Your vehicle report
2008 Dodge Nitro
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 393
- Received Nov 2007 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline91 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Horn fails with airbag warning light29 complaints · 7.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Rear door latch fails to open or close22 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V396000Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan and 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro vehicles. These vehicles may have a loose or missing brand emblem in the center of the steering wheel. The loose emblem or the securing nuts for the emblem within the driver air bag module may become projectiles in the event of a driver air bag deployment.
- Recall #13V121000Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4X2 vehicles manufactured March 21, 2006, through March 1, 2008; and 2008 Jeep Liberty 4X2 vehicles manufactured February 15, 2007, through March 1, 2008. The transfer case heat shield may drop down and rub on the drive shaft, weakening it and potentially causing the drive shaft to break.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 12 fires, 18 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
- Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 24 |
| 2011 | 33 |
| 2012 | 45 |
| 2013 | 38 |
| 2014 | 49 |
| 2015 | 59 |
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 27 |
| 2019 | 27 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 2 |
| Total | 393 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 91 | 23% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 29 | 7.4% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 22 | 5.6% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 21 | 5.3% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 16 | 4.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 13 | 3.3% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 11 | 2.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 11 | 2.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 2.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 10 | 2.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 2.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 7 | 1.8% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 7 | 1.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Door ajar light stays on when closed | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 3 | 0.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #20V396000July 7, 2020925,239 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module; steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan and 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro vehicles. These vehicles may have a loose or missing brand emblem in the center of the steering wheel. The loose emblem or the securing nuts for the emblem within the driver air bag module may become projectiles in the event of a driver air bag deployment.
Projectiles as a result of driver air bag deployment in the event of a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag cover with a redesigned cover, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W09.
NHTSA recall #13V121000April 3, 201362,578 vehicles affected
air bags; power train: driveline: driveshaft; structure
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4X2 vehicles manufactured March 21, 2006, through March 1, 2008; and 2008 Jeep Liberty 4X2 vehicles manufactured February 15, 2007, through March 1, 2008. The transfer case heat shield may drop down and rub on the drive shaft, weakening it and potentially causing the drive shaft to break.
If the drive shaft breaks, a section of it can strike the transfer case tunnel with enough force that the airbag computer will believe the vehicle is in a crash and thus deploy the airbags. Additionally, the drive shaft failure will result in a loss of motive power. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a bracket to support the rear of the heat shield, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on May 29, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N10.
NHTSA recall #08V525000October 8, 20083,663 vehicles affected
parking brake
Chrysler is recalling 3,663 my 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro and my 2008 Jeep liberty vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The park brake lever clutch drum may distort and reduce the effectiveness of the park brake system.
This could allow the vehicle to move inadvertently and cause a crash without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the park brake lever assembly free of charge. The recall began on october 27, 2008. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2008 Dodge Nitro.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN