Two problems related to vehicle shudder have been reported for the 2008 Dodge Caliber. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2008 Dodge Caliber based on all problems reported for the 2008 Caliber.
My 2008 Caliber had a real bad tapping noise from the engine area, when I was reading online what it could be I found that the adjuster pulley on the alternator was the culprit, so I replaced it only to still hear when accelerating the car make a grinding noise like rubbing metal together from the transmission, I took it to a local mechanic and watched them inspect the transmission, the mechanics told me it is the gears in the transmission. The car has 80,000 miles on it, and of course the warranty is up, the dealership says they can't help as usual. Besides the pulley and the transmission the body has corrosion under the passenger door as well as in the hatch area. I still have 4 more payments on the car and should not have transmission or body failures when the car is not exposed to harsh conditions and has 70,000 miles. I will never buy another Dodge/Chrysler vehicle again.
My 17 yr old daughter was driving our 2008 Dodge Caliber when acceleration was lost. The car started shaking when she tried to give it fuel and the electronic throttle system like came on. Needless to say, she was very shaken by this ordeal. We have an extended warranty that we purchased through carmax, with a 300. 00 deductible, however the warranty company would only pay 144. 00 dollars of the 647. 00 total bill. The car has approx 70,000 miles so I don't understand why the throttle system would be defective. According to the repair shop, the needle inside the throttle that feeds the fuel was defective. Luckily my daughter was not on the main highway when it went out, otherwise it could have been more serious. I am voicing my complaint on this part and all be ware of the throttle needle going bad. I will also make this a formal complaint with Dodge as well.