Car Defect Radar
Get the report
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 2 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

2 total · 2 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 16V668000 · Sep 2016

If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 10V197000 · May 2010

AN UNLATCHED DOOR COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF AN UNBELTED FRONT SEAT PASSENGER BEING EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FRONT RIGHT DOOR LOCK ROD AS REQUIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

157 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
50

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 30transmission slipping 13unintended acceleration 2
A recent report: The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine unexpectedly shut off. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The engine…
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The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine unexpectedly shut off. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The engine oil warning light as intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no cause of failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V373000 (Electrical System, Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11655861 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
23

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 9software faults 4
A recent report: Driver's side headlight stopped working and the bulb is still good. Called the dealership and apparently this is a common problem they know that they r trying to charge 1200 dollors to fix. They…
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Driver's side headlight stopped working and the bulb is still good. Called the dealership and apparently this is a common problem they know that they r trying to charge 1200 dollors to fix. They should have to fix the headlights because it's the manufacturers fault that they don't work correctly. Can't drive this car anymore cause you can't see to drive at night. Because the headlights don't work and it's not because of the bulbs. It's the manufacturers installation that was done wrong..

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11444082 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
2

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

unintended acceleration 1sudden stalling 1
A recent report: I'VE HAD THE ARM BAR AND BALL JOINT REPLACED TWICE IN A YEAR'S TIME, WHICH CAUSES A GRINDING NOISE. I'VE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED THREE TIMES ALONG WITH RATTLE CLIPS, IN THE LAST YEAR, WITH NO PREVAIL…
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I'VE HAD THE ARM BAR AND BALL JOINT REPLACED TWICE IN A YEAR'S TIME, WHICH CAUSES A GRINDING NOISE. I'VE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED THREE TIMES ALONG WITH RATTLE CLIPS, IN THE LAST YEAR, WITH NO PREVAIL IN CHANGING THE NOISE NOR HIGH SPEED-BRAKING OSCILLATING. A CALIPER HAS ALSO BEEN REPLACED. WHILE SITTING AT STOP LIGHTS, THE CAR UNPREDICTABLY STALLS-- I'VE TRIED TO REPRODUCE THE SETTING TO HAVE THE ISSUE HAPPEN WHEN A TECHNICIAN TESTS IT, BUT IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN UNPREDICTABLY. THE CAR HAS LEAKED FROM SOME ENTRY POINT TO CAUSE THE FLOOR BOARDS TO BE WET, AND IN THE LAST YEAR, THE SUN ROOF SEEMS TO BE LEAKING AS I HAVE WATER POURING ONTO ME FROM THE FRONT DOME LIGHTT. THE WATER IS CAUSING MOLD, WHICH IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE FAMILY I DRIVE WITH. BASED ON THE NHTSA SITE AND THE THOUSANDS OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS, THESE ARE PRETTY WILDLY KNOWN ISSUES BY DODGE, DESPITE THE LACK OF COMPLAINTS ON THESE SITES.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10980481 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
13

Most reports here involve corrosion.

corrosion 4premature wear 3
A recent report: Noticed the vehicle was making creaking and grinding sounds from the rear suspension. This forcing the car to struggle to reverse. Noticed a large portion of the rear suspension/subframe was rusted…
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Noticed the vehicle was making creaking and grinding sounds from the rear suspension. This forcing the car to struggle to reverse. Noticed a large portion of the rear suspension/subframe was rusted and was cracking.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11475585 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
33

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 9 mention a crash, 11 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 9software faults 8
A recent report: The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V668000 (SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS) by a local dealer. Recently, the…
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The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V668000 (SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS) by a local dealer. Recently, the contact stated that the air bag warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact notified the dealer of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer covered under recall. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer who also stated that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11647386 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Read closely
31

Most reports here involve corrosion. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 4 mention an injury.

corrosion 21fluid leaks 2
A recent report: I was just at the dealer mechanic for an oil change and asked about a slight pull to one side when stopping. after doing the oil change he cam back with a list of things the most significant of which…
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I was just at the dealer mechanic for an oil change and asked about a slight pull to one side when stopping. after doing the oil change he cam back with a list of things the most significant of which was a that the front sub-frame was rotted out, as well as the rear bumper metal under the plastic cover. They gave me an estimate for the repairs exceeding $7000. Then I came home an researched this problem and find its common on these calibers from 2007-2012 and is a known problem!? but no recall was ever issued! There was a "Customer Satisfaction Notification X69" Which I never received. I have also had the vehicle into the dealer other times recently and was never informed of this issue which couldn't have possibly happened over night.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11697050 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
5

Most reports here involve smoke.

smoke 1electrical shorts 1
A recent report: I'VE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BUT THE DRIVER'S HEADREST STILL BROKE. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11326636 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 157 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2010 and 2025, roughly 10 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2010 has 157 complaints on file, fewer than the 2011 (165). Of the 3 model years of the Dodge Caliber we cover, the 2011 has the most (165). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.