2011 Dodge Caliber Problems, Recalls & Reliability
271 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Dodge Caliber, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 19/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 35,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2011 Dodge Caliber has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2011 sits among all Caliber years
What owners report
“Engine will stall while turning at low speeds, will also stall with a/c on while sitting. Has done so 5 times”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Caliber
“A vehicle recall repair on the air bag a defect exits in the dodge air bag as printed by fca us”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Caliber
“For the last two weeks i have been losing throttle control. I have replaced both electronic throttle bodies. Nothing is helping. This vehicle is unsafe to drive because yoy never know when it is going to shut down on you. It could be at a red light or going 65 on the highway. This needs to be a…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Caliber
“Crossmember frame rusted out front and rear could cause a mayor accident if the frame broke down it’s a safety issues concern about this situation .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Caliber
“The frame has rusted out and everything attached to it has broken loose. I was driving the car when this happened. I was able to get it off the road but could have been killed if the tire had broke off”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Caliber
“The occupant restraint controller must be replaced. The potential loss of air bag and seat belt pretensioner deployment capability in such crash events may increase the risk of injury in a crash.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Caliber
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 150 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 64,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,779 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on…
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011DODGE JOURNEY, JEEP WRANGLER, CHRYSLER 200, CHRYSLER 200 CONVERTIBLE, DODGE AVENGER, DODGE NITRO, JEEP LIBERTY, DODGE CALIBER, JEEP COMPASS, JEEP PATRIOT, DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VEHICLES.…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR RIVET PRESENCE AND ALIGNMENT AND REPAIR THE STEERING COLUMN PIVOT AS REQUIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 4, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
86 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2011 Dodge Caliber. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 Caliber TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Dodge Caliber reliable?
The 2011 Dodge Caliber drew 271 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 19/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2011 Dodge Caliber problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Dodge Caliber are engine (42 complaints), airbags (36), and electrical (30).
At what mileage do 2011 Dodge Caliber problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Dodge Caliber problems around 64,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,779 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Dodge Caliber have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Dodge Caliber. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.