2008 Dodge Caliber Visibility Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11282073

Incident

Jul 1, 2011

Mileage

22,000 mi

DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM, THE WIPERS QUIT WORKING. PULLED OVER AND RE-STARTED CAR, WIPERS WORKED. GOT BACK ON THE ROAD AND IT HAPPENED NUMEROUS MORE TIMES. FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH FUSES, WIRING, OR WIPER MOTOR. VERY DANGEROUS.LOTS MORE COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET SEARCH RESULTS.

NHTSA ID

11277627

Incident

Oct 31, 2019

Mileage

92,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED AND THE TURN SIGNAL BLINKERS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED WHEN PROMPTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID

10874131

Incident

Jun 12, 2016

Mileage

140,000 mi

MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I REPLACED WITH TWO BRAND NEW BULBS BUT LIGHT IS STILL OUT. REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER, ONE BRAKE LIGHT, AND ONE LICENSE PLATE ILLUMINATION LIGHT ARE ALL NON FUNCTIONAL AS WELL. RECALL HAS BEEN MADE ONE YEAR OF MODELS OF CHRYSLER VEHICLES BUT NOT MINE, AND IT IS THE SAME FAULTY PART THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN SEVERAL MODELS AND YEARS OF CHRYSLER VEHICLES. UPON VISITING A CHRYSLER SERVICE CENTER I WAS ADVISED OF A $900 QUOTE TO FIX THE PART. I SEE NO REASONING FOR ME TO HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR A FAULTY PART THAT CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND REFUSES TO ADDRESS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10681918

Incident

Feb 7, 2015

Mileage

90,000 mi

I AM REPORTING A "POSSIBLE" SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND STARTING THE CAR TO DRIVE, I NOTICED THE LOSS OF CONTROL / POWER TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL ACTIVATION, FRONT AND REAR WIPER ACTIVATION, FRONT AND REAR WIDOW WASH, CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATION, PARK, AND INTERIOR LIGHT ACTIVATION. (NOTE: HEAD LIGHTS DID ACTIVATE.) ALL ACTIVATION LEVERS / SWITCHES ARE LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. PROBLEM WAS UNAFFECTED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL, OR THE MOVEMENT OF THE COLUMN POSITION. PROBLEM DISAPPEARED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. UPON RE-ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTING THE CAR THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED. PROBLEM IS NOT CURRENTLY PRESENT FOR EXAMINATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10637364

Incident

Sep 11, 2014

Mileage

92,135 mi

DURING A SEVERE RAINSTORM IN MY AREA, I WAS LEAVING AN EVENT PARKING LOT TO DRIVE HOME. WHILE WAITING AT THE STOP LIGHT I ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE RAIN. THEY FAILED TO START. WHILE SITTING AT THE LIGHT I RESTARTED MY CAR HOPING THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE APPARENT 'SHORT' IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT IT DID NOT. AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I WAS FORCED TO MOVE FORWARD. WHILE DRIVING SLOW, I ROLLED MY WINDOW DOWN AND ATTEMPTED TO GUIDE THE CAR TO A SAFE SPOT TO PULL OVER. I COULDN'T IDENTIFY A PLACE THROUGH ALL OF THE RAIN, AND ALSO I WAS DRIVING IN BUSY DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC. I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN MORE BUT LOOKED FORWARD AND ALL I COULD SEE WERE TREES COMING UP QUICKLY THROUGH THE BLURRY WINDSHIELD; I IMMEDIATELY JOLTED TO A STOP AS I HIT AN ISLAND/MEDIAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MY CAR WAS SCRAPED BY TREES AND PARKING CONES WHICH WERE LAYING IN THE MEDIAN. I HEARD SCRAPING AND A LARGE THUD AS MY CAR CAME TO A STOP. STILL IN THE RAIN, I PUT MY HAZARDS ON AND WAITED UNTIL THE POLICE ARRIVED. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I AM EXTREMELY IRRITATED THAT MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING IN A TERRIBLE RAINSTORM. THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. MY VEHICLE IS 6 YEARS OLD; AT THE 5 YEAR MARK I TOOK IT IN FOR A FULL-SYSTEM MAINTENANCE WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT EVERYTHING WAS WORKING FINE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MY CHOICE IN PURCHASING DODGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10594758

Incident

May 28, 2014

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE MAIN ISSUE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF "PARK" WHEN IT IS RUNNING. FOR THE PAST YEAR IT HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY. THE LAST 2 DAYS NONE OF MY TRYING AND RETRYING TO GET IT OUT OF PARK WORKS. ALSO, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WHENEVER THEY FEEL LIKE IT. MOSTLY UPON STARTING. I ALSO CANNOT RESET MY CHANGE OIL LIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10533878

Incident

Jul 1, 2013

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT 60 MILES PER HOUR AT NIGHT IN A HEAVY RAIN, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. I COULD NOT SEE BUT I LUCKILY STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE WIPERS STARTED UP. I TRAVELED 20-30 MINUTES AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AFTER PULLING OVER AND WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, THEY RESTARTED. I DROVE OFF AND SOON IT HAPPENED FOR A THIRD TIME. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, THE RAIN STOPPED AND I TRAVELED HOME. THIS FAILURE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CAUSE LISTED IN THE 2008 JEEP LIBERTY RECALL DUE TO A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. I AM BEING CHARGED $343 BY A DEALER TO REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10470774

Incident

Jul 27, 2012

Mileage

24,102 mi

WE PARKED OUR 2008 DODGE CALIPER FOR THREE DAYS AND WHEN WE DROVE NEXT THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH WOULD NOT ACTIVATE THE HEAD LIGHTS AT ALL, THE AUXILIARY DRIVING LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK, THE WIND SHIED WIPERS WILL NOT WORK (FRONT OR BACK) THE WIND SHIELD WASHER WILL NOT WORK. THE HEAD LIGHTS DO COME ON AUTOMATIC WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE AND THEN THEY STAY ON UNTIL YOU TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF. THE HAZARD LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND FLASH BUT THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE DRIVER'S COLUMN THAT WILL WORK. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF LIGHTING CAPABILITY, THE WIND SHIELD WASHERS NOT WORKING. I HAVE GOGGLED THIS PROBLEM AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON THE DODGE AVENGER AND THERE ARE SEVERAL ENTRIES OF THE PROBLEM HAPPENING ON THE DODGE CALIPER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10454980

Incident

Mar 12, 2012

Mileage

76,800 mi