Problems with 2008 Dodge Caliber SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. there were no warning indicators illuminated. in addition, the contact stated that the sub frame fractured in half. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the tie rods, the shocks and the sub frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

Front sub frame (crossbar) has rusted and cracked making this vehicle unsafe to drive. upon driving home the car started vibrating and making loud clunking noise. it was very hard to keep control of the steering

I took my car in for its yearly inspection. i was notified that the front crossmember was rotted away/rusted and need replaced at an estimated cost of $800. i was told that this was an common problem for my car in the years 2007 & 2008 as well as the jeep compass, and it shouldn't happen on a car with my year/mileage. after doing some research, i found that dodge has issued an extended warranty for the 2007 calibers and is paying for their repairs, but will not offer any compensation/warranty to the owners of the 2008 models. the car is dangerous to drive at this point.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that while reversing out the driveway at approximately 15 mph, the front driver side tire detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the under carriage was fractured due to rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000. updated 11/19/15*lj

While performing an oil change and brake inspection, i saw the rear section of the front suspension cross member has rust through in several locations. the vehicle is not safe to drive in this condition.

Owned the car for almost 4 years. tie rods have been replaced 3 times. recently had to replace, struts, ball joints, brakes on the front for the 5th time, back breaks are out and rotors as well had them replaced less than a year ago. manifold had to be replaced. barrings on the front and one on the right back. went through a set a tires in less than 6 months. has been to dodge and other mechanics problems still persist.

The engine cradle was completely corroded and had to be replaced, along with the attached lower control arms w/ ball joints. this cost $1,800. there was a recall on the 2007 model. mechanic said that it was so corroded that it was a miracle that it hadn't broken. the car had about 57,625 miles on it at the time.

I bought my 2008 dodge caliber in july 2010. it had 27,000 miles on it. it was a campaign car. it has always had a problem with pickup. acceleration is not great, but we noticed on a july 4 trip, that the car was not only making the "normal" steering/suspension noise, but it was also making a whirring noise that my husband feared was the transmission slipping. i made an appointment at the dealership where i bought the vehicle and found out that the whirring noise was not the transmission, but the alternator is bad. $550.00. the ball joints and the tie rod ends are bad and need to be replaced, $1040. the struts also need to be replaced as well as the front brakes. $800. yes, my car has 110,000 miles on it, but the trade in value is only about $3500 anyway. its luckily been paid off for many years. the ball joint/tie rod issue is very worrysome, though. it is dangerous.

Left front wheel (left tie rod assembly?) broke and wheel/tire was detached from vehicle while it was being driven, causing the car to "collide" with the ground (geico definition - policy 4324 0054 06, claim 048 555 271010 1019; adjuster charles fincher) ) and losing control before skidding to a stop. damage included wheel well, hood, driver's side door, breaking system, and wheel connection hardware. receipt is in the mail from the repair shop (north canton collision in canton oh) so we don't have exact damage specifics yet.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while driving at approximately 50 mph, the vehicle inadvertently turned the steering wheel to the left and right. the contact also stated that the failure occurred while braking. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that the case frame of the engine and the control arm needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

2008 dodge caliber. consumer writes in regards to vehicle repair work necessary to pass state inspection. consumer states repairs should have been covered under previous year model vehicle recall notice. *smd according to the invoice, the front cradle was rusted. *jb

I have a 2008 dodge caliber we bought it in april 2013 and about every 5-6 months we have to replace struts, ball joints,etc. plus have the sway bar worked on that often as well..... dodge needs to recall all these cars with this defect and we have problems with alignments... these cars are very high maintenance because they are so defected and no one can afford to replace all this and keep their cars in shops every 5-6 months... please dodge do something about all of this...

