Caliber SRT-4. Buy or pass on it?

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Oldschoolcuda

Oldschoolcuda

Early-A Body Nerd
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My jeep wrangler as a daily is getting to rough on me. Have a chance to purchase a 2008 model dodge caliber srt-4. 92,000 miles,original owner, not modified.
Anyone here own one of these bad boys or familiar with them? Positives & negatives appreciated.

Thanks
 
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SRT Neon drive train. If given care, I think they do alright
 
Pass. Had one. It was a pos. Sold it to get my Valiant. Alternator pulley goes out, that's a 80 dollar part and four hours to fix. The canbus computer system that runs it is complete garbage as well. Don't try to fix it up. It won't like it. Put HID or led head lamps, expect the car to start randomly while driving. If resistance is wrong car won't do over 20. Front end falls out from under them at around 120k.

Great looking car, loved whipping up on camaros and mooooostangs when I could. But the computer system in those cars is absolute junk.
 
You would be better off giving the cash to a stranger. The reason you don't see many of those on the road anymore is because they were total garbage, and they are all in wrecking yards.

Brand loyalty is absurd when picking a daily driver, get the most reliable car within your budget.
 
Owned a 2004 neon srt-4. Completely different drive train in the caliber version. Engine is different as well as 6 speed trans. That much i do know for sure.
 
Oldschoolcuda said:
My jeep wrangler as a daily is getting to rough on me. Have a chance to purchase a 2008 model dodge caliber srt-4. 92,000 miles,original owner, not modified.
Anyone here own one of these bad boys or familiar with them? Posiives & negatives appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I have a 2007 caliber 2.0 with the zoom,zoom trans,not the srt(i wish), it has 297,000 miles and just now started having a tipm problem(known problem in humid climates)@$290.00) and my evaporator has a small leak since the dealer recharged it, I think they overloaded it with too much freon (since it stated on the tag it only needs 1 can or 1lb, can't remember exactly which one it was) to work to replace other than that it has had nothing done to it at all. I still get 32mpg (dang wife can get 34mpg somehow) and it drives really good still.
plus with the fold down seats including the passengers front I can cram a buttload of stuff into it when I hit the car/swap shows
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
You would be better off giving the cash to a stranger. The reason you don't see many of those on the road anymore is because they were total garbage, and they are all in wrecking yards.

Brand loyalty is absurd when picking a daily driver, get the most reliable car within your budget.
Click to expand...

Did you own one?
 
Deemo said:
Pass. Had one. It was a pos. Sold it to get my Valiant. Alternator pulley goes out, that's a 80 dollar part and four hours to fix. The canbus computer system that runs it is complete garbage as well. Don't try to fix it up. It won't like it. Put HID or led head lamps, expect the car to start randomly while driving. If resistance is wrong car won't do over 20. Front end falls out from under them at around 120k.

Great looking car, loved whipping up on camaros and mooooostangs when I could. But the computer system in those cars is absolute junk.
Click to expand...

Thank you deemo
 
fratzog lover said:
Dont expect maintenance like a Honda.
Click to expand...

It is my neighbors and he is moving to the phillipines. He has had no issues with it but mileage is relatively low.
Brand loyalty or reg. maintenance have nothing to do with consideration. The car looking bad ***, being usefull for my collectibles biz. and driving it this morning do.F$&ker hauls azz.
Major suspension issues like deemo stated definately are a concern and are also mentioned in srt forums.
 
Pass, Run Away, my friend had one paid a lot for it new and it was always in the shop. I think he put more miles on the loaner they gave him than he did on his car.
 
66Dvert said:
I have a 2007 caliber 2.0 with the zoom,zoom trans,not the srt(i wish), it has 297,000 miles and just now started having a tipm problem(known problem in humid climates)@$290.00) and my evaporator has a small leak since the dealer recharged it, I think they overloaded it with too much freon (since it stated on the tag it only needs 1 can or 1lb, can't remember exactly which one it was) to work to replace other than that it has had nothing done to it at all. I still get 32mpg (dang wife can get 34mpg somehow) and it drives really good still.
plus with the fold down seats including the passengers front I can cram a buttload of stuff into it when I hit the car/swap shows
Click to expand...
297,*** on the variable drive tranny, 2.0. Glad you posted this.
 
66Dvert said:
I have a 2007 caliber 2.0 with the zoom,zoom trans,not the srt(i wish), it has 297,000 miles and just now started having a tipm problem(known problem in humid climates)@$290.00) and my evaporator has a small leak since the dealer recharged it, I think they overloaded it with too much freon (since it stated on the tag it only needs 1 can or 1lb, can't remember exactly which one it was) to work to replace other than that it has had nothing done to it at all. I still get 32mpg (dang wife can get 34mpg somehow) and it drives really good still.
plus with the fold down seats including the passengers front I can cram a buttload of stuff into it when I hit the car/swap shows
Click to expand...

Thanks Dvert. The room they have is surprising and would be nice for my estate sale,swap meet stuff.
May just add a reg. caliber to my search. I can be cool goin slow.Been doin it for years in my jeep anyway.lol
 
Oldschoolcuda said:
Thanks Dvert. The room they have is surprising and would be nice for my estate sale,swap meet stuff.
May just add a reg. caliber to my search. I can be cool goin slow.Been doin it for years in my jeep anyway.lol
Click to expand...
if I had to do it again I'd go for a manual trans 2.0 and no other change (even though the trans has held up very well even though I beat on it pretty good and have 297k on it.)
no it's not a SRT but it isn't really that slow being a 2.0 with the variable trans it scoots along pretty good. I do still think "when is the damned thing gonna shift!" when I hammer it but it gets up an moves out pretty good. and yes I hve drove an SRT4 when I had one of my friends cars in the shop. borrowed the shop managers srt4 to get lunch in dade city florida and it was a hoot to drive. accel was better than mine on takeoff to 35-40, but other than that it seemed bout the same for me.
 
I have an '06 Charger SRT and have been a part of the modern Mopar community for over 10 years. While most SRT vehicles were good, the Caliber SRT wasn't.

I'd buy a nice Neon SRT 4 any day, but would not ever buy a Caliber SRT. Too many issues with that particular vehicle. It was really an afterthought for SRT back in those days and corporate made them build one against their wishes. They weren't sure the Charger and 300 vehicles would take off and they were trying to hedge their bets with an SRT 4 that might do as well as the Neon SRT 4 did at least.

There is a reason that they quickly abandoned the Caliber SRT 4.
 
My neighbor had one for 3 years. Others may have been lucky, his was at the dealer more than his driveway. Traded it in and got squat, took a bath on depreciation. Like I said, not like a Honda.
 
I had a 04 neon srt and had some buddies that got the caliber, and have to agree modifing them is a pain, no where near the amount of stuff for them like a neon srt. The computer systems agree were very sensitive to change and didn't like it, unless you got the stage 1 from mopar for it. Agree on the pass, if you want a small srt go with a neon on 04 or 05 they had limited slip where the 03s did not come with it. The one cool thing about the caliber was they came stock with 3" turbo back exhaust, they should have just redid the neon instead of doing the caliber srt.
 
image.jpeg
No complaints
Here's a picture of my 2009 SXT
Bought new, 32,000 miles
 
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