NHTSA Complaint #10628926 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

I'VE HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW (A 2007( AROUND THANKSGIVING 2006. THE FIRST ISSUE INVOLVED THE STEERING AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH FRONT STRUTS, CONTROL ARMS AND OUTER TIE ROD ENDS WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT - AT 6K MILES! THIS REPAIR ALSO INVOLVED REPLACING THE REAR BRAKE SHOES. THE STEERING WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN PARKING OR PARALLEL PARKING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. I HAD THIS REPAIR PERFORMED USING PARTS I PURCHASED MYSELF AND A LOCAL MECHANIC I FOUND ON CRAIGSLIST WHO WAS WILLING TO DO THE LABOR FOR ABOUT $300 INCLUDING THE NECESSARY 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE PARTS COST ABOUT $500 OR SO. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE I BROUGHT THE CAR HOME HAS BEEN THIS RATTLE AND CLUNK IN THE REAR SUSPENSION. IT SEEMS THAT NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM MAY BE. I REPLACED THE REAR SHOCKS MYSELF THINKING THAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT STILL MAKES THIS ANNOYING NOISE. THE CAR HAS NO REAR SWAY BAR. I WAS TOLD IT'S NOT A CONTROL ISSUE AND HAVE "LIVED WITH IT" AS ANNOYING AS IT IS ALL THESE YEARS. IT SEEMS IT HAS NOT AFFECTED THE VEHICLE CONTROL, BUT IT'S A NUISSANCE. I'M GETTING READY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM MYSELF AS IT MUST BE THE REAR CONTROL ARMS OR TOE LINKS. THIS ALWAYS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING OVER AN UNEVEN SURFACE LIKE A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY OR A VERY BUMPY ROAD. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THE FRONT TIE RODS APPEAR TO BE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT YET AGAIN AS I INPSECTED THESE MYSELF AND NOTED THERES NO BOOT ON THEM AND GETTING SOME STEERING NOISES AGAIN, INCLUDING A CLUNK WHILE STEERING OR BRAKING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. MIGHT NEED ANOTHER SET OF CONTROL ARMS (NOT SURE YET) REALLY FEEL AS IF DODGE SHOULD ADDRESS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A DEFECT AND PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS - AS I'VE BEEN READING HERE AND ON PLENTY OF CALIBER FORUMS I'M DEFINITELY NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S HAD THESE EXACT PROBLEMS. *TR