUT AND EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE CAR HAS NO RUST AND NOW IT'S A SAGGY ISSUE
2008 DODGE CALIBER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TPMS SENSOR CORROSION. *LD UPDATED 08/29/2017 *JS
THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES AND DOES NOT GO OFF.
I DO NOT LIVE IN A SALT STATE. I OWN A 2008 CALIBER SINCE 2012 AND IT HAS A BADLY RUSTED OUT FRONT FRAME/CRADLE ASSEMBLY MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CHRYSLER ONLY REPLACES THIS PART UNDER A WARRANTY IN SALT STATES, NE IS NOT ONE OF THOSE STATES. THIS CAR HAS NO RUST ON THE BODY, HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND I KEEP IT I…
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I DO NOT LIVE IN A SALT STATE. I OWN A 2008 CALIBER SINCE 2012 AND IT HAS A BADLY RUSTED OUT FRONT FRAME/CRADLE ASSEMBLY MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CHRYSLER ONLY REPLACES THIS PART UNDER A WARRANTY IN SALT STATES, NE IS NOT ONE OF THOSE STATES. THIS CAR HAS NO RUST ON THE BODY, HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND I KEEP IT IN THE GARAGE WHEN NOT DRIVING IT. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, FIRESTONE DID A COMPREHENSIVE AUTO INSPECTION ON IT IN APRIL 2017, AND DID $1900 WORTH OF FRONT AND REAR END SUSPENSION WORK MAKING IT A SAFE CAR FOR ME TO GIVE TO MY 16 Y/O GRANDDAUGHTER, WHO'S BEEN DRIVING IT SINCE THEN DAILY WITH HER FRIENDS IN THE CAR. NEVER DID FIRESTONE MENTION THE RUSTED OUT CRADLE ASSEMBLY. BECAUSE THE CAR WAS MAKING STRANGE NOISES, I STOPPED AT LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP ON 7/28, AND AS SOON AS HE LIFTED THE CAR UP HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE DAMAGE, TOOK PICTURES AND ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT IS VERY UNSAFE. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES.
LOSING POWER AND ALL IDIOT LIGHTS FLASHING ON HIGHWAY OR DRIVING AROUND THE CITY VERY DANGEROUS CAN NOT GO OVER 45 ON HIGHWAY
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 0 RECALLS ON THE 2008 DODGE CALIBER 2.0. HOWEVER, A SIMPLE YOUTUBE SEARCH WILL BRING UP COMMON ISSUES WITH THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, WHICH CAUSE EXTREME TIRE WEAR AND EVEN SEVERE PULLING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE CONTROL. THE ANTI-LOCK BREAKING SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE THROTTLE BODY ARE HUGE ISSUES AS …
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THERE ARE CURRENTLY 0 RECALLS ON THE 2008 DODGE CALIBER 2.0. HOWEVER, A SIMPLE YOUTUBE SEARCH WILL BRING UP COMMON ISSUES WITH THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, WHICH CAUSE EXTREME TIRE WEAR AND EVEN SEVERE PULLING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE CONTROL. THE ANTI-LOCK BREAKING SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE THROTTLE BODY ARE HUGE ISSUES AS WELL. HOWEVER, IT WASN'T A YOUTUBE SEARCH THAT BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTENTION BUT INSTEAD DRIVING ONE AND LOOKING INTO IT. TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE ZERO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE.
AFTER STARTING ENGINE,AND BEGINNING TO DRIVE. CAR KEPT LOSING POWER AND HAD AN EXTREMELY ROUGH IDLE. COULD NOT GET TO GO OVER 25 MPH. ETC INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON THE ENTIRE TIME. DROVE IT IMMEDIATELY TO MY LOCAL GARAGE.
PREMATURE FAILURE (38560 MILES) OF LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM FOUND DURING ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION. COST $349 TO REPLACE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND $80 FOR FRONT END ALIGNMENT.
SUB FRAM RUSTED OUT IN LESS THEN 9 YEARS AND 80K MILES. FOUND OUT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.