Problems with 2008 Dodge Caliber STRUCTURE

Subframe rusted in two. garage said it was unsafe to drive. engine could have fallen out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that the sub frame was completely corroded and rusted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 70, 000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while the vehicle was undergoing routine inspection, the technician noticed that the entire subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while operating the vehicle, the contact heard a knocking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was discovered that the front cross member separated from the vehicle due to rust and corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

The engine cradle rusted out, will not pass nys safety inspection. i believe the 2008 caliber should have the same bulletin as the 2007's, #10055914.

While driving car i heard a loud noise coming from beneath the car. i looked under car and saw that the drivers side connection of the sway bar had come loose from the front cross member. this was caused by the cross member being in a severe state of rust and corrosion. i brought the car to a local dodge dealership and the service dept. verified the rusted cross member and recommended immediate replacement.

Rotten subframe - my control arm separated from the frame and my tire/wheel went sideways causing me to screech to a stop, luckily i was coming to a stop anyway but it easily could have happened at a high speed and killed myself and others

My car is 8 years old under 90,000 miles and has serious amount of rust on the subframe (k frame) and damage that is making the car deemed unsafe. this part should be recalled seeing how the 07 models are in the same defect and has a recall

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while the vehicle was being serviced by an independent mechanic, it was discovered that the frame was severely rusted and the subframe needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 107,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact discovered a hole had developed in the frame under the vehicle due to corrosion. the vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic, where it diagnosed that the k member frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 51,000.

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while driving 35 mph, a passenger heard a crunching sound under the vehicle. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the entire front cross member was corroded, which resulted in the frame being fractured. the contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable due to the corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 149,099. updated 7/23/15*cn updated 8/19/15*cn updated 9/23/15 *js updated 9/30/15 *js

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. 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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while having maintenance performed at the dealer, the technician diagnosed that the engine cradle was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

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. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 mph around a curve, there was a slight loss of steering control. in addition, the failure occurred when making turns. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the mechanic informed that the rear cross member assembly exhibited rust corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

A noise was heard that seemed to come from the front suspension while driving. inspection later showed that the front crossmember was badly rusted and has holes in it. both the front and rear crossmembers on this vehicle are badly rusted. the rest of the car is rust free. this seems to be a very common problem on this car. the 2007 dodge caliber has a service bulletin to replace these parts if they have holes in them under warranty, however i was told this does not apply to the 2008 model year. the dealer and chrysler customer service were contacted and would not help. if this issue is not found and repaired it could result in a crash. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that while having maintenance performed, the technician noticed that the engine cradle was corroded and holes had developed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 87,607.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. the contact stated that while having unrelated repairs performed, the technician diagnosed that there were holes in the sub frame and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caliber. while the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenance, the technician noticed corrosion underneath the vehicle. the technician stated that the front cross member cradle needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 44,038.

I've had sooo many issues with my 2008 dodge caliber that i've lost count. the most recent ones are really bothering me, as i have one more payment and the car is paid off. about two months ago, my etc light came on and i just knew it had to be an error because i had it totally replaced in 2011 and paid over $500. so i did some research and found that a whole lot of people has had the same issue so i emailed dodge to let them know this and to see if there was a recall on the etc. of course they didn't really address the issue and they told me there was nothing they can do. so i ended up paying over $500 to have it replaced again. now, i have an issue with my driver door, the spring has popped out and now it won't close! i took it in and they said it's going to cost between $1200-$1400 to have it fixed because i need a new door! again, i did some research and find out that this has also happened to a lot of people with this same car! and both of these issues poses extreme safety risks, as with the etc, the car automatically stops accelerating. then with the door, if the spring is just popping out at any given moment, i feel that the door could easily swing open while you are driving. i'm a single mother with two children and now i have no car since the door can't close.this is extremely frustrating and unfair! how can these cars be so defective and no one is addressing it? this is in addition to countless other issues i've had over the years. i would like for dodge to be held accountable for the cost of my repairs. this just isn't right. and i can see if this was an isolated incident with a few people, but in researching and finding out how many people has had the same issue, both of these issues, is extremely alarming. it's probably one of the reasons they no longer make this car! i truly believe it's a lemon!! *tr

Front subframe rotted, has holes big enough to stick your hand in. unsafe to drive. chrysler recalled the 2007 model, not the 2008.

Traveling on highway in winter road conditions. driver lost control on black ice. hit highway guardrail head on, then on the pax front side, then on driver front side. major damage to front costing approx $6000.00 in damage. air bag did not deploy even thought lights on dash were activated as deployed. with seat belt on passenger was thrown forward hitting steering wheel and knees to lower dashboard. sever concussion as result, bruising and soreness. vehicle was purchased in 2011 from enterprise/national car rental with 31k miles on it. *tr

I bought this vehicle on 09/11/2013 and a day later i noticed the back drivers side floor & mat was sopping wet.(it was raining the day i purchased the vehicle) i felt under the drivers seat & that was wet as well but not as wet as the back. feeling the front drivers side mat i noticed that was wet too as was the carpet underneath! i ran the shop vac to get all the water out. i was going away for three days so when i got to my destination i checked the floor again & it was sopping wet again!! there was no rain that day! i will be calling the dealership where i bought this "used" vehicle today. so far i cleared the water out twice & it just reappears. with cooler temperatures coming this could be a very hazardous condition due to the floor & mats freezing under your feet when your driving the vehicle!! *tr

It is raining in my vehicle. rain is pouring in through the sunroof and entering my car through the dome light, passenger and driver side support pillars, and onto the passenger and driver side floor and seats through a faulty drainage system. there is already a service bulletin out for the 2007 model for this issue. i went to dodge today and they will not fix my car per their service bulletin: 23-043-06 subject: water leak from headliner, because it is out for the 2007 model. they said the extended warranty i bought through chrysler will not cover the parts or labor and they will not apply the service bulletin to my vehicle because i own a 2008 vehicle. the issue, not taken care of leads to electrical problems, as reported by other owners on various blogs that pertain to this same problem. this company has irresponsibly produced a 2008 model with the same problem as the 2007 model, however, they will not fix the problem. in addition, the particular dealership i went to at 9600 atlantic blvd, jacksonville, fl, wanted me to pay at $105 diagnostic fee in addition to the warranty deductible of $100 if the warranty was to cover the problem that dodge created in their counterproductive manufacturing methods. *tr

My complaint is not focused on the auto manufacturer. it is directed toward the auto insurance industry, and in particular nationwide insurance based in columbus, oh. i was recently involved in an auto accident, and a nationwide client rear-ended my new 2008 dodge caliber. it was less then 1 week old at the time of the accident, and had fewer then 300 miles on it. nationwide promptly agreed to repair the vehicle by replacing the bumper. however, it has come to my attention that the company's policy is to replace the bumper with a refurbished part, or a part made by a company that may not be licensed or represent mopar, the parts company that supplies dodge replacement parts. i am very concerned not only about losing value for my brand new car, but also that my safety and the safety of my passengers could be potentially compromised by the use of possibly inferior products. i understand that there is a governing body for these types of parts known as capa, but i also understand that not every part is certified by capa, nor could i find a certified part listed for the rear bumper of a 2008 dodge caliber. this is simply not acceptable, and nationwide must replace my bumper (and any unseen damaged parts) with genuine mopar-supplied parts to restore my vehicle to its original, safe, operating condition as it was prior to the accident. the vehicle's engine hasn't even been fully broken-in yet. *tr

The exhaust pipe protrudes too far from the rear of the vehicle making it possible for small children to receive injury when the vehicle is hot. a small child in our home received a second degree burn when walking around the vehicle to ask a question. in merely walking by, the child was able to come into contact with the vehicle's exhaust pipe causing a burn. *tr

After purchasing my dodge caliber in february or 2008 i noticed the gas gauge was not consistently accurate. it took a total of 6 months for schaefer and strohminger to "fix" it. i called them afterwards to tell them it was better but not completely correct and they put me off several times. they said they would call the engineer and follow up with me. that never happened even after the ceo of the vehicle maintenance department told me i met the lemon law requirements. during this time the car began to hesitate from time to time when starting. i also asked them about that problem. they could not figure out the problem after having it in the shop twice. about a year later the car wouldn't start and left me stranded at work. it was towed to the nearest dealership. i called ahead to talk to the mechanic who knew exactly what my problem was because he'd had several others need to be replaced already in the caliber. it was the wireless control module. while still under warranty they replaced it. it's been a few months now and the car has hesitated while starting 4 times already. obviously there is a fault in the wireless control module unit they are using. finally, i'm taking it back to have them check the water in the driver's side tail light and wet carpet behind the driver's side seat. i'm very dissatisfied with this car and do not plan on buying from dodge or schaefer and strohminger again. *tr