Front Suspension Control Arm Problems of Dodge Caliber - part 2

Per my mechanic the ball joints need replaced. Having spoken with other Caliber owners, it seems fairly unanimous that they have replaced or need to replace the ball joints on their cars not long after the manufacturer warranty expires. Further it is recommended to replace the whole lower control arm.

See all problems of the 2010 Dodge Caliber 🔎.

At 50,00 miles I was told by the mechanic during an oil change that the vehicles ball joints could fail without warning. I had the ball joints replaced at 50,000 miles and then again at 75,000 miles. At 80,000 miles I also have to replace inner and outer tie rods, control arm bearings, and suspension tie bar links, and struts. Dodge customer service has stated there is a "unresolved" issue. The suspension issues could result in an accident when traveling at highway speeds if the suspension fails.

See all problems of the 2007 Dodge Caliber 🔎.

While turning left, I started to notice an occasional clunk which seemed to be coming from the front driver's side. Within a day, it turned into a constant clunking as I was driving, even while going straight. It was obviously not safe and we took it to the shop. As others have discovered, my entire under carriage is rusting away. I also had to replace ball joints and lower control arms at around 50,000 miles. They say this needs to be done again. The fuel pump had to be replaced a couple months ago. The tires need more frequent replacement as well due to the control arm issues. Serious problems with this vehicle and there should be more recalls than just the recent one. Specifically, with the control arms, the mechanic said he's seen them fail at under 25,000 miles. Absolutely ridiculous!.

I have owned this care for nearly 7 years and I am currently replacing the lower control arms for the third time. I have known multiple people with this same vehicle that have had the same issue. The first time it happened it was just out of warranty by 3000 miles, not it has happened less than 30000 miles each of the two other times. Please have Dodge recall these vehicles as research shows this is a very common issue and something needs done to fix it so you can get normal wear.

Premature failure (38560 miles) of left lower control arm found during annual state inspection. Cost $349 to replace lower control arm and $80 for front end alignment.

See all problems of the 2008 Dodge Caliber 🔎.

At 47,000 miles had a 800. 00 repair to the lower control arm both sides. Also replaced the outer tie rods and new tires, front end alignment. Just under 2 years since this was done another unsuspecting incident with the suspension, wheels shimming at 40mph. Called chrylser, and they stated no recall on my vehicle, however the mechanic that checked the tires said his wife had her vehicle recalled for similar breakdowns. My point all of this started at 47,000 miles. If my tire rods break or some other incident with the suspension I could have a major or fatal accident if I lose control on the freeway. -suspension on these vehicles is very unsafe as is the Chrysler neon. Need verification also if there was a silent recall on this, meaning they only paid when asked. They admitted the problem on the first incident and paid 400. 00 as a good will gesture. The vehicle's suspension is just plain sloppy any way you look at it.

I was slowing down to stop at an intersection and heard a thump on the bottom of the car. As I started to pull forward the steering was very difficult and the I heard a whining sound from the right front tire. I was about a mile from my repair shop so I had my brother follow me with his emergency flashers and drove slowly to the shop where I found out that the subframe was completely rotted through. In the last year, I have had to replace upper and lower control arms and the alternator.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a clunking noise emerging from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the cross members on both sides needed replacement. The contact also stated that a recall notice was received in reference to the front cross members. The vehicle was repaired under the recall. The mechanic noted at the bottom of the repair receipt that both lower control arms and bolt joints needed replacement because of the cross member's wear and tear. The vehicle was not repaired for that failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The NHTSA campaign number was unknown. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 66,836.

See all problems of the 2006 Dodge Caliber 🔎.

I have owned this Dodge Caliber for 6 years now and the lower control arms on this vehicle are a very poor design. In the 6 years that I have owned this car I have replaced the lower control arms 3 times. Both control arms were replaced each time because the bushings were bad, cracked and split. Now for the fourth time I will be replacing these control arms because of this same issue.

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that the passenger rear tire continued to go flat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the tires and noticed both front lower control arms needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified who stated there was no recall for the failure and offered no assistant. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 28,822.

See all problems of the 2009 Dodge Caliber 🔎.

My 2007 Dodge Caliber, which only has 56,000 miles driven, had to have its left front tie rod end replaced at 25,000, and now the lower control arms, right tie rod end and left strut need to be replaced. After some research, I found that many 2007 Dodge Caliber owners are experiencing the same problems. I think that the suspension on these vehicles, specifically the lower control arms, which contain the ball joints, are defective and need to be recalled, before someone gets killed, when their tires fall off the car.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for routine maintenance when the technician detected that the front brake rotors exhibited severe rust and corrosion. The shims, front brakes and rotors were replaced. In addition, the inner tie rods loosened from the steering rack and the front control arm bushing separated. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The failure mileage was 23,167. Updated 06/05/lj the consumer stated that Chrysler has since repaired the vehicle. Updated 06/06/12.

