NHTSA Complaint #10157392 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

AT 200 MILES, MY CAR'S ENGINE STARTED TO RATTLE AND MY POWER LOCK HAD A SHORT. I CALLED AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL 1000 MILES LATER THEY CHECKED THE PROBLEM. THEY GAVE ME AN EXCUSE FOR THE MOTOR RATTLING WAS THAT THERE WAS SUCH THING AS WINTER AND SUMMER FUEL AND THAT I SHOULD CHANGE GASOLINE STATIONS AND BRANDS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND WENT PRACTICALLY ALL OVER TOWN GASHING UP. I JUST HAD IT CHECKED AGAIN AT 1527 MILES, THE NOISE GOT WORST. THE MOTOR RATTLES WHEN I ACCELERATE AND WHEN IT ALSO REACHES THE REGULAR TEMPERATURE. IN THE MORNING WHEN MY ENGINE IS STILL COLD IT DOESN'T RATTLE BUT AS SOON AS IT REACHES THE REGULAR TEMPERATURE IT STARTS RATTLING. MY MOTOR RATTLES A LOT WORST. YESTERDAY AT 1430 MILES AS I WAS WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN, MY CAR WAS GOING TO STALL. MY RPM GAUGE WENT DOWN AND THEN WENT BACK UP. I GOT THE SAME EXCUSE ONCE AGAIN THAT IT WAS THE TYPE OF FUEL AND THAT THERE EXISTED NO REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID "THE CAR IS WORKING THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED" AND "IT IS ALL THROUGH COMPUTERS NOW, DODGE FIXES THE PROBLEMS AND SENDS US THE SOFTWARE AND WE HOOK UP TO YOUR CAR. IN THE MEAN TIME, THERE IS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE AND IT WILL EVENTUALLY GET REPAIRED". THE ONLY THING THEY DID WAS ADD A MOPAR FUEL ADDITIVE BUT I STILL HEAR THE NOISE. I HAVE USED REGULAR, MID-GRADE, AND PREMIUM AND USED DIFFERENT STATIONS AND FUEL COMPANIES AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE RATTLING IS SO BAD THAT NOT EVEN WITH THE AC FULL BLAST CAN YOU TUNE IT OUT. AS FAR AS THE POWER LOCK IS CONCERNED IT WAS REPAIRED, THEY SAID IT HAD A SHORT. THE BAD THING IS THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER POWER LOCKS BUT THE ONLY ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. AS FAR AS SAFETY IS CONCERNED,YOU ARE UNABLE TO OPEN THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS OR THE REAR DOOR, AS THEY HAVE NO POWER LOCKS YOU HAVE TO DO THIS MANUALLY. I HAD TO TEACH MY CHILD TO PULL ON THE LOCK IN ORDER TO OPEN THE DOOR IN THE MEAN TIME THIS GOT FIXED. *JB