2011 Dodge Caliber problems & reliability
165 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Caliber, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 Dodge Caliber vehicles were involved in 24 fatal crashes with 20 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 36 | 22% |
| Suspension | 30 | 18% |
| Engine | 26 | 16% |
| Seat Belts | 25 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 15% |
| Structure | 21 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 13% |
| Power Train | 17 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 13 | 8% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 64,000 miles (middle 50% between 27,125 and 108,327 miles), based on 94 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“** From Dealer - diagnosis says - Primary Line B: D1 C/S Multiple warning lights came on in dash (like a X-mas tree) and vehicle will not want to drive after that. C/S has to turn off and turn back on to get to move. C/A TIPM – Total integrated power module – verified customer concern found vehicle with loss of comm…”
Engine · filed Jul 2, 2025
“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”
Air Bags · filed Sep 16, 2024
“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”
Seats · filed Jan 31, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
Technical service bulletins
86 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Caliber. The 10 most recent:
Emissions Recall U67 - Catalytic Converter Efficiency - Dealer Notification (Revision 11)
U67 Combo Rev11 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jun 18, 2026
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Lubrication and Maintenance Fluids If MOPAR fluids and chemicals are not readily available, please review Service Library for specifications so a suitable alternative can be used
9100196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
Emissions recal U67 Catalytic Converter Efficiency
U67 Combo Rev10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2023
Some of the above-involved vehicles may exceed NOx (Oxides of Nitrogen) emission level standards due to loss of catalytic converter efficiency
U67 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2022
Approved Use of Weld Through Primers This bulletin documents the FCA US LLC position regarding the use of weld through primer when using Squeeze Type Resistance Spot Welding (STRSW) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)…
3100122 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2022
Approved Use of Weld Through Primers This bulletin documents the FCA US LLC position regarding the use of weld through primer when using Squeeze Type Resistance Spot Welding (STRSW) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)…
3100122 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2022
Approved Use of Weld Through Primers This bulletin documents the FCA US LLC position regarding the use of weld through primer when using Squeeze Type Resistance Spot Welding (STRSW) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)…
3100122 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2022
Customer Satisfaction Notification V51 Reprogram Powertrain Control Module
V51 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2022
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 Dodge Caliber has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 Dodge Caliber?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 64,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.