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2009 Dodge Caliber Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

355 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.38 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious08V528000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)

THIS CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PCM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 712 MY 2009 SEBRING, DODGE CALIBER, AVENGER, JOURNEY, JEEP PATRIOT, AND COMPASS VEHICLES. A NEW ADHESIVE USED IN THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) MANUFACTURING PROCESS CAN CAUSE THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD TO BREAK.

Complaint volume

355 this model-year 10 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

21Crashes
5Fires
19Injuries
0Deaths

Across 355 complaints. Severity Index 0.38.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Suspension58 · 16%Power Train52 · 15%Structure · Body34 · 10%Unknown Or Other25 · 7%Engine22 · 6%Electrical System19 · 5%Steering16 · 5%Wheels11 · 3%
  1. Suspension — 58 reports
  2. Power Train — 52 reports
  3. Structure:Body — 34 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 25 reports
  5. Engine — 22 reports
  6. Electrical System — 19 reports
  7. Steering — 16 reports
  8. Wheels — 11 reports
  9. Vehicle Speed Control — 10 reports
  10. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 9 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2007 (4) · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 (2) · 2011 (2) · 2012 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.