IllustrationENTIRE SUB FRAME IN FRONT IS ROTTED TO THE POINT VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEABLE, DO OTHER RUSET IS VISIBLE IN FRONT. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SQUEAL WHEN DRIVING AND FRONT LEFT TIRE CLOSE TO FELL OFF
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 →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
230–25K
2725–50K
3750–75K
3275–100K
48100–150K
20150K+
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
What owners actually said
232 reportsMY HUSBAND FILED A COMPLAINT THIS MORNING ON OUR 2009 DODGE CALIBER AND HE ALSO WENT TO TALK TO PEOPLE AT BOB SWOPE FORD IN ELIZABETHTOWN, KENTUCKY AND THEY INFORMED HIM THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE RUSTING OF THE SUB FRAME ON OUR CAR WE HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR FOR YEARS AND WE STILL ARE IN DEBT ON IT UBIQUITOUS F…
Read full complaint
MY HUSBAND FILED A COMPLAINT THIS MORNING ON OUR 2009 DODGE CALIBER AND HE ALSO WENT TO TALK TO PEOPLE AT BOB SWOPE FORD IN ELIZABETHTOWN, KENTUCKY AND THEY INFORMED HIM THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE RUSTING OF THE SUB FRAME ON OUR CAR WE HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR FOR YEARS AND WE STILL ARE IN DEBT ON IT UBIQUITOUS FRAME IS SO RUSTY IT IS ABOUT TO BUST OPEN AND IT IS TO DANGEROUS FOR US TO DRIVE HIM & I BOTH ARE ON DISABILITY AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AN WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT THERE IS NO WAY THIS COULD HAVE RUSTED THAT BAD IN 2 YEARS SO THERE FOR IT HAD TO BE LIKE THIS WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I AM NOT ONE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING BUT I JUST FEEL THAT THIS IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY GO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM THERE IS NO WAY OTHER WISE THAT WE CAN DRIVE THIS CAR AND IT IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION BACK ; FORTH TO THE DR. AND I AM ALSO ON HOME OXYGEN SO I NEED THIS VEHICLE TO GET TO AND FRO I CAN'T TRADE THIS ONE IN BECAUSE WE OWE TO MUCH ON IT THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WE HAD TO HAVE A CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINTS PUT IN OUR CAR AND OUR MECHANIC INFORMS US THAT THE SUBFRAME HAS RUSTED OUT PRETTY BAD AND WE HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND IT'S ONLY 8 YRS OLD I DON'T THINK IT'S OUR PLACE TO REPLACE THE SUB FRAME I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY NEITHER WE GOT THE CAR AT BOB SWOPE FORD…
Read full complaint
WE HAD TO HAVE A CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINTS PUT IN OUR CAR AND OUR MECHANIC INFORMS US THAT THE SUBFRAME HAS RUSTED OUT PRETTY BAD AND WE HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND IT'S ONLY 8 YRS OLD I DON'T THINK IT'S OUR PLACE TO REPLACE THE SUB FRAME I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY NEITHER WE GOT THE CAR AT BOB SWOPE FORD IN ELIZABETHTOWN KENTUCKY WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO THEM BUT THEY DO NOT RESPOND COULD YOU PLEASE HELP US GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED IT WAS CHECKED BY SWOPE ON OR AROUND THE FIRST OF OCTOBER AND THEY DIDN'T SAY A WORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM
"TAKATA RECALL" WHEN I DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 30 TO 45 MINS ON HIGH WAY THE TRANSMISSION HEATING LIGHT WILL APPEAR AND CAUSES THE CAR TO GO INTO LIMP MOLD UNTIL TRANS IS COOLED DOWN IT WILL NOT GO OVER 60 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPEND TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY TELL ME THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DODGE CALIBER DOES.
RUSTED THROUGH SUBFRAME
SUBFRAME ROTTEN/RUSTY!!!! I WAS DRIVING TODAY AND MY CAR START MAKING WEIRD CRANKING NOISE AND IT'S PULLING ME TO THE RIGHT. EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE WHEEL STRAIGHT IT'S CLEARLY SHOWING IT HALFWAY TO THE RIGHT. IT'S DRAGGING THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRES AND IT'S HARD TO CONTROL. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BECAUSE THERE'S NO W…
Read full complaint
SUBFRAME ROTTEN/RUSTY!!!! I WAS DRIVING TODAY AND MY CAR START MAKING WEIRD CRANKING NOISE AND IT'S PULLING ME TO THE RIGHT. EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE WHEEL STRAIGHT IT'S CLEARLY SHOWING IT HALFWAY TO THE RIGHT. IT'S DRAGGING THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRES AND IT'S HARD TO CONTROL. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY I CAN MAKE IT HOME WITHOUT ENDANGERING MYSELF AND OTHERS. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT UNDERNEATH THE SUBFRAME IS ALL ROTTEN/RUSTY AND FALLING APART. MY CAR IS 2009, IT'S ONLY 8 YRS OLD. THERE'S SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HOW BAD IT GOTTEN. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE IT FIX.
THE ENGINE CRADLE IS RUSTED THROUGH.
THE K FRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTED FROM RUST.
THE SUBFRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND I HAVE ORDERED A NEW ONE TO REPLACE THE OLD ONE.
TWO DAYS AGO I REALIZED WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, IF I TURNED RIGHT MY STEERING WHEEL FELT AS THOUGH I HAD NO POWER STEERING. ROTATING THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER WAY, WAS CAUSING A LOUD CRACKING SOUND. WHEN TAKEN TO MY MECHANIC, WE CAME TO FIND THE ENTIRE RACK SUB FRAME WAS CORRODED/RUSTED. THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING THE CA…
Read full complaint
TWO DAYS AGO I REALIZED WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, IF I TURNED RIGHT MY STEERING WHEEL FELT AS THOUGH I HAD NO POWER STEERING. ROTATING THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER WAY, WAS CAUSING A LOUD CRACKING SOUND. WHEN TAKEN TO MY MECHANIC, WE CAME TO FIND THE ENTIRE RACK SUB FRAME WAS CORRODED/RUSTED. THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING THE CAR, BECAUSE IT COULD BREAK AT ANY MINUTE. THE 07 CALIBER HAS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. AT ANY MOMENT IT COULD HAVE BROKE, AND CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE/INJURY. I'M ALSO PREGNANT SO CANNOT FEAR MY CAR ISN'T SAFER
Official recalls
108V528000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.