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while inspecting the vehicle during routine maintenance, it was discovered that there was extensive rust and corrosion causing holes on the framing of the vehicle. in addition, the sub frame, the front suspension cross member and the entire underbody framing deteriorated prematurely and might fracture. the vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 108,000. updated 09/14/15*lj updated 10/31/2017*cn

my sons car, sub frame rusted inconsistent with all of other components. making unusual noises, deemed unsafe to operate. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that the vehicle swerved and made a clicking sound while driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front ball joint and the lower control arm failed. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where an alignment was performed but failed to correct the failure. the contact also stated that the brake system failed. the brake emitted a metal grinding noise when the brake pedal was engaged. the dealer inspected the brake system and found corrosion on the brake lines the corrosion was removed from the brake lines however, the failure was not corrected. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 133,833. ma 10/15/2015 *cn

I have a 2008 dodge caliber. i wash and maintain it on a regular basis. this car has a terrible suspension since it was new, i have had to replace both front control arms because of the rear bushings and loose ball joints, one at 32,000 miles. both rear upper control arms and rear links. it is an alignment nightmare. i took it to the local garage for an alignment after i changed some parts this morning and the back of the subframe is rotted out. the car isn't 6 years old and the body still looks great. i called dodge and they said they have never heard of this problem and wouldn't commit to a bulletin #23-012-14 , that covered 2007. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while driving 45 mph, the cross member caused the front driver side wheel to turn inward. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the cross member needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

Front crossmember frame rusted through. car is not safe and cannot be driven. car belongs to our daughter who is a single mother and was just paid off. she cannot afford this repair. after finding many complaints on the internet, we called chrysler and only some of these calibers qualified for repair (free). not sure why our car is not included. this is also a problem on the jeep compass. it would seem that a frame would last longer than 6-7 years. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while driving at an unknown speed, the front end of the vehicle became unstable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who indicated that the front struts needed to be replaced and that they were prematurely worn. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

The car was making a rattling noise. took it to the shop the entire bottom was rusted and needed to be replaced. cost $1500.00. had to have the front suspension replaced three years prior.

A technician stated front cradle (connects steering, suspension, etc parts) is rotted & requires replacement. called chrysler (800-247-9763) and inquired about chrysler action # 23-012-14, they stated they extend warranty for repairs on 2007's but would not cover my 2008 dodge caliper. this issue is a serious safety concern. the car is in good shape & i feel this is defective product and should be covered by chrysler/dodge. i need assistance in having this very expensive repair covered in full. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a non-certified mechanic for an unrelated repair. the mechanic discovered that the rear suspension was completely corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 81,989.

When i got an oil change, the mechanic did an inspection and said the ball joints and tie rods should be replaced as they were showing wear and play. when he let the car down and saw the mileage was 26,700 he said that the parts should not have gone bad unless i was off roading the car. the car is driven 4 miles round trip on paved maintained roads daily at 30 mph. and on occasionally at expressway speeds of 55mph. i took it to the dodge dealer who said there is no recall or known complaints on this vehicle. i bought the car new in 2007 when they came out. *tr

My vehicle won't stay aligned. and now it has a bad jerk in it. you can be going 10 mph or 50 mph and it still jerks you to the left. you can feel it in the steering wheel. we have put new tires on it so many times. we have bought tierods for it and nothing seems to be helping it. *tr

Ball joint separation on the drivers side. *tr

I own a 2008 dodge caliber that is built on the same chassis that the 2007 dodge caliber was built on and as a result of rust and corrosion the front suspension cross member failed and dodge/chrysler issued a technical safety bulletin to the owners of the 2007 vehicles to bring the vehicles to a dodge/chrysler repair facility to have the cross member replace at no charge. i have contacted dodge/chrysler three times including pictures of my rusted and corroded cross member and they have refused to do anything about it. i work at a vocational training school where they teach automotive repairing as class, and i offered to dodge/chrysler that i would absorb the labor cost if they would send me the cross member at no cost and the refused to do that also. i am very disappointed with their decision as i am concerned what will happen if the vehicle is in motion at the time the cross member fails. i would be happy to include the photos here but there is no way to attach them.

Premature failure (38560 miles) of left lower control arm found during annual state inspection. cost $349 to replace lower control arm and $80 for front end alignment.

