Common problems
Dodge Caliber common problems
What MOT testers find on the Dodge Caliber: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 4,003 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 16 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Suspension fails show up on 25.9 of every 100 MOTs of a Dodge Caliber at 16 years old (n=1,540), against 17.1 for all cars of that age (n=4,858,625).
- The fail item testers record most often at 16 years: side/position light not working, on 12.2 per 100 MOTs (all cars 5.9).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 18.8 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 16 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 28.4 | 20.4 | 12.4 | 15.3 |
| Suspension | 25.9 | 17.1 | 46.1 | 33.7 |
| Brakes | 10.8 | 11.6 | 28.1 | 29.5 |
| Tyres | 10.3 | 7.5 | 25.5 | 28.4 |
| Steering | 8.8 | 3.4 | 10.6 | 4.6 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 8.2 | 6.8 | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| Body and structure | 7.3 | 7.6 | 11.7 | 12.6 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 7.3 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 6.3 | 6.2 | 9.5 | 12.0 |
| Road wheels | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.5 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.7 | 0.6 | 5.0 | 4.8 |
What testers fail most on the Caliber at 16 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 12.2 | 5.9 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Suspension ball joint worn | Suspension | 8.3 | 2.5 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm bush worn | Suspension | 7.4 | 2.2 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Brake light not working | Lights and electrics | 7.0 | 4.0 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Steering track rod end: ball joint play | Steering | 6.2 | 1.9 | £54 to £128 per side (rough guide) |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 5.5 | 3.1 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Shock absorber leaking | Suspension | 4.7 | 1.6 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 4.4 | 0.8 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Dipped headlight not working | Lights and electrics | 4.3 | 2.4 | £18 to £86 per lamp |
| Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced | Seat belts and airbags | 4.1 | 0.6 |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 16 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 18.8 | 18.2 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Suspension | 16.4 | 8.7 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 14.1 | 11.2 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) | Other | 13.7 | 3.0 | |
| Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil | Suspension | 12.4 | 4.1 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened | Suspension | 12.3 | 5.3 | |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 9.9 | 6.8 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 8.4 | 10.7 | |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | Lights and electrics | 7.1 | 5.9 | |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 6.9 | 9.5 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Lights and electrics | Suspension | Brakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | 1,412 | 26.6 | 27.8 | 8.6 |
| 16 years | 1,540 | 28.4 | 25.9 | 10.8 |
| 17 years | 1,051 | 25.9 | 27.8 | 9.4 |
What to check on a viewing
On the Dodge Caliber, testers most often record side/position light not working; suspension ball joint worn; suspension arm bush worn. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Dodge Caliber?
At 16 years, the age with the most MOT tests (1,540), the fail items testers record most often on the Dodge Caliber are side/position light not working (12.2 per 100 MOTs), suspension ball joint worn (8.3 per 100 MOTs), suspension arm bush worn (7.4 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (18.8) and suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (16.4).
Which parts of the Dodge Caliber fail more often than on other cars?
At 16 years: suspension (25.9 per 100 MOTs against 17.1 for all cars); lights and electrics (28.4 per 100 MOTs against 20.4 for all cars); steering (8.8 per 100 MOTs against 3.4 for all cars). Compared with 4,858,625 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Dodge Caliber problems by area
More on the Dodge Caliber
Other Dodge models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Dodge Caliber?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record
Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources