Ask the Car People.SM


Dodge Caliber Transmission Problems

165 messages,  Last post on May 16, 2013 at 7:45 PM

You are in the Dodge Caliber Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Dodge Caliber, Transmission, Wagon

Messages Page 11 of 17

#95 of 165 Re: CVT Problems? [salinebobt] by greylady3

Jul 07, 2010 (5:32 pm)

Replying to: salinebobt (May 13, 2010 1:09 pm)
So yesterday I drove about 150 miles round trip in my 2007 SXT (63000 miles) with about an 8 hr gap between trips No problem, ran fine. This morning when I tried to back out of my carport the car didn't move for 3 or 4 seconds and then threw itself into reverse. Ditto drive. Once it was moving I had no problem. Tucson Dodge tells me I'm going to need a whole new tranny, which I have to wait for because they are on "National Back Order." This tells me there are a lot of failing 2007 trannies. Mine's on warranty, but they still want $100.00 deductible on it. While I was waiting, I overheard that in the past two weeks, they have had 3 tranny failures on Calibers. May I hope I get the car paid off before the new tranny croaks?:

#96 of 165 Re: CVT Problems? [greylady3] by gizm0man

Jul 08, 2010 (2:21 pm)

Replying to: greylady3 (Jul 07, 2010 5:32 pm)
Just got off the phone with my Dodge dealership. Last Tuesday my car started making a warbling sound. Dropped it off this AM. They called this afternoon, it's the tranny. I have 50800 miles on it. I paid for an extended warrantee when I got the car 3 years ago. They are waiting for an inspector for the insurance company to inspect the car. Hopefully the repair will be covered, but who knows when it will be repaired. Does this look like a class action may be in the works, if so many trannys are breaking?

#97 of 165 2007 dodge tranny problem by jlmjodi

Jul 16, 2010 (9:40 pm)

I have a 2007 dodge caliber. Just like many posts I have read my car would be driving 10 miles rpms winding up to 3000 going no where I had a software update then a tranny flush (the flush was almost 300.) my car has 60,000 miles supposedly you don't need that service til 100,000 miles still the same problem. My last visit to the shop the car was diagnosed as needing a new catalytic converter (covered under warranty) and a new tranny-not covered 3700. No help from crystler Corp does anyone have any ideas or has had any luck with getting assistance for this problem??help!!

#98 of 165 Re: 2007 dodge tranny problem [jlmjodi] by gizm0man

Jul 17, 2010 (12:37 pm)

Replying to: jlmjodi (Jul 16, 2010 9:40 pm)
My dealer called Wed and told me that the extended warranty company had located will cover the replacement with a used tranny. Service agent said that there was a long back order on new ones. Now it's just a waiting game for the tranny to show up at the dealer.

#99 of 165 Re: 2007 dodge tranny problem [gizm0man] by jlmjodi

Jul 18, 2010 (7:06 am)

Replying to: gizm0man (Jul 17, 2010 12:37 pm)
I wish I had bought the extented warranty am getting NO help from chrystler they tell me it's not a common issue with this car,funny the transmissions are on back order! Has anyone had any luck getting chrystler to pay for any not covered work?

#100 of 165 Re: some transmission......! [bigtsr] by dodgesucks2

Aug 10, 2010 (6:20 pm)

Replying to: bigtsr (Jan 31, 2009 9:56 am)
Do you happen to work for Dodge by any chance? You sure do take offence to peoples complaints about this POS? We pay for this car with our hard earned money and yeah we are pi**** that it has cost us so much time and money!! And people like you and the dodge corporation don't give a fling rats a** about it. If you had paid for your car instead of driving a car off the lot with your special new car dealer tag you would be mad also!

#101 of 165 POS 2007 Dodge Caliber by ymartinez067

Aug 11, 2010 (11:59 am)

I'm irritated with this car. I bought this car used and actually swore to myself I would never buy another dodge when my 2001 Dodge Intrepid overheated and blew a head gasket under 100K miles cause air got into the line. Anyways, I got this car because I didn't have time to go look for a car and my dad did me the favor. I got it in 2009 it had 65K miles, so yeah me, everything was out of warranty!
 
First problem (alternator): Well I figured it was okay since it gave me decent gas mileage, a month after the alternator started sparking! I could have died because of the stupid thing, my car could have caught on fire if I was not car savvy. New alternator cost me around $400 from Kragen and then to install it was an even bigger pain. I tried yanking it out through the hood but the stupid design left me jacking up my car, removing my wheel well and barely getting it out. When I did get it out besides the sparks I saw when I turned on my engine, the alternator case was melted and wires were clearly visible. Stupid POS!
 
