NHTSA Complaint #10579324 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

THE FIRST SIGNS OF A PROBLEM WERE A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT DID NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME, AND I DID NOTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL DECEMBER, WHEN A PORTION OF A STRAP WITH ELECTRICAL WIRE EMBEDDED BEGAN TO PROTRUDE FROM THE UPPER STEERING COLUMN. IT SOON BEGAN TO BE A NUISANCE AS THE PORTION GREW LONGER AND WOULD CATCH ON THE STEERING POSITION ADJUSTMENT KNOB. I GREW ALARMED WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS A BROKEN CLOCKSPRING, AND THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART. IT COST ME OVER $300 TO GET THIS REPAIRED, AND NOW I SEE TOYOTA IS DOING A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME THING, A SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY THAT BECOMES DAMAGED FROM TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT IS A POOR DESIGN. TOYOTA IS REPLACING THIS WITH A BETTER PART, BUT I DO NOT THINK DODGE DID THAT, AND I HAD TO PAY TO GET THIS REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AND BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY DODGE ALSO. *JS