The car would not start (lights worked, but engine would not turn over). After replacing the throttle cable and box, as well as some broken wiring, the car still would not start. The mechanic then towed the vehicle to a dodge dealership, where the computer was reset. The car ran for another week after it was first "fixed," and then again did not start (same problem as before). Additionally, the light to indicate that the air bags were not functioning turned on prior to the vehicle not starting. This is more frustrating because we have had extensive issues with this car (replaced all tie rods, bushings, control arms, have a broken door from the hinge breaking, and had multiple tires wearing unevenly due to the car's suspension problems) already, and have sunk well over $6000 in repairs this year alone.
2007 Dodge Caliber suspension complaints
Page 6 of 10: complaints 131 to 160 of 255, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Every time when I would be going over any kind of bump,driveways at speed bumps or just driving the car. I would always here shaking or rumbling noises in my front suspension. Recently I had to get a clutch installed in my caliber. And my mechanic informing me that my control arms were coming loose. Which means that if it persists the wheels can come off so that's the sound I am hearing the wheels shaking when it goes over bumps!. And then he followed by saying with dodge calibers control arms always seems to go bad early in the life of the car no matter how you drive. I only have about 91,000 miles on my car which are about 90% highway miles. I used to drive for ups drove trucks for living when he comes to changing gears and driving the car I am extremely capable. So for a clutch to go back in just seven years is absolutely ridiculous. My parents had a 1987 volvo station wagon with manual transmission. And we never had transmission problems!!! Hey dodge this is how a car is supposed to work!! You buy it works till you sell it. With a few maintenance fixes down the line. (not control arms transmission and electrical and gas pedals.) so for control arms going bad at this time is absolutely ridiculous. I went on other forums of people who has the same car as mine in about 600 people or thousand people were saying exactly the same thing but they had to spend a lot of money to get these things fixed. I understand that things go bad cars over time but this is extremely too early. I have went to 3 to 4 other mechanics and all say the same thing about the dodge calibers. Control arms are a major important thing is safety of a car extremely basic an extremely simple to understand that conforms do not go back and just seven years. Note my control arms aren't as bad as some others.
While turning left, I started to notice an occasional clunk which seemed to be coming from the front driver's side. Within a day, it turned into a constant clunking as I was driving, even while going straight. It was obviously not safe and we took it to the shop. As others have discovered, my entire under carriage is rusting away. I also had to replace ball joints and lower control arms at around 50,000 miles. They say this needs to be done again. The fuel pump had to be replaced a couple months ago. The tires need more frequent replacement as well due to the control arm issues. Serious problems with this vehicle and there should be more recalls than just the recent one. Specifically, with the control arms, the mechanic said he's seen them fail at under 25,000 miles. Absolutely ridiculous!
The car would not steer with any controllability. Upon 2 different independent mechanic inspections we discovered the lower ball joint was so worn/loose if I had continued to drive I could easily have lost a tire. The entire underframe is corroded and I was told it would have to be replaced soon or it would also become a safety hazard in the near future. Dodge has to be aware of this problem because after conducting some research on my own I have found hundreds of 2007 caliber owners with almost identical issues to mine. Hoping no one gets hurt before they realize what a serious risk this type of low quality manufacturing is...
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. The contact indicated that while having maintenance performed, the contact was informed that both tie rods and ball joints were defective and needed to be replaced. The contact indicated that the vehicle was repaired for the same defect on multiple occasions but the problem recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The failure mileage was 19,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front wheels became unstable as the vehicle shook violently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed the front tie rods and ball joints needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.
Just filing a complaint about substandard manufacturing of my vehicle cross member parts. Substandard material was used and severe corrosion is a result. Chrysler has a recall for repair. Could pose safety issues if parts rust completely through.
Turned the wheel and heard a bump by the tire. Stopped and seen that the shocks was touching the tire on the left side.
I have a 2007 dodge caliber rt. This car has 52000 miles at 7 years old. My car sits in a garage and is well maintained. I recently replaced the tires on the car and found that both ball joints were in need of replacing to the point that the tires couldn't get balanced. I don't think that this is supposed to happen on a car with 52000 miles.
