NHTSA Complaint #10561042 — 2008 DODGE CALIBER

REFERENCE CHRYSLER TSB 23-035-07 FOR SOME (POSSIBLY) VALUABLE, RELATED INFORMATION. TAIL LIGHT LENS CONDENSING AND CONTAINING WATER. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER ABOUT THIS MATTER TWICE. THE SECOND TIME I REPORTED IT, I HAD GONE IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE AND, BY CHANCE, WAS GIVEN A 2011 DODGE CALIBER AS A RENTAL. BOTH TAIL LIGHTS HAD CONDENSATION AND AT LEAST 1/2" OF WATER IN THEM. I POINTED THIS OUT THE GENERAL MANAGER, TELLING HIM I THOUGHT IT WAS A DEFECT, WITHOUT LETTING HIM EVEN KNOW THAT IT WAS 'HIS' CAR. HE ONLY NODDED IN AGREEMENT. I TOLD HIM THAT THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT EXCEPT FOR ME TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT LENS ASSEMBLY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO TSB'S RELATED TO THIS. WHEN I TOLD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE TSB I FOUND, THEY SAID THE REFERENCE TO "EXTERIOR LAMP" IS TO THE 'HEADLAMPS' AND NO OTHERS. THOUGH MY DEALER IS WILLING TO HELP ME WITH THE COST OF A REPLACEMENT LENS ASSEMBLY, AND SINCE I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, AND I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR TO THEM TO CARRY THE BURDEN. FINALLY, IF ONE WERE TO PERFORM A GOOGLE SEARCH RELATING TO THIS ISSUE THEY WOULD FIND THAT THERE IS CLEARLY AN ONGOING AND PERVASIVE ISSUE WITH NOT ONLY THE DODGE CALIBER LINE OF MOST YEARS SINCE PRODUCTION STARTED, BUT MANY OTHER MODELS AS WELL. IN PARTICULAR, THE CALIBER FORUM SITES HAVE MANY COMPLAINTS POSTED REGARDING THIS MATTER AND THE LENGTHS THE OWNERS HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH TO RESOLVE THE MATTER ON THEIR OWN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR