2010 Dodge Caliber

Typical pattern

0.8% of complaints about the 2010 Dodge Caliber came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2010 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.1 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (32 complaints), typically at 5.1 yr or about 77,648 miles.

Complaints: 246
Median age at failure: 7.1 yr
Median mileage: 78,000 n=177
Crash / fire / tow: 8.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Electrical system

32 reports · 77,648 mi

5.1 yr

Air bags

31 reports · 90,000 mi

7.1 yr

22.6%

Suspension

26 reports · 105,000 mi

11.2 yr

7.7%

Other

22 reports · 101,000 mi

9.5 yr

18.2%

Engine

20 reports · 72,039 mi

5.1 yr

Speed control

18 reports · 77,700 mi

5.1 yr

5.6%

Power train

17 reports · 80,000 mi

5.3 yr

Seat belts

15 reports · 97,000 mi

7.1 yr

20%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V668000 2016-09-15

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 a crash.

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.

10V197000 2010-05-11

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 DODGE CALIBER VEHICLES. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN INCORRECT DOOR LOCK ROD IN THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR.

AN UNLATCHED DOOR COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF AN UNBELTED FRONT SEAT PASSENGER BEING EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE.

In owners’ own words

Air bags 3,000 mi 7 mo in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2010 DODGE CALIBER FROM A LOCAL VEHICLE RENTAL COMPANY. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THERE WERE THREE REPORTED INJURIES AND BOTH THE POLICE AND MEDICAL UNITS ARRIVED ON SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED ACCORDINGLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE VEHICLE RENTAL COMPANY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,000. UPDATED 08/12/10 *BF UPDATED 08/18/10

Air bags 14,000 mi 1.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN FRONTAL CRASH. CAR CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

Air bags mileage not reported 2.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BREAKING THE FRONT AXLE. WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Speed control 14,000 mi 1.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN FRONTAL CRASH. CAR CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

Other Caliber model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.