My son was driving my 2007 dodge caliber on may 14, 2014 and the strut broke in half. He said that he was on the expressway which is a 65 MPH zone, heard a rattle noise and then a thump. He was not sure if he hit a pot hole or something else in the road that would cause the strut to break. When I had the car towed to my mechanic he stated that he contacted chrysler/dodge for the replacement strut and was told the part was on back ordered for 1-2 weeks and there was about 35 of them waiting already. I would like to know if this is a part that is an issue for this car because there are so many on back order at this time. My mechanic was able to find one though a junk yard and it was replaced at a cost of $125 for the part. Thank you.
When I was driving in town at speeds around 25-40 MPH I kept hearing a clicking noise beneath the drivers seat, especially when I made turns. I took it to a shop and they lifted it up. Turns out the entire suspension carriage was rusting and rotting. The clicking noise I was hearing was rusty pieces of metal rubbing against one another. We took it to a dealership and they said that the AC condensate line was directed to the subframe/undercarriage of the caliber. The water was pooling and causing it to rust. I'm grateful we found out about it when we did instead of having the whole bottom of the car fall out from under us when we were going at a high speed. This seems to be happening to many of the dodge calibers right around 7 years. We have photos of the damage. Unbelievable.
I noticed a periodic clunking sound coming from underneath. Upon inspection by the dealer, the k-bar or k-frame, which is the part that holds the front suspension together, was found to have completely rusted through. It is completely rotten. Chrysler was contacted and will not help with thus $1400 repair. The vehicle has only 64000 miles on it. I have never had to replace this part in any vehicle I have ever owned. This is a serious safety issue.
March 12, 2014 my mileage was 56700 miles I had to have my lower ball joints replaced because they had both failed. The last issue I had with steering & suspension was in march 2012. My mileage at the time of the diagnosis by the dodge dealership was 34,898 and I needed to have the passenger side tie rod replaced. There have been numerous reports to the federal safety agency/ federal government regarding both the tie rods and ball joints of the 2007 dodge caliber. I have done research and have found that the tie rods and ball joints are known to dodge to be common failing parts on the 2007 dodge caliber. When I replaced the tie rod on 2012 I did notify dodge directly, my vehicle warranty had expired at that time and dodge closed my case and I was brushed off. Dodge stopped replying to my emails and would not return my voicemails. I have found no fatalities in my research so far, but it is only a matter of time with this vehicle design. How many reports are required before an investigation is launched. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.
Upon hitting a small pothole, the subframe broke causing a loss of steering into oncoming traffic. Luckily there were no accidents. The tires now go two separate directions. After getting the vehicle towed to a repair shop, they discovered the subframe had rusted through due to the air compressor leaking directly onto the subframe. When having our insurance adjuster from state farm out to assess the damage it was determined it was manufacturer's defect and would not be covered. I then contacted dodge who stated that the perforation for rusting was 100,000 miles. Although the incident on the vehicle we are still paying for through an authorized dodge dealer happened on a vehicle that has exceeding the 100,000 miles by only 10,000 miles - we are now stuck with a car that's going to cost over $1,100 to fix due to a manufacturer's defect. This incident could've resulted in a fatality. Dodge needs to be held liable for this issue.
At 47,000 miles had a 800.00 repair to the lower control arm both sides. Also replaced the outer tie rods and new tires, front end alignment. Just under 2 years since this was done another unsuspecting incident with the suspension, wheels shimming at 40mph. Called chrysler, and they stated no recall on my vehicle, however the mechanic that checked the tires said his wife had her vehicle recalled for similar breakdowns. My point all of this started at 47,000 miles. If my tire rods break or some other incident with the suspension I could have a major or fatal accident if I lose control on the freeway. -suspension on these vehicles is very unsafe as is the chrysler neon. Need verification also if there was a silent recall on this, meaning they only paid when asked. They admitted the problem on the first incident and paid 400.00 as a good will gesture. The vehicle's suspension is just plain sloppy any way you look at it.
