Overview & Reviews

The enthusiast-oriented Dodge Caliber SRT4 makes its debut this year, bringing with it a turbocharged 285-horsepower engine. The rest of the 2008 lineup is pretty much unchanged. Caliber SXT and R/T models have some additional standard equipment this year, and all Calibers get new chrome accents within their cabins.

• Versatile interior, available all-wheel drive, wide range of engine choices.

• Sluggish acceleration from CVT-equipped models, low-quality interior materials, unimpressive build quality, several important safety features are optional rather than standard.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 115.00

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  A Good car ... - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By cmeel - October 25 - 12:06 pm

  I love the look of the car from the outside but on the inside its a disappointment manual locks & windows and it is just cheap! I love Dodge and we bought this car after our 1st one died and wasnt worth repairing and we needed a car asap (not enough time to really shop)this was the only hatchback and it looked good so we took it.Driving its good,nothing Great or Horrible. If you have young kids stay away from this car!! the front passenger seat has to be straight up and pulled forward a lot in order to fit the carseat which is just plain uncomfortable. It needs some interior & engine improvments to really be good/nice other wise its just an ok car.

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  Love at first, but then.... - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By kytrailhikers - December 28 - 8:38 pm

  Got this car for ease of getting child in & out of car seat. Worked great for that & love the comfort and look of. Once 40,000 miles hit, the problems began. Started hearing loud clanking noise when driving on highway. I read numerous complaints about the Caliber having suspension problems. I panicked & took it right in. I didnt want to worry about my child riding in this car. Today they tell me they cannot find what is causing it... said the suspension is tight BUT suspect it is the bushings. They didnt want to take a part yet so has to get worse. AND my oxygen sensor quit so paid to get that fixed. I was not expecting all this so soon. Now I will continue to worry.

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  Great value for money! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By KristinBC - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased my (used)Caliber two days ago, so I cannot comment yet on reliability. I have the 2.0L CVT, and I am very pleased with the gas mileage and performance so far. I did not buy this car expecting great amounts of power - I bought it for the fuel efficiency, space, value for money, and looks (in that order). I drove the Mazda 3, Chevy HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser (which I have owned before) and the Toyota Matrix when comparing. Although I had it narrowed down to the Caliber and the HHR (based on the issues listed above), I chose the Caliber over the HHR because of the final variable of value for money - the Caliber was 2K cheaper, and offered most of the same features as the HHR.

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  Bad control arms - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By ayork - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car new in 08. Love the look of it, but just found out at 44,000 miles that both front lower control arms are bad. Same thing happened to another couple 3 months ago when we were both at the dealership getting oil changes. Any one else having this problem? I was quoted over 800.00 for parts and labor...money I dont have, but car needs to be fixed asap Im told. Thinking of trading...owned lots of cars and never had problems like this with such low mileage. Was told it was due to "Michigan roads" Beware.

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  Problems with 2008 - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Dawn - October 19 - 2:00 am

  We have not had a good experience with our 2008 Caliber. We were told it had air-conditioning and told the salesman how important it was we had air- conditioning in California. Didnt have it. Now the Clutch Cylinder has went out twice since we have purchased it.We have only had this car not even 2 years and what a problem..The cheap plastic features inside are falling of and scratch so easy. Will never by another Dodge due to the problems we have had and the dealers not helping with the Air conditioner problems. We could put one in ourselves for $ 2,000 And the salesman admitted telling us it had air!!we signed the papers and thats how we were treated. Oh they would trade it but for $8,000.

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  A Very Economical Choice - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By derik187 - September 6 - 9:08 pm

  I bought my caliber used in Nov 2009 with 32k miles. I am the second owner of the vehicle and have put over 20k on it. The caliber has the interior space of a small suv with compact car gas mileage. My 2.0 4cyl w/CVT regularly averages 31 mpg per tank. Outside of routine maintenance Ive not had to do a thing to the car. The car rides comfortably, handles great, and with decent tires it performs well in inclement weather. I chose the caliber for the fuel economy, interior/cargo space, unique styling, and price (mine was sub 10k). I test drove many vehicles in its class (cobalt, versa, matrix, fit) and the caliber won out in most categories for me.

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  Travel Car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Aaron - August 25 - 9:08 am

  I bought this car for my wife to have and to use on long trips and it is very comfortable and convenient. Dodge really packed the space into this seemingly cramped car. Back seat leg room is more than youd expect due to the curve of the front chairs and the trunk looks small, but we have never needed more space even with a car load full of people and their luggage. There are tons of compartments, most notable the tri-fold glove compartment with 3 sections, one of which is cooled by the air conditioner. This is a great place for storing drinks and snacks. Also, for a factory set, the stereo is awesome. Its louder than my stereo with 8" subs and a 500 watt amp.

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  Wish I never bought Caliber! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Patricia - August 24 - 5:09 pm

  I bought my caliber in December of 07, since then, Ive had to replace my gas gauge (and its still messed up), my tire pressure light goes on and off whenever if wants, MY BRAKES are horrible! dodge wont do anything about it, they squeak, they get stuck, and it makes the car shake when I brake. Dodge uses cheap materials to make their cars. If I could go back I would definitely not have even looked into this car.

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  Terrible customer service - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By mike c - August 18 - 7:00 pm

  I liked my Dodge for the first 18 months then started having problems first it needed a strut for the front end but that didnt fix problem now back shocks are making noise, so took to dealer and he said he cannot find problem, close to warranty ending, my last doge ever.

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  Dodge Caliber - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Chris - August 5 - 9:33 am

  Dodge Caliber is a good above basic car and has an affordable price tag. Its performance is based on the maintenance of the CVT, you need to have it cleaned every 15,000 miles, then the car snaps when you accelerate. It could use a turbo version with the 4 cylinder, but the cost of the vehicle can reflect the turbo enhancement (Volvo does this - I own an S40 1.9T and love it). The car handles well in the snow, minus the all- wheel or 4 wheel option, due to the 17" tires and wide wheel base. The warning sensor are a flaky, but its due to the cable harnesses and connections. The car could use a little better suspension for a better ride. We like the car, just tweak it a little.