2011 Dodge Caliber Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Caliber years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 3 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Dodge Caliber. That ranks 4th out of 7 Caliber model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (36 complaints, 22%), typically at around 68,000 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 1 fire, 9 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 165owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 Dodge Caliber problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 36 | 22% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 30 | 18% | 93,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 26 | 16% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 25 | 15% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 24 | 15% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 13% | 119,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 13% | 84,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 17 | 10% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 10% | 708 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 8% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 11 | 7% | 90,102 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 5% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 3% | 75,425 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 2% | 44,358 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 2% | 5,880 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 36,779 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 91,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Dodge Caliber recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags; seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: 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 a crash.
Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
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 August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Steering:column
Problem: 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 pivot rivet.
Risk: A missing or incorrectly installed rivet could compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads in the event of a frontal crash, decreasing the effectiveness of the frontal impact safety system. As a result, the condition may increase the potential for injury in a frontal crash.
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 1-800-853-1403.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment (PE19014) — opened Sep 9, 2019, closed Feb 25, 2026.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
** 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 â Total integrated power module â verified customer concern found…
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
Horn started honking on its own
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…
Other Dodge Caliber years
← 2010 Caliber · 2012 Caliber →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Caliber | 49 | 1 |
| 2011 | 165 | 2 |
| 2010 Caliber | 157 | 2 |
| 2009 Caliber | 232 | 1 |
| 2008 Caliber | 360 | 0 |
| 2007 Caliber | 884 | 4 |
| 2006 Caliber | 1 | 0 |
See all Dodge Caliber problems by year, every Dodge model, or the Dodge VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Dodge Caliber?
Owners most often report air bags, suspension, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Dodge Caliber?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 Dodge Caliber a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Caliber model years, the 2011 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.