RoadVitals

2007 Dodge Nitro Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Apr 4, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 494 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 Dodge Nitro submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Apr 4, 2010

I BOUGHT A DODGE NITRO 6 MONTHS AGO SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE WENT TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND THE NITROS TRANSMISSION WILL NOT PULL BUT JUST A FEW FEET, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT GIVES ME NO INDICATION BEFORE HAND. WHEN I PULL OUT IT WILL SOUND LIKE A BUNCH OF GRINDING AND JERKING. I REALLY FEAR FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN'S SAFETY. IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT I CANT SEEM TO GET THE HELP OR ANSWERS ON WHAT IS WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ID
10323705
Incident
Apr 4, 2010
Mileage
29,000 mi
EngineOther / unspecifiedTransmission
Filed Feb 18, 2009

I AM WRITING TO YOU TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS AND ALSO COMPLAINTS REGARDING DAYTONA DODGE. MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2007 DODGE NITRO ON JULY 7, 2008. WE BROUGHT IT BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY, BECAUSE IT WASN'T RUNNING CORRECTLY, AND ALSO A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. BETWEEN JULY 8TH AND JANUARY 1, 2009, THAT VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF DAYTONA DODGE 11 OR 12 TIMES. THEY HAVE HAD TO DROP THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES; THEY BROUGHT IN A CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DODGE OVER IN ORLANDO. HE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WITH US, AND DID IDENTIFY THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AFTER INDUCTING THE VEHICLE BACK IN FOR SERVICE, THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT FIXED. I WAS FINALLY TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT DAYTONA DODGES SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE EVERYTHING THEY WERE TOLD TO DO, AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS JUST SUPPOSE TO RUN THAT WAY. I FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT ANY CORPORATION WOULD MANUFACTURE A VEHICLE TO RUN THE WAY THIS NITRO DOES. I HAVE DONE SOME INVESTIGATING, AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE VARIOUS PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE DODGE NITRO. THE NITRO I HAVE BOTH SHUDDERS AT AROUND 40 MPH AND ALSO HAS A PROBLEM IDLING, IT TRIES TO SHUT OFF PERIODICALLY WHILST AT A RED LIGHT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A TERRIBLE WAY TO TREAT CUSTOMERS. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I AM WRITING TO YOU IN THE HOPES THAT PERHAPS YOU CAN GET SOMEONE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR UPDATED 03/06/09.*JB

NHTSA ID
10259215
Incident
Jul 8, 2008
Mileage
5,495 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 9, 2008

TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO GEAR WHEN COLD HARD SHIFTING UNTIL WARM. WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION IS SLOW TO SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR TO ALLOW TIMELY ACCELERATION, CAUSES PERSISTENT VIBRATIONS WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH. HAS NOT CAUSED ANY COLLISIONS YET BUT CHRYSLER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. MY FEAR IS TRANSMISSION FAILURE OR INABILITY TO ACCELERATE WHEN NEEDED TO AVOID A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10241460
Incident
Sep 8, 2008
Mileage
10,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 18, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE NITRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS CONTINUOUSLY. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, THE ENTIRE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER FOR OVER A YEAR, BUT THEY ARE NOT ASSISTING AND WILL NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS RECEIVED TWO RECALL NOTICES, BUT THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE RECALL NUMBERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 6,500.

NHTSA ID
10221623
Incident
Mar 17, 2008
Mileage
6,500 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 21, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE NITRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL BACKWARDS WHILE ON AN INCLINE AND WITH THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR IN DRIVE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS ON AN INCLINE, IT WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AT 6 MPH. IN ADDITION, WHILE ON A FLAT SURFACE, SHE WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE VEHICLE BACKWARDS WHILE IN DRIVE. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. AS OF NOVEMBER 21, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK: CONTROL UNIT/MODULE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V434000). THE DEALER REPAIRED THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. UPDATED 12/07/07

NHTSA ID
10209619
Incident
Jul 10, 2007
Mileage
150 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 7, 2007

TRANSMISSION BOGS DOWN. DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. WILL HANG UP AT 50 MPH CAUSING VEHICLE TO NOT GO. TORQUE CONVERTOR LOCKS UP AT 40-50 MPH. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELLERATE DURING LANE CHANGES ON HIGHWAY. *JB

NHTSA ID
10198699
Incident
Feb 1, 2007
Mileage
1,000 mi
Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Aug 2, 2007

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AS IT SHIFTS THROUGH THE GEARS IT MAY SHIFT FLAWLESSLY OR VERY ERRATICALLY. WHEN SHIFTING ERRATICALLY IT GOES FROM GEAR TO GEAR WITH A HARD BANGING NOISE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE, OR IT SHIFTS THROUGH THE GEARS AND BOGS DOWN WITH A VIBRATION FROM UNDER THE FLOOR BOARDS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TWICE SO FAR FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THE POWER CONTROL MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED BUT THIS DID NOT HELP. THE SECOND TIME A PART WAS REPROGRAMMED THAT WAS ON A RECALL BUT THIS DIDN'T HELP EITHER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10198282
Incident
Apr 13, 2007
Mileage
5,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 18, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE NITRO. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WITHIN THE SEVEN MONTHS OF THE CONTACT OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION IS TAKING LONGER TO ENGAGE AFTER EACH FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 7,000.

NHTSA ID
10193621
Incident
May 19, 2007
Mileage
7,000 mi
Transmission
Filed May 26, 2007

SERIOUS TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEMS CAUSED BOG DOWN IN GEAR CHANGING, THEN SURGING . ALSO, JUST SHUT DOWN VEHICLE, LEAVING DRIVER POWERLESS TO PREVENT A REAR END COLLISION. TERRIBLE PROBLEM, THAT WAS NOT CORRECTED BY CURRENT CHRYSLER'S TSB. I HAD COMPUTER UPDATE AND NEW TORQUE CONVERTER, AND STILL SHIFTING PROBLEMS. LOUD CLANKING NOISES, BUMPS WHILE SHIFTING. STRANGE SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS FROM UNDER FLOORBOARDS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GOT SERIOUSLY HURT. CRYSLER NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS AND QUIT MAKING EXCUSES VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10191790
Incident
May 10, 2007
Mileage
5,546 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .