NHTSA Complaint #10562366 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

THE VEHICLE HAD NUMEROUS THROTTLE ISSUES AND AIR CONDITIONING ISSUES THAT NUMEROUS AUTO SERVICE SHOPS WERE NOT ABLE TO FULLY TAKE CARE OF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED, LIGHTLY AND NORMALLY THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE INAPPROPRIATELY AND KIND OF JERK FORWARD. IN ADDITION, WHEN TURNING AND THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED NORMALLY THE CAR WOULD SEEM TO LOSE POWER AND SEEM TO GLIDE INTO THE TURN AND THEN JERK FORWARD. THESE THROTTLE ISSUES WERE NEVER FULLY EXPLAINED OR FIXED. AFTER A WHILE THE CAR DASH STARTED FLASHING A RED ELECTRICAL BOLT AND THE CAR WOULD SHUTTER AND SHAKE AND LOSE ALL POWER. INITIALLY, WHEN THIS OCCURRED I WAS ABLE TO JUST TURN THE CAR OFF AND WAIT AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON AND IT WOULD FUNCTION FOR A WHILE. ALSO, IF THE CAR WAS IDLING AT A STOPLIGHT OR PARKED THE ELECTRICAL BOLT WOULD FLASH AND THE CAR WOULD START TO SHAKE. AFTER SOME TIME THE VEHICLE'S LEFT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. WHEN REPLACED IT STILL DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE'S ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONAL. WITHIN A WEEK AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED WITHOUT A "JUMP" AND EVEN SO WOULD LOSE POWER ONCE PARKED AND COULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE AUTO MECHANIC, SPECIFICALLY AN AUTO ELECTRICIAN, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $700 PLUS LABOR. IN RESPONSE TO THIS I RESEARCHED THE PART AND CAME ACROSS NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE SAME EVENTUAL DIAGNOSIS. THE CAR HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY UNDRIVABLE AND UNSAFE. THERE WAS THE CONSTANT WORRY THAT THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WOULD HAPPEN WHILE ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND CAUSE VERY UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. IT IS MY OPINION A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR