Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Dodge Caliber submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TRANSMISSION CONSTANTLY OVER HEATS DISPITE HAVING THE FLUIDS FLUSHED AND CHANGED. THE INSIDE LIGHT FLASH LIKE THEY ARE GOING OUT AND THE TRANSMISSION WHINES AND WHINES AT 60 TO 70 MPH. I'VE HAD THIS CAR SINCE 2013 AND HAVE HAD 3 RECALLS. THESE VEHICLES SEEM TO BE EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND I'M NOT SURE WHY THEY'RE STILL ON THE STREETS. ALL OF THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING ANYWHERE.
MY DODGE CALIBER 2011 IS JUNK. THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS SHOT, LITTLE OVER 115000. THEY SAY THE TRANSMISSION CANNOT BE WORKED ON ONLY REPLACED. DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, MY CAR QUICKLY DECELERATED TO A POINT I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. THEN THE CAR COULD NOT GO ABOVE 3000 RPM. READ IN MANY FORUMS ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE YET DODGE WILL NOT HELP AT ALL. FUNNY THE SAME TRANSMISSION IS PUT IN NISSAN CARS AND THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSIONS AND IS LOOKING FOR A FIX. I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE PRODUCT AGAIN. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT, DODGE WOULD BE GETTING A LAWSUIT
I HAVE A 2011 DODGE CALIBER AND IT JUST TURNED OVER 100,000 MILES. WAS DRIVING HOME FORM WORK AND STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE AND TOLD ME THE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION OUR GOING OUT. IT IS A 5 SPEED
I GOT MY OIL CHANGE DONE AT 67,000 MILES AND SINCE THEN MY CAR JERKS AND FEELS WEIRD WHEN I DRIVE IT. I'M WORRIED THAT IT MAY STALL ON ME WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR CITY AND THAT'S DANGEROUS FOR MY KIDS AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE TRANSMISSION AS IT'S MADE BY NISSAN AND NISSAN HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CVTS.
AS I AM ON THE HIGHWAY AND TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 70 TO 75 THE CAR SUDDENLY START LOOSING SPEED TO THE POINT I NEED TO PUT MY BLINK AND STOP IN THE SIDE OF THE ROOD, THEN I HAVE TO TURN IT OF AND TURN IT BACK ON AND START HEADING, THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY. ON A TRIP OF A DISTANCE OF 90 MILES I HAVE TO DO THAT LIKE 3 TIMES. ITS DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME THAT ARE TRAVELING AT THAT SAME SPEED CAN COME AND CRASH BEHIND ME.
WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2011, SINCE THEN EVERY SUMMER WHEN WE TRAVEL MORE THAN 30 MILES ON THE HWY WHEN ITS OVER 110 DEGREES OUT THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT GOES ON AND CAR GOES INTO LIMP MODE (CVT TRANSMISSION). I HAVE BEEN TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THIS AND ADVISED THAT DODGE KNOWS AND THAT I AM TO PULL OVER AND LET IT COOL DOWN. WE LIVE IN LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ WHERE ITS OVER 110 DEGREE'S 3 OR MORE MONTHS OF THE YEAR. MY WIFE WAS COMING BACK FROM ROAD TRIP ON I-40 ON JUNE 21 AND CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND WOULDN'T GO 10MPH. SHE HAD TO SIT ON SIDE ROAD FOR 30MIN FOR TRANS TO COOL BEFORE WOULD LET HER RESUME. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE LEAVING MOTORISTS STUCK IN 110+ DEGREE WEATHER ON SIDE OF THE ROAD. I AM STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY TOOK IT BACK INTO DODGE AND THEY DID FULL CHECK ON TRANS SAID ITS FINE. I EVEN HAD TRANS FLUSHED BEFORE THE TRIP. I UNDERSTAND NISSAN HAS SAME ISSUES WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION AND YET BOTH COMPANY'S CONTINUE TO USE THESE TRANSMISSIONS KNOWING THE PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND THE THROTTLE BODY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHICH LOCATED A FAILURE CODE AT THE THROTTLE BODY. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED TWICE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ALSO REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHICH LOCATE A FAILURE CODE AT THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL MODULE. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN 50-60 MPH AND MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. 2 WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH AND I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND STILL MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING AND AGAIN I COULD NOT INCREASE MY SPEED. I PULLED OVER AND PUT ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS. REVIEWED MY MANUAL AND WAS ABLE TO READ ABOUT THE WARNING SIGNS. I TURNED OFF MY CAR AND STARTED IT BACK UP AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. VERY SCARY DRIVE! I HAD MY 2 GRANDCHILDREN IN THE CAR TOO. I HAVE NOW READ ABOUT MANY INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING. I MAY TRY MY DEALER BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL KEEP THIS CAR.