Noticed rusted subframe with big hole. We knew it needed to be replaced. No particular reason for the erosion other than the way the vehicle is designed. Vehicle is only 6-7 years old. This type of erosion is usually only seen on old vintage vehicles. A few days ago, we ran over a hidden pot hole and the subframe is completely broken apart. Now car is completely unsafe to drive. This car was poorly designed in this area. The company should recall the subframe to replace and install a rerouting piece for the AC to drip on and bypass dripping on the frame.
I took my car to get my alignment done. While on the rack the mechanic brought me in to show me the massive hole in my subframe. The car is a 2007 with only 97,000 miles on it.
My 2007 dodge caliber was diagnosed by an authorized service center to have a corroded engine cradle and a broken sway bar bracket. The car was deemed unsafe to drive by the servicing center, and I was given an estimate of $731 to repair it. At the time of the diagnosis, the car was only 7 years old with 75,825 miles on it. I contacted dodge to see if they would offer any assistance, and I explained that I found it completely unacceptable that the frame of my vehicle had rusted through to the point that it was unsafe to drive the vehicle. Dodge customer service contacted the service center to verify the diagnosis and confirmed that they had told me the car was unsafe to drive. However, customer service offered no assistance and told me that they were unable to do anything because the car was outside of it's 3 year warranty and I "didn't fit the parameters" for them to be able to help me. An engine cradle that has completely corroded after just 75,000 miles is a serious safety hazard and, in my opinion, also indicative of a serious manufacturing defect, yet both the dealership and dodge refused to do anything to rectify the situation.
My 2007 dodge caliber was taken to my mechanic where it was found that the main subframe had rusted through in multiple places. The car is only 6 years old and has approximately 76,150 miles. I called chrysler and mentioned it. Customer service stated that they would only provide cost assistance if I had the work done at a chrysler dealership. The car was taken apart and on the lift at my preferred mechanic. I had my mechanic provide the service. I did receive a quote from a local chrysler dealership it would have cost me $ 850.00. My mechanic did the service for $ 650.00. Chrysler has refused payment. This subframe components is rusted through in three locations. After only 6 years, this doesn't seem acceptable on a major front end component.
5 y/r car with completely rusted sub-frame which needs replaced.
When doing a brake job I noticed the front k member had a corrosion hole in the back of it, this is the front sub frame that holds the powertrain and front suspension.
I was slowing down to stop at an intersection and heard a thump on the bottom of the car. As I started to pull forward the steering was very difficult and the I heard a whining sound from the right front tire. I was about a mile from my repair shop so I had my brother follow me with his emergency flashers and drove slowly to the shop where I found out that the subframe was completely rotted through. In the last year, I have had to replace upper and lower control arms and the alternator.
Started to hear squeaking and clanging noises in the front passenger side of my car. It would make the noises with every bump and especially could hear it going down hills. Then the steering wheel would wobble and it felt like I was driving on a flat tire, but tire pressure was fine. When it started to be all over the road, like I was constantly hydro-planning, I researched on line and found that this particular year and model of car has major problems with the control arms, ball bearings and tie rods. I made an appointment with my mechanic and told him I thought it was the passenger side control arm. He checked it out and it was both control arms with connected ball bearing, both tie rods and both sway bar end links needing replaced. He also discovered that the tires that had been put on not even 9 months ago where showing threads. Cost of repair not including the new tires and alignment was $887. Will be up over $1000.00 after tires are replaced and alignment is complete. I was afraid to drive on wet pavement, had very little control of the car. Was always correcting the steering while driving, it just pulled and when I hit a bump it would jerk to the side where the bump was.
While under my dodge I noticed that there is a large amount of rust. After further inspection I saw that they designed the AC condensation to drip directly onto the frame. This baffles me since all they had too do is design a tube to direct the water onto the ground. I am not sure exactly how this has effected the strength of the frame but from the amount of rust on the spot where the water drips I don't have a warm and fuzzy that the frame will last the life of the car or that the frame won't just snap while driving and cause an accident. Very unsafe practice and with such an easy fix don't understand it at all.
