← New search

2009 Dodge Caliber

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Dodge Caliber do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 165.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

187 reports with mileage · 45 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports

Engine complaints

22 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

The problem initially occurred in early November of 2020 when the vehicle would unpredictably stall at a stop sign or traffic light and would not immediately start for a couple minutes. After this short wait of 1 to 3 minutes it was possible to restart the car and move forward normally and the car could be driven without stallin…

Read full complaint

The problem initially occurred in early November of 2020 when the vehicle would unpredictably stall at a stop sign or traffic light and would not immediately start for a couple minutes. After this short wait of 1 to 3 minutes it was possible to restart the car and move forward normally and the car could be driven without stalling for 2 or 3 miles when it would stall again and the engine would not start again for 2 to 3 minutes. In traffic situations this was unsafe to not be able to move the vehicle to a safe distance from heavy traffic. Finally, the problem started to occur after the vehicle was supposedly repaired and not driven for 2 -3 days and when it an attempt to start the car it would idle for 3-5 seconds and sound like it was choking before dying, and this was happening 2 weeks after it had been "repaired" by the Dodge dealer. This problem has repeatedly occurred over the two years since the original incident and has been to a Dodge dealership for unsuccessful repairs 4 different times; 11/20; 04/22 &05/22 and it is still at the dealership being inoperable. Each time the car functioned for a few miles and then broke down again. The dealer informs us that the parts that would most likely repair the car are no longer made by Dodge and the car cannot be fixed. Interestingly enough this model vehicle has had a variety of recalls starting in 2007 but never for the particular control modules that are no longer available which are The Throttle control & Power Train Control modules, which the Dealer thinks might possibly be a fix but even that is not a sure thing. The Dodge dealer that worked on the vehicle presumably would have informed me about this situation at least before they had the vehicle in for now the 4th time in 3 years with the same problem with no solution. Up to the time of these breakdowns the vehicle was well maintained and taken care of and still has low mileage of just over 69,000 miles. Is the Dodge Corporation at least partially liable?

NHTSA ODI #11479281

Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2022
EnginePower TrainService Brakes

The engine stalls when I take off more times than none I'm stuck idling in traffic almost causing accident the frame that hold motor mounts are bad I've replaced motor mounts twice in a less than a year the car heats up after 70 miles an hour I have 5o pull over and let it cool off this happens 3 to 4 times a week with the engin…

Read full complaint

The engine stalls when I take off more times than none I'm stuck idling in traffic almost causing accident the frame that hold motor mounts are bad I've replaced motor mounts twice in a less than a year the car heats up after 70 miles an hour I have 5o pull over and let it cool off this happens 3 to 4 times a week with the engine stalling and overheating didn't find out til after I leased the car from AtoZ auto on gen McMullen and it's financed through car financial services I believe they knew the car was damaged I got scammed and have to pay 425 dollars a month on a car that can't be fixed I've spent a lot trying to fix the car

NHTSA ODI #11456269

Mileage unknown · Dec 7, 2020
EnginePower TrainSuspension

SPEED SENSORS, INNER/OUTER TIE RODS, HUB ASSEMBLY, RADIATOR, INTAKE VALVE, TIRES WERE DIFFERENT SIZES, MORE PROBLEMS AROSE.

NHTSA ODI #11378373

125,000 miles · Jan 26, 2020
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

THE CAR WILL STALL AND NOT TAKE OFF AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A LIGHT FOR TOO LONG . WILL SHUT OFF AS WELL ALONG WITH THROTTLING AS IF IT WANTS TO SHUT OFF

NHTSA ODI #11302111

135,000 miles · Nov 18, 2019
EnginePower TrainSuspension

FRONT SUBFRAME SEVERELY RUSTED AND BROKEN

NHTSA ODI #11280963

176,417 miles · Dec 31, 2018
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING LONG DISTANCES, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER WAITING THIRTY MINUTES, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,4…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING LONG DISTANCES, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER WAITING THIRTY MINUTES, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,417.

NHTSA ODI #11164264

115,000 miles · Apr 5, 2018
EnginePower Train

AFTER 60 MINUTES DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE REVS RISE BUT SPEED FALLS. TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING WARNING COMES ON ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE HAS NOT RISEN VERY MUCH. CAR HAS TO BE STOPPED AND NEEDS TO WAIT 20 MINUTES FOR TEMPERATURE TO RETURN TO "NORMAL". DODGE DEALER CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AS THEY WILL NOT TAKE A LO…

Read full complaint

AFTER 60 MINUTES DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE REVS RISE BUT SPEED FALLS. TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING WARNING COMES ON ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE HAS NOT RISEN VERY MUCH. CAR HAS TO BE STOPPED AND NEEDS TO WAIT 20 MINUTES FOR TEMPERATURE TO RETURN TO "NORMAL". DODGE DEALER CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AS THEY WILL NOT TAKE A LONG TEST DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #11083457

187,042 miles · Nov 3, 2017
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

IT WAS RAINING AND AS IT WAS RAINING MY CAR STARTED TO BLINK ALL LIGHTS AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN NO MECHANIC CAN SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT AS I WAS DRIVING EVERY WARNING LIGHT STARTED GOING CRAZY THE TACHOMETER WENT CRAZY AND SO DID MY SPEEDOMETER EVENTUALLY MY CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN EVEN THOUGH IT THE ACCELORAT…

Read full complaint

IT WAS RAINING AND AS IT WAS RAINING MY CAR STARTED TO BLINK ALL LIGHTS AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN NO MECHANIC CAN SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT AS I WAS DRIVING EVERY WARNING LIGHT STARTED GOING CRAZY THE TACHOMETER WENT CRAZY AND SO DID MY SPEEDOMETER EVENTUALLY MY CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN EVEN THOUGH IT THE ACCELORATOR WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. AND THAN EVENTUALLY IT JUST STOPPED ALL TOGETHER WHEN I TRIED TURNING THE CAR BACK ON.THE STARTED WOULDNT ENGAGE AND THE ENGINE WOULD START TILL I PUT UNHOOKED THE BATTERY AND HOOKED IT BACK IN. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS 12/25/2016 6/15/2017 AND AGAIN TODAY 11/3/2017 THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN MY FATHER OWNED THE VEHICLE AS WELL BEFORE I PURCHASED IT FROM HIM.

NHTSA ODI #11043057

130,000 miles · Nov 23, 2016
EngineVehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 5 MPH AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY AND THROTTLE CONTROL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NO…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 5 MPH AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY AND THROTTLE CONTROL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND FILED A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

NHTSA ODI #10927665

3 miles · Feb 23, 2016
Electrical SystemEngineFire

ELECTRIC FAULT STARTED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD RESULTING IN ALL COMPONENTS TO COMPLETELY BURN. A BURNING SMELL STARTED WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE NEEDLE WAS UNDER THE COLD TICK. I CONTINUED DRIVING TO THE NEAREST PARKING WHICH TOOK ABOUT 1 MINUTE AND SMOKE WAS ALREADY COMING OUT VISIBLE FROM TH…

Read full complaint

ELECTRIC FAULT STARTED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD RESULTING IN ALL COMPONENTS TO COMPLETELY BURN. A BURNING SMELL STARTED WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE NEEDLE WAS UNDER THE COLD TICK. I CONTINUED DRIVING TO THE NEAREST PARKING WHICH TOOK ABOUT 1 MINUTE AND SMOKE WAS ALREADY COMING OUT VISIBLE FROM THE HOOD. I DON'T LIVE IN THE US, SO STATAE, ZIP CODE AND PHONE NUMBERS I ENTERED ARE DUMMY. I LIVE IN THE UAE, ABU DHABI PHONE: 0091502124224

NHTSA ODI #10837645

Official recalls

1

08V528000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Oct 9, 2008

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 712 MY 2009 SEBRING, DODGE CALIBER, AVENGER, JOURNEY, JEEP PATRIOT, AND COMPASS VEHICLES. A NEW ADHESIVE USED IN THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) MANUFACTURING PROCESS CAN CAUSE THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD TO BREAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PCM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.