2007 Dodge Caliber SE 1.8

Faults:

My caliber is junk with wheels, the last Dodge I will ever buy.

Talked to 6 other Caliber owners; all have same kinds of problems.

To start sounds it like a k car in the morning; knocking + tap tap. I'm not talking about fuel injection noise.

Manuel transmission was replaced because of a knock in the bell housing area. My new trans is doing the same thing.

I go on long trips, and when engine warms about half, it taps taps like it has broken pieces in there when going up hills.

My head lights dim, and the engine tries to stall when idling. I had it at two different dealers; they fixed power control module and transmission. One service manger said I hear those noises, but we can't do any more till more coeds come up.

Lemon law won me $2.500 dollars too. She said Chrysler is the worst to deal with; you're lucky to get that.

Changed oil four times with mobil synthetic oil. Is there anybody out there that can help me fix these problems? I can't trade it in as I'm upside down.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th April, 2008

17th Apr 2008, 22:05

Did you try using regular oil instead of synthetic? I've hear of people having the same knocking problem with other brands of vehicles. Good luck.

1st Oct 2009, 01:26

I've got a Caliber with 30,000 km's on it, it's been solid the entire time, no warranty work needed, no problems of any kind so far.

I love changing the oil at 10,000 km's instead of every 5,000km's, I love that it is rock solid on the highway, I love that it's quiet and comfortable at speed with plenty of headroom and legroom... it's a compact, so the elbow room is at a premium, but nothing else has it either.

My only noteworthy criticism is the interior, while reasonably well laid out and the chill zone is a fantastic idea, all round looks cheap.

If I hadn't gotten the car for the price I did, I'd consider complaining, but for all of the functionality for under $14,000, the choice was simply too easy.

P.s. my engine doesn't tick; it should given I routinely spin it to 5000 rpm between shifts (manual), and it's still singing along like the day I got it.

No bumps squeaks or rattles, and the stereo is fine even though it's a base model one... I'm really happy with the car.

2007 Dodge Caliber SXT 2.0 CVT

Summary:

Sporty car, yet fuel efficient

Faults:

The front suspension squeaks when you go over a speed bump or through a large dip. Took it to the dealer and fixed it for a day then they started again. It is still under warranty so still trying to figure it out.

Driver side door catches and won't shut all the way but dealership fixed with no problems.

The I Pod holder on the arm rest broke. The pin fell out on one side but still works.

General Comments:

I love how sporty this car looks. The CVT is hard to get used to because it uses high RPM's then your speed catches up so it took some getting used to, but now I love it! It saves a bunch on gas I am getting 30 MPH.

It is tough to speed up fast although once you get going you can really go.

When the engine is cold it is pretty loud, but once in warms up it is really quiet.

The seats are really comfortable for long trips and the back seat is HUGE!! I haven't seen anyone squished in the back seat.

The drink cooler is really nice for bottles of water but I wish it would fit bigger bottles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th March, 2008

30th Mar 2008, 01:05

Treat the CVT like an airplane. Set your rpms & go. Like an airplane propellor pulling you down the road (runway), the CVT Caliber accelerates very smoothly with no hitches. Like an airplane, the rpms stay the same. The CVT will give OK MPG only if you very very carefully accelerate & keep your highway speeds low.

The rear seat isn't overly roomy. The exterior Caliber is 2 inches wider than the Hyundai Accent small car. Yet the Accent's interior width equals the interior width of the Caliber. Also, the middle passenger in the rear has a terrible time finding space for their feet.

31st Mar 2008, 09:53

Have 30,000km on the clock not one reliability issue yet. Seems to be a reliable car. Ride is quiet. Cruising speed is very smooth. Highway driving is o.k. as well.