2011 Dodge Caliber: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
165 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 165 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 11.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Active headrest in drivers seat deployed with no apparent cause and air bag light has been on since I bought the car August 29, 2023
seat headrest deployed while car was sitting in the driveway...would have been a problem if driver had been driving pass.side deployed on 1 30 24....driver side deployed 1 30 24
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was making abnormal sounds coming from the undercarriage. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the undercarriage needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
Recalls: 2 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 11V315000 | Steering:Column | 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. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A MISSING OR INCORRECTLY INSTALLED STEERING COLUMN… |
| 16V668000 | Seat Belts:Pretensioner | 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, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,600
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags36 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Suspension30 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Engine26 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Seat Belts25 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
- Electrical System24 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Structure21 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Dodge Caliber?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (36 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Dodge Caliber a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 69/100, computed from 165 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Dodge Caliber's most common problem?
36 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Dodge Caliber sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Dodge Caliber cost to run per year?
About $5,299 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,495 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Dodge Caliber have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Dodge Caliber, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/06/2011. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Dodge Caliber really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 165 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 165 NHTSA complaints on record (11.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (7.2/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems