Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 02/26/2013 | 50000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact mentioned that the lights on the instrument panel, the horn and the windshield wiper fluid activated independently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 50,000. the vin was not available. kmj | |||
| 02/26/2013 | 50000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact mentioned that the lights on the instrument panel, horn and the windshield wiper fluid activated independently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 50,000. the vin was not available. kmj | |||
| 02/26/2013 | 50000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact mentioned the lights on the instrument panel, the horn, and the windshield wiper fluid activated independently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 50,000. dr | |||
| 04/04/2012 | 1 | ||
| I purchased my nitro in 2011 and since then i have had numerous incidents of the doorlocks turning off and on,alarm going off,wind shield wipers going off,lights blinking and fluid discharging,horn blowing. etc.... numerous owners of the 2008 nitro are having the same issue and no one from the dodge dealership is taking responsibility for there malfunctioned parts. i think that says a lot about dodge in itself if you are not recalling their nitros and having them fixed before this problem causes a serious injury. i have seen the complaints that it's a tipm part that is the cause of this issue and that the dodge dealership states that it's on back order or something to that effect my issue is this what happens if my car catches on fire due to there malfunctioned part that they aren't doing anything about. need to know what and who to speak to that can get this problem resolved because i feel that dodge needs to rectify this issue we owners of the 2008 nitro are having. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2012 | |||
| I purchased my nitro in 2011 and since then i have had numerous incidents of the doorlocks turning off and on,alarm going off,wind shield wipers going off,lights blinking and fluid discharging,horn blowing. etc.... numerous owners of the 2008 nitro are having the same issue and no one from the dodge dealership is taking responsbility for there malfunctioned parts. i think that says a lot about dodge in itself if you are not recalling their nitros and having them fixed before this problem causes a serious injury. i have seen the complaints that it's a tipm part that is the cause of this issue and that the dodge dealership states that it's on back order or something to that effect my issue is this what happens if my car catches on fire due to there malfunctioned part that they aren't doing anything about. need to know what and who to speak to that can get this problem resolved because i feel that dodge needs to rectify this issue we owners of the 2008 nitro are having. | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 100000 | 1 | |
| At any given time all of the electronics on my 2008 dodge nitro will go crazy without cause. while your driving or parked, engine on or off, key in or out of the ignition the headlights, wipers, horn, windshield washer fluid, blinkers, door locks, radio interior lights will just start going on or off. this issue has been going on for about 1 year now. i've taken it to the dealership and they advised me that it was the tipm or total integrated power module. they stated that the tipm is on back order and they can not tell me when more will be available for purchase. i contact dodge/chrysler in detroit and they too could not give me any information on getting this repaired. i searched the internet and found that there are a lot of nitro owners who are having the same problem and have been left without answers. if so many vehicles are effected by this issue then why hasn't there been a recall for this problem? if i cant turn to my dealer or manufacturer for help, where do i turn? *tr | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 100000 | ||
| At any given time all of the electronics on my 2008 dodge nitro will go crazy without cause. while your driving or parked, engine on or off, key in or out of the ignition the headlights, wipers, horn, winshield washer fluid, blinkers, door locks, radio interior lights will just start going on or off. this issue has been going on for about 1 year now. i've taken it to the dealership and they advised me that it was the tipm or total integrated power module. they stated that the tipm is on back order and they can not tell me when more will be available for purchase. i contact dodge/chrysler in detroit and they too could not give me any information on geting this repaired. i searched the internet and found that there are a lot of nitro owners who are having the same problem and have been left without answers. if so many vehicles are effected by this issue then why hasnt there been a recall for this problem? if i cant turn to my dealer or manufacturer for help, where do i turn? | |||
| 11/23/2010 | 49437 | 1 | |
