Caliber water leaks Reference Guide - Continued


Issue #10 - Liftgate, Potential leak through wiper motor gasket

Root Causes
Grommet not properly seated
Grommet damaged

Enlargement



Issue #11 - Tail Lamp Area, Potential water leak through harness plug

Root Causes
Grommet not seated
Tape around wire bundle is not sufficient to keep water out

Enlargement



Issue #12 - Windshield, Potential water leak through skip in windshield urethane bead

Root Causes
Windshield urethane bead skip or distortion

Enlargement



Issue #13 - Liftgate Glass, Potential water leak through start/stop skip in urethane

Root Causes
Skip or distortion in urethane bead

Enlargement



Issue #14 - Liftgate/Spoiler, Potential leak through unseated spoiler clip hole

Root Causes
Spoiler clip not completely seated

Enlargement



Issue #15 - Liftgate Opening, Potential leak through overslambumper holes

Root Causes
Part not seated correctly

Enlargement



Issue #16 - Under Fender Forward of Door, Potential leak through grommet along wires

Root Causes
Water enters along wires

Enlargement



Issue #17 - Liftgate Opening, Potential leak through PLP hole in rear header

Root Causes
Sealer tape not fully seated

Enlargement



Issue #18 - Headliner, Potential water leaking from headliner after a heavy rain or car wash

Root Causes:
Kink/pinch/cut in drain tube
See TSB 23-043-06

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Here you go again with more great information! Thanks so much i may have to use this to get my dealer to see if i have a leak. I happened during the winter but i havent noticed it since (maybe it was just my shoes which i am hoping!)

MODS: perhaps another sticky??

 

Yes, GREAT information but all issues known and addressed. I would hope this amount of insider information would not scare off new buyers or current owners.

All manufactures deal with these same issues.

 

Yes, GREAT information but all issues known and addressed. I would hope this amount of insider information would not scare off new buyers or current owners. All manufactures deal with these same issues.

I think information like this would have more of a "postive" impact over the long run than a "negative" impact, especially since it is covering what would be considered a "minor" problem (as opposed to engine or tranny issues for example). For one, it provides and shows that there are "solutions" to issues that owners may be having, or might have in the future.

What WOULD scare off new buyers would be tons of posts about a particular problem in which owners are frustrated because no solution has been found, problems in which there are no easy solutions or problems that have not been corrected after repeated dealer vists.

I commend Dodge for jumping on these issues and finding, what looks like, a solution to cover any and all of these water leaks. Current and potential future owners can rest assured that should a water leak issue develop that there is an easy solution at hand. Even though this type of information may be available to dealers, you will find many that have no idea that the documentation exists and dealers who will not go out of their way to find it even after repeated repair attempts.

 

I think information like this would have more of a "postive" impact over the long run than a "negative" impact, especially since it is covering what would be considered a "minor" problem (as opposed to engine or tranny issues for example). For one, it provides and shows that Even though this type of information may be available to dealers, you will find many that have no idea that the documentation exists and dealers who will not go out of their way to find it even after repeated repair attempts.

Words of wisdom always appreciated.

 

Just discovered today that there is a significant amount of water in the left tail light.

Probably got in through the ways detailed in here.

I'll be bringing it in for servicing in the next couple of days.

Thanks for sticking this thread.

Regards

 

Issue #1 - Liftgate Opening

Root Causes
Seal is severely rolled inboard or outboard
Liftgate is mis-adjusted and creates a large seal gap

Enlargement



Issue #2 - Hood Opening, Potential leak at A-post to plenum joint

Root Causes
Foil backed mastic patch missing
Foil backed mastic patch not installed correctly

Enlargement



Issue #3 -Tail Lamp Area, Potential leak through tail lamp PLP plugs

Root Causes
Grommet not sealing to BSA (need clear sealer rework)

Enlargement



Issue #4 - Under Fender Forward of Door, Potential leak through seam at cowl side to load beam

Root Causes
Seam is not sealed

Enlargement



Issue #5 - Under Fender Forward of Mirror, Potential leak through fender baffle attach holes

