Used Vehicle Review: Dodge Caliber, 2007-2011

2007 Dodge Caliber SXT; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

Related links More Dodge Caliber reviews on Autos.ca Manufacturer’s web site Dodge Canada

By Chris Chase

Dodge and its Chrysler parent company haven’t had much trouble building popular small cars: its 1980s K-cars became household names, and the Neon that replaced them came pretty close to achieving the same level of recognition. No doubt that both the K-car and Neon possessed many strong points, but what Dodge has had trouble doing is creating a compact vehicle to rival class benchmarks in terms of quality and refinement.

The Dodge Caliber was the car that should have achieved those goals, but this car, too, fell short. Too bad, because this one was unique in many ways: its mini-crossover looks – praised and panned in equal measure – stood out in a class of mostly me-too sedans, and it offered a number of nifty features that aimed to maximize the car’s appeal to young shoppers.

Specs-wise, the Caliber looked spot-on: it offered more choice than most in its class under the hood, with three available engines. A 1.8-litre (148 hp) was paired exclusively with a five-speed manual transmission, a 2.0-litre (158 hp) was offered only with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while a 2.4-litre (172 hp) could be had with either. Initially, all 2.4-litre models with CVT were all-wheel drive, too.

The 2008 model year added the Caliber SRT4, which got a turbocharged 285-horsepower, 2.4-litre engine and six-speed manual transmission. Look for a future used vehicle review focusing on the SRT4.

2007 Dodge Caliber SXT; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

In 2009, the R/T model, along with its non-turbo 2.4-litre engine and all-wheel drive set-up, were discontinued, and in 2010, the SRT4 was dropped, as was the 1.8-litre engine, leaving the 2.0-litre. The 2010 model also got a redesigned interior that did much to bring up the tone of this little car. For 2011, the 2.4-litre engine was re-introduced.

Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption figures for the Caliber ranged from 8.5/6.8 L/100 km (city/highway) for the 1.8-litre model, to 9.0/7.3 for a 2.0-litre model. The 2.4-litre engine with manual transmission nearly matched the 2.0-litre’s numbers, while adding the CVT to the largest motor boosted consumption 9.8/7.9, and the all-wheel drive model was rated at 10.1/8.4 L/100 km; the 1.8-litre and 2.4-litre engine’s ratings improved slightly in subsequent years; the “new” 2011 2.4-litre was rated at 9.5/7.2 L/100 km. The SRT4 model achieved surprisingly reasonable (considering its nearly 300-horsepower) ratings of 10.9/7.4 L/100 km.

The 2.0-litre-only 2010 models were rated at 9.1/6.3 with a manual transmission and 9.0/7.3 with the CVT.

In its first few years on the market, the Caliber has fared decently in the reliability department, seemingly avoiding any widespread mechanical problems. CVTs are still a relatively new transmission technology, and they’re not without flaw, but the Caliber’s – the same one used in the Nissan Versa – seems to be holding up just fine. I’d suggest that maintenance is the key to CVT longevity, so avoiding a car that appears to have been abused or poorly-maintained (or whose seller doesn’t have maintenance records) would be wise. Plenty of used Calibers will have factory warranty remaining, a good thing to have in a used car, no matter what you buy.

All that said, there’s this long thread at CaliberForumz.com about CVT problems, but through 13 pages of comments spanning three-and-a-half years, it’s a tough to say whether there’s really a widespread mechanical problem to be aware of. Many of the problems appear related to the CVT’s electronic controls rather than the mechanicals themselves; Consumer Reports’ (CR) data shows some “minor” transmission problems in 2007 models, but little else to speak of.

2007 Dodge Caliber SXT; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

This thread documents what appears to be a common problem with the Caliber’s front suspension control arm bushings and ball joints; symptoms are noises from the front end over bumps and rough roads. The surprising cause, at least according to one Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued for the Caliber, is insufficient electrical system grounding. Turns out that this can cause current to flow through the suspension’s metal components (often the path of least resistance), which degrades the rubber used in the bushings designed to prevent metal-on-metal contact between suspension parts. Here’s a thread at CaliberForumz.com discussing the grounding topic. This thread talks about control arm bushings, and this one is about bad tie rods.

A common complaint is of squeaks and rattles in the Caliber’s interior. AllPar.com quotes speculation that the rattles are caused by bad welds on the A-pillar, or the welds for the brackets that the instrument panel are bolted to.

In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, the Caliber earned a “good” rating in frontal offset impact protection, and a “marginal” rating in side impact testing. The poor showing in the second test was due to a high likelihood of internal organ injury for a front seat occupant; the 2007 Caliber came standard with head curtain airbags for front and rear, but front-seat torso side airbags weren’t available. They did become available, however, in 2008. Those optional side airbags are a good idea, if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s test results are an indication. They tested a Caliber with front-seat side airbags and gave the car the NHTSA’s best rating: five stars all around – driver and front passenger protection in frontal impacts and for front and rear-seat occupants in side impacts.

The Caliber isn’t the least expensive used car in its class, but it’s close. Undercutting this Dodge are the Kia Spectra and Chevrolet Cobalt (the Cobalt’s Pontiac G5 twin is worth a little more), while the Ford Focus is about the Caliber’s equal. Count on most other compacts costing more.

The Caliber is certainly one of the most distinctive compact cars in recent years, though not everyone will agree that it’s for the right reasons. The Caliber wouldn’t be my first choice for used compact, but it seems to be holding up pretty well through its first few years on the market, and the availability of all-wheel drive is a bonus for a buyer looking for a crossover-type vehicle, sized small. If the Caliber looks like the car you want, the usual caveats apply: look for one that comes with full maintenance records (particularly those pertaining to the continuously variable transmission, if so-equipped) and checks out with a trusted mechanic. Also, look for one with some of the original warranty left, just in case.