NHTSA Complaint #10436868 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW, AND AT 29K SERVICE DEALER REPLACED TIE ROD END AT OUR EXPENSE SAID TO BE OUT OF WARRANTY. 4 NEW TIRES WERE PUT ON THE CAR AND AN ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE PLAY IN FRONT END. CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER AND IT FOUND THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS SEVERELY WORN TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ALMOST FALLING OUT OF THE CAR. THIS ALSO WAS REPLACED AT OUR COST.WITH 6 MONTHS GONE BY AND 6000 MILES WE WERE TOLD THAT THE OTHER TIE ROD WAS BAD AND THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT AT THIS TIME. WE THEN CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID THE WOULD WORK WITH THE DEALER BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO GET THIS FIXED ALSO. WHEN WE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN THEY AGAIN FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINT WAS BAD ALSO. THIS ALL COMES AFTER THE CAR GOES OUT OF WARRANTY AND WE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FRONT END ALMOST EVERY TIME WE BRING IT IN FOR THE OIL CHANGE. IT WAS STATED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE REASON FOR THIS WAS THE BAD DRIVING HABITS OF THE OWNER. AND THIS WAS ALSO THE SAME REASONING BEHIND ALL THE OTHER CALIBERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN QUESTIONED WHY THEY DID NOT FIND THIS EARLIER AND WHY THE FILL OUT A SPECIAL CHECKLIST THAT INCLUDES STEERING AND SUSPENSION, IT WAS STATED THAT THIS INSPECTION IS ONLY A VISUAL INSPECTION, AND THAT IF I HAD NOTICED THAT THE REPORT FORM POINT TO THE ACTUAL STEERING WHEEL NOT THE STEERING COMPONENTS. *TR