Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE07027 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 05/29/2007 | 08/02/2007 | ENGINE STALLING & ELECTRIC POWER LOSS | 07V291000 | |
| On july 3, 2007, daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) submitted a defect information report to nhtsa describing a defect that could result in engine stall while driving in approximately 80,894 model year (my) 2007 jeep wrangler and dodge nitro vehicles manufactured between january 30, 2006 and january 22, 2007 (nhtsa recall 07v-291, dcc recall g25).according to dcc, the totally integrated power module (tipm) in these vehicles was programmed with software that may allow the engine to stall under certain conditions.dcc will reprogram the tipm in the recalled vehicles with revised software. odi opened pe07-027 on may 29, 2007, based on 53 complaints alleging engine stall and/or loss of electrical power in my 2007 jeep wrangler vehicles.odi was also monitoring similar complaints in my 2007 dodge nitro vehicles.dcc's analysis of complaints to dcc and nhtsa found that many described events with a momentary loss of electrical power inside the vehicle and a corresponding loss of engine power.many of the reports also indicated that the instrument cluster telltale lamps momentarily illuminated during the event. dcc's engineering analysis determined that the tipm could initiate an internal reset cycle lasting approximately 75 ms in response to error messages on the communication bus.the key on signal from the tipm to the powertrain control module (pcm) is lost during a tipm reset.if the pcm loses the key on signal for longer than 40 ms, it interprets it as the vehicle ignition being turned off and begins a power down routine.after the tipm reset, the key on signal is restored and the pcm powers back up.if the rotating components of the engine contain sufficient inertia, the vehicle may restart with no input from the operator as reported in some of the complaints.if the engine does not restart in this manner, it can be restarted by the operator.a revision to the tipm software on january 22, 2007 changed the tipm reset time to 17 ms, removing the potential for pcm power down and engine stall. odi has received 178 complaints potentially related to the alleged defect in my 2007 jeep wrangler vehicles and 52 complaints involving my 2007 dodge nitro vehicles.two of the nitro complaints allege that a crash resulted from an engine stall incident, one of which caused minor injuries to a passenger.as of june 1, 2007, dcc identified 151 wrangler complaints and 128 nitro complaints. this investigation has been closed with dcc's recall. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 12/08/2012 | 78500 | 3 | |
| When filling up the gas tank, after pump automatically shuts off, approximately 1/2 gallon of gas overflows. this has happened 3 times. the last time, gas was propelled into my face and all over my clothes. research indicates that this is due to a defect in the valve that prevents gas leakage during/after a rollover crash. this is worrisome in and of itself, but especially when combined with the other 2 problems i've had with this vehicle. about 2 years ago, i was going to exit the driver's seat when the interior door handle broke off in my hand. the master switch for the power windows stopped working within a few days of that. i am worried that i can be in an accident in which the car catches fire due to the defective valve, and i will not be able to exit my car if the door handle breaks off again and the windows won't roll down. i have been told that the fix for this valve is to get the gas tank replaced, at my own expense. also, when i went to the dealer to order my door handle, they already had some in stock, which indicates, to me, that this is a common problem and yet chrysler has not recalled it. the shoddy construction of this vehicle combined with the lack of assistance from chrysler has ensured that i will never purchase another one of their products again. *tr | |||
| 12/08/2012 | 78500 | ||
| When filling up the gas tank, after pump automatically shuts off, approximately 1/2 gallon of gas overflows. this has happened 3 times. the last time, gas was propelled into my face and all over my clothes. research indicates that this is due to a defect in the valve that prevents gas leakage during/after a rollover crash. this is worrisome in and of itself, but especially when combined with the other 2 problems i've had with this vehicle. about 2 years ago, i was going to exit the driver's seat when the interior door handle broke off in my hand. the master switch for the power windows stopped working within a few days of that. i am worried that i can be in an accident in which the car catches fire due to the defective valve, and i will not be able to exit my car if the door handle breaks off again and the windows won't roll down. i have been told that the fix for this valve is to get the gas tank replaced, at my own expense. also, when i went to the dealer to order my door handle, they already had some in stock, which indicates, to me, that this is a common problem and yet chrysler has not recalled it. the shoddy construction of this vehicle combined with the lack of assistance from chrysler has ensured that i will never purchase another one of their products again. | |||
| 12/06/2012 | 81700 | 1 | |
| Was stopped at a red light and when turned green pressed gas and the drive train exploded upwards. drive train completely mangled. if were going down road likely could of got killed along with my daughter. dodge not taking responsibility. brought to acadiana dodge in lafayette, la. *tr | |||
| 12/06/2012 | 81700 | ||
| Was stopped at a red light and when turned green pressed gas and the drive train exploded upwards. drive train completely mangled. if were going down road likely could of got killed along with my daughter. dodge not taking responsibility. brought to acadiana dodge in lafayette, la. | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 30000 | ||
| I was riding down the highway and the dashboard lights all came on and the vehicle powered down and then started up. there have been multiple times that this has happened. the last time it happened was today 06/14/2012 and the suv stalled and almost caused a wreck in heavy traffic. speed was around 30 miles per hour. i went online and discovered that there had been a recall for the 2007 dodge nitro with the very same problem but i have been told mine was not covered under the recall by my local chrysler dodge dealership. do i have any recourse? i was told there were two other recalls related to my vehicle after i provided my vin and then during another conversation i was told there was only one. a trip to my mechanic indicated that there were no codes showing up when he checked it with his meter. i purchased my nitro from another individual and the warranty was still on it as it only had 16,000 miles on it. it currently has about 57,000 miles on it. | |||
| 02/07/2012 | 64500 | ||
| Numerous times over the past few months i have pulled out of my driveway or out of a parking lot and my vehicle has stopped running,forcing me to pull over quickly before my steering locks up,which then requires me to put the vehicle in park and restart it.the vehicle was taken to my local dodge dealership on april 5th,2012 and on april 6th,2012 i was told they could not find a code to explain the issue and unless they kept it for several days to attempt to duplicate the problem there was nothing they could do. the vehicle actually stalled pulling out of a parking lot on the way to the dealership at a low speed. the vehicle does not stall at red lights while idling,only when pulling out onto the roadway. i have great concerns that i will be rear ended in an accident if this issue continues. | |||
| 05/19/2010 | 15200 | ||
| On 2/22/10 i took my dodge nitro slt in for the windshield washer recall to the dealership. every since the wiper washer (t.i.p.m) was replaced i've had the mil light come on three times, stalling and the panic alarm going off when i use the remote to unlock the car. the dealership has taken the nitro on the road to reset the mil light, intermittently the panic alarm still goes out, they're replaced the t.i.p.m on 5/19/10; suggesting that i got a bad one a day later the panic alarm went off again. the only way it stopped was to drive it. | |||
| 03/08/2008 | 13467 | 1 | 07/26/2007 |
| The vehicle would not start had to be towed in and it took 2 days to get the part. *tr | |||
| 12/03/2007 | 6 | 11/11/2006 | |
| 2007 dodge nitro with serious electrical problems. consumer states that the vehicle is having problems with the transmission and has stalled due to electrical problems. they want a full refund for the vehicle. *kb the consumer stated while driving, the vehicle lost voltage. the instruments dropped down unreasonably once the warning lights illuminated. the headlights started dying out. the gear shift had to be wiggled to get it to move, there was a knocking noise while going from first to second gear. the dealer informed the consumer an internal short had occurred with the 12 volt battery. the consumer also stated the steering would drift, there was abnormal traction and the doors would lock up. the abs was not working correctly because the vehicle would drift while driving. the consumer stated the dealerships were using 2006 jeep liberty software to troubleshoot the problems with his vehicle. the manufacturer did not send the specific software to update his vehicle.*jb the manufacturer agreed to a settlement rather than continuing the arbitration process. updated 05/20/08. *jb | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 7500 | 3 | 04/01/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge nitro 4x2. while driving 60 mph, the vehicle would lose power and then accelerate. the contact received recall notice number 07v291000 (electrical system). the dealer performed the recall repair, however, the failure continued to occur. as of july 24, 2007, the vehicle has not been repaired. the current mileage was 9,000 and failure mileage was 7,500. updated 02-01-08. *kb the consumer stated the defect happened on three separate occasions. updated 02/01/08 *tr | |||
| 07/19/2007 | 14413 | 2 | 10/19/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 dodge nitro 4x2. the contact has received his second recall notice since purchasing the vehicle. the first notice was in regards to the electronic module that can cause the vehicle to crash without warning. the second notice is in regards to the abs locking up and stopping the vehicle without warning. the notice advised the contact to call nhtsa. the current and failure mileages were 14,413. | |||
| 06/13/2007 | 6250 | 1 | 02/08/2007 |
