Dodge Caliber reliability by year
2 recalls and 1,939 owner complaints across 7 model years. Best year to buy: 2012. Year to avoid: 2007.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 7 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Caliber aggregated across 7 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Dodge Caliber?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2012 Dodge Caliber scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2006–2012 range. 49 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Dodge Caliber year should I avoid?
The 2007 Dodge Caliber scores 6.6/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 958 owner complaints with NHTSA, 1 active recall. That doesn't mean every 2007 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Dodge Caliber should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2007 (high-risk ownership — steering: 101 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 40,000–106,070 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2012, 2010, 2011, 2009, 2008. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Dodge Caliber are tracked?
7 model years (2006 through 2012) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 2 recalls and 1,939 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Dodge Caliber?
suspension is the most-reported category — 407 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $900.