| I began having problems with my 2008 dodge nitro in nov 2010 (still covered by extended warranty). i was driving and the car systems went haywire, the dash lights illuminating, windshield wipers and washer fluid engaged, the headlights cutting out and the horn blaring uncontrollably. turning the car off did not correct the problem and it eventually stopped after 3-4 minutes. this happened again on the way to work (this time the radio turned to full volume with no assist), the heat cut out and the windshield/lights/horn went nuts. i took the car in for a diagnostic and was assured they'd find the problem. the dodge dealership ran diagnostics, pulled codes, but could not replicate the issue so told me it was absolutely fine to drive. i continued to deal with the 'freak outs' throughout the years, until another one happened where the car would not stop (until we disconnected the battery). i brought it to a private mechanic who pulled codes and said there was a problem, but i had to bring it to dodge. on the way to work at approx 70 mph, i lost control of the car (it was as if i were slamming on the brakes-although they were never engaged) i am lucky the person behind me was able to swerve around me and not rear-end me. dodge determined that the computer told my transmission to go into 'fail mode' thrusting me into 2nd gear. i paid for another diagnostic and they told me a tune-up and a cleaning of the battery coils would clear the problem. the car worked normal for a while, but then had two more incidents, another fail mode on the highway (which also included lights/wipers/horn). i am pregnant and feel very unsafe in this car. dodge continues to maintain that there is nothing wrong with the car. i have videos of the 'freak outs' so they cannot deny it, but they choose not to help and to continue to encourage me to drive an unsafe vehicle. *tr | |||
| 11/23/2010 | 49437 | ||
| I began having problems with my 2008 dodge nitro in nov 2010 (still covered by extended warranty). i was driving and the car systems went haywire, the dash lights illuminating, windsheild wipers and washer fluid engaged, the headlights cutting out and the horn blaring uncontrollably. turning the car off did not correct the problem and it eventually stopped after 3-4 minutes. this happened again on the way to work (this time the radio turned to full volume with no assist), the heat cut out and the windsheild/lights/horn went nuts. i took the car in for a diagnostic and was assured they'd find the problem. the dodge dealership ran diagnostics, pulled codes, but could not replicate the issue so told me it was absolutely fine to drive. i continued to deal with the 'freak outs' throughout the years, until another one happened where the car would not stop (until we disconnected the battery). i brought it to a private mechanic who pulled codes and said there was a problem, but i had to bring it to dodge. on the way to work at approx 70 mph, i lost control of the car (it was as if i were slamming on the brakes-although they were never engaged) i am lucky the person behind me was able to swerve around me and not rear-end me. dodge determined that the computer told my transmission to go into 'fail mode' thrusting me into 2nd gear. i paid for another diagnostic and they told me a tune-up and a cleaning of the battery coils would clear the problem. the car worked normal for a while, but then had two more incidents, another fail mode on the highway (which also included lights/wipers/horn). i am pregnant and feel very unsafe in this car. dodge continues to maintain that there is nothing wrong with the car. i have videos of the 'freak outs' so they cannot deny it, but they choose not to help and to continue to encourage me to drive an unsafe vehicle. | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 50000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55-60 mph, the horn, windshield wipers and door locks activated independently and without warning. the contact was unable to turn any of the components off until the battery was disconnected. the vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic for the failure. the contact was no longer driving the vehicle due to the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 55,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 50000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 to 60 mph his horn, windshield wipers and door locks would go off spontaneously without any warning. the driver was unable to turn any of the components off until he was able to disconnect the battery. the contact has not driven his vehicle for over a month in fear of what may potentially happen on the highway. the vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 55,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 09/08/2012 | 51000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact was attempting to reverse and when the back-up assist system haphazardly alerted that there was an object behind the vehicle. the contact stated that there were no objects or persons behind the vehicle. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that one of the back-up sensors was pushed inward and the plastic between the bumper was melted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the exhaust pipe was rusted and fractured. the technician also stated that the exhaust pipe, bumper and back up sensor would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 51,000. | |||
| 08/31/2012 | 80000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while at a traffic stop, the horn, lights and the windshield wiper fluid activated independently. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 80,000. kmj | |||
| 08/31/2012 | 80000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while at the stop light the vehicle horn, lights, and windshield fluid activated on its own. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the proximate failure and current mileage was 80,000. li | |||
| 07/20/2012 | 58251 | 3 | |