Root Causes
Missing sealer between fender baffle clips and body

Enlargement



Issue #6 - Rear Door, Potential water leak through division bar Leak shows up at rear bolster

Root Causes
Notch and foam missing on outer belt at division post
Bolster not lined with closed cell foam for seal

Enlargement

Enlargement



Issue #7 - Liftgate, Potential water leak through hem flange and does not drain properly

Root Causes
Hem sealer skip
Loose hem

Enlargement



Issue #8 - Liftgate Opening, Potential water leak through roof to bodysideseam

Root Causes
Skip or void in vinyl sealer

Enlargement



Issue #9 - Liftgate Opening, Potential water leak through hinge bolts

Root Causes
Distorted clearance hole
Damaged hinge gasket
Bolt head gaps to hinge
Must seal with clear sealer
Torque on fasteners not to spec

Enlargement


*** Continued in next post ***

I guess this means my new Caliber probably won't float very long, huh?


07 Caliber R/T awd - Sunburst orange
06 Ford Fusion SEL - redfire metallic

 

Just curious as to what % of the Calibers have (WATER) leaks. I test drove an 07 , RT with sunroof went to do some Christmas shopping and put a sack on te rear pasenger floor board , got home , picked the sack up and the contents fell to the floor.
I took it back to the dealer , Dealer ordered parts for the repair and has been waiting for the parts for over 2 weeks . I had not signed any papers yet so I went looking for another RT / awd , found one , bought it last Friday it warmed up & started raining on Monday and guess what ! This one leaks too!!

 

Hmmm...I had a Caliber with a sunroof and it never leaked once. I'd make sure the drain tubes are clear. You can see them when you open the sunroof and then look in the top left and top right of the sunroof opening. This is usually the reason why its leaking.

 

Did both cars have sunroofs?

 

Yep , both had sunroofs and both had over 10,000 miles on them so you just wonder how long they have been leaking , is there some place to check & see if they have been in for prior repairs ?

The one I bought Black 07 , Red seat inserts was leaking at the top of the A post where the plastic moulding meets the cloth headliner and has stained the headliner. It is back in the shop agin .

The 07 Caliber we test drove had no visible signs of a leak just soaked floors.

 

Last week I had my Caliber into the dealer for water leak repairs. I thought that mine only had a leak around the front passenger side a post , the dealer had it one day called me around 5:00 closing time and said they had it fixed.

Got it back home ( in the dark ) left it outside in the rain over night . Next day we still had a leak , but it was not visible from the same spot. Not only did it still leak but the headliner had grease spots on it and the plastic air deflector that pops up when the sun roof opens was broken .
Took the Caliber back to the Dealer , they gave us a loner car and said they would call when the Caliber was fixed .
2 DAYS went by , the dealer called and said they were still trying to find out where it was leaking from . They taped every possible crack etc. up and ran water on it & found 2 to 3 spots it may be leaking from. The last spot they repaired was on the coul by the windshield wipers in the plastic cowl . It was filling up and running back into the heater duct work.

It has been below freezing since I got it back so I am not sure it is fixed yet.

My biggest question still is how can a car be driven by DODGE EXECS for 11,000 mi. and the WATER LEAK not have already been fixed.
Is the water leaking problem part of the Caliber SPEC Package ???

I love the Caliber , but give me a break , it surely is not part of the Caliber Package.

 

I t finally warmed up this past weekend and it rained for almost 2 days straight and pretty hard. At first I thought the leaks were fixed , there were no visible signs of any leaks while it was sitting on a flat ground . But about aq 1/4 mile down the road and DOWN HILL as I stopped to turn on to the main drag A heavy stream of water ran out where the plastic molding meets the headliner on the front a post. About 1/4 to half cup but the floor was dry. So I guess we are making pretty good improvement I guess.

How about any one else ? Has anyone heard of a non sunroof Caliber leaking water?
I really like my RT AWD and have been having a ball off roading it on my hilly five acres in the snow . It does great in 4 to 6 inches on & off road , waiting to try it in a foot or 2.

 

The sunroof leak is the only one serious enough to warrant a TSB.
Print this http://www.wkjeeps.com/misc/Caliber/TSB/Caliber_2304306.pdf out and show it to the dealer.

