Problems with 2007 Dodge Caliber STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a howling noise would be heard from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle needed new brakes, tie rods and a transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 75,500.

Both outer tire rods failed at 46,000 miles, car sounded like to front end was going to fall off. replaced and took for alignment. repair clinic could not do alignment because both lower control arm assemblies with ball joint were unrepairable.factory defect, joints sealed so unable to lubricate, forces owner to replace at $800.00 for both or possibly lose control and have a fatal accident. *tr

I had an oil change done on my 2007 dodge caliber today. the safety inspection sheet said the tie rod is "loose" on both sides, and the left ball joint is "loose". i know if either of these breaks while i'm driving down the road it would cause a very serious accident. there are less than 27,000 miles on this car, and i found that many others have had this same problem with their calibers. i am strapped for cash, but will have to get it repaired asap, as i don't feel safe driving it like this, especially when my four year old granddaughter is with me. i think a recall is in order. *kb

The vehicle has had the ignition switch slip from "on" to "accessory" twice in the last few years. the first time was on i-95 just north of richmond, va. i was driving, shifted my knee (with a long keychain), and the switch slipped. i was unable to control the car at that point. i hit the emergency lights button and tried to re-start the car. i was able to re-start the car and continue driving without accident or injury. the second time was on edwards mill road in raleigh, nc. at that point, i was not driving with the longer keychain, but a shorter one with only four keys, and the switch slipped again. because it had happened before, i knew what i needed to do was to re-start the car, and i was able to do so successfully without accident or injury. because at the time, i didn't think much of it, and because i had no concept that it could have been a bigger issue, and because there was no accident, i did not stop to write down or remember the dates/times of these incidents. i know that the first incident was at night; the second incident was during the day. i remember where i was because i have a photographic memory; however, because i didn't stop to look at the date or time then or later, i don't recall exact dates and times. my best guess, based on my travel schedule through richmond, va, is that it took place within the last three years, and then the second incident sometime after that. i thought nothing of these incidents even when the gm recalls started happening, because it wasn't a gm vehicle. however, the other day, i read that chrysler vehicles were being recalled for this issue, and something triggered my memory with the switch slips. i wanted to provide this information and notice so that a decision could be made about investigating other chrysler models, as well as to provide notice to the company of an issue. *tr

Front end started clunking at approx 57,000 miles. had checked and replaced tie rod ends and ball joints. *tr

The vehicle had a failure of the front end parts, tie rod ends, ball joints. paid to have it repaired last year and now it has happened again, only this time both sides. i now have 85,000 miles on the vehicle. this is just ridiculous. there should be a recall on this product. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. while driving approximately 5 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed. the contact exited the vehicle and noticed the front driver side wheel was detached from the vehicle. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was told the ball joint detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. the contact also stated the same ball joint was replaced two months prior to the incident by the authorized dealer. the failure and current mileages were 43,000. updated 6/8/11 *cn the consumer stated two months later, the tie rods had to be replaced. updated 06/23/11*jb

Vehicle was purchased new, and at 29k service dealer replaced tie rod end at our expense said to be out of warranty. 4 new tires were put on the car and an alignment could not be done because of excessive play in front end. car was brought back to dealer and it found that the lower ball joint was severely worn to the point where it was almost falling out of the car. this also was replaced at our cost.with 6 months gone by and 6000 miles we were told that the other tie rod was bad and the car was unsafe to drive but that they could not repair it at this time. we then called chrysler and they said the would work with the dealer but we would have to pay to get this fixed also. when we brought the car back to the dealer again they again found that the ball joint was bad also. this all comes after the car goes out of warranty and we have been complaining about the front end almost every time we bring it in for the oil change. it was stated by the service manager that the reason for this was the bad driving habits of the owner. and this was also the same reasoning behind all the other calibers with the same issue. when questioned why they did not find this earlier and why the fill out a special checklist that includes steering and suspension, it was stated that this inspection is only a visual inspection, and that if i had noticed that the report form point to the actual steering wheel not the steering components. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact heard a knocking noise coming from the front suspension. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician stated that the control arm, outer tie rod ends and ball joints would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

My 2007 dodge caliber sxt having ball joint/tie rod/control arm failure at 64,000 miles. replacement of all parts would be $1000.00. vehicle is only 3 yrs old and have read numerous upon numerous complaints about this as a safety issue. *tr