| While driving the car stalled,horn started honking,lights were flashing and windshield wipers turned on and started spraying windshield wiper fluid. i was going 25 mph the first time this occurred, vehicle sat for a few hours then started back up. the 2nd and 3rd time it did the same as the first when i pressed the door unlock button on my key fob, when i hit the fusebox in behind the battery under the hood it ceased. *tr | |||
| 07/20/2012 | 58251 | ||
| While driving the car stalled,horn started honking,lights were flashing and windshield wipers turned on and startted spraying windshield wiper fluid. i was going 25 mph the first time this occurred, vehicle sat for a few hours then started back up.the 2nd and 3rd time it did the same as the first when i pressed the door unlock button on my key fob, when i hit the fuseblox in behind the battery under the hood it ceased. | |||
| 10/06/2010 | |||
| 3 weeks of owning the vehicle the windshield wipers started to go all by themselves, gauges went to 0, a/c stopped working, horn would beep, windows and locks did not work. this would last for approximately 5 minutes as you would drive down the road. this went on for a few days before i could bring it in. also each and every time i would fill the gas tank it would over flow. obviously the sensor to know when the tank is full doesnt engage properly. the elestrical issue was fixed and was said it was a censor gone bad. this is now happening again. i can not get anyone to say there is an issue, i am afraid that a fire may start or i could be in an accident with my child and possibly other passengers. | |||
| 07/10/2009 | 1 | ||
| My 2008 dodge nitro, while driving on hwy, 60-65 mph, out of nowhere the vehicle powers down. the windshield wipers spray out fluid and moves back and forward. the horn continues to make noise. my satellite radio has no signal. my driver side window button has some kind of short when trying to roll it up.this issue has been going shortly after purchasing the truck. no one seems to know what is wrong. at first dodge chapman in vegas, they thought reprogramming the remote key. then i paid over $600,to lithia dodge in renton, wa because they thought it was something with the fuel tank. but no this issue continues to go. it is beginning to be a safety issue shutting down in the middle of the highway with my kids and me in the car. so i google if anyone else is having this problem and yes it appears problem has arised and it lies with the tipm. this product was recall on the 2007 dodge nitro. i took my truck into the dealership 7/18/12. told them what to check, because i brought the truck there before and they couldn't find the problem. i told them to check the tipm. the service department called me today 7/20/12 and tells me yes, it is the tipm (totally integrated power module). please help. i called dodge customer service and they are looking into this, but states there is no recall on this issue with the year of my vehicle. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2009 | |||
| My 2008 dodge nitro, while driving on hwy, 60-65 mph, out of nowhere the vehicle powers down. the windshield wipers spray out fluid and moves back and forward. the horn continues to make noise. my satelite radio has no signal. my driver side window button has some kind of short when trying to roll it up.this issue has been going shortly after purchasing the truck. no one seems to know what is wrong. at first dodge chapman in vegas, they thought reprogramming the remote key. then i paid over $600,to lithia dodge in renton, wa because they thought it was something with the fuel tank. but no this issue continues to go. it is beginning to be a safety issue shutting down in the middle of the highway with my kids and me in the car. so i google if anyone else is having this problem and yes it appears problem has arised and it lies with the tipm. this product was recall on the 2007 dodge nitro. i took my truck into the dealership 7/18/12. told them what to check, because i brought the truck there before and they couldn't find the problem. i told them to check the tipm. the service department called me today 7/20/12 and tells me yes, it is the tipm (totally intergrated power module). please help. i called dodge customer service and they are looking into this, but states there is no recall on this issue with the year of my vehicle. | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 40000 | 1 | |
| This problem has not caused an accident but it has caused the gasoline to shoot out of my gas tank and drench me in gas several times. i believe if there is a sensor in my gas tank that it is not working properly enough to indicate that the tank is full or close to full when i'm pumping gas. when i pull out the nozzle the gas shoots out all over the place ( this is after the gas has shut off at the pump). don't know if there have been similar incidents reported but it is important enough for me to complain about it. the dodge dealer that sold us the vehicle when new does not seem to want to take the time to investigate my complaint so i'm looking to other sources to see if this is just a random problem or one that is worth investigating further for everyone's benefit. *tr | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 40000 | ||
