CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2007 Dodge Caliber has all kinds of suspension problems at relatively low mileage: typically 40-50,000 miles.

The most commonly reported problems are with ball joints & control arms going bad. Tie rods & leaking struts are also reported failing in the same mileage range.

Unfortunately all the suspension problems means some owners only find out after they notice their tires are ruined.

We've given the 2007 Caliber our worst rating because these problems happen at such low mileage, & it involves a wide range of apparently defective parts. With most other cars, major suspension work is pretty rare under 50,000 miles.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,758 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2007 Dodge Caliber suspension problems

suspension problem

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2007 Dodge Caliber Owner Comments (Page 8 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #61

Jan 172014

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 75,825 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2007 Dodge Caliber was diagnosed by an authorized service center to have a corroded engine cradle and a broken sway bar bracket. The car was deemed unsafe to drive by the servicing center, and I was given an estimate of $731 to repair it. At the time of the diagnosis, the car was only 7 years old with 75,825 miles on it. I contacted Dodge to see if they would offer any assistance, and I explained that I found it completely unacceptable that the frame of my vehicle had rusted through to the point that it was unsafe to drive the vehicle. Dodge customer service contacted the service center to verify the diagnosis and confirmed that they had told me the car was unsafe to drive. However, customer service offered no assistance and told me that they were unable to do anything because the car was outside of it's 3 year warranty and I "didn't fit the parameters" for them to be able to help me. An engine cradle that has completely corroded after just 75,000 miles is a serious safety hazard and, in my opinion, also indicative of a serious manufacturing defect, yet both the dealership and Dodge refused to do anything to rectify the situation.

- Greenville, PA, USA

problem #60

Jan 012014

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 76,150 miles
My 2007 Dodge Caliber was taken to my mechanic where it was found that the main subframe had rusted through in multiple places. The car is only 6 years old and has approximately 76,150 miles. I called Chrysler and mentioned it. Customer service stated that they would only provide cost assistance if I had the work done at a Chrysler dealership. The car was taken apart and on the lift at my preferred mechanic. I had my mechanic provide the service. I did receive a quote from a local Chrysler dealership it would have cost me $ $850. My mechanic did the service for $ $650. Chrysler has refused payment. This subframe components is rusted through in three locations. After only 6 years, this doesn't seem acceptable on a major front end component.

- Lebanon, ME, USA

problem #59

Jan 252013

Caliber 6-cyl

  • miles
5 Y/R car with completely rusted sub-frame which needs replaced.

- Cheswick, PA, USA

problem #58

Nov 092013

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 34,220 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When doing a brake job I noticed the front K member had a corrosion hole in the back of it, this is the front sub frame that holds the powertrain and front suspension.

- Duncansville, PA, USA

problem #57

Oct 242013

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 104,000 miles
I was slowing down to stop at an intersection and heard a thump on the bottom of the car. As I started to pull forward the steering was very difficult and the I heard a whining sound from the right front tire. I was about a mile from my repair shop so I had my brother follow me with his emergency flashers and drove slowly to the shop where I found out that the subframe was completely rotted through. In the last year, I have had to replace upper and lower control arms and the alternator.

- Pinckney, MI, USA

problem #56

Jul 152013

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 84,511 miles
Started to hear squeaking and clanging noises in the front passenger side of my car. It would make the noises with every bump and especially could hear it going down hills. Then the steering wheel would wobble and it felt like I was driving on a flat tire, but tire pressure was fine. When it started to be all over the road, like I was constantly hydro-planning, I researched on line and found that this particular year and model of car has major problems with the control arms, ball bearings and tie rods. I made an appointment with my mechanic and told him I thought it was the passenger side control arm. He checked it out and it was both control arms with connected ball bearing, both tie rods and both sway bar end links needing replaced. He also discovered that the tires that had been put on not even 9 months ago where showing threads. Cost of repair not including the new tires and alignment was $887. Will be up over $1000 after tires are replaced and alignment is complete. I was afraid to drive on wet pavement, had very little control of the car. Was always correcting the steering while driving, it just pulled and when I hit a bump it would jerk to the side where the bump was.

- St. Clairsville, OH, USA

problem #55

Oct 022013

Caliber

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While under my Dodge I noticed that there is a large amount of rust. After further inspection I saw that they designed the ac condensation to drip directly onto the frame. This baffles me since all they had too do is design a tube to direct the water onto the ground. I am not sure exactly how this has effected the strength of the frame but from the amount of rust on the spot where the water drips I don't have a warm and fuzzy that the frame will last the life of the car or that the frame won't just snap while driving and cause an accident. Very unsafe practice and with such an easy fix don't understand it at all.

