2008 Dodge Nitro problems
Owners have filed 611 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Dodge Nitro. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 33% of complaints. Next are fuel system (18%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 611 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 33% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 25 and 16
- Injuries and deaths
- 30 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 85,000 miles 485 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 26 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 52 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 69 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 74 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 93 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 53 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 53 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 23 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 22 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 16 |
What the data shows
Of the 485 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 85,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 90,000 miles (164 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 25 complaints mention a crash; 16 complaints mention a fire; 30 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the Dodge Nitro with enough data (255 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. The contact stated that while driving 2 MPH in reverse, the vehicle accelerated on its own by just tapping on the accelerator pedal. The contact crashed into a pedestrian and the contact sustained broken bones. There were damages to the driver's rear side wheel well. The vehicle was at the collision center for diagnostic testing and will be repaired. The manufacturer was not informed about the failure. The failure and the current mileages were 30000.
Takata recall on 9-6-2012 my husband was involved in a car accident not his fault. He was the 3rd car in right hand lane heading east at a stoplight with cars in the next lane also at the stoplight next to him, a truck hit him going about 55-65 MPH and his head hit the steering wheel causing him to have injuries requiring lifeflight to a trauma center in houston, tx. He had a brain injury and required 124 stitches in his mouth and a severed spleen. He had a brain bleed and it never fully went away.
On 2/11/2021 me an my mom was head to doctor at 445am and it was just raining cold and we hit a patch of ice going 20 miles and hour and I lost control and we went rolling 3 times and air. Bags did not deploy and the seat belt restriors didnt restrict as we was rolling some time in process my head hit windshield and got knocked out it was on a hwy moving their was no one on the road but us..
Pulling into my driveway when engine suddenly started running at high rate of speed and car started speeding. Managed to miss house and enterer garage with engine going at top speed. At beginning of driveway when car started speeding, I hit the breaks but it seemed to have no effect. When I realized car was out of control I pushed the brakes with both feet with very little effect.
All things electrical go crazy, locks are locking and unlocking on there own, even when I am driving down the road and eventually don't work at all. Lights don't work on drivers side of car. I push the brake and the dome light in the hatch area on passenger floor light up. All sensor lights are on, in the dash area, seat belt, brake, air bags, etc. Brake light is flashing on and off and dinging when it feels like it.