Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Dodge Caliber owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I've only had the car since Aug. Im the second owner, it drove just fine. Then I got an oil change. Then the car began to rev down hill and struggled to make it uphill. Then my exhaust became excessively loud. Then the wheel became loose ,and started pulling ALOT. I was on my way to get an alignment this morning and the whole front end began to buckle not even a minute down the road. I tmade it in back the driveway before the front end collapsed completely
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact placed the gear shifter in neutral, turned the vehicle off and back on, shifted the gear selector back in drive, and the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to monroe Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram superstore (15160 s dixie hwy, monroe, mi 48161, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the throttle body had been previously replaced three times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 176,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, a significant reduction in speed occurred unexpectedly while the accelerator pedal was engaged. The vehicle was maneuvered cautiously to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The mechanic diagnosed that the throttle body control would need to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated while driving at 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard but the vehicle failed to accelerate over 10 MPH. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. While driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck. The contact coasted over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to accelerate and lost power. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,216.
Car was already warmed and driven for about 5 miles, after stopping at a gas station to refuel and re-starting, it was idling very inconsistently and running rough, shaking. There was a dash indicator for electronic throttle control flashing. I tried driving it and there was jerking and pulling and the transmission wouldn't shift past 2nd, car would not accelerate beyond 12-15 MPH. I made it home (about 2 miles) and left the car for about 6 hours. Upon restarting and warming, the car drove fine. About 1 1/2 weeks later, the same dash light came on, steady not flashing, car rumbled, then light went off and the car was fine. This happened on and off for about 2 weeks. Then, when ready to leave from work one day, I started the car to warm it and the indicator light came on and stayed on, the car was running very rough, idle was fluctuating between about 500-1500 rpms and shaking. …
Vehicle was purchased brand new in 2008. December 24th 2013 at only 43,000 miles I had to replace the throttle body which wasn't covered under a warranty and I had to pay $367 to have fixed. My car is in excellent condition & when I spoke with different Dodge dealerships I was told that it's just a glitch that happens to some cars but nobody could tell me why at 43,000 miles I was experiencing a major repair! Also the dealership who fixed the car said that the part was on back order it could take up to 3 months to get part cause evidently the part was in high demand. That tells that there is something faulty goin on with Dodge vehicles. This needs to be researched further to see if a recall should happen! I will never purchase another Dodge not only because the cars are horribly made but there dealerships are not customer friendly (I even contacted the Dodge co. …
The etc (electronic throttle control) indicator started flashing and then my car would not accelerate. I was at 3 rpms and couldn't go over 10mph. It only happened occasionally at first and then it became more frequent. I was getting on the on ramp of a highway when it started flashing and then my car completely shut off. Luckily the cars behind had enough shoulder to swerve around me preventing a accident. I couldn't start my car right away I had to wait about 3 min. As soon as I restarted it everything went back to normal. This happened 2 more times and I took it to a mechanic. He replaced the etc chip and that didn't work so he replaced the etc body. That didn't work either so he sent it to a dealership. They replaced the whole etc...$900 later that problem seems to be fine. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Caliber. The stated that the engine stalled with the illumination of the engine and electronic throttle control warning indicators while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop. The engine restarted and the vehicle resumed normally after several minutes however, the failure was recurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who reprogrammed the electronic throttle control and engine control module. The failure persisted after the repair was performed. The vehicle had not been further repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000. The VIN was unavailable.
After turning on my car it began to lunge while in idle. As I attempted to back it out of the driveway the accelerator pedal had little to no effect. The car would not drive more than 10 MPH, still lunging. The indicator light for the electronic throttle control (etc) lit up and started blinking. I took it into the dealer and the diagnostic ($150) proved it to be the etc. The etc kit needed to be replaced which apparently is a "dealer only" part. This is such a common occurrence for Dodge that the etc kit is on back order and will not be available for 2 weeks! Not to mention the part costs $600+. And by the way, I had to have the transmission replaced in 2011!
Acceleration complaints in other Caliber years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2008 Dodge Caliber?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2008 Dodge Caliber, 7% of the model year's 377 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Dodge Caliber acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2008 Dodge Caliber. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Dodge Caliber acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.