Dodge Caliber: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Dodge Caliber: 2 model years scored from 214 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns. Worst year 2011, best year 2012.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2012 (score 93). Worst: 2011 (score 69, CAUTION).
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Caliber, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Dodge Caliber
Across every Caliber model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags53 complaints across all Caliber years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Seat Belts38 complaints across all Caliber years · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement$360–$800
- Suspension35 complaints across all Caliber years · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle$780–$1,580
- Structure27 complaints across all Caliber years · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair$1,070–$2,920
- Engine26 complaints across all Caliber years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System24 complaints across all Caliber years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What is the best year for the Dodge Caliber?
On our data the 2012 Dodge Caliber scores 93/100 — the highest of the 2 model years we hold, with 49 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns on record.
Which Dodge Caliber years should I avoid?
The 2011 is the weakest year we score, at 69/100 (CAUTION), on 165 complaints and 2 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Dodge Caliber problem?
53 of the complaints filed against the Caliber across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04