I HAVE BEEN NOTICING SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS. I TRIED TAKING OFF FROM A STOP LIGHT AND IT WOULDN'T GO ANY FASTER THAN 15 MPH ALMOST GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND. THEN THE RPM WOULD ACCELERATE HOWEVER SPEEDOMETER WOULDN'T JUSTIFY THE INCREASE. ALSO IT'S SOUNDING WEIRD, KIND OF LIKE VACUUM. BUT DEFINITELY LOSS OF POWER AND SUCKING UP GAS . THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND JUDGING BY ALL THE OTHER REVIEWS/COMPLAINTS, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. YOU NEED TO DO A SERIOUS RECALL ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES AND STOP HAVING US PULLING MONEY OUT OF OUR POCKET TO COVER AN OBVIOUS DEFECT WITH SAID CALIBERS.
DRIVING TO MASSACHUSETTS FROM NH...3 HOUR RIDE...JUST OUTSIDE OF SPRINGFIELD, MA ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY, THE CAR SUDDENLY DEACCELERATED, LOST POWER, AND DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR WENT FROM APPROX 75/80 MPH DOWN TO 30MPH AND LOWER. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THIRD LANE, AND HAD TO TRY TO GET OVER TO THE BREAK DOWN LANE WITH A CAR FULL OF KIDS. THIS IS NOT SAFE, AND SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE SWERVING AROUND ME TO AVOID HITTING ME IN THE REAR END. WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE, I WOULD PUT MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR ON THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. IT WAS LIKE IT SUDDENLY WENT INTO NEUTRAL. VERY, VERY DANGEROUS. ALSO, THE SHIFTING LEVER OFTEN SHIFTS MY CAR INTO MANUAL OPERATION INSTEAD OF AUTOMATIC WITHOUT ME EVEN REALIZING IT.
WHEN I FIRST START MY CAR, THE ENGINE WILL FIRST REV PAST 2500 RPM; THIS IS NOT NORMAL AS IT REVS AROUND 1800 RPM. THE CAR WILL VIBRATE, AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT WILL COME ON (FLASHES WHEN VIBRATES). AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, THE LIGHT WILL GO AWAY. BETWEEN 35-45 MPH, THE CAR WILL EITHER FEEL LIKE OR WILL GO INTO A STALL. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A STALL. THE PREVIOUS WEEK, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE MAP SENSOR AND THE PCV HOSE REPLACED. A FLASH UPDATE WAS ALSO PERFORMED; NEITHER REPLACING THE PARTS, NOR THE FLASH UPDATE FIXED THE PROBLEM. *TR
JUST TURNED A CORNER, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN STALLED. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 15 MINUTES THEN CAR WOULD START. MADE IT ALMOST TO DESTINATION AND THEN STALLED AGAIN... HAD TO COAST DOWNHILL TO MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION. *TR
DRIVING UP HILL RPMS JUMPED UP TO 4000 WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS PULLED OVER TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING FROM TRANSMISSION. HAD BEEN TO DEALER COMPLAINING OF SAME TYPE NOISES THEY ALWAYS SAID NO PROBLEM FOUND. 300 DOLLAR TOW TO NEAREST DEALER. SITTING THERE NOW. WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM IN THE MORNING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,200.
IGNITION STICKS ON INITIAL DAILY START UP AND AFTER SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS WITHOUT BEING RAN. THERE IS ALSO A WHINING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END WHEN VEHICLE IS FIRST DRIVEN AND SUBSEQUENTLY AFTER IT SITS FOR SEVERAL HOURS. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR BOTH ISSUES. DEALER COULDN'T DUPLICATE. *TR
WAS DRIVING CAR , TOOK A LEFT HAND TURN AND CAR DIED IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION , HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO CARRY CAR THROUGH INTERSECTION SO THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE CAR STARED RIGHT BACK UP SEEMED FINE. THE A/C WAS ON BUT THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE AN EFFECT ON IT. THE CAR DID THE SAME THING 3 DAYS BEFORE THIS AND I WAS NOT TURNING , I WAS STOPPING BEHIND A CAR THAT WAS TURNING. EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED THE A/C WAS ON AND IT WAS WITHIN 5 MILES OF FIRST STARTING THE CAR. I DID NOTICE THE RPM DROP AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE TO CATCH ITSELF AND REV BACK UP. SEEMS LIKE IT IS RELATED TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE TRANSMISSION OR WITH THE PROGRAMMING OF THE ECU. BRINGING IT TO DEALER FIRST THING IN AM.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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