2012 Dodge Caliber problems
The 2012 Dodge Caliber has 80 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (21%) concerns air bags. Next are seat belts (16%) and cruise control (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 80 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 16 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 6 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 68,000 miles 41 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 8 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 8 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 11 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 41 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 68,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 6 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 84% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Dodge Caliber with enough data (51 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was in a acccident where there was a car that stopped on his brakes quickly, and I hit the back of him and my car flipped upside down. The airbag didnt supress during the accident causing me and my fiancee to get seriously hurt.
My caliber was moving straight down a city street and was rear-ended. The ahr in the headrests deployed on both front seats. The auto body shop that repaired the car could not reset the headrests, even though they've done it on other cars before. We cannot get them back into position either. Dodge avengers that were made the same year as our caliber were recalled for this reason, but the caliber was not included.
Air bags did not deploy in my car accident in april 2017, car was totaled. Received concussion and whiplash as a result of my air bags not deploying. My car was reg maintained at the dodge dealership on river dale rd, ogden, ut called in and spoke with a rep (shay) 10/09/2017 and she gave me a case # 32584117 ...updated 10/13/17 updated 7/26/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 dodge caliber. While driving 30 MPH, the contact noticed an abnormal burning odor coming from the engine. The vehicle started smoking and then ignited into flames near the engine. There were no warning indicators prior to the fire. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
My drivers side seat belt automatically unlatches itself. I don't have to be doing anything. I give it tug every time I buckle to make sure it fasten. But while driving it will on it's on come unlatched and released. It has happened while driving and just sitting at red light. I immediately refasten it but this has happened enough time to raise concern if I would be safe in the event of an accident.