 

Have many of you guys experienced any of these issues? Any 1 with a water leak?

 

Never a drop in almost 2 years :bigthumb:

November 2006 build date

 

I c. After looking through the problem section for a bit, I think I have a few things to look for in my test drive. Now I think I need to take the car to a car wash to looks for any leaks! lol

 

mine is at the dealer right now for an oil change and a leak some where. I hope they fix all of these.

i have no sunroof btw.

 

I own a 2007 dodge caliber with a sunroof. I got quite a bit of water in the back passenger floor. Anyone have a idea of where it could of come from. The two front drain holes in the sunroof are clear.

Daryl

 

a/c lines maybe?

 

Caliber 07 Water leaks

Hi All--

I own an 07 RT --I've had passenger side rear flooding, driver side rear flooding and more recently "reading lamp" flooding.
I see lots of threads on these issues but very few on how to fix it for good or if there is any recall due to these issues.
The first flooding was covered under the 36000/3 yr warranty but the second and third have cost me over $600 combined. Now the last one was diagnosed as being due to the sun roof glass seal and they want to charge me $700 because they state that the glass needs to be replaced since the seals do not sell by themselves.
Does any one know if this is accurate or if there is a way to go around this?--con one just buy the seal and have it put on?
Also, does Dodge acknowledge this issue and provide any compensation?

Thanks in advance!

 

i've noticed water in my tail light. I figured once I changed the burned out bulb I could just pour it out, but no dice. It's time for a dealer trip anyway.

 

Water Leaks

Just had service for my 08 Caliber R/T that was leaking quite a bit on driver side front and back floors. They did the repairs to the tune of $966.00 which of course was not covered under warranty but after a call to Dodge they agreed to pay for 1/2 of the repair cost. The service rep said it should be all fixed up. I asked if they were able to dry the carpeting and he said that they sucked all the water out and ran fans on it for 3 nights and it should be good to go. Got done paying my bill and went out to the car, opened the door and the smell that came out of it was horrible, there was water running out of the doors as well. I felt the floor and low and behold it was soaking wet. Checked the carpets in the rest of the car and they were all drenched. There were mud lines on the speakers in the front of the car on the doors and silt on the top of the engine. The spare tire compartment was damp and moldy and there were weeds hanging from the underside of the car. We had about 7" of rain last week and the dealership has a creek that runs along their parking lot that apparently overflows often. The week before I was dropping the car off (day after a hurricaine) for service and the parking lot was completely empty so they know that they need to move cars to higher ground when heavy rain is expected. The GM told me that they moved the first two rows of cars at 1am the morning of the heavy rain but didn't think the water would come up to the 3rd row where my car was parked. I had to call my insurance company to start a claim, the GM did say they would cover the deductible for me (how nice of them). I asked the dealer if they had a car I could use and they said they did not but they could call enterprise and my insurance should pick up the rental fee. Can you believe the nerve! They were negligent and I have to pay the price. I asked about the money I just spent on the repair of the water leak and the GM said I would probably be able to re-coup that, I told him that I wrote a check and it is still in the building. He promptly retrieved the check and voided it and gave it back to me. My car has the lifetime power train warranty on it which I would assume is now void since the car was flooded, which is one of the only reasons I bought the car. Plus if the car is repairable, I will most likely have to have a flood title which diminishes the value and the car will never be right again. I only have one more year to pay on the car too, I was so looking forward to being car paymentless. Thanks for letting me vent, any advice/suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Just had service for my 08 Caliber R/T that was leaking quite a bit on driver side front and back floors. They did the repairs to the tune of $966.00 which of course was not covered under warranty but after a call to Dodge they agreed to pay for 1/2 of the repair cost. The service rep said it should be all fixed up. I asked if they were able to dry the carpeting and he said that they sucked all the water out and ran fans on it for 3 nights and it should be good to go. Got done paying my bill and went out to the car, opened the door and the smell that came out of it was horrible, there was water running out of the doors as well. I felt the floor and low and behold it was soaking wet. Checked the carpets in the rest of the car and they were all drenched. There were mud lines on the speakers in the front of the car on the doors and silt on the top of the engine. The spare tire compartment was damp and moldy and there were weeds hanging from the underside of the car. We had about 7" of rain last week and the dealership has a creek that runs along their parking lot that apparently overflows often. The week before I was dropping the car off (day after a hurricaine) for service and the parking lot was completely empty so they know that they need to move cars to higher ground when heavy rain is expected. The GM told me that they moved the first two rows of cars at 1am the morning of the heavy rain but didn't think the water would come up to the 3rd row where my car was parked. I had to call my insurance company to start a claim, the GM did say they would cover the deductible for me (how nice of them). I asked the dealer if they had a car I could use and they said they did not but they could call enterprise and my insurance should pick up the rental fee. Can you believe the nerve! They were negligent and I have to pay the price. I asked about the money I just spent on the repair of the water leak and the GM said I would probably be able to re-coup that, I told him that I wrote a check and it is still in the building. He promptly retrieved the check and voided it and gave it back to me. My car has the lifetime power train warranty on it which I would assume is now void since the car was flooded, which is one of the only reasons I bought the car. Plus if the car is repairable, I will most likely have to have a flood title which diminishes the value and the car will never be right again. I only have one more year to pay on the car too, I was so looking forward to being car paymentless. Thanks for letting me vent, any advice/suggestions would be appreciated.