I had to have the whole front end of the vehicle replaced at about 36,000 miles, tie rod ends, ball joints, and lower control arms. now only 1.5 years later (at 53,000 miles) one of the control arms is bad again. i'm not sure why all of these parts have such a high failure rate but from doing research on the internet and talking to other caliber owners this seems to be a very widespread problem that is happening at very low mileage. eventually somebody is going to get hurt driving one of these things when the steering goes out. i have talked to chrysler people about the problem but they of course don't want to admit any fault and instead imply that you may have caused the problem yourself due to your driving habits. *tr

I had my car in with another complaint, the tire pressure gauge was leaking. while they had it on the hoist, they told me the tires were wearing unevenly due to damage to the tie rods. i only have 36,000. miles on my car and it is a little over three years old. i am trying to get with their paying for at least part of the $700. repair and cost of new tires. *tr

The 2007 dodge caliber sxt is extremely hard on its suspension and steering components. i was told it is normal for the ball joints and tie rods to almost fall off after 50k miles. the warranty i purchased will not cover the cost of repairs because in their opinion it is normal wear and tear on the vehicle. i believe it is not normal for this problem to occur. looking at similar complaints online i think dodge should consider this a safety recall. *tr

2007 dodge caliber sxt having ball joint/tie rod/control arm failure at 53,000 miles. replacement of all parts at 1000.00 expensive. vehicle is only 3 yrs old and have read numerous complaints about this as a safety issue. *tr

2007 dodge caliber. ball joints and tie rods failing at 52,000 miles. very premature. the dealer said the vehicle was not safe to drive off the lot. *tr

Lower ball joints and control arms are defective on 2007 dodge calibers. *tr

Bought 2007 caliber brand new at about 30,000 miles heard grinding and thunk noise when making a right hand turn went to dealership they stated the right tie rod was bad and needed to be replaced. (of course warranty was expired.). i called chrysler and of course they did nothing and i filed a complaint with them at that time but had to pay out of pocket. now it's three years later and my vehicle did not pass inspection due to the tie rod & wheel being loose. why is there no recall for this problem? never again chrysler!! *tr

The tie-rods in my 2007 dodge caliber were so worn they needed immediate replacement. the manager of the les schwab tire company i visited remarked that for the age and mileage on the vehicle the tie-rods should not be needing replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. while driving approximately 25-30 mph, the contact stated that the accelerator pedal became stuck when it was depressed and the vehicle accelerated up to 80 mph. when the contact applied the brakes, the vehicle did not slow down. the steering wheel would not move and the gear shift lever would not shift into park. when she applied the emergency brake, the vehicle spun over a sidewalk into a parking lot. the identical failure occurred when she attempted to restart the vehicle; therefore, she towed the vehicle to an authorized dealer. two months prior to the failure, the keys became stuck in the ignition for thirty minutes. the dealer had not informed the contact what caused the failure to occur. the contact stated that she experienced headaches and neck pain after the failure occurred. the current and failure mileages were approximately 60,000.

The ball joints and tie rods on 2006 to current dodge calibers. they have premature wear which the company knows about. i have researched for several days and have found hundreds of complaints on the ball joints and tie rods. they begin to fail with as little as 30,000 miles on the vehicle. i have not repaired my vehicle yet due to the $1000.00 it will cost only to fail again in two years. if one of the tie rods break steering will be lost resulting in loss of control of the vehicle. *tr

I own a 2007 dodge caliber sxt. recently took it in to be repaired because car was pulling severely to one side while driving and making bad grinding sounds. mechanic discovered the inner and outer tie rods and also the ball joints on both sides in the front of the vehicle were so deteriorated that he deemed the vehicle undriveable until repairs were made. in his official opinion they were the worst he had ever seen that did not result in the tires falling off. after doing research on the dodge caliber models i have seen that this is a common problem with that make and model of vehicle. what happens when your tires fall off at 65 mph on a highway? i do not want to be driving when that happens. no this problem has not led to a death yet, but do we really need to wait until it does before chrysler is forced to upgrade the parts on their vehicles? $1000 worth of parts and service on a 4 year old car is ridiculous and to know that because they chose to use low quality parts that could have resulted to my tires falling off at 65 mph is unsettling. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. while driving approximately 50-55 mph, the vehicle began to shake abnormally. as the contact decelerated, the vehicle exhibited an unusual noise from the passenger side of the vehicle near the front brake. the vehicle was taken to the dealer yet the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times for the failure. on the third visit, the dealer replaced the front bushings, front bearing and other unknown repairs but to no avail. the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times but never repaired. on one occasion, the vehicle stalled without warning and the vehicle was towed to the dealer but not repaired because they were unable to duplicate or diagnose a failure. the failure mileage was 68,000 and the current mileage was 74,000.

4 sets of headlight have blown on the car in the last 6 months. then my gears aren't shifting correctly because it's making a clicking noise which has been heard by several people. also the steering wheel clicks when you turn it on occasions. on a 2007 dodge caliber sxt2.0. *tr

I had to have the front tie rod ends replaced on my 2007 dodge caliber at 41,500 miles. after researching the problem a little more and discussing it with the service technician, it seems that this is a big problem with 2007 dodge calibers and late model dodges in general. this is a serious safety issue. the technician told me that i'm lucky the steering didn't go out in my car while i was driving down the highway. this is something that should be investigated immediately as there are a lot of dodge calibers on the road right now. what's it going to take to get some action done about this? someone dying in a horrible accident? *tr

Tie rod ends failed state inspection at 25,000 miles. *tr

2007 dodge caliber, while driving today going to make a left hand turn with son in the back seat. the keychain holder you attach to any key got caught on the sterring wheel part and actually broke the key off while driving. it the gadgets shouldn't be positioned that way. anyway the whole front end of the key is still in the steering wheel and it almost caused alot of cars to hit the car because after they key broke off and half stayed in the car it actually locked the wheel. we do not know what to do but i told my spouse not to touch it. we could have been seriously hurt or killed today. i no longer feel safe at all. i feel the wheel and the space they have from where the key is inserted and where they put other things is obviouslly unsafe. we are frustrated and afraid of getting back in the car when it is fixed. also where do we go to get this fixed since this is not our fault? a steering wheel should never be designed where the parts are so close together that a simple string that is your key chain and short can get caught on the gadgets of the wheel. my son is only 4 please give us advice. when trying to get the wheel to move after it stopped our son was jerked and we are frustrated. *tr

Bought car new in 2007, since that time have had to have left tie rod replaced 5 times, most recent being this month (6th time), previous 3 months prior. this is an ongoing problem, but there has been no recall on this car, i have called chrysler and reported it. they did reimburse me a couple years ago for parts for the previous three times it had to be replaced. there is no warning when the tie rod goes, it has been found on my yearly inspections. i am worried that the steering will go someday when i am driving and there will be an accident, which keeps me on edge whenever i drive it; there is 80,256 miles on it, i don't abuse it by any means. *tr

At 132000 miles, i am replacing both control arms for the fourth time on my 2007 dodge caliber sxt 2.0l, no to mention the numerous cv boots and ball joints. with the numerous complaints i have seen online, it is surprising that no recall efforts (at least seemingly) have been made for such a dangerous and costly defect. i implore your company, please investigate the concerns and having chrysler-dodge fix their errors!!! even my mechanic informed me that the length of the arm is just short enough to create continual issues. this isn't right. as a result of so many repairs on this vehicle, i will never own a chrysler-dodge product again. thank you for your time and consideration. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber sxt (na). the contact stated that after having routine service done, the dealer noticed that the tires were worn and the front outer tie rods needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. now 20,000 miles later after having the tires replaced again, the dealer noticed the front inner tie rods and ball joints needed to be replaced again, which were causing the tires to wear faster. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 23,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. while driving 60 mph on the expressway, the contact suddenly lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle rolled over at least three to four times and landed upside down on its roof. the contact sustained injuries, although she was wearing her seat belt. there was no ice on the road and the pavement was dry at the time of the failure. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop by the insurance company. the manufacturer has not yet been notified. the failure mileage was 55,000. updated 03-09-09 *bf updated 03/13/09. *jb

2007 dodge caliber sxt-35k miles. purchased brand new. no accidents. tierod is in need of being replaced already. failed inspection for ny state 2nd year of owning it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. the vehicle came equipped with firestone firehawk gta-02 tires, size p215/55r18. all four of the tires are completely worn and the vehicle failed inspection. when depressing the brake pedal at any speed, the steering pulls to the right. the dealer stated that the steering torque was the cause of the failure. based on the tires, the dealer also stated that the suspension could be the possible cause of failure, and replacing the tires would correct the issue. the vehicle current mileage was 15,593 and failure mileage was 15,398. the tire failure mileage was 12,000.

I purchased my 2007 dodge caliber august 2007. nothing happened until the warranty was up. here is what has happened and mileage. 40,000 right front strut 45,000 left front strut 50,000 outer tie rods replace l and r 55,000 ball bearings and lower control arms have to be replaced 65,000 replace 2 sensors that are not communicating so car is stalling and now hot water spraying on my foot when gas is pushed down and burnt my foot this car should of had many more recalls than it has. dodge/chrysler has done nothing to help me with these costs and now i am stuck. *tr

I bought a 2007 dodge caliber new. i started having front end "vibrations" almost immediately (when i drove out of the dealership after delivery) mainly from 60-70mph. took it back to the dealer and was told there was nothing wrong. took it back numerous times and was told once the tires were bad; i replaced them at my expense. same problem. took it back again and was told one of the rims was bent; i bought new rims (almost $1,000). took it back again and was told the rims were bad again. had the rims checked and they are perfectly round. bought another set of tires (same as factory); same problem. i have 69,000 miles on my car and it still does the same thing. i guess i have to live with it since "it's my imagination." *tr

I've had numerous issues with the vehicle suspension since i purchased this vehicle brand new (a 2007( around thanksgiving 2006. the first issue involved the steering and was told that both front struts, control arms and outer tie rod ends would require replacement - at 6k miles! this repair also involved replacing the rear brake shoes. the steering was making a grinding noise when parking or parallel parking at very low speeds. i had this repair performed using parts i purchased myself and a local mechanic i found on craigslist who was willing to do the labor for about $300 including the necessary 4 wheel alignment. the parts cost about $500 or so. another issue that has been present since i brought the car home has been this rattle and clunk in the rear suspension. it seems that nobody has been able to pinpoint what the exact problem may be. i replaced the rear shocks myself thinking that might be the problem, but it still makes this annoying noise. the car has no rear sway bar. i was told it's not a control issue and have "lived with it" as annoying as it is all these years. it seems it has not affected the vehicle control, but it's a nuissance. i'm getting ready to fix this problem myself as it must be the rear control arms or toe links. this always occurs while driving over an uneven surface like a gravel driveway or a very bumpy road. it also seems that the front tie rods appear to be in need of replacement yet again as i inpsected these myself and noted theres no boot on them and getting some steering noises again, including a clunk while steering or braking at very low speeds. might need another set of control arms (not sure yet) really feel as if dodge should address and acknowledge this as a defect and pay for these repairs - as i've been reading here and on plenty of caliber forums i'm definitely not the only one who's had these exact problems. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge caliber. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle veered slightly to the left. the contact attempted to correct the steering and the vehicle overturned. the vehicle was destroyed and the cause of failure has not been determined. the current and failure mileages were 1,400.

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.

Copy of complaint letter attached: october 25, 2006 daimler chrysler motors corporation customer center po box 21-8004 auburn hills, mi 48321-8004, purchase date: march 25, 2006, dealership name: manassas dodge kia subaru to whom it may concern: after consulting with my attorney, mr. thomas f. hennessy of vienna, va, i was advised to make one last attempt to reconcile my problems with my 2007 dodge caliber before taking legal action. as of today my car has been seen by dodge dealerships six times for the same problem (see attached repair orders). the problem i am having is a bad vibration in the steering wheel once i have reached 60 miles an hour and above. this problem persists 90% of the time when driving. i view this as a serious safety defect or at the least a significant impairment. each time the vehicle was brought into the dealership i was told it was repaired or they could not find a problem. i have owned many cars and never had a car perform this poorly. i kept bringing this car back to the dealership because i was concerned about my safety and still feel this way. i bought this vehicle for the sleek styling and performance qualities. i am very disappointed. i am now requesting that you get very much involved in the problem because i no longer have the time or the patience to deal with this any longer. i expect to have a response from you within ten days of your receiving this letter. *jb