Front lower ball joint assembly and outer tie rod very bad affecting steering and handling. shimmies on the highway, could be difficult to control. mechanic recommends a trip to the dealer immediately since i did buy extended warranty. *tr

Have issues with both front struts, both ball joints, and both inner and outer tie rods. while driving you can feel shaking and vibrations. also steering is starting to become bad because of this issue. there needs to be a recall on this before an accident occurs and someone gets seriously injured or killed. *tr

Failure of both front lower ball joints. caused pulling while drive and turning. *tr

I was on my way to work and drove approximately 5 minutes. as i was making a left turn to approach the entrance of the exressway, the car starting swerving and screeching and during my manuvering and engaging of the brakes, it came to a holt. the left driver's side axle had snapped and the tire was side-ways. i had to get the car towed to my mechanic, who stated that in all his years in his profession he has never seen anything like that. the axle which is made of steel was broken in half. thank god i was able to safely manuver it without crashing into something, it was quite a scary experience. if i would have experienced this occurrence on the highway, it would have been a fatal accident. this is not the only incident i have had with this car, please refer to my other submissions for this car. *tr

At 41000 miles, our 4 year old vehicle, should not have needed new ball joints. research tells me dodge has been very aware of a problem for years, but have not done any type of a recall. all i can say is thank god we found the problem before we went to the mountains. *tr

The ball joints have prematurely worn out on our 2008 dodge caliber. at 40,000 miles i also had to replace the tie rod ends and the brake pads. *tt

Both front and rear suspension-struts/shocks leaking and both need to be replaced-mechanic stated they have replaced so many suspensions on these vehicles, they cant keep parts instock. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that while the tires were being rotated by a private mechanic, the mechanic advised that steel was showing through both front tires. the mechanic attributed the failure to the front lower control arms, which has failed. the manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and the current mileages were 60,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact noticed a knocking coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. the contact inspected the vehicle and found that the ball joints needed to be replaced. the contact was unable to purchase the ball joints separately. the front passenger side control arm and ball joints were replaced. the contact stated that the control arm and ball joints had to be replaced on both the front driver and passenger sides because the tire was wearing rapidly and the knocking noise was still heard. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

Started having noisy front end/brake issue @16000 miles one year after purchase, have had the car in 7 different times for the same complaint, the dealer just kept replacing different parts hoping the noise would go away, it hasn't, now that the car is 2000 miles out of warranty, the dealer treats us like we abused the car, it only has 37000 miles on it!! a new car should last longer thatn 3 years without major suspension problems !! dodge has a reputation of using defective suspension parts and should be responsible for hard-working consumers that bailed them out!!!! all i want is my car fixed they choose to use inferior parts and now they should have to pay for their hindsite. *tt

Left and right a post much too wide hindering ability to see where the curb is in relation to the car. it also hinders the ability to see if a small animal is in the affected view. in relation to the transmission, my transmission had to be replaced right after the warranty expired. i've had to have 2 tie rods replaced. an engine mount replaced, and a strut replaced, i am also on my second battery. this car has cost me a lot of money so far. i know it's 11 years old but i've never had this many mechanical issues with any car i've owned so far. the newest problem is a grinding noise that sounds like the wheel is going to fall off before i get home safely. there is a new noise as well that almost sounds like a radial tire with an issue but my tires are all fine. i am taking it to a good mechanic tomorrow....again!! at one point while driving at about 35 mph and starting to turn there was a grinding noise in the front end and it sounded like something fell off, i was turning left at the time. my abs brake light came on. i slowly went to the auto dealer, and they said there was a connector that broke and also a sensor they had to order. that cost over $400 plus i needed to rent a car to get home. not a fan of the caliber at all. i do love the style it's sporty and easy to drive, when it's not in the shop that is.