- Willowick, OH, USA

problem #54

Oct 022013

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 104,000 miles
Woke up to a flat tire. While placing on the spare I realized that all four tires were dangerously low on each of their inner tread. Alignment" maybe however was aligned 7 months ago. Tire tread is within safe limits on the outer side. Have complained for years to the dealer that the suspension squeaks and was told need new wheel bearings, at approx. 35,000 miles. The suspension has been an issue about a year after we bought it. Of course while under warranty nothing was replaced or fixed. Now out of warranty we will have to have someone figure out the problem and fix for who knows how much money. My complaint steams from having suspension issues within the first two years of owning this car. How does this happen? I have seen many posts on online forums with the same problem but Dodge doesn't care or willing to fix their mistake? while we have driven it to over 100,000 miles the suspension issues have been there for years and no dealer ever fixed anything? no recall" it now is unsafe to drive and will cost us an arm and leg to fix whatever Dodge didn't care to put research into building properly the first time.

- Willowick, OH, USA

problem #53

Aug 222013

Caliber

  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while having regular maintenance performed on the vehicle, the technician advised her that the lower ball joints were loose and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 63,000.

- Frederick , MD, USA

problem #52

Sep 032012

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 62,563 miles
While backing from driveway onto street, the right front side of the vehicle dropped with a pop noise, stopping the car. The car required a lot of engine power to move. Looked under the car and observed a portion of the coil spring pressing hard against/into the tire. Had vehicle towed to a repair shop. Manager informed me the right front coil spring was broken. He was unable to locate any oem parts from Dodge or any aftermarket replacements. When he contacted after market suppliers, he was told it is too soon for this part to need replaced and suppliers were not yet manufacturing aftermarket replacement parts. Waited over 2 weeks for Dodge to supply parts. Thank god the coil spring did not break while moving along the highway! it surely would have caused a loss of control and a serious accident! the manager says he has been seeing a high incidence of this type of premature failure and would expect Dodge to issue a recall soon due to the obvious safety concerns. Evidently, there is an abnormally high demand for the replacement springs which is probably the reason for the lack of available parts. The supply is being constantly depleted by breakdowns. I would guess many accidents are being caused by this coil spring failure and go undocumented as the cause because the coil spring damage is assumed to be a result of the accident and not the cause! after all, how often is the coil spring going to fail while the car is sitting still vs while driving?? I urgently request you to hasten your investigation of this issue. Thank you.

- Lewistown, IL, USA

problem #51

Jun 272013

Caliber 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I called Dodge Chrysler about the fact that my car needs: 2 rear lower control arms, 2 lateral links, struts, bellows, 2 sway bar links, bushings and 4 wheel alignments. Not to mention the abnormal wear I've had on these tires, where, Chrysler dealerships have told me you can't do wheel alignments on the rear of the car. It needs $1700 worth of repairs. The car is not that old but I don't think it should need this much repair. I understand you can't get parts for this car. No recall? there are so many other of these cars with similar problems.

- Buchanan, NY, USA

problem #50

May 142013

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 77,000 miles
Car is hard to start cranks very slow and there is a tapping sound like a bad lifter upon starting but goes away when the car warms up. The wheel bearings had to be replaced. Alignment was way off and tires had to be replaced. Brakes have to be replaced. There is a hollow noise from the rear of the vehicle. After jacking the car up to check that sound out the rear passenger wheel would not come off the ground. After replacing the front wheel bearings and new tires the car now shakes and vibrates in the front end. The car has been at the repair center for 10 days on and off. This last time it has been there for 6 days and counting. These vehicles are unsafe for the road and should be recalled and taken off the road permanently. There are way too many problems with these vehicles and the manufacturer will not do anything about it. NHTSA needs to step up and hold the manufacturer accountable before someone gets seriously injured or killed. Do not wait until there is a fatality! action needs to be taken now!

- Putnam, CT, USA

problem #49

Jun 112010

Caliber 4-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
Well, I have a few complaints with my vehicle. I have had to replace the same control arm on the front drivers side twice(once at 55,000 and again at 80,000) and have only had the vehicle since 2009. I have complained to the dealership many times about my driver's seat belt coming undone while both hands are on the wheel driving. The service department at parkway told me I wasn't hooking it in correctly but being 26 years of age and always using a seat belt I wonder if I have been doing it wrong all along and if I was, wouldn't this problem happen every time I hooked the belt instead of at random? you would think they would want to fix the problem before they get sued from someone dying from it unhooking while in an accident. My latest problem is with the passenger side window, I was headed to a friends house with the windows half up and when I went to put the windows all the way up, it wouldn't go, it went down, and the passenger side button did not work either, needless to say, I had to park in the parking garage and tape my window when I got home to leave it parked in the street because I only have street parking. Thank you Dodge for making me with I would have stuck with GM.

- Hamtramck, MI, USA

problem #48

Apr 262012

Caliber

  • 56,000 miles
My 2007 Dodge Caliber, which only has 56,000 miles driven, had to have its left front tie rod end replaced at 25,000, and now the lower control arms, right tie rod end and left strut need to be replaced. After some research, I found that many 2007 Dodge Caliber owners are experiencing the same problems. I think that the suspension on these vehicles, specifically the lower control arms, which contain the ball joints, are defective and need to be recalled, before someone gets killed, when their tires fall off the car.

- Kearney, NE, USA

problem #47

Sep 082012

Caliber

  • miles
I purchased the car in December 2011 with the front struts needing to be replaced. The day I bought it, the electrical throttle system light came on and it shook violently and shut off. I waited a few minutes and it started back up. After replacing the struts, and the tire rod ends, the car was fine. By August 2012, the ball joints and tire rod ends needed to be replaced again, and this time the control arm, so I replaced them. In November 2012, I replaced the battery and alternator. In February 2013, the car began shutting off as I would accelerate, making the creaking and rattling noises near the front tires, and the steering wheel would shake and the wheels would sound like they would come off as I would brake from highway speeds. So I took the car to the shop, and once again, the ball joints, tire rod ends, crank shaft, spark plugs, coil pack, oil sensor and a few other things. My check engine light is back on, and it reads gascap, so I replaced it, and two weeks later it is still on. And here it is March 14, 2013 I am hearing the creaking and rattling noises again, and the wobbling sound of the tires and shaking of the steering wheel when I break. Just this morning on my way taking my kids to school, pulling away from a stop light, the car was cutting off. This car is not safe, and I have children. I cannot afford to keep shelling out 1,000 dollars to fix this car every month or every few months. What can be done about this"??"

- Hazel Crest, IL, USA

problem #46

Aug 262007

Caliber 4-cyl

  • miles
2007 Dodge Caliber. Consumer requests reimbursement for defective door recall. The consumer stated on August 15, 2007, she took her vehicle to the dealer to have the regular maintenance performed and at that time, the dealer had the opportunity to check for recalls, but they didn't. on August 26, 2007, the consumer was involved in an accident, which resulted in the left rear passenger door being damaged, when the vehicle failed to stop after applying the brake. The consumer stated when she attempted to apply the brake, it kicked back and delayed her stopping. Also, the vehicle was displaying a pull and the tires were wearing quickly.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #45

Sep 122012

Caliber

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving through a large puddle of water at low speeds, the wheels locked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and they advised him that they were unable to reenact the failure since there was no water to drive through. After the failure occurred the vehicle stalled on an intermittent basis while driving at various speeds. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. The current mileage was approximately 66,000.

- West Palm Beach , FL, USA

problem #44

Sep 142012

Caliber

  • 56,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact was driving 35 mph and traveled over a road bump when the front of the vehicle exhibited an abnormal grinding noise. The contact stated that no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or a mechanic for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 56,000.

- Goosecreek, SC, USA

problem #43

Oct 302012

Caliber

  • 54,000 miles
Vehicle taken in for tire rotation.located excessive wear in lower ball joints, tierod ends and control arm bushings.many entries on internet of others with same vintage Calibers finding same prob with premature wear. Failure of any of the above components.

- Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA

problem #42

Jul 202012

Caliber

  • 57,565 miles
My cars tie rods are going out, already happened once on one side and now its going out on the other, because I can feel it, this is a huge problem bc I am scared to drive my car because I have a four year old lil boy, I need this problem fixed before it falls apart and either of us die then there will be a lawsuit because my car only has 57,565 miles on it and shouldn't already going out on me, the first time they went out Dodge did pay for it in full. But now it is going out on the other side so I am asking for help or for U to pay for it again since it is a defected part, thanks

- Charlotte , TN, USA

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