Noticed that the front tires on the vehicle were worn down to the steel radial only on the inside edge, all the way to the steel radial, even though the tires were only a year old. Took it to the shop and found out the ball joint and front control arms needed to be replaced. Auto shop said we were fortunate that we noticed the problem, and suggested not driving any further until it was fixed. Also told us they had two other Calibers this year with same problem. We took the car to the dealership and they confirmed the problem and want to charge $1400 to fix and replace our relatively new tires. Upon researching many owners have had this same problem. Just grateful that we found the problem while parked and before the tires blew on the highway or suspension became even looser.

These cars are dangerous for people to be driving on the highlway. Dodge knows the control arms are defective and they should be made to do a recall on these cars. Luckily, I have not had a wreck in this. Vehicle. If the control arms break while driving,it will be very bad. There are so many complaints on-line about these cars, I am shocked nobody has made Dodge do something about this problem.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while tires were rotated a private mechanic confirmed steel was showing from both side front tires. The failure was confirmed by the mechanic being attributed to both front lower control arms failing. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired and the VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 60,000. Rds.

My 2007 Dodge Caliber recently started making a clunking noise on the front when going over speed bumps and things like that. I took it to a shop and am being told the ball joints are bad and I have to replace control arms along with ball joints because they are attached to eachother. I only have 45000 miles on the car this is outrageous. I hope my extended warranty will cover the repair. I am just glad that my wife was not in the car with our baby when the ball joints failed and got them into a serious wreck. It is too bad that things like that have to happen hundreds or thousands of times before a recall is done. This requires a recall! manufacturer defect!.

The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. While driving approximately 55 mph, the contact noticed a knocking coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the ball joints needed to be replaced. The contact was unable to purchase the ball joints separately. The front passenger side control arm and ball joints were replaced. The contact stated that the control arm and ball joints had to be replaced on both the front driver and passenger sides because the tire was wearing rapidly and the knocking noise was still heard. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

Found both lower control arm's worn to a point where the tires had to be replaced also. And the vehicle would not pass nys inspection because of worn ball joints.

Both outer tire rods failed at 46,000 miles, car sounded like to front end was going to fall off. Replaced and took for alignment. Repair clinic could not do alignment because both lower control arm assemblies with ball joint were unrepairable. Factory defect, joints sealed so unable to lubricate, forces owner to replace at $800. 00 for both or possibly lose control and have a fatal accident.

May 2011 heard a clunking noise. 48000 miles on 2007 Dodge Caliber. Had it checked out and ball joint and control arm needed replaced and 4 new tires that were worn from the vehicle alignment caused from these issues. Now March 2012, we had issues with squeaking noise on left side and had it checked out. Hot burning smell noticed and had broken coil spring and strut that we're causing wear on tire. We will never by a Dodge again!.

In August 2009 with only about 48,000 miles on the car, I had to replace driverside front lower control arm as a bushing that kept falling out. Not covered by warranty nor any recalls. Noticed the part was redesigned so Chrysler was aware of a problem. Now, the passenger side appears to be having the same problem and a mechanic stated the passenger side ball joint is bad with only 77,000 miles on it and the ball joint on the newer control arm is also starting to show wear . I found a significant number of similar complaints of with a simple internet search . The ball joint cannot be serviced or replaced without replacing the whole control arm at a cost of about $250 just for the part. All other cars I have owned had ball joints last well over 150,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. While driving at approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed a squeaking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. Also, when the vehicle would go over a road bump, the steering wheel would feel loose and jerk whenever making a turn. The vehicle was taken to both an independent mechanic and the dealer for diagnostics where the technicians all diagnosed the failure as the driver and passenger side lower control arms and ball joints. The vehicle was repaired by the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a report was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000. Updated 07/28/lj updated 07/28/11.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact was driving 30 mph when the vehicle began to abnormally veer to the left. The contact proceeded to apply the brakes and was barely able to maneuver the vehicle to avoid a crash. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer who diagnosed the failure as the control arm assembly, bushing and rods needing replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 70,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact heard a grinding noise at the front end of the vehicle while driving various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure. The dealer performed a diagnostic and test drove the vehicle. The failure was located at the front ball joint, the tie rod end and the lower control arm. The dealer replaced the front ball joint, tie rod end, lower control arm and the front tires. The manufacturer assisted with the tire replacement cost. The failure mileage was 27,000 and the current mileage was 28,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair and it was discovered that the entire subframe was severely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic recommended the vehicle be driven only short distances due to a potential safety risk. In addition, the front passenger and driver side control arms were replaced on a separate occassion. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

I had to have the whole front end of the vehicle replaced at about 36,000 miles, tie rod ends, ball joints, and lower control arms. Now only 1. 5 years later (at 53,000 miles) one of the control arms is bad again. I'm not sure why all of these parts have such a high failure rate but from doing research on the internet and talking to other Caliber owners this seems to be a very widespread problem that is happening at very low mileage. Eventually somebody is going to get hurt driving one of these things when the steering goes out. I have talked to Chrysler people about the problem but they of course don't want to admit any fault and instead imply that you may have caused the problem yourself due to your driving habits.