2008 dodge caliber with 44,000 miles. both front lower ball joints were severely worn, and needed to be replaced. this car had only normal driving (no severe use). this would have been a severe safety issue if i had not happened to notice the suspension looseness when rotating the tires. there was no obvious symptom when driving the car. *tr

There is a serious growling road noise coming from the wheel bearings. if you check "car forums and automotive chat" there is a fix under chat labeled "stwsti" date 10-19-2008... i feel this is a serious enough problem for dodge to recall these vehicles or at least to notify owners of the problem of bearing failure at highway speeds... *tr

I have replaced alternator, drive belt, ball joints, wheel bearings, tire rods on my 2008 dodge. it is making a horrible noise now under the hood. i am one of many who have this same issue. *tr

Had my tires rotated and the mechanic showed me how much my ball joints were wore out at only 50,000 miles. dodge caliber 2008 model. *tr

The front tires were vibrating and my steering wheel was shaking, so i thought the tires needed balancing. i brought the car into a firestone dealership and they told me the front right strut was blown out and had to be replaced. they said that this was a safety issue, and that struts help hold the wheels to the road. also, my friend who is an ase certified mechanic checked the strut and he verified that the strut was broken.

I have been told by the dealership that, the front axles and, ball joints on my car are in need of replacement. i have talked to several other dodge caliber owner's that have had the same problem. what do i need to do? *tr

I recently purchased this vehicle about three months ago with aircheck. little did i know i was buying a more defective car than i originally had. about a week ago my a/c goes to crap i ask the dealership to fix it and all he says is i know a guy that can fix it for you for alittle charge. and to top it off the a/c goes out on the hottest freaking day of the month. then my engine makes this rattling noise my freaking radio doesn't accept cd's what kind of whole did i get my self into. and for this car to be a 4 cylinder it drinks gas as if it where a v8. *tr

At around 35000 miles is when this started: when i would slow down i would notice that it felt like my driver front tire would wobble, this went on for a while, and no one could figure out what it was, blamed it on bad tires. i even took it to my dealership because my warranty was going to be up soon and asked them to look over everything and they never found anything. so i got new tires and it would still sometimes seem to wobble but it wasn't consistent. fast forward to this summer (2011) i start to notice that it is really bad pulling out of my works driveway turning left so i think my shocks are going bad. also i start to notice that when i start moving again from a stop it seems like the car has a little jerk. so i go to get my oil changed and tires rotated (different places) and at the dealership for the oil they fill out a little inspection sheet, only thing marked is a bad air filter. shocks are good they said. time to change the brakes too, so i buy some with the air filter and tell my husband when he is changing them to please look good because something is not right. well, he finds out that he can completely move the whole wheel assembly on its own! so i take it to a local shop and both lower ball joints are bad and maybe a tire rod! at approx 48,000 miles (current) this is ridiculous!!! so call dodge dealership and out of warranty so... unless we bring it down and all these other instructions they might be able to pay for some of it. not driving the vehicle 45 miles when the wheels might snap off and for them to most likely say "too bad"! after seeing how many people have the same problem something is obliviously wrong with the design of the caliber, and for dodge to do nothing, we will never even consider a dodge, or maybe even a chrysler (never had issues with past jeeps) again!

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle made a clucking noise. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic. the failure was located at the rear tie rod and strut having defective material. the ignition also failed and could not be turned. the rear tie rod strut and ignition was replaced. the vehicle was repaired but continued exhibiting a noise from the rear. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 74,176.

I took my caliber in for some warranty work. they found the left strut was bad. they ordered the part. i went back in the next week for the strut and alignment. while they were driving back from the alignment place, they had an accident in my car. they fixed it. i have since then brought it back to a roar in the car. they told me my tires were bad. i asked if it could be because of the alignment was out and they said no. i asked if it could be because of the accident, again no. who in their right mind would align a car with bad tires. they have made no deal for me in this matter. the tires did not go bad in a matter of a week. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that the lower control arm and ball joints were continuously failing and being replaced. the contact stated that he believed that the bulk of the stress was on the passenger side. the failure mileage was 1,358 and the current mileage was 57,990. updated 03/16/11 *bf the consumer stated the struts were replaced and the control arm was replaced three times.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. after purchasing the vehicle the contact noticed occasionally that while driving at a speed of 45 mph the brake pedal would have to be depressed several times before bringing the vehicle to a stop, the contact also noticed that the front end of the vehicle would sway from left to right. the vehicle was taken to the dealership on several different occasions where the contact had the brake pads , front axle, struts, and shock absorbers replaced. however the contact is still experiencing the failures. the failure mileage was at 3000 and the current mileage is 35600.