NHTSA Complaint #10424604 — 2008 DODGE CALIBER

WHILE OPERATING THE 2008 DODGE CALIBER 2.0L ENGINE AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH, THE CAR INSTANTLY STOPPED WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. THEN THE CAR WOULD GO FROM 7MPH TO 50MPH IN A RAPID ACCELERATION AND THEN BACK DOWN TO 7MPH. THIS WAS RATHER DANGEROUS AS I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED NUMEROUS TIMES DESPITE HAVING MY EMERGENCY SIGNAL FLASHING LIGHTS ON AS WELL AS DRIVING IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE. THE CAR ALSO EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE BACK FIRING AND ONE LOUD EXPLOSION SOUNDED AS IF IT OCCURRED IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND AN AUTO PARTS STORE LAST NIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE TECH THERE USE THE ODBII READER AND IT INDICATED THE ERROR P0132 WHICH IS THE OXYGEN SENSOR AS THE FAILING UNIT. THE FAILURE OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR NEARLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE DODGE CALIBER WAS ALMOST IMPACTED BY OTHER CARS IN TRAFFIC AS THE OTHER CARS WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE DODGE CALIBER TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE FROM 45MPH TO 7MPH. THE PART WAS REPLACED ASAP THE NEXT DAY WITH BOSCH PART # 15124 AND UPON TESTING FOR 20 MINUTES THE CAR OPERATED WITHOUT ERROR. I CALLED DODGE TO INQUIRE ABOUT A RECALL OR WARRANTY WORK AND THEY DECLINED BOTH. IN REGARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY, I REQUEST THAT A CASE BE OPENED TO INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION AND OTHERS LIKE IT. THE DESIRED OUTCOME IS TO HAVE DODGE RECALL THE O2 SENSORS AS THIS TYPE OF FAILURE CAN BE CATASTROPHIC WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS WITH TRAFFIC. *TR