Woke up to a flat tire. While placing on the spare I realized that all four tires were dangerously low on each of their inner tread. Alignment? Maybe however was aligned 7 months ago. Tire tread is within safe limits on the outer side. Have complained for years to the dealer that the suspension squeaks and was told need new wheel bearings, at approx. 35,000 miles. The suspension has been an issue about a year after we bought it. Of course while under warranty nothing was replaced or fixed. Now out of warranty we will have to have someone figure out the problem and fix for who knows how much money. My complaint steams from having suspension issues within the first two years of owning this car. How does this happen? I have seen many posts on online forums with the same problem but dodge doesn't care or willing to fix their mistake? While we have driven it to over 100,000 miles the suspension issues have been there for years and no dealer ever fixed anything? No recall? It now is unsafe to drive and will cost us an arm and leg to fix whatever dodge didn't care to put research into building properly the first time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. The contact stated that while having regular maintenance performed on the vehicle, the technician advised her that the lower ball joints were loose and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 63,000.
While backing from driveway onto street, the right front side of the vehicle dropped with a pop noise, stopping the car. The car required a lot of engine power to move. Looked under the car and observed a portion of the coil spring pressing hard against/into the tire. Had vehicle towed to a repair shop. Manager informed me the right front coil spring was broken. He was unable to locate any oem parts from dodge or any aftermarket replacements. When he contacted after market suppliers, he was told it is too soon for this part to need replaced and suppliers were not yet manufacturing aftermarket replacement parts. Waited over 2 weeks for dodge to supply parts. Thank god the coil spring did not break while moving along the highway! It surely would have caused a loss of control and a serious accident! The manager says he has been seeing a high incidence of this type of premature failure and would expect dodge to issue a recall soon due to the obvious safety concerns. Evidently, there is an abnormally high demand for the replacement springs which is probably the reason for the lack of available parts. The supply is being constantly depleted by breakdowns. I would guess many accidents are being caused by this coil spring failure and go undocumented as the cause because the coil spring damage is assumed to be a result of the accident and not the cause! After all, how often is the coil spring going to fail while the car is sitting still vs while driving?? I urgently request you to hasten your investigation of this issue. Thank you.
I called dodge chrysler about the fact that my car needs: 2 rear lower control arms, 2 lateral links, struts, bellows, 2 sway bar links,bushings and 4 wheel alignments. Not to mention the abnormal wear I've had on these tires, where, chrysler dealerships have told me you can't do wheel alignments on the rear of the car. It needs 1700.00 worth of repairs. The car is not that old but I don't think it should need this much repair. I understand you can't get parts for this car. No recall? There are so many other of these cars with similar problems.
Car is hard to start cranks very slow and there is a tapping sound like a bad lifter upon starting but goes away when the car warms up. The wheel bearings had to be replaced. Alignment was way off and tires had to be replaced. Brakes have to be replaced. There is a hollow noise from the rear of the vehicle. After jacking the car up to check that sound out the rear passenger wheel would not come off the ground. After replacing the front wheel bearings and new tires the car now shakes and vibrates in the front end. The car has been at the repair center for 10 days on and off. This last time it has been there for 6 days and counting. These vehicles are unsafe for the road and should be recalled and taken off the road permanently. There are way too many problems with these vehicles and the manufacturer will not do anything about it. The federal safety agency needs to step up and hold the manufacturer accountable before someone gets seriously injured or killed. Do not wait until there is a fatality! Action needs to be taken now!
Well, I have a few complaints with my vehicle. I have had to replace the same control arm on the front drivers side twice(once at 55,000 and again at 80,000) and have only had the vehicle since 2009. I have complained to the dealership many times about my driver's seat belt coming undone while both hands are on the wheel driving. The service department at parkway told me I wasn't hooking it in correctly but being 26 years of age and always using a seat belt I wonder if I have been doing it wrong all along and if I was, wouldn't this problem happen every time I hooked the belt instead of at random? You would think they would want to fix the problem before they get sued from someone dying from it unhooking while in an accident. My latest problem is with the passenger side window, I was headed to a friends house with the windows half up and when I went to put the windows all the way up, it wouldn't go, it went down, and the passenger side button did not work either, needless to say, I had to park in the parking garage and tape my window when I got home to leave it parked in the street because I only have street parking. Thank you dodge for making me with I would have stuck with gm.
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