wow, thats terrible.

i always, always, always walk around my car before i go in to get my keys or pay.

check this out - http://jalopnik.com/5500228/dealership-remote-starts-customers-mustang-into-pond-car-totalled

 

Water Leak - HELP!

I have a 2008 Caliber R/T - we have had problems with the engine light coming on and have had it looked at , went thru all the codes and fixed any potential problem including going thru all the wires and ensuring they were grounded. Will ride for 40 miles and the engine light comes back on throwing a new code. We thought perhaps it was a bad computer so had that checked which was OK but the same day we were having this looked at we noticed the back driver side floorboard was soaked and had standing water. The front carpet was not at all wet, only the back. No visible water stains in the white upholestry from above, no visible problems with the door seals and could not see any evidence of water leaking between the door as all was dry and dusty. We were told that wires and housing of the wires is located in this area and perhaps the water is shorting the wires out, throwing all these different codes?!

I was reviewing all the potential places of leakage in this thread but the issues did not note where the water would end up in the vehicle. Can someone point out which of these issues would create water in the driver's back floorboard only? We are at our whits end (and so is our mechanic) in trying to figure this out. I do have a sunroof but I do not see where there is anything leaking from there but do need to check the drain hose as mentioned but would that leak end up in the back driver's floorboard?

It seems others have had similar issues and wondered if anyone found the actual problem and can share. I have already spent an enormous amount of money getting this car fixed to now find that our problem may have been a leak all along - any help is much appreciated!

-Mary

 

Mine leaks passenger rear and front floors, and I have no sun roof. Where should I look for leaks or plugged drains?

 

My sunroof leaked. Tubes were clogged. Used computer duster & some chewing gum to blow them clear. (stuck duster tube in drain hole, temporarily sealed around it with gum, blasted it with air). Worked.


New leak. The passenger side floor is soaked. The passenger mirror is broken. Could be coming in through there?

 

My Third Leaky Vehicle.

After owning a 2000 and a 2002 Bonneville, I hoped to never own another leaky vehicle again in my life. What a nightmare and the smell from the never drying back floor I can't even describe.
I purchased a used 2007 Caliber R/T with 76,000 mile in January. What a great little vehicle. UNTIL THE RAINS CAME. I am now dealiing water. (The former owners must have forgotten to mention this little problem). First it appeared on the floor behind the front passenger seat and not just a little water. Lots of standing water. Today I have leaking on the floor on the passenger side and I noticed in places where I parked two wet spots on only the passenger side both dripping wet under the frame of the car.
I am so disappointed. So now I am finding lots of complaints of this issue and some on the NTSB guess I'll add my complaint there. I also noticed the speaker on the rear passenger side is starting to have a sticky issue too. Wish me luck.