Dodge Caliber Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2007 draws 8.01 complaints per run and the 2012 3.14, a 2.6-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age, so 86.1% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Suspension, with 450 complaints, typically at 7.8 years.

Dodge Caliber years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Dodge Caliber — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2012	3.14	44	14	yes
2011	3.74	146	39	yes
2010	4.15	141	34	yes
2009	4.91	211	43	yes
2008	4.3	318	74	yes
2007	8.01	801	100	yes

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2007 Caliber asks a median $2,800, against $2,850 for a 2008, the next model year: about the same, so the price shows no discount for its complaint record.

Among the 6 Dodge Caliber years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2007, 2009, 2008; the three worth hunting are 2012, 2011, 2010.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Dodge Caliber — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	93	5.7%	covered
1 year	56	9.1%	covered
2 years	78	13.9%	covered
3 years	126	21.6%	you pay
4 years	136	30%	you pay
5 years	118	37.2%	you pay
6 years	155	46.7%	you pay
7 years	199	58.9%	you pay
8 years	154	68.4%	you pay
9 years	108	75%	you pay
10 years	122	82.5%	you pay
11 years	109	89.1%	you pay
12 years	75	93.7%	you pay
13 years	60	97.4%	you pay
14 years	22	98.8%	you pay
15 years	20	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 13.9% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 86.1% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 21% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Suspension at 7.8 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Dodge Caliber — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Suspension	450	7.8 yrs	13	1
Structure	317	8.5 yrs	5	3
Electrical System	290	6.8 yrs	3	9
Power Train	195	6 yrs	10	1
Vehicle Speed Control	160	5.8 yrs	10	2
Engine	147	6.9 yrs	2	5
Unknown Or Other	146	9.1 yrs	9	2
Steering	144	7.2 yrs	9	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Caliber's vehicle class. Per production run, the Kia Soul draws 11.34, the Subaru Impreza 1.61 and the Honda Fit 3.24, against 5.58 for the Caliber.

FIG.05·Dodge Caliber — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Caliber	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Kia Soul	5,584	39	2010–2026
Subaru Impreza	2,763	183	1993–2026
Honda Fit	2,196	94	2007–2020
Honda HR-V	1,836	37	2016–2026
Buick Envista	90	5	2024–2026
Kia Niro	111	29	2017–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Dodge Caliber

Recalls12 campaigns Fuel economy27 mpg best Common problems1,939 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space19 cu ft Used prices319 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2006–2012

Frequently asked questions

Is the Dodge Caliber reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 5.58 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Caliber years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2007, 2009, 2008. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2012, 2011, 2010. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Caliber problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age. The most reported system is Suspension, typically at 7.8 years, followed by Structure.

Will the warranty cover Caliber problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 13.9% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 21% of the complaints here.

Is the Caliber more reliable than the Kia Soul?

Yes: 5.58 complaints per production run for the Caliber against 11.34 for the Kia Soul.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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