Dodge Caliber

Anyone know much about this new vehicle? I'm thinking about selling one of my trucks (don't need more than 1 anymore) and getting something just to commute back and forth to work in.

The new Caliber uses almost entirely new technology (at least for Dodge) from the 3 different World Engines to the CVT transmission. Anyone have any comments as to the expected reliability of any of the 3 engine choices or the new shiftless transmission?

Reply to
miles
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I was in for service and asked one of the salesman. He said they can't get enough of them, didn't have any on the lot.

Roy

Reply to
Roy

Yep. They're selling alot of them. My dealership has quite a few. I have to think the CVT transmission will be reliable. It is made by Jatco who is the same company that makes the CVT for Nissan as well as others.

Are modern 4-banger all aluminum engines typically reliable? My knowledge of aluminum engines is mostly from the 70's when reliability was rather rare.

Reply to
miles

I wouldn't venture a guess. Who makes the engine?

Roy

Reply to
Roy

It's a joint venture between Hyundai, Mitsubishi and DC.

Reply to
miles

Today some of the very best engines in the world (reliability wise) are aluminum 4 bangers.

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Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

miles wrote in news:w7Q9g.18189$XV5.14535@fed1read10:

Amen, can you say V e g a, friend had one, what a nightmare :-)

Reply to
Ron

I really like the Caliber. It is relatively inexpensive, has quite a bit of space for its size, and has a lot of features that add to it. The iPod holder is a great touch, as is the cooler glovebox.

Reply to
The Office Jet

My brother had one too. I believe its problem was in mating a cast head to an aluminum block or vis-versa. The two metals expand at different rates so head gasket blowouts were frequent.

Reply to
miles

simmular problem was contributing to the neon head gasket issues thus the multi layer steel gasket used in the tsb.

Reply to
Christopher Thompson

, No, the problem was inadequate cooling. This caused problems with the iron plated aluminyum pistons in the high silicon aluminum cyls. When they overheated the cyls scuffed, and they turned into bug foggers. The same technology was used by porsche, successfully - with adequate cooling.

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Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

clare at snyder.on.ca wrote: ,

Blown head gaskets were very common with the Vegas. I had always heard its because of the use of the block and head being dissimilar metals with an insufficient gasket to allow for expansion variations.

The problem you noted I believe was another bad issue with this engine. The Vegas were just lousy all around!

Reply to
miles

Not when ya put a small block in them!

Roy

Reply to
Roy

The head gasket problem was also an artifact of the poor cooling issue. Putting a 3 or 4 core rad in made the vega a MUCH better (albeit still lousy) car. GM has NEVER figured out how to make a good small car. Their captive imports tended to be somewhat better than their American produced stuff. The Vauxhaul Viva HC (sold as Firenza in Canada) was not a GREAT car, but in many ways was far superior to both the Vega and the american built Chevette.

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Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

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