| This problem has not caused an accident but it has caused the gasoline to shoot out of my gas tank and drench me in gas several times. i believe if there is a sensor in my gas tank that it is not working properly enough to indicate that the tank is full or close to full when i'm pumping gas. when i pull out the nozzle the gas shoots out all over the place ( this is after the gas has shut off at the pump). don't know if there have been similar incidents reported but it is important enough for me to complain about it. the dodge dealer that sold us the vehicle when new does not seem to want to take the time to investigate my complaint so i'm looking to other sources to see if this is just a random problem or one that is worth investigating further for everyone's benefit. | |||
| 04/22/2012 | |||
| When unlocking car or starting car, vehical suddenly starts blaring the horn, all the wipers start running, lights blinking, it looks like i am stealing my own vehical! this has also happened several times while driving the vehical! | |||
| 04/01/2010 | |||
| When unlocking car or starting car, vehical suddenly starts blaring the horn, all the wipers start running, lights blinking, it looks like i am stealing my own vehical! this has also happened several times while driving the vehical! | |||
| 12/02/2011 | |||
| This car was in a car accident and they fail to report it. bought it in mercado motors they said car was fine 2 weeks later car never turn on again. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 77002 | ||
| I live in metro atlanta and i have a 2008 dodge nitro. i love my truck but 12/01/11 brought my love to like and i don't know what to do. i work 2.7 miles from home - on my way home 12/01/11, the horn started sounding, lights were flashing, doors were trying to locking and unlock, front and rear wipers came on, and the water for the wipers started spraying. i pulled over, cut the truck off for about 5 minutes and started it back up. needless to say that did not resolve the issue. i drove all the way home with all these things happening. once i got home, 'i cut the truck off and the wipers were still going as well as the horn, the exterior lights, and the door locks. so 'i took the key out' and wouldn't you know - everything continue to do the same thing. ended up disconnecting the battery. 12/02/11 i connected the battery from the disconnect the night beofre and the horn sounded for a few seconds but now my heater is not working - on the way into the office everything happened again. pulled over and had truck towed to the nearest dodge dealer. my nitro has 77,006 miles on it. | |||
| 11/21/2009 | 60000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle shifted into limp mode and the rear wheels seized. the contact stopped the vehicle and disconnected the battery; however, when he restarted the vehicle it began to function normally. the contact also stated that the vehicle experienced various electrical failures which caused the interior lights and windshield wipers to involuntarily turn on and off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000. rvk | |||
| 11/21/2009 | 60000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle shifted into limp mode and the rear wheels seized. the contact stopped the vehicle and disconnected the battery. the vehicle functioned as normal upon restart. the contact also stated that the vehicle experienced various electrical failures in which the interior lights and windshield wipers would involuntarily turn on and off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the failures. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000. sm. | |||
| 10/20/2011 | 38000 | ||
| Driving down the road i and my car started freaking out. headlights flickering, horn blazing windshield wipers and fluid spraying. | |||
| 02/09/2011 | 79000 | ||
| My husband and i purchased a brand new 2008 dodge nitro slt on 9/22/07. less than six months later, the nitro began having problems with the driver's side door locks not working properly. on 3/8/08, the master power window switch was replaced by a dodge dealership and seemed to solve the problem. on 11/18/09, vehicle was taken to a different dodge dealership as one where it was originally purchased had closed. at this visit, the battery was replaced as it was thought to be the source of all of the electrical malfunctions that had been occurring with the car for several days - horn honking on its own, window wipers (front and back) working on their own (with spray), door locks going up and down by themselves and engine light coming on, plus the a/c heater unit stopped working. the car had been towed to the dealership for this repair as it was not driveable in the condition it was in at the time. on 9/2/10, the car was taken back to the second dealership that had worked on it prior for the following problems: windshield wipers working by themselves (with spray), tire pressure warning lights indicating low tire pressure when pressure was normal, both turn signals flashing at the same time while car was either at a standstill or in motion, for no reason. i was told by the dealership that, because no codes showed and the vehicle passed all their tests, not duplicating the problems i had told them about, there was nothing they could do. i needed a warning light to appear on my suv or something that would help indicate to them what the problem is. now the nitro is in the same shop yet again as, on 2/9/11, as i had just started up the vehicle, the horn began randomly chirping, the dash lights all were faintly blinking and the wipers worked by themselves again. i drove out of my parking deck and onto a street when the entire dash lit up, the car completely died and began rolling downhill backwards. neither the gas nor the brakes would work. horn stayed blaring. | |||
| 01/15/2010 | 62000 | ||
| My 2008 dodge nitro 4.0 loses electrical power. as i searched the internet to troubleshoot this problem, i discovered there are quite a few dodge nitro drivers who are having the same electrical problem. according to blogs and self help sites many people are being sent away from dealerships without assurances because the condition cannot be replicated. you see, after the power goes out inexplicably it will come back on. people have been stalled at intersections with others losing all power while driving on the highway. i personally have had several outages. i have replaced the battery under the assumption the battery was defective on this two year old car. i have not lost power while driving but i have lost all electrical power while moving from a parked position. as well, on several occasions i have entered my car to find that the clock needs to be reset as though the battery had died. i would say i have had five incidents of power loss since i bought my car approximately two years ago. | |||
| 05/18/2010 | 43000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that the vehicle would stall at different times when the driver was operating it. the driver was able to restart it but it would stall again. the contact attempted to use the alternate key fob and there were no problems. the contact believed that the battery in the key fob needed to be changed and was the cause of the failure. the contact changed the battery and had not experienced any problems. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vehicle the current mileage was 46,605. the failure mileage was approximately 43,000-bk | |||
| 05/19/2010 | 47600 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. while driving 60 mph, the lights on the dashboard illuminated and the brakes engaged without assistance from the driver. the contact spoke with the dealer who advised that the vehicle was experiencing electrical problems. the contact had the vehicle repaired but the failed recurred. the current and failure mileages were 47,600. | |||
| 03/05/2010 | 43000 | 1 | |
| While driving the 2008 dodge nitro at about 68 mph on a san jose 101 freeway during rush hour traffic out of no where my emergency brake was deployed even though i did not even hit any brakes, i saw the light on the engine almost got into horrible accident all the warning lights came on, the radio and engine stopped. about 5 seconds later the radio and a/c came back on, and the lights on the dashboard went back to normal. o called chrysler they said they cant really do anything till this happen at service shop. this happened to me before to. this is crazy i could get into a horrible accident. can you please look into this. *tr | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 475 | 1 | |
| Sunroof of 2008 dodge nitro sxt leaks after it rains. the problem started one month after the vehicle was purchased (march 2009). dealership could not find source of the leak on first occurence so sunroof glass was adjusted. second occurence was in april of 2009. leak was finally discovered by dealership's service department and all components dealing with the sunroof was replaced. third occurence of same problem occured in early january 2010. water that leaks into the vehicle not only will eventually ruin the interior but the water leaks in around a set of map lights located just above the rear view mirror. this combination of water and electricity could result in someone being electrocuted or the vehicle catching on fire as a result of a shortage. *cn | |||
| 10/18/2009 | 31000 | 1 | |
| While driving my 2008 nitro on the freeway, the check engine light came on - solid, not flashing. i made a comment to my wife about taking it in the next day to have it looked at. about a minute later, the car stalled and i pulled off to the side. my wife and daughter got out and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. by the time traffic cleared enough for me to get out of the car, there were flames coming out from under the hood. the car became fully engulfed within minutes. the fire department put the fire out and the car was a total loss. the front tires exploded, the rims melted, the engine compartment was fully burnt. i reported the incident to chrysler who investigated and told me that there was nothing wrong with the car. the only maintenance i had performed was to get the oil changed 3 week prior at a quick-change type company. the car had 31,000 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 36000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. while driving 65 mph the hazard lights would flash, the vehicle would decelerate, the windshield wipers would come on, and the horn began blowing. the failure occurred when the vehicle was on or off. the failure occurred intermittently without warning. the dealer could not duplicate the failure. the dealer changed the fuse in the vehicle and the failure continued to occur. the contact removed the fuse connected to the horn. the contact stated that the vehicle was dangerous to drive since the vehicle began to decelerate and could cause a crash. the failure mileage was 36,000. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 09/14/2009 | 28068 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. he stated that intermittently while driving over 60 mph, the vehicle would down-shift and the steering column would lock. the vehicle would only resume normal operation when the battery was adjusted or reconnected. the failure has not been diagnosed by a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. the failure and current mileages were 23,068. | |||