2010 Dodge Caliber Steering Problems

I was just at the dealer mechanic for an oil change and asked about a slight pull to one side when stopping. after doing the oil change he cam back with a list of things the most significant of which was a that the front sub-frame was rotted out, as well as the rear bumper metal under the plastic cover. They gave me an estimate for the repairs exceeding $7000. Then I came home an researched this problem and find its common on these calibers from 2007-2012 and is a known problem!? but no recall was ever issued! There was a "Customer Satisfaction Notification X69" Which I never received. I have also had the vehicle into the dealer other times recently and was never informed of this issue which couldn't have possibly happened over night.

NHTSA ID

11697050

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

Subframe rusty and broke while driving car went left almost causing a head on coalition

NHTSA ID

11521788

Incident

May 11, 2023

FRAME RUSTED, BROKE AND DAMAGED THE VEHICLE. TOTAL LOSS.

NHTSA ID

11386686

Incident

Sep 17, 2020

OK SO LET ME START BY SAVING LIVES THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH ALL THESE CALIBER THE SUBFRAMES ARE ROTTING IN HALF I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE 3 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS STUPID CAR AND THEY RUSTED IN HALF ON THEM ALSO THINGS TO ADD TO THIS CAR IS THERE IS NO UPPER BALL JOINT WHICH CAUSE THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS TO GO BAD IS THE SHOCKS ARE BAD I HAD TO REPLACE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING AND ALSO HAD TO REPLACE CVT 20K MILES INTO THIS HUNK OF CRAP CVT IS BAD AND THE BANDS THEY USE ARE CHEAP BUT ALSO SEEMS TO BE A COOLING PROBLEM WITH THERE SET UP FOR TRANSMISSION WITH CAUSE THEM TO HEAT UP AND BURN FLUIDS CHRYSLER SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS CRAP AND HONESTLY YOU WILL SEE ALOT MORE OF THESE CARS CAUSING PEOPLE TO DIE SERIOUSLY TAKE A LOOK ONLINE AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES IT'S PRETTY SICKING TO ME AND I FEEL LIKE Y'ALL AIN'T DOING YOUR JOB MY 30 YEAR OLD CAMARO SUBFRAME NEVER ROTTED LIKE THIS AND SAT AND DRIVEN IN ALL WEATHER

NHTSA ID

11373191

Incident

Nov 1, 2020

Mileage

178,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THEIR SON WAS DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME WAS REPAIRED, THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WAS REPAIRED, AND THE VEHICLE RECEIVED AN ALIGNMENT. THE REPAIRS WERE RELATED TO MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION WITH NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10140027 (SUSPENSION, STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT DUE TO THE REPAIRS BEING COMPLETED OUTSIDE OF AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THERE WOULD BE NO REIMBURSEMENT. A CASE WAS OPENED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

NHTSA ID

11316288

Incident

Jan 4, 2020

Mileage

105,000 mi

SUSPENSION CROSS MEMBER FRAME, STRUTS, BUSHINGS & SWAY BAR. TOOK CAR IN FOR ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. MECHANIC INSPECTED CAR & NOTICED SEVERE RUSTING ON FRONT CROSS MEMBER. SO, BAD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECENT RECALL FROM DODGE THAT HAD EXPIRED IN 2018. I NEVER SAW THIS RECALL NOTICE. I DID GET THE AIRBAG RECALL NOTICE & TOOK MY CAR RO DODGE TO FIX IN SPRING 2018. THEY COULD HAVE FIXED THE CROSSMEMBER AT THAT TIME. THE MECHANIC ALSO HAD TO REPLACE STRUTS, BUSHING & SUSPENSION STABILIZER SWAY BAR AS A RESULT OF THE RUSTED SUSPENSION CROSS MEMBER.

NHTSA ID

11181599

Incident

Feb 1, 2019

Mileage

88,116 mi

TAKATA RECALL. MY CAR KEEPS ON BLOWING THE REAR TIRE ABOUT EVERY 6-8 MONTHS.MY STEERING WHEEL ALSO SHAKES/VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING OVER 55 MPH. THE TIRES ARE WEARING UNEVEN. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A REAR CROSS MEMBER RECALL FOR MY CAR WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN THIS. I WILL BE TAKING MY CAR IN TO BE ALIGNED HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO GET THE RECALL HONORED BEFORE DOING SO

