2008 DODGE NITRO Complaints

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. TWO OF THE FOUR BRAKES FINALLY TOOK HOLD THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY IN THE GARAGE AND I SKIDDED TO A HALT HITTING SEVERAL CABINETS AND SHELVES. THE ONLY CLUE I HAVE AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED IS THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. IT SOMETIMES WORKED AND SOMETIMES WOULD NOT TURN ON AND SOMETIMES I COULD NOT SHUT IS OFF...... *TR

A WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK I WAS DRIVING HOME AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. THERE WAS A SLIGHT SHAKING FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN I WOULD GO AND STOP. IT DID NOT DO IT EVERY TIME I DROVE IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM I DID NOT WANT THE TRUCK. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO THAT THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FOR FREE. I HAD TO FIGHT WITH THEM FOR 3 MONTHS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. THEY NEVER GAVE ME A DIRECT ANSWER, BUT SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM . THE FOLLOWING MONTH THE ABS LIGHT CAME BACK ON, AND I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK AGAIN. I DESCRIBED THE SHAKING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. THEY MADE THE LIGHT GO OFF, AND TOLD ME IF THE SHAKE HAPPENED I SHOULD BRING IT WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T TELL OTHERWISE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, MY BACK BRAKE LOCKED UP AND STARTED SMOKING AFTER MY VACATION WHICH THE HEAT SHIELD WAS FLAPPING IN THE WIND OUT OF NO WHERE ON THE RIDE HOME AND FELL OFF WHEN I STOPPED(STILL YET TO BE FIXED). I REPLACED THE CALIPER, BRAKE, AND THE ROTORS. I HAD THE FRONT CHECKED AND THEY SAID THE BRAKES WERE FINE. 2 WEEKS LATER THE SHAKING STARTED AGAIN, AND THE FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP AND STARTED SMOKING. I HAD TO REPEAT REPLACING ALL THE SAME PARTS. 2 WEEKS LATER AGAIN! THE FRONT BRAKE STARTED LOCKING UP SO HARD IT PULLED TO THE LEFT, AND WAS GLOWING RED WHEN I PULLED OVER. I TOOK IT TO DODGE THIS TIME, AND THEY TOLD ME THE BRAKE LINE HAD COLLAPSED. WHEN WILL THIS END AND ARE ALL THESE THINGS RELATED TO THE RECALLS? IF NOT CONSIDERING I DRIVE MY 4 CHILDREN IN THIS CAR AND IT IS A DANGER WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT? WHY DID THEY NOT TELL ME THESE CARS HAVE THESE ISSUES, AND WHY ARE THEY SELLING THEM AND NOT NOTIFYING BUYERS OF POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS.THE COILS, AND BRAKES AND ALL ARE RUSTY LIKE A OLD CAR I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A CAR AS NEW AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF COULD BE THIS WAY. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT, I WAS LEAVING MY HOUSE AT NIGHT. AS SOON AS I PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF.I REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND THOUGHT THAT FIXED IT. WITHIN THE WEEK, THE HEADLIGHTS QUIT WORKING AGAIN ONLY THIS TIME I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES FROM HOME. WHILE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM, I WAS DRIVING ONLY IN DAYTIME HOURS WITH CLEAR SUNNY WEATHER. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO BECOME POSSESSED. THE WIPERS TURN ON SPONTANEOUSLY ALONG WITH WIPER FLUID SPURTING AND THE HORN GOING OFF. THIS CONTINUED EVEN AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY OUT. MY BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED TO STOP THE MADNESS. I FOUND OUT BY INTERNET RESEARCH THAT MY PROBLEM WAS MOST LIKELY THE TIPM SINCE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE HAD TO REPLACE IT. I REPLACED THAT PART TODAY AND THUS FAR FIXED MY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, NOW MY FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON INDICATING THAT AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF. THE LIGHT STAYED ON WHEN I HAD AN ADULT RIDING IN THAT SEAT. I FEEL THE MAKERS OF MY VEHICLE PUT MANY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS IN DANGER KNOWING THIS WAS A PROBLEM. THE TIPM WAS ON BACK-ORDER AT MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP AND MANY OTHERS. *TR

