Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Dodge Nitro submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ESP BAS LIGHTS (APPEARED AFTER). AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR FELT LIKE IT HIT A BRICK WALL EVEN THOUGH IT DIDNT, IT SLAMMED ME INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN CONTINUED DRIVING. AT THAT POINT, THE ESP BAS LIGHT CAME ON. HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DODGE OR CHRYSLER BY PHONE WITH NO CHANCE AT REACHING A PERSON CAUSE OF ROBOTIC ANSWERING SERVICES.
Power steering locks up, power steering fluid not helping. Looks like oil mixed in with the coolant. Car smoking and overheating
TAKATA RECALL. DRIVING ON HWY @55 MPH, HORN GOING OFF, LIGHTS OFF AND ON,DASH LIGHTS BLINKING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOING OFF AND THEN VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN AND REBOOTS, NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. 3 TIMES. PLEASE HELP!
VEHICLE LOST POWER, BRAKES & STEERING, ALL WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP, WIPERS AND PUMP RUNNING CONTINUALLY, HORN BLARING CONTINUALLY, AND FAN MOTOR RUNNING EVEN WITH KEYS OUT OF IGNITION. THIS HAPPENED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE WAY TO WORK AND I BARELY GOT IT OFF THE ROAD AND OUT OF TRAFFIC BEFORE COMING A STOP AGAINST A CURB! REPLACED THE TIPM & BATTERY WITHIN THE LAST 4 MONTHS AND IT'S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE!
...SO, I LEFT MY HOUSE, GOT ABOUT A BLOCK DOWN THE STREET AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HORN STARTS BLARING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED MOVING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID SPRAYED, ALL OF MY INTERIOR AND WARNING LIGHTS STARTING BLINKING IN AND OUT AND MY NITRO STARTED SPUTTERING. AT THIS POINT I HAD LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES BUT I MANAGED TO PULL IT OVER TO THE CURB AND THE CAR DIES. I'M SITTING THERE THINKING TO MYSELF, "WHAT IN THE HELL?!" I WAS ALREADY STARTLED FROM THE HORN RANDOMLY BLARING, SO I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SWALLOWING MY HEART WHEN HEAVY, THICK SMOKE STARTS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ...AND IT STINKS LIKE SMOLDERING WIRING. I SNATCHED MY KEYS, POPPED THE HOOD (WHICH PROBABLY WASN'T TOO BRIGHT IN HINDSIGHT) AND RIPPED THE WIRING OFF OF THE BATTERY TERMINALS. IT WAS HOT UNDER THAT HOOD AND I'M GLAD I HAD THE WHEREWITHAL TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. I REALIZED THEN THAT THE CAR WAS NEVER GOING TO START AGAIN, NOR WOULD I WANT TO. I HAD A FRIEND TOW IT TO HIS SHOP AND HE HAD A LOOK. THE TIPM, WIRING HARNESS/WIRING AND SURROUNDING PLASTIC WAS ALL DESTROYED. HE SAID THE WIRES GOT SO HOT THAT IT WOULD ALL HAVE TO BE RE-RUN THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE, A $3500 TO 4000 ESTIMATE. FORGET THAT NOISE. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THE CAR WAS MOVING WHEN ALL OF THIS HAPPENED AND HAD I NOT BEEN IN A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE NITRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE IT WAS OBSERVED THAT AN UNKNOWN COMPONENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS CAUSING THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,635.
THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I HAD JUST TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN BUT THE HORN WAS GOING NON STOP AND THE WIPERS TOO. I COULDN'T PULL OVER BECAUSE THE STEERING WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO STOP WHEN MY FIANC ATTEMPTED TO UNHOOK THE BATTERY. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 4 TIMES TOTALLY. THE LAST TIME I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT NIGHT, IT WAS DARK AND THE WIPERS WENT CRAZY AND MY LIGHTS WENT OUT THEN THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT DOWN, I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING, THANK GOD NO CAR WAS PASSING BY. AT TIMES IT DOESN'T WANT TO START BUT THE WIPERS COME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND AFTER A FEW HRS THEY SