2009 Dodge Caliber

I TOOK MY WIFE'S 2009 CALIBER TO OUR MECHANIC BECAUSE SHE HEARD CLUNKING NOISES FROM THE FRONT END. WE WERE INFORMED BY OUR MECHANIC THAT A PIECE OF FRAME STRETCHING ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE STEERING RACK AND SWAY BARS ATTACH TO THIS FRAME WORK. ALSO FRONT END COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE MAKES LOUD PLUNKING NOICES WHEN GOING OVER SMALL AND LARGE BUMPS AND MUCH WORSE WHEN HITTING POT HOLES. NO OTHER RUST IS APPARENT ON ANY FRAM WORK UNDER THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY NINE YEARS OLD. I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY ODD FOR SUCH A YOUNG VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS MAY BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE VERY SOON AND THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A RECALL THAT I AM UNAWARE OF.

I BOUGHT MY CAR USED IN JUNE OF 2014 AND THOUGHT IT WAS IN PRETTY DECENT SHAPE AT THE TIME, LITTLE DID I KNOW. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR (2009 DODGE CALIBER) AND HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND HEARD SOME RATTLING AFTERWARDS. I ASSUMED IT WAS MAYBE A CLAMP ON MY EXHAUST AND SO WASN'T REAL WORRIED ABOUT IT AND FIGURED I WOULD HAVE MY MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT IN A WEEK OF SO. I GOT CONCERNED AFTER A COUPLE DAYS BECAUSE THE RATTLING TURNED INTO CLUNKING. I SENT IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THERE WAS MAJOR ROT ON THE ENGINE CRADLE WHICH WAS ROTTED AND BROKEN AND BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE NO GOOD AND SWAY BAR BUSHINGS ALSO NEEDED REPLACING, TWO DAYS BEFORE THIS NOISE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT SPEED LIMIT, HAD THIS ALL FALLEN APART I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE COST TO REPAIR ALL THE PARTS WHICH WERE, AS FAR AS MY MECHANIC IS CONCERNED, FAULTY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED, WAS $1920.13 !!! THIS CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD WITH 86,000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THE ROT IN THESE PLACES AS SEVERE AS IT IS. I KNOW ON THE DODGE CALIBER FORUMS MANY OWNERS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE MAJOR FRONT END PARTS ROTTING. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND I WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE NOTICED HAD MY MECHANIC NOT PUT IT ON A LIFT AND LOOKED AT IT AND EVEN THEN ONCE HE TOOK OFF THE ENGINE CRADLE TO REPLACE IT HE NOTICED THE ROTTED PARTS THAT WERE COVERED BY THE CRADLE, THANK GOD I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL AND GET KILLED AS I TRAVEL A LOT ON THE HIGHWAY, THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO LIGHT AND CALIBER OWNERS NEED TO HAVE THEIR MECHANICS CHECK OUT THEIR CARS BEFORE SOMEONE'S ENGINE FALLS OUT AND THEY GET KILLED. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT WAS MOST LIKELY ROTTED PRETTY BAD AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS A DEFECT IN THEM AT THE TIME. I SEE LOTS OF THESE CARS FOR SALE STILL ON LOTS, PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE THE FRONT ENDS INSPECTED THOROUGHLY BEFORE THEY PURCHASE ONE . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ADDING AIR TO THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR TIRE, THE VALVE STEM BECAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM AND VALVE STEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000. .UPDATED 01-10-14 *BF

PLEASE NOTE THIS CAR HAS BEEN DIFFICULT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. BETWEEN THE TIRES, BRAKES AND ROTORS THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES. APPROXIMATELY 6-12 MONTHS AGO I STOPPED TO PUT AIR IN MY TIRE AS MY SENSOR INFORMED ME THE TIRE WAS LOW. WHEN I PLACED THE HOSE ON THE VALVE STEM THE STEM CRACKED IN HALF. THIS COST ME MONEY TO FIX. NOW ON 11/24/12 I WAS ONCE AGAIN INFORMED I NEEDED AIR AND ONCE AGAIN THE STEM BROKE, COSTING ME OVER $100 TO FIX PLUS I HAD IT FIXED AT PEPBOYS AS THE SPARE WAS A DONUT AND DIDN'T WANT TO USE IT.THIS COST ME $25 BUT THE STEM WAS NOT THE ONE FOR THE CENSOR. MEANWHILE I CALLED THE DEALER, OUTTEN COUNTY CHRYSLER, AND LEFT A MESSAGE AS THEY WERE CLOSED. I SETUP AN APPOINTMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS MANY, MANY TIMES. TO ME, PERSONALLY, I FEEL THIS A MAJOR ISSUE. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR TO ALLEVIATE ALL THE "REPAIR HEADACHES" YET I AM STILL DOING IT, PLUS WHY WOULD SIMPLY PUTTING AIR IN THE TIRE CAUSE THE VALVE TO BREAK? ACCORDING TO THE PERSON AT THE DESK THEY NOTED THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES THAT THE VALVE STEMS CORRODE AND BREAK EASILY. TO ME THIS IS A RIP OFF TO ME, THE CONSUMER AND COSTLY AT THAT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE. *TR

VALVE STEMS BREAK AND CAN CAUSE TIRES TO LOOSE AIR. VALVE STEMS OFTEN BREAK NEAR THE CAP SO YOU CANNOT ADD AIR TO THE TIRE, AND IN SOME CASES THEY BREAK LOWER SO THE NEEDLE IN THE VALVE BECOMES LOOSE. THIS HAPPENED WITH TWO VALVE STEMS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT ABOUT 35,500 MILES, AND NOW WITH ABOUT 39,000 MILES, I HAVE A THIRD VALVE STEM THAT CRACKED DIFFERENTLY AT A LOWER POSITION SO IT WAS EVEN HARDER TO DETECT. TIRES MAY LOOSE AIR SO THE WARNING LIGHT COMES BUT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ADD AIR. IT MAY BE A SLOW LEAK OR IF THE CRACK IS NEAR THE NEEDLE IT COULD CAUSE A RAPID LOSS OF AIR. THESE DEFECTIVE STEMS WHICH HAVE PRESSURE SENSORS COST ALMOST $100 AT THE DEALER. I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE ARE REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE STEMS WITH CONVENTIONAL RUBBER STEMS AND JUST IGNORING THE WARNING LIGHT. THIS IS A COMMON WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM FOR MAY CHRYSLER VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO ADD AIR TO THE FRONT DRIVER'S TIRE AND THE VALVE STEM DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE FRONT DRIVER'S TIRE WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE SAME FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.