THE DODGE NITRO HAS TO BE THE MOST POORLY MADE CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. THEY JUST REPLACED MY ENTIRE GAS TANK 2 WEEKS AGO AND ANOTHER LETTER CAME IN THE MAIL, REGARDING A RECALL WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT. SO FAR 2 RECALLS AND NOW MY CAR IS UNLOCKING ITSELF AND TURNING ON ITS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS ON ITS OWN. MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND KEYS IN THE HOUSE. A YOUNG MAN FROM NEXT DOOR CAME TO MY DOOR TO INFORM ME THAT MY LIGHTS WERE ON. WE LOCKED THE DOORS AND WATCHED THE LIGHTS GO OFF, ONLY TO FIND THEM BACK ON AN HOUR LATER AND DOORS UNLOCKED. WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND MY CAR DEAD. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND REPLACED IT FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 5 YEARS, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. A FRIEND OF MINE ALSO HAS A NITRO THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. SHE HAD TO PAY $600 FOR THEM TO REWIRE HER CAR. *TR

ELECTRICAL DOORLOCKS STOPPED WORKING HAD IT DIAGNOSED ON MACHINE COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE NITRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE WAS FRACTURED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT ALSO FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,325. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,359.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE NITRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED SMOKE AND SAW THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED BY THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. *TR

MY 2008 DODGE NITRO'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS OPERATING ON ITS OWN. IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS POSSESSED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS (AT LEAST 10 INCIDENTS) FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS THE FOLLOWING OCCURS. THE FRONT & BACK WINDSHIELD WIPERS START OPERATING BY THEMSELVES. THEY GO FAST & THEN SOMETIMES THEY MOVE IN A STOP & GO METHOD. THE RHYTHM OF THE WIPES IS RANDOM BUT ITS COMMON TO SEE THEM DO A PARTIAL WIPE,THEN PAUSE, ANOTHER PARTIAL WIPE, THEN PAUSE AND KEEPS REPEATING. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL GO FAST. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER SPRAYER SHOOT FLUID (FRONT & BACK) ON ITS OWN, UNTIL THE TANK IS EMPTY. THE HORN GOES OFF NON STOP. IT JUST GOES & GOES & GOES. THE HORN & THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SEEM TO OPERATE AS ONE. HAZARD LIGHTS ARE BLINKING CONSTANTLY. THE LIGHT ABOVE THE TRUNK DOOR IS BLINKING. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS STAY ILLUMINATED. THE DOORS LOCK/UNLOCK REPEATEDLY. ON THE DASHBOARD THE H.A.S. AND THE SLICK ROAD ICON ILLUMINATE. THIS OCCURS WHILE I'M PARKED OR DRIVING. IT OCCURS WHETHER THE KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION OR NOT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A RELATION BETWEEN USING THE REMOTE UNLOCK & A INCIDENT OCCURRING. YET, IT HAPPENS ALSO WHEN I UNLOCK THE DOOR MANUALLY. BASED ON OTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS FROM THIS MESSAGE BOARD, THEY ARE BEING TOLD ITS THE TIPM OR TOTAL INTEGRATED POWER MODULE THAT IS CAUSING THE MADNESS. DEALERSHIPS & CHRYSLER/DODGE CORPORATE HAS TOLD THEM THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER. BASICALLY THEY HAVE GOT THE RUN AROUND AND NOT RECEIVED ANY HELP. *TR

UPON DISARMING THE ALARM/UNLOCKING DOORS THE WIPERS, SPRAYERS, LIGHTS, AND HORN WENT OFF. I UNLOCKED THE DOOR WITH THE KEY AND TRIED TO START THE CAR TO DISABLE AND IT WOULDN'T. WHEN I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION IT KEPT RUNNING AS WELL. IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. WITH THE KEY IN THE ENGINE WOULDN'T SHUT OFF EITHER, NOR GET OUT OF PARK. WE DISABLED THE BATTERY... NOTHING. FINALLY DISABLED THE ALTERNATOR AND IT STOPPED, ONLY TO START AGAIN WHEN WE PLUGGED IT ALL BACK IN. THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS OCCASIONS THAT THE WIPERS HAVE TURNED ON WHEN UNLOCKING THE DOORS IN THE PAST. ALONG WITH QUITE A FEW TIMES UPON STARTING WITH A TURN OF THE KEY YOU MUST TURN IT TWICE FOR IT TO ENGAGE. THIS HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM AT THE DEALER EITHER TIME I TOOK IT IN. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD AND CANT IMAGINE IF IT HAPPENED DRIVING AS IN A PREVIOUS STORY I SAW. UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND IF IT DOES, THEY CANT FIND A PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN I FILL THE TANK WITH FUEL, IT BURPS AT THE END OF FILLING SPILLING GASOLINE ONTO THE VEHICLE AND THE GROUND. THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE VENTING SYSTEM IN THE TANK ALLOWING AIR TO BUILD BUP WHEN FILLING. *TR