| In february 2007 i bought a new dodge nitro 4x2. on june 13, 2007 after accelerating from a stop, going about 40 mph, the car suddenly surged and then lost all power. the steering wheel locked, the radio and fans shut off all the while still coasting, then, in about 3 seconds the car then suddenly came back on, the dash board lit up and the car acted like nothing had happened. i immediately pulled off the road, when i could steer again, and shut the car off. it has been at the shop ever since. the mechanic at the dodoge dealership says that the car was running perfect for him, and they can't locate the problem. i have researched the internet and this wa s becoming a common occurence with nitro owners. chrysler needs to do a recall on the car or remedy the situation immediately before any more injuries or worse yet, deaths occur. *ak | |||
| 05/23/2007 | 3000 | 2 | 03/17/2007 |
| In interstate rush hour traffic on may 23 while going about 70 mph the engine shut off. all lights came on the dashboard, and the car was out for about 5 seconds, then ,it came back on. the cars behind me had to take evasive action. the second time this happened was on june 12 and it stalled going about 10 mph. this time had to put the car in park and restart it. the dealer checked the car and found nothing wrong with it. by reading all the other complaints there was something wrong and needed to be fixed before there was a death. *ak | |||
| 06/07/2007 | 501 | 7 | 01/16/2007 |
| I have a 2007 dodge nitro r/t with the 4.0. my nitro is stalling and not in good places, on the freeway, in traffic. i feel this is not safe. i want daimler chrysler to fix this before i or someone has a accadent. | |||
| 06/05/2007 | 12585 | 5 | 12/01/2006 |
| Had my car into dealer 2 times for the same problem. it shuts down while in motion. have had 5 incidents of stalling. the 5th time was the same thing, it completely shut down. unable to steer and brake. i ran off the road, through a chain link fence, down an imbankment into somebody's back yard, the only thing stopping my vehicle was a large car trailer. i was slightly injured (bruising). it is my opinion that dodge has a serious safety issue here, that they are not addressing. the dealer has made failed attempts to fix the problem by replacing the torque convertor and the clk spring. i now have a brand new crashed car. i could have killed someone or myself. searching the your nhtsa site, i have found 32 complaints for this stalling problem on all dodge nitro models listed on this site. why hasn't nhtsa insisted on a recall of these vehicles or at least a warning to the drivers, this appears to be negligence on your part. please contact me as to why no action has been taken. | |||
| 05/12/2007 | 2665 | 1 | 03/08/2007 |
| Dodge nitro engine dying, including loss of all electrical components. *ak | |||
| 05/05/2007 | 7010 | 2 | 01/09/2007 |
| The car will die while traveling at high speeds on interstate. all dashboard lights illuminated, and then the engine cut off and then come back on. the car was inoperable while this happened. *ak | |||
| 02/26/2007 | 2790 | 2 | 12/26/2006 |
| On 2 separate occasions while driving between 35 to 50 mph the electrical system just ceased generating power for about 5 seconds and then all instrument panel indicators would illuminate simultaneously,only for vehicle to gain electrically power and continue as if nothing ever happened. *jb | |||
| 02/01/2007 | 2000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle shuts off while driving. *jb | |||
| 12/27/2006 | 2600 | 3 | 11/21/2006 |
| My car shuts off and then turns back on while in motion. the car will completely turn off including all electrical components then turns back on. when it turns back on all the lights on the dash like the abs and srs lights light up and turn off as like if i just started the car. this has happened to me three times. the third time the car did not turn back on (i think because i was almost stopped the other 2 times i was going between 30-65 mph and the engine started back up automatically). i had to put it in park and restart it the 3rd time. it has been to the dealer 2-3 times for this issue and they are unable to diagnose a problem. therefore i have notified the manufacturer and you the nhtsa in hopes of resolving the problem. there are several other owners with the same problem that can be found at http://www.nitroforumz.com/showthread.php?t=18 thank you. *jb | |||
| 12/15/2006 | 3000 | 1 | 11/25/2006 |
| While driving with the cruise control set at 65, the car lost all power and the engine stopped revolving. then, all warning lights on the dashboard illuminated. not knowing what to do, i allowed the car to decelerate. then, as quickly as it lost power, it regained power. this happened on the causeway bridge between new orleans and mandeville. the bridge has no shoulders to speak of. i immediately drove the vehicle to the dealer. they kept the car, but could not duplicate the problem; thus, nothing was fixed. i have checked this problem out on dodge nitro internet forums, and others are experiencing this also. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 12/05/2006 | 1000 | 6 | 11/28/2006 |
| Car has stalled three times while driving and one time did not restart which resulted in it being towed. the horn and driver's side lock have broken. i advised the dealership of my safety concerns regarding the stalling and also low rpm's. car is now at dealership for 6th time and they currently do not know the problem. car has approx. 8000 miles. first stall happened around 1000 miles. | |||
| 02/20/2007 | 5900 | 2 | 11/20/2006 |
| My dodge nitro has shut off twice while the vehicle was in motion. this can be a potentially dangerous and deadly situation. after reading the dodge nitro forums/blogs, there are a lot of people having the same problem and dealers are unable to find a problem. *nm | |||