3 year old 2007 Dodge Caliber. Flat tire on highway, when new tires were purchased following morning tire tech. Showed me why my tire had a huge hole worn on the side. Right and left lower control arms so badly damaged they suggested I did not drive the vehicle until it was fixed. Until flat tire not one issue with car. No vibration, pulling or anything to lead me to believe there was a major issue with my suspension. What a huge safety concern. Dealer estimate repairs at over $1032. 00 mostly highway miles driven, what a shame this has not been recalled. Research online lead me to find 15 other similar complaints with same Dodge vehicle.

Had tie rod ends replaced by the dealer 4 months ago. Now, 4 months later, the dealer is telling me that I need to have the steering gear, and lower control arms on both sides replaced. The car only has 65,000 miles. There should be no reason for the lower control arms or steering gear to be replaced at such low mileage. Dealer said the car is unsafe to drive. Same thing they said 4 months ago when the tie rods were replaced. Why wasn't the control arm issue noticed when I had the tie rods replaced? I have seen numerous complaints that have to deal with the lower control arms. This is not some freak accident. It is an ongoing problem with no help from Dodge/Chrysler. If there are so many complaints, why is this issue not being looked into a little more carefully? if they want to stay in business much longer they should be dealing with this issue promptly.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds over a road bump, the vehicle would exhibit a loud grinding noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised him that the front lower control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

2007 Dodge Caliber purchased used a year ago. Vehicle now has 38,000 miles and needs both right and left lower control arms. Also have many brake problems with my 2008 Dodge grand caravan (13,500 mi. ) I try to support american companies but shame on me. . Never a Dodge again!.

The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving at 30 mph, there was an abnormal rattle coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the front passenger side ball joints and tie rod were replaced. The failure recurred but on the driver side. The contact was able to secure a future appointment with the dealer for further diagnostic testing. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000 and the current mileage was approximately 41,200. Updated 9/22/10 the consumer stated the left front control arm and bushings were replaced. Updated 09/24/10.

Noticed rattling in front end when going over bumps. Problem diagnosed during an oil change by a national company. The estimate included right control arm and ball joint. Took car to local mechanic who I have dealt with for over 20 years. He stated the right ball joint needed replacing but control arms were fine. Had right ball joint replaced.

Well, I have a few complaints with my vehicle. I have had to replace the same control arm on the front drivers side twice(once at 55,000 and again at 80,000) and have only had the vehicle since 2009. I have complained to the dealership many times about my driver's seat belt coming undone while both hands are on the wheel driving. The service department at parkway told me I wasn't hooking it in correctly but being 26 years of age and always using a seat belt I wonder if I have been doing it wrong all along and if I was, wouldn't this problem happen every time I hooked the belt instead of at random? you would think they would want to fix the problem before they get sued from someone dying from it unhooking while in an accident. My latest problem is with the passenger side window, I was headed to a friends house with the windows half up and when I went to put the windows all the way up, it wouldn't go, it went down, and the passenger side button did not work either, needless to say, I had to park in the parking garage and tape my window when I got home to leave it parked in the street because I only have street parking. Thank you Dodge for making me with I would have stuck with gm.

Was involved in a pd crash when a piece of tire tread appeared in my lane and I struck it causing my engine to have complete failure. When the car was at the dealership being repaired, shop personnel advised me that my front suspension (control arms, etc. ) needed replacement. I had in may, 2010 (mileage approximately 87,000) noticed a looseness to the front end of the vehicle. When I go over rr tracks it sounds almost like a clunking or grinding in the front end. I know it's not my brakes as I have had them looked at. What is the problem with Dodge? I have read numerous complaints on this website in regards to the suspension problem that I am also having.

The first indication of the problem was as I was driving at higher speeds (above 50 mph). I noticed a definite shaking which I took to mean that the tires were not balanced properly. I had the vehicle checked and was told that the front ball joints, control arms and tie rods were worn out. I replaced these parts and the tires as they had begun to wear badly. I am now about to replace the same parts for the fourth time! there are also major problems with the rear suspension. I am replacing the rear control arms and lateral links for the third time! I drive a lot and at first put the problem down to the number of miles I drive. The vehicle is now at approximately 211,000 miles, but this is ridiculous! the last time the front suspension wore out, the right front wheel nearly fell off! the vehicle began to shake severely and as I was a mile or two to my destination, I slowed to a crawl and when I arrived I was nearly sick when I saw how bad it was. Now the front and the rear are bad at the same time. Help me out please! I'm at my wits end as I still owe someone money I had to borrow the last time I needed this fixed. I really don't want a car payment now as my wife lost her job recently.