Second problem (battery): Not too long after that, I began smelling sulfur. It took me a while to figure out that the alternator damaged the battery enough so that acid was starting to leak and steam/burn while the car was in drive. What's worse is that since I didn't realize the battery was toasted, I was still driving my car around and periodically it would shut itself off while I was on the freeway driving 65 mph! I had no idea what was going on until I realized the sulfur I was smelling was not from driving in marshland neighborhoods, but my battery.
 
Third and Fourth problem (engine and catalytic converter): This started happening around 90K miles. first I get a P0420 code when my check engine came on. I was and still am in disbelief, catalytic converter going out? WTF?, then shortly after the first code I kept getting a P0304 error code which was a cylinder 4 misfire. Okay I thought it was the spark plugs, changed them all and code was still there. Drove the car for a bit then the code went away and m=no symptoms of anything wrong, a few days later it came back, then would go away. This is when I named my car Diva since she's so moody. Anyways code kept doing the same thing then the symptoms appeared the car was shaky, knocking, and the check engine light started to flash. I had no idea what was going on. I have given my car regular maintenance. I bought a new coil for cylinder 4, switched the old ones around, checked the electrical, replaced the fuel injector for cylinder 4, did test after test, and then decided to do a compression test. Sure enough i was only getting 20 on the compression test reading on cylinder 4 while I was getting a reading of 70 on the others. F*&^*$# piece of machinery! Opened up the engine to find that the ring on the piston was completely caked on and burnt onto the piston, same thing for the rest of the pistons and rings but not as bad as cylinder 4. How can this many things happen to a car that is under 3 yrs old and under 100k miles????? So after overhauling the engine I'm out $3,000.
 
So when I get my car put back together I thought that the P0420 code was part of the misfire but no, I was wrong. I still have the catalytic converter code. Okay, so I replace the oxygen sensor, nope not the problem. I call around to see how much it would cost to fix the cat, another $500, and what's even better about that is that no one I called can get the cat so I have to take it to the dealer and get charged up the ass for the part and labor.
 
Fifth problem (brakes): When I first got the car, I did an entire tune up of the car and replaces all the disk and brake pads. First thing I noticed was that the front disk rotor had hot spots and the previous owner had let the brake pads go raw. Okay fixed that, but less than a year after this replacement, my front driver disk rotor has hot spots again, and the brake pad on that side was completely ate up, and the passenger side, everything looked brand new? I just don't know what to do with that, I've never seen anything like it
 
Sixth problem (front struts): My struts are out on the front. What a load of crap!!! Who has heard of struts going out on a three year, now four year old car???
 
Although I find my car's interior design pleasing, the workmanship on this vehicle is as if two year olds had assembled it with their erector sets! If this is not a lemon I don't know what is!
 
I really would love to get a class action suit against dodge for selling us this POS!!!
 

#102 of 165 Re: CVT Problems? [jakesmom97] by thurton

Nov 28, 2010 (9:34 pm)

Replying to: jakesmom97 (May 15, 2010 7:14 pm)
HI, I am i bought a Dodge caliber in 2007 and it was the biggest mistake i had ever made.
  Within the first year, the transmission light started to come on about once, then the light started to come on within 40 miles of driving and it did not matter if it was in the mountains or on flat land.
  I tuck it to the dealer where i bought it in San Bernardino and they could not find the problem . within 2 years it broke down and i had it towed to the said dealer , they did not slove the problem , 1month after that the car broke down and would not start so it wos towet again to the said dealer, the car wos there for close to a week (6 Days?) . during that time i went there twice to see the engin andmaby trans in pieces.
  When i receive the car it work great for about a week and it started to go into the "iimp " mode agein.
   When i return the car again , i wos told they could not doplicate the condition to see the problem for them self. 2 1/2 years i had to change the alternater and battery..
     I still have the problem it gose today it went off twice . I LEARN TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM, WHEN TI GOSE IN (LIMP) MODE.
  When the light comes on, i pull to the side of the road untill the light gose off in about 10 minutes.thanks , you might have to live with the problem like i am doing.

#103 of 165 2007 Headache by headache1

Dec 07, 2010 (8:48 am)

Love my Dodge Caliber. NOT!!!
Just had the car 3 years and the Transmission needs replaced. I was a big Dodge fan cause at one point in time it was the only company that didn't give me the run around. I would not suggest this car to anyone.

#104 of 165 Tranny still sick by gizm0man

Dec 07, 2010 (3:22 pm)

Had my tranny replaced with a used one in July since new ones were on back order. Ever since I've had a hesitation/loss of power when the car shifts from 1st to 2nd at rpm. Dealer has tried to flash the memory but nothing has worked. They are getting no error codes. Took it back in yesterday and they are waiting for the extended warranty company to give the OK to replace the tranny again.

Messages Page 11 of 17

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement