2007 Dodge Caliber Owner Complaints

Vehicle tipm shut off transmission while driving an cause a traffic jam on a busy intersection caused the transmission system to go in limp mode an no breaks. Was very dangerous lucky I had a hand break that worked cause engine to shut off an studder had to get towed an transported the vehicle home an got it inspected by a mobile mechanic an says the fuse box had blown internal components due to failing internal electrical components or weak points in the tipm system

NHTSA ID

11736456

Incident

Apr 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that the ECU had been hacked. While driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the brakes applied without application, but I was able to move to the right lane. The vehicle was able to pull over safely, and it stalled. While parking with the foot on the brakes, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a small pole. There was no reported fire, airbag deployment, police report filed, or injuries. While in neutral, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The driver was able to shift to neutral. The vehicle was making an abnormal growling sound. There was no light inside. While using the headlights, the windshield wipers turned on for five minutes. After locking the vehicle, the headlights remain on. While using the turn signal, the windshield wipers engaged without application. While driving in the rain, the vehicle hydroplaned. The contact stated that someone stole the key fob, made copies, hacked into the vehicle, and was controlling the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, which confirmed the vehicle was working as designed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was approximately 154,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11713355

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

Mileage

154,000 mi

I was informed on 09/29/2025 by my Chrysler dealer that a second critical component of my 2007 Caliber frame had rusted to the point that it broke. The first critical component was reported in my complaint tracking number 11459461 submitted on 04/03/2022. The component in that filing was the engine pan that supported the engine. On this latest failure, I was told the same thing by the shop manager: "If you hit a bump while driving this vehicle you could lose your back wheels". In the first incident, the engine could have fallen out of my vehicle. He was not going to let me drive it home. Then he changed his mind and told me it was "at my discretion". I did drive it home (4.5 miles) with no problem. He told me he was going to try and find a new or used part to fix the issue. He made it clear that he was not hopeful of finding one. This is twice now that my life and the lives of any drivers on the road at the same time were placed in danger from excessive rusting problems. I submitted files in the first incident showing that Chrysler was aware of the issue. A copy of the corporate service bulletin was attached. To my knowledge nothing was ever done. Is anything going to be done this time?

NHTSA ID

11691736

Incident

Sep 29, 2025

I was at a gas station and attempted to leave the lot and the cradle and/or attached parts broke into, rendering the car undrivable.

NHTSA ID

11687762

Incident

Sep 8, 2025

The contact owned a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's vehicle was involved in a head-on collision, which was no fault of the contact. The contact's vehicle was damaged to the front of the vehicle and on the passenger's front side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the other driver's vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle at a high rate of speed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The paramedics and the local Police arrived at the scene. A Police report was filed, however, the report number was unavailable. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact was the only occupant in the vehicle. The contact was transported to the local medical center, however, due to the severity of the injuries and the specific treatments that the contact required, the contact was transferred to a medical center that specialized in the contact's required treatments. The contact-sustained injuries included but were not limited to traumatic brain injury, seizures, impaired speech, physical and mental disabilities, intermittent paralysis, damage to the spinal cord, and amnesia. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11624039

Incident

Jan 7, 2020

My car is at 69739 miles and the control arms and the front and rear subframe is rotted out

NHTSA ID

11619600

Incident

Oct 14, 2024

This is a follow up to complaint #11459461 filed on 4/3/22 at 9:16:43am. I was not able to send documents at that time. Documents included relate to follow up on complaint #11591104. First pdf file: pages 1-4 Service bulletin from Chrysler - my model year not included; pages 5-7 service invoice and picture of missing engine cradle pan; page 8 original repair invoice; page 9 copy of original repair invoice with notations for Magna plant manager; page 10 notice of having received complaint; page 11 Defective lug nut issue; page 12 Complaint #11591104; page 13 Service invoice noting replacement of two defective lug nuts. Second pdf file: pages 1-2 Copy of original complaint #11459461; page 3 Copy of towing receipt due to defective lug nut. Third pdf file: Picture of three of four defective lug nut covers that I had to remove due to flat tires. First one not shown due to being damaged while attempting to remove beyond recognition. Upper left lug nut cover came off just in handling of removed lug nuts.

NHTSA ID

11619474

Incident

Oct 21, 2021

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while it was raining, there was water entering through the sunroof and doors into the vehicle. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that there were no related recalls for the failures. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was no recall coverage for the failures and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11595439

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

Mileage

70,000 mi

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V234000 (Vehicle Speed Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11585321

Incident

Jun 3, 2010

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the subframe was severely rusted and there was a piece of metal hanging down in the rear of the vehicle. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined that the subframe needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11574312

Incident

Feb 25, 2024

Mileage

175,000 mi

The air bag light and sound are going off without any collision or accident type. Just randomly started going off. Airbags have never been deployed and goes off with or without weight on the seats.

NHTSA ID

11572966

Incident

Dec 15, 2023

Premature rust on rear subframe

NHTSA ID

11569701

Incident

Feb 3, 2024

Rusted Subframe!!

