What years of the Dodge Caliber should I avoid?

NHTSA complaint data points to 2007 and 2008 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83, the two highest across all seven model years covered.

What is the best year for the Dodge Caliber?

The 2012 Caliber is rated Best, with a complaint index of just 17 and only 49 total complaints, the lowest of any covered year. The 2011 model is rated Good with an index of 33.

What are the most common problems with the Dodge Caliber?

Across all model years, suspension, wheels and tires issues make up 29% of complaints (539 total), followed by engine problems at 22% (403) and electrical system issues at 21% (392).

Does the Dodge Caliber have recalls?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns across all Caliber model years, including 4 for the 2007 model covering accelerator pedal bushings and rear wheel hub mounting bolts.

Are 2009 and 2010 Dodge Calibers reliable?

Both are rated Caution based on NHTSA complaints, with complaint indexes of 67 and 50 respectively, better than 2007-2008 but worse than 2011 and 2012.

Dodge Caliber Best and Worst Years (2006–2012)

The 2007 and 2008 Dodge Caliber are rated Avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83, the highest in the lineup, driven mainly by suspension and electrical complaints. The 2012 model is rated Best with a complaint index of just 17, and 2011 is rated Good at 33.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Avoid 2007 Avoid 2008 Best 2012

Model years: 7; 2006–2012
NHTSA complaints: 1,848
Recall campaigns: 8
Crashes reported: 118
Fires reported: 31
Top problem area: Suspension, Wheels & Tires

Caliber Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Dodge Caliber problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2006	No verdict	0	1	0	0	0	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	—	—
2007	Avoid	100	884	54	18	4	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	24	—
2008	Avoid	83	360	21	4	0	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	24	—
2009	Caution	67	232	13	2	1	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	24	—
2010	Caution	50	157	12	3	2	Electrical System	25	—
2011	Good	33	165	9	1	2	Engine	24.5	3★
2012	Best	17	49	9	3	1	Airbags	24	3★

Caliber years to avoid: what went wrong

2007 Dodge Caliber Index 100 · 884 complaints · 4 recalls

The 2007 Caliber carries the highest complaint index (100) of any year, with 884 total complaints. Suspension, wheels and tires issues lead at 268 complaints (30%), with a median failure mileage of 73,000. Electrical system problems follow at 229 complaints (26%), reported around 92,000 miles, and engine complaints add another 187 (21%) near 78,000 miles. NHTSA lists four recalls for this year, including an accelerator pedal pivot bushing issue and a rear wheel hub mounting bolt defect affecting brake systems. Owners describe crashes involving loss of steering control, unexpected pulling to one side, and airbags that did not deploy in collisions.

2007 suspension, wheels & tires problems →2007 electrical system problems →2007 engine problems →

2008 Dodge Caliber Index 83 · 360 complaints · 0 recalls

The 2008 Caliber has a complaint index of 83 and 360 total complaints. Suspension, wheels and tires problems dominate at 132 complaints (37%), with a median failure mileage of 94,000. Structure and body complaints follow at 89 (25%), reported near 107,000 miles, and engine issues add 78 complaints (22%) around 75,000 miles. No recalls are listed for this model year. Owners report brake failures during crashes, electrical flickering paired with smoke entering the cabin before total brake loss, and airbags that failed to deploy in front-end collisions.

2008 suspension, wheels & tires problems →2008 structure & body problems →2008 engine problems →

Most common Dodge Caliber problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Suspension, Wheels & Tires539 (29%)
Engine403 (22%)
Electrical System392 (21%)
Structure & Body348 (19%)
Transmission & Powertrain220 (12%)
Steering172 (9%)
Other164 (9%)
Airbags159 (9%)
Brakes131 (7%)
Fuel System84 (5%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

What years of the Dodge Caliber should I avoid?: NHTSA complaint data points to 2007 and 2008 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83, the two highest across all seven model years covered.
What is the best year for the Dodge Caliber?: The 2012 Caliber is rated Best, with a complaint index of just 17 and only 49 total complaints, the lowest of any covered year. The 2011 model is rated Good with an index of 33.
What are the most common problems with the Dodge Caliber?: Across all model years, suspension, wheels and tires issues make up 29% of complaints (539 total), followed by engine problems at 22% (403) and electrical system issues at 21% (392).
Does the Dodge Caliber have recalls?: NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns across all Caliber model years, including 4 for the 2007 model covering accelerator pedal bushings and rear wheel hub mounting bolts.
Are 2009 and 2010 Dodge Calibers reliable?: Both are rated Caution based on NHTSA complaints, with complaint indexes of 67 and 50 respectively, better than 2007-2008 but worse than 2011 and 2012.