Dodge Caliber Safety & Crash Test Results

20 messages, Last post on Oct 26, 2006 at 1:45 PM

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#19 of 20 Re: Attention new owners - Safety first [vrm] by bowling6 Oct 20, 2006 (4:12 pm)
Replying to: vrm (May 24, 2006 1:30 pm) I can say that I wasn't impressed with the safety of my own Caliber as I T-boned a big Dodge truck. He ran the light and I had no reaction time for brakes, nothing. I hit him at 35-40 mph and NONE, yes NONE of the airbage deployed. No steering wheel, no dash, no nothing. Did I mention that both vehicles were totalled ? Let me say that I will not take my payoff and put it back into another Caliber, possibly not even a Dodge for now. Finding out that the sensors are located on the frame for the radiator and not closer to the car's frame or even the front molding and bumpers scares the snot out of me. If I'd known prior, no matter the stars of safety, I wouldn't have bought it. Good Luck ! Replies to this message: jhknight (Oct 26, 2006 1:45 pm)
#20 of 20 Re: Attention new owners - Safety first [bowling6] by jhknight Oct 26, 2006 (1:45 pm)
Replying to: bowling6 (Oct 20, 2006 4:12 pm) You didn't say if you were hurt? As I understand it the Caliber system is made up of "smart" airbags which will not deploy in situation where the seatbelt will do. This is to prevent the extra expense of replacing the airbags and to prevent airbag related injuries. I don't know where the threshold for deployment is but I'm sure it depends on the type of impact. Seems like hitting a pickup on the side would be a "soft" impact which may not trigger the airbags. And if you were not hurt then the seatbelt did its job. The Caliber seems to be built like a tank and the fact you weren't hurt proves how safe it really is, I'm not concerned.

#19 of 20: Re: Attention new owners - Safety first [vrm] by bowling6; Oct 20, 2006 (4:12 pm)

Replying to: vrm (May 24, 2006 1:30 pm)

I can say that I wasn't impressed with the safety of my own Caliber as I T-boned a big Dodge truck. He ran the light and I had no reaction time for brakes, nothing. I hit him at 35-40 mph and NONE, yes NONE of the airbage deployed. No steering wheel, no dash, no nothing. Did I mention that both vehicles were totalled ? Let me say that I will not take my payoff and put it back into another Caliber, possibly not even a Dodge for now. Finding out that the sensors are located on the frame for the radiator and not closer to the car's frame or even the front molding and bumpers scares the snot out of me. If I'd known prior, no matter the stars of safety, I wouldn't have bought it. Good Luck !

jhknight (Oct 26, 2006 1:45 pm)

#20 of 20: Re: Attention new owners - Safety first [bowling6] by jhknight; Oct 26, 2006 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: bowling6 (Oct 20, 2006 4:12 pm)

You didn't say if you were hurt? As I understand it the Caliber system is made up of "smart" airbags which will not deploy in situation where the seatbelt will do. This is to prevent the extra expense of replacing the airbags and to prevent airbag related injuries. I don't know where the threshold for deployment is but I'm sure it depends on the type of impact. Seems like hitting a pickup on the side would be a "soft" impact which may not trigger the airbags. And if you were not hurt then the seatbelt did its job. The Caliber seems to be built like a tank and the fact you weren't hurt proves how safe it really is, I'm not concerned.