Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL
PE10012CHRYSLER GROUP LLC04/29/201008/26/2010Sticking Accelerator Pedal10V234000
 In their defect information report (dir) of june 3, 2010, chrysler group, llc (chrysler) notified nhtsa that it will conduct a safety recall of approximately 25,265 model year 2007 dodge caliber vehicles and 71 model year 2007 jeep compass vehicles manufactured from march 7, 2006 through may 19, 2006.the recall will remedy a defect in the accelerator pedal assembly (accelerator pedal) of the electronic throttle control (etc) system that can cause the accelerator pedal to stick in an open position and not return to the idle position when released.as stated in the opening resume, the subject vehicles (caliber) are equipped with an etc accelerator pedal manufactured by the cts corporation, the same supplier of the etc accelerator pedal used in the recently recalled toyota vehicles.the etc accelerator pedal used in caliber and compass vehicles is not the same as those used in the recalled toyota vehicles.they are of a different design, were manufactured using different tooling, and fail in a different manner.according to chrysler and cts, oversized bearing pockets in the etc accelerator pedal housing of the caliber and compass vehicles allows the accelerator pedal pivot shaft bearings to dislodge from the housing.if this occurs, the accelerator pedal can stick in an open position (i.e., fails to return to the closed position) or be slow to return.chrysler's dir notes that the subject vehicles are equipped with smart brake technology and contends that the impact of a binding or sticking accelerator pedal can be negated by its smart brake system.in chrysler's view, the system enables the brake pedal input to override the throttle control system and safely depower the vehicle and minimizes the potential for safety consequences resulting from the defect in the accelerator pedal.further, chrysler states, as a result of the presence of this technology, chrysler group llc has concluded that the condition described in this report does not present an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.odi does not concur with chrysler's position that the smart brake technology employed in the subject vehicles eliminates unreasonable risks to safety stemming from the etc accelerator pedal defect.aside from the fact that the technology is applicable only to situations where the brake pedal is activated, the smart brake system implemented in the subject vehicles will override a stuck throttle under a discrete set of conditions.because driver behaviors (e.g., kicking at the accelerator pedal to dislodge it, or pumping the brake pedal instead of steady application) may delay or prevent activation of the smart brake system in the subject vehicles, odi believes that this smart brake system does not totally eliminate unreasonable risks to safety posed by this defect or the necessity of a safety recall in this case.see safety recall file 10v-234 for recall details.
PE10012CHRYSLER GROUP LLC04/29/2010Sticking Accelerator Pedal10V234000
 The office of defects investigation has received five reports from consumers alleging the accelerator pedal became stuck while they were driving their vehicles.when the pedal was released it did not return to the idle position.the subject vehicles are equipped with electronic throttle control (etc).the etc accelerator pedal assemblies are manufactured by the cts corporation.four of the complainants report that they had found either one or two bushings on the driver's side floor.the bushings act as a bearing for the pivot shaft for the accelerator pedal arm.when the bushings are not present the pedal arm can become misaligned and prevent it from returning to the idle position.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
04/15/201075000
 Nhtsa action number: pe10012 - 2007 dodge caliber awd srt - vehicle speed control problem. in my case the rpm shot up to 4000rpm while i was driving 30 mph. this happened 3x in one month. appling brake had no effect on high engine speed. my reaction was to put vehicle in nuteral and gun the gas pedal. this reset idle back to normal. this problem has not return and i have not done anything to have it checked or repair yet.
03/05/20101
 2007 dodge caliber r/t awd. my wife found 2 small brass bushings on the drivers side floor. while i was driving the car, during acceleration onto an interstate, it appeared that the accelerator pedal stuck and car continued to accelerate even after i removed foot from pedal. i pulled the pedal up with my foot to free up pedal. i searched online and found a couple of other references to a similar problem occurring with other caliber owners. took vehicle to my preferred mechanic, and he has to order a new accelerator pedal assembly. *tr
12/23/2009450001
 My 2007 dodge caliber has had 5 episodes of the accelerator going to the floor and the car speeding up and the rpm going to high, each time i have been driving. the first time from arizona to arkansas and at aprox 800 miles it happened and as one is when traveling i was tired and things were cluttered so i assumed it was the floor mat and pulled it down and went on. i was able to put the car in neutral so that i did not speed up and hit the car in front of me. the second time i was driving and after about 20 miles it did the same thing and i took the matt out. i was able to stick my foot under the peddle and pull it up and put the car in neutral and then back in drive and it was then behaving normal. the next time i was surprised because i did think it was the matt and the matt was gone. doing the same thing putting the car in neutral as i was driving and back in drive , this time i had to keep doing this as i coasted on the road and on the 3 rd time it went back to normal. the rest if the times were on the same trip to the dealer, a 50 mile trip, all the same , the car accelerator pedal goes down, the car speeds up , i put it in neutral and pull the pedal up and then after a few times it works for a undetermined amount of miles. the dealer has now told me they reset the system and it should not happen again but should it then they will need to replace some things. dodge in russellville arkansas, i hope it is fixed. my fear is this will happen as i'm pulling out somewhere and cause a wreck, or it will happen to someone else and they won't think so fast to put car in neutral, on the internet i found many stories about the dodge caliber accelerator throttle not working correctly and dodge dealers not sure what the problem was , please check into this to save lives before any are lost that don't need to be lost. thank you *tr
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL
08/06/200648871306/19/2006
 There were no events leading up to any of these failures. i simply bought a brand new 2007 dodge caliber in june of '06 and to date have experienced the following problems: 1. a humming noise (similar to that of a rice burner car) in the rear of the vehicle that took over three trips to the service department (from august 2006 to january 2007) and a total of 20 days being out of service is at present repaired. 2. there is a rattle underneath the car, either coming from the middle or the rear when not applying the gas and simply cruising down the road. but when i hit the gas it goes away. 3. there is a noise in the front tires when i am driving between 1 and 3 rpms. 4. the car pulls to the right. 5. the headlights dim intermittently for no reason, as if there is a power drain. 6. the volume control on the steering wheel intermittently doesn't work. 7. the station changer control on the steering wheel intermittently doesn't work. 8. when driving the car without the auto stick, the delay in pick-up is very slow. this is a constant problem. 9. the cruise control has a mind of its own and increased in speed all by itself on a straight stretch of road. 10. the ac fan began making excessive noise one month after we bought it and it was serviced properly and remains in working order. 11. when i am sitting in the passenger seat and we go around sharp corners or stop or start quickly, the seat makes clicking noises underneath and moves slightly even though it appears to be in a locked position. 12. the middle armrest console is loose and causes injury when entering the car and placing your elbow/arm on it for balance. 13. the pin striping began to wear off the first time i washed the car which was within weeks of purchase. i filed lemon law after problem #1 was in service for three attempts and 15 days out of service. i'm told that since it is fixed, they will address and attempt to fix the remaining issues. *jb