NHTSA ID

11161100

Incident

Jul 7, 2018

ELECTRICAL THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT HAS POPPED UP SEVERAL TIMES AND I'VE NOTICED IT'S WHEN IT HAS RAINED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR SLOWS DOWN AND CAUSES FORCEFULLY PULL OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. IT DOESN'T START AFTER THE FIRST FEW TRIES AND EVENTUALLY DOES. THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AFTER DRIVING IT OVER 60MPH FOR ABOUT 20MINS. THE CAR HAS GIVEN ME THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE WARNING SYMBOL WHEN THIS HAPPENS, MAKING AN UGLY ALMOST SCREECHING SOUND,SLOWS DOWN THE CAR UNTIL I CAN'T PUSH THE GAS ANY LONGER CAUSING ME TO PULL OVER TO TURN OFF THE CAR UNTIL IT RESTARTS AGAIN. THE CAR IS BEGINNING TO OVER HEAT AFTER DRIVING IT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME OVER 20 MINS THIS WILL BEGAN TO HAPPEN. I'VE PUT COOLANT RECENTLY AND NOT SURE IF THERE'S A HOLE IN THE RESERVOIR BUT I'VE DONE WHAT I COULD TO GET THIS FIXED. THE CAR JOLTS AFTER 3RD GEAR ESPECIALLY GOING UP HILL.

NHTSA ID

11145149

Incident

Oct 16, 2018

Mileage

190,000 mi

"TAKATA RECALL"MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A VEHICLE AND WE THOUGHT WE GOT A GOOD DEAL UNTIL THE CAR QUICKLY BECAME A DEATH TRAP THAT WAS SO UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE STEERING WOULD PULL TOO THE LEFT AND WHEN WE WENT AROUND A BRIDGE ON THE FREEWAY OR ANY TURNING OF THE WHEEL. WE HAD TO STABILIZE THE CAR BECAUSE IT WOULD ALMOST HOP TO THE LEFT AND THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC REGARDLESS ON FREEWAY OR STREETS. WE TOLD THEM THERE WAS A LAPSE IN THE SPEED AND THIS HAS JUST BEEN A NIGHTMARE. WE ALREADY PAID ALMOST ALL THE CAR AND WE STILL HAVE OUR WARRANTY BUT THEY WANT US TO PAY 400 DOLLARS, WHAT WE PAY AS A CAR PYMT EVERY MONTH. OR THEY SAID THEY'D FINANCE THE WORK THEY DO ON THE CAR THROUGH CAR FINANCE DEPARTMENT. MY WIFE SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT. WE HAVE KIDS AND INSTEAD OF ENJOYING TIME IN THE CAR, WE'VE SPENT STRESSED PAYING FOR IT SINCE THE FIRST WEEK. WE'VE BEEN TO THE POINT OF SO MUCH FEAR TO FEELING AS THOUGH IT'S AN ICY DAY AND THE ROADS ARE WET AND SO SLIPPERY BUT THE PROBLEM IS... IT WASN'T EVEN RAINING OR SNOWING.. FEAR OF CRASHING OR SOMETHING BREAKING. MY WIFE READ A LOT ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING WITH OUR VEHICLE. SHE SAW TOO MANY PEOPLE, IUST LIKE US AND IT SAID RECALLED, BUT IT SAID THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED BUT HASN'T BEEN AT THAT TIME. I'M REPORTING THIS BECAUSE WE AREN'T GOING TO PAY TO DIE IN A CAR THE MECHANIC DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO DRIVE FAR BECAUSE IT WASN'T SAFE!! THE MECHANIC FROM THE SAME DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED THE CARFROM

NHTSA ID

11096808

Incident

Feb 2, 2017

Mileage

74,000 mi

STEERING COLUMN SHIMMIES WHILE DRIVING... ALSO THE ELECTRICAL HEATER/AIR CONDITIONING DOES NOT WORK JUST HAD IT REPLACED WITH A NEW MOTOR

NHTSA ID

11021776

Incident

Apr 4, 2014

STEERING WHEEL HAS A SLIGHT NOISE WHEN TURNING .IT FEELS LIKE A CLICKING SOUND WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10523411

Incident

Jul 1, 2013

Mileage

51,234 mi

I PARKED MY CAR IN PARKING LOT WHILE CAR WAS IN DRIVE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND I WITHDREW MY KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND LEFT THE CAR. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR 3 PEOPLE WERE LEANING AGAINST THE REAR OF THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM ROLLING OUT INTO 2 OTHER CARS. THE DOOR WAS LOCKED AND THE SHIFT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE DODGE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE SHIFTER IS BROKEN INTERNALLY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JS

NHTSA ID

10464153

Incident

Jun 23, 2012

Mileage

42,332 mi