Dodge Maintenance
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Dodge Maintenance
I have been driving Dodge/Jeep vehicles for the past 10 years and currently I am driving a 2003 Dodge Ram Quad Cab. My wife and I are currently in the market for a small vehicle and she is thinking Caliber. I'm beginning to get tired of all the maintenance on the Dodge line of vehicles, as Chevy and Ford are much cheaper to own, operate, service and in general buy parts for. I have driven Dodges because I like the styling more than anything else, but the service is getting old. For instance on my current truck, it cost's me anywhere from $800-$1200 at every 30,000 mile interval for spark plugs, transmission, transfer case, axles, rear end, etc......
Was wondering if the what the Caliber Maintenance schedule looks like in the manual and if Dodge has went to a long life plug, radiator, etc... like Ford and Chevy?
Was wondering if the what the Caliber Maintenance schedule looks like in the manual and if Dodge has went to a long life plug, radiator, etc... like Ford and Chevy?
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Joined: Jul 2005
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RE: Dodge Maintenance
Its very hard to say actually. I do know that they put NGK spark plugs in it (at least mine has NGK spark plugs) instead of the cheap .99¢ Champions. I would imagine it would be better quality as its a world car. The CVT transmission is very low maintenance, if any and is very strong. Should last a long time. Basically every 3,000 mile interval something different needs to be either checked and/or replaced according to the maintainance schedule, although I've never actually done that with my Chrysler vehicles and nothing as ever gone wrong because of that.
On my 2004 Stratus R/T I only spent money on oil and oil filter changes. I had a K&N Air Filter so that only needed to be blown out periodically. Never had to replace the clutch (5 speed manual), anything like that. Same went for my '02 Neon ES which was also a 5-speed manual. That was the same money spent, only on oil and oil filter changes.
Remember the Caliber doesn't have expensive parts like transfer cases (AWD maybe an exception) for example. Its not a heavy duty car so everything in it is made to last as long as you don't try heavy duty things with it and just drive it like a normal car.
You sound like you really beat the hell out of your truck for everyday use (which isn't a bad thing) and thats a whole different story with a daily driver vehicle.
On my 2004 Stratus R/T I only spent money on oil and oil filter changes. I had a K&N Air Filter so that only needed to be blown out periodically. Never had to replace the clutch (5 speed manual), anything like that. Same went for my '02 Neon ES which was also a 5-speed manual. That was the same money spent, only on oil and oil filter changes.
Remember the Caliber doesn't have expensive parts like transfer cases (AWD maybe an exception) for example. Its not a heavy duty car so everything in it is made to last as long as you don't try heavy duty things with it and just drive it like a normal car.
You sound like you really beat the hell out of your truck for everyday use (which isn't a bad thing) and thats a whole different story with a daily driver vehicle.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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RE: Dodge Maintenance
I don't know about driving it roughly.
I do know that the manual calls for the maintenance to be done every 30,000 miles, and the end bill at 30,000 miles was around $1,100.00. I even checked around with other dealers to make sure this was all necessary.
I have a buddy who has a Caravan and he went through the same thing at 30,000 miles, only his did not have a transfer case, so his bill was closer to $900.
My truck is coming up on 60,000 miles and I spoke with the dealer on the last oil change and asked him how much will it cost me at 60,000 miles and he said that it could cost around $1,300 and thats just in what the manual calls for.
I have many friends with Chevy and Ford trucks who cannot believe it because there trucks have never cost them that much to maintain, nor do they have to do the same maintenance routines nearly as often as the Dodge Truck manual calls for. I have owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a small Dakota with much the same maintenance listed in the manuals.
I asked the salesman about the maintenance yesterday while testing a Caliber and he said that he did not know anything about it and the manual was somewhere inside and he could not find it. Guess I got the brush off on that one. I think this is starting to become an issue for Dodge because I have spoken to several people who have purchased there first Chrysler vehicle in the past few years, and they are appalled at what all they have to do compared to there Chevy or Ford.
I do know that the manual calls for the maintenance to be done every 30,000 miles, and the end bill at 30,000 miles was around $1,100.00. I even checked around with other dealers to make sure this was all necessary.
I have a buddy who has a Caravan and he went through the same thing at 30,000 miles, only his did not have a transfer case, so his bill was closer to $900.
My truck is coming up on 60,000 miles and I spoke with the dealer on the last oil change and asked him how much will it cost me at 60,000 miles and he said that it could cost around $1,300 and thats just in what the manual calls for.
I have many friends with Chevy and Ford trucks who cannot believe it because there trucks have never cost them that much to maintain, nor do they have to do the same maintenance routines nearly as often as the Dodge Truck manual calls for. I have owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a small Dakota with much the same maintenance listed in the manuals.
I asked the salesman about the maintenance yesterday while testing a Caliber and he said that he did not know anything about it and the manual was somewhere inside and he could not find it. Guess I got the brush off on that one. I think this is starting to become an issue for Dodge because I have spoken to several people who have purchased there first Chrysler vehicle in the past few years, and they are appalled at what all they have to do compared to there Chevy or Ford.