NHTSA ID

11553334

Incident

Oct 7, 2023

The window regulators of this car (& other vehicles of the same model) is a poor product of productivity. The cable wires that hold the window to guide the window up & down are known to & have become tangled up around the component that is said to properly wrap up the guided cable wires in the correct placement for the windows to continue to be able to roll up & down as intended. It's not just one door, it is literally every single door in this vehicle that has this issue. When I decided to try & save a little bit of money & get some used window regulators, I go to a salvage yard that had another dodge caliber (different model, how ever, same window regulators) just to find upon inspection, that every single door has a spoon in between the window & the rubber guard piece. Took the door panel off to further inspect & that vehicle had the same issue I have at this very moment... Cable wires completely tangled up and completely non salvageable. Removed the spoon & the window fell down. Now I understand that it doesn't sound like a safety issue but when you are driving down the highway, doing the speed limit, and your window falls down, it's very startling and honestly a distraction while driving. Not only is that a distraction but have you ever had a bird fly into your car, from the hole that was once a window? Talk about a distraction. It's like a bee flying into your helmet while riding a motorcycle or 4wheeler. Ah! Main focus is that flying object to come out, so you try to roll down the other windows only to remember after pushing the buttons that, oh wait, they won't roll down. Ever since the window fell, Not only is that a safety issue for the ones in my car, now it's a safety issue for those driving onside of me till I can get onto the shoulder, if there is one. And hopefully the weather is nice Yes, it has been confirmed & inspected by an independent service center, & yes it is available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps.

NHTSA ID

11520801

Incident

Jan 23, 2023

Rear suspension rusted and broke during operation; control arm, tie rod and/or wheel bearings rusted and broke during operation causing vehicle to lose control

NHTSA ID

11513652

Incident

Aug 12, 2022

Massive amount of shaking and vibrating when vehicle is at idle. Subframe is rotting and rusting away and causing rust holes in the subframe. Vehicle is currently in operation daily. Unsafe to operate in its current condition. Will need fixed via recall.

NHTSA ID

11511323

Incident

Mar 11, 2023

I had my 2007 Dodge Caliber rear brakes replaced today, at 83,487 miles. The service professional noted on the receipt that the “rear subframe is rotting out.” He suggested that I contact Dodge, to find out if there has been a recall regarding this issue. Please advise as to how this problem may be resolved, with no additional, out-of-pocket cost to me, the consumer. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11497082

Incident

Dec 12, 2022

Car has been garage kept entire time of owning. Sub Frame still rotted out causing so much damage to the car, the struts, the tire(s); etc, causing car to shake and tire to bow out. Car has been at a repair shop for over 7 months now trying to get a replacement part to repair it with no luck as of yet. This should NOT be the responsibility of the customer. This has been a known issue for many of these vehicles for years now with nothings done or any warnings sent out regarding this issue being a possible hazard.

NHTSA ID

11495890

Incident

Apr 4, 2022

Started hearing a loud banging noise whenever i would hit a bump or turn left coming from drivers side tire. after getting home, i checked and the entire subframe is rusted out.

NHTSA ID

11493580

Incident

Nov 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The message "Transmission Overheating" and the ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle would not exceed 30 MPH while driving. The contact veered to the side of the road, where the vehicle remained. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 240,578.

NHTSA ID

11484123

Incident

Sep 12, 2022

Mileage

240,578 mi

My car was slow to accelerate, and sounded like the engine was over-revving. The engine stalled several times, and the car itself was shaking, while driving at a moderate speed level, which I feared would have caused an accident, because it was sudden. The service warning light appeared. I had the manifold replaced by one mechanic, but the problem occurred again. I got a second opinion, that determined it was the throttle body assembly, which was replaced. That was three years ago. Now, the same issue has cropped up again. The cost was exorbitant, and is something I can't afford every few years.

NHTSA ID

11479885

Incident

Aug 12, 2022

Vehicle has less than 100,000 miles (strictly highway miles) and rear sub frame has completely rusted through causing back alignment to be drastically out, and fish tailing, which also causes hazardous steering control on dry and especially wet roads. Rapid wear and replacement of tires on rear end. I have researched and found this to be a consistent problem on multiple sites and forums.

NHTSA ID

11468503

Incident

Jun 9, 2022

VERY BAD DESIGN OF MUFFLER. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE MUFFLER HAS A HOLE ON TOP. THAT HEAT EFFECT THE BATTOM TRUNCK, THE HOOD GET MELTED, HEAT SHEILD GET BURNED AND THE ROAD ASSISTANT TIRE GET MELTED AS WELL. I WAS LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO SMELL IT. ALSO ALL BODY GET VERY RUSTED AND LOOK HOURRIBLE.

NHTSA ID

11465937

Incident

May 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that after driving approximately a block from her residence, she noticed that the vehicle was unable to exceed 15 MPH while accelerating. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to her residence and then the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed, and she was informed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. Additionally, the vehicle subframe was rusted. The contact stated that she was informed of an unknown recall however, she was informed that the VIN was not included. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.

NHTSA ID

11463515

Incident

May 5, 2022

Mileage

79,000 mi

Rear subframe is badly rusted making the vehicle unsafe to drive. Don’t know how long it been like this, just noticed it while doing brake work. I’ve owned the car since 2008 and was never notified of the extended warranty.

NHTSA ID

11461997

Incident

Apr 25, 2022