2008 Dodge Nitro

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

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.

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

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

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. *TR

INADEQUATE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS ARE SELECTED, THE ROADWAY ACTUALLY BECOMES DARKER. THIS VEHICLE UTILIZES A SINGLE HEADLIGHT ASSY ON EACH SIDE CONSISTING OF AN H13 HIGH/LOW BEAM LAMP. SINGLE BEAM HEADLIGHT SYSTEMS HAVE TRADITIONALLY POWERED BOTH THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM FILAMENTS WHEN THE HIGH BEAM MODE IS SELECTED AND WHEN LOW BEAM MODE IS SELECTED ONLY THE LOW BEAM FILAMENT IS POWERED. WHEN HIGH BEAM IS SELECTED IN THIS VEHICLE, BOTH FILAMENTS ARE ENABLE BRIEFLY DURING THE TRANSITION FROM LOW TO HIGH. DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD THE LIGHT INTENSITY IS AT THE LEVEL ONE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE WHEN HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ARE SELECTED. HOWEVER THIS IDEAL ILLUMINATION IS SHORT LIVED BECAUSE IMMEDIATELY THE LOW BEAM FILAMENT IS EXTINGUISHED LEAVING ONLY THE HIGH BEAM FILAMENT TO LIGHT THE WAY AND IT SIMPLY IS NOT SUFFICIENT. ON A DARK ROAD ACCEPTABLE LIGHTING CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH THE COMBINATION OF LOW BEAM LIGHTING AND FOG LAMPS. I CARRIED MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIGHTS WERE OPERATING PROPERLY AND THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT CHRYSLER VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEMS OPERATE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN JUNE 2008 AND AFTER A ROAD TRIP IN JAN 2009, I REALIZED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND DISCOVERED ONLINE BLOGGS WHERE OTHER OWNERS COMPLAINED ABOUT WEAK HEADLIGHTS ON THE DODGE NITRO AS WELL AS OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCTS. *TR