KnownCarProblems2011 Dodge Caliber Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Dodge Caliber, most often about the engine (26% of complaints, typically around 7,500 miles). It is 4th of 7 Caliber model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2011 Dodge Caliber problems
Engine
42 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 7,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
I thought the battery died as a result of a light being left on, but attempted to jump start the battery and would not start even after charging battery. It would not even make no noise trying to start it. Was in the process of having it towed to a dealership and driver was able to get it started. Then on 8/12/2012…
First incident occurred in the morning, vehicle stalled and restarted on it's own going around a curve. Later that day in the afternoon, vehicle stalled going around yet another curve this time not restarting. After being towed to a dealership, the PCM was flashed and I was told all would be well. Stalls on off ramp…
Air bags
36 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 68,000 miles.
I was made aware of safety recall s61/ NHTSA 16v-668 via mail on monday the 21st and have made multiple calls and emails to the fiat chrysler automotive company. As of right now there is no firm eta for the repair as parts are not available or in existence yet. They think january but are not sure. I do not consider…
Received notice of loss of air bag and seat belt pretensioner deployment in a crash. Repairs made to the suspension, tyi-rod totaling over $1000.00 in repairs and loss of a car so could not make it to work. This car iis not safe and I am not comfortable driving it with these known recalls. I believe I should be given…
Suspension
30 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 93,500 miles. Parts named most often: front.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle would start shaking and vibrating. In addition, the vehicle would drive rough and there was a loud noise present. The contact noticed that the tires were worn out but were purchased new with six months of use. The contact…
Wife complained on the way home about her car making a strange noise up front... We got out to eat, come home and I put the car on my lift and my jaw hits the floor!! The front crossmember is barely there... For a car with 90k miles, this is beyond embarrassing. See the pictures for yourself... We purchased thos from…
Seat belts
25 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 89,000 miles.
I was made aware of safety recall s61/ NHTSA 16v-668 via mail on monday the 21st and have made multiple calls and emails to the fiat chrysler automotive company. As of right now there is no firm eta for the repair as parts are not available or in existence yet. They think january but are not sure. I do not consider…
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated the air bag warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the driver's seat belt unbuckled independently. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor a dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was…
Electrical
24 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 39,000 miles.
1. Ignition switch slips and shuts car off when turning or with slightest touch such as momentum made when turning by attached keys or light knee tap. Occurs on any highway design that with a maneuver causes force on switch. Loss of control on highways occurs when car then shuts off. Has happened since purchase. For…
Intermittent recurring electrical outage while driving. All chimes will sound and all dash lights will come on. The power is lost, a dash lights flash and turn off and we loose the instruments (speedometer, RPM, etc....). Experience lose of power can barely get it pulled over safely. Air bag light comes on and seat…
Body and structure
21 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 119,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while driving about 20 MPH, a pop sound was heard and there was smoke from underneath the vehicle. There was no fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who was closing for the day. The technician crawled under the vehicle the next day and…
Subframe rusted out on a 2011 Dodge Caliber driver side - had to replace along with a arms rusted out. Made horrible noise and wheel could have fallen. Dealership wanted over $3000 to fix. The car should not have a rusted subframe for the year it is
Speed control
21 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles.
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…
I was driving on a highway going about 55-60mph when lights on my dash came on and my RPM dropped drastically. All of the sudden I could not accelerate and my car lost speed almost instantly. The first incident I was able to pull off the road to safety. This issue continued a few times after and finally it caused…
Transmission
17 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
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…
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.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Dodge Caliber recalls
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ocr, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on october 26, 2016. The recall began on august 15, 2017. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is s61.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 chrysler 200, 2010 chrysler sebring, 2010-2012 dodge caliber and 2010-2014 jeep patriot, compass and dodge avenger vehicles. The occupant restraint control (ocr) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Steering: column
Risk: A missing or incorrectly installed rivet could compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads in the event of a frontal crash, decreasing the effectiveness of the frontal impact safety system. As a result, the condition may increase the potential for injury in a frontal crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect for rivet presence and alignment and repair the steering column pivot as required, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 4, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011dodge journey, jeep wrangler, chrysler 200, chrysler 200 convertible, dodge avenger, dodge nitro, jeep liberty, dodge caliber, jeep compass, jeep patriot, dodge grand caravan and chrysler town & country vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have been built with a missing or incorrectly installed steering column pivot rivet.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Active head rest inadvertent deployment
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe19014 on september 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the active head rest (ahr) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (my) 2014 jeep grand cherokee and dodge durango vehicles.when odi opened the investigation, odi was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.a small number of early warning reports identified driver and/or passenger front seat ahr inadvertent deployments without a rear impact event.reported safety consequences resulting from the ahr deployments include concussions, headaches, soft tissue injuries, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of
Questions about the 2011 Dodge Caliber
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Dodge Caliber?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (42 complaints, typically around 7,500 miles); air bags (36 complaints, typically around 68,000 miles); suspension (30 complaints, typically around 93,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Dodge Caliber have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 15, 2016 (seat belts). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Dodge Caliber?
- It is 4th of 7 Caliber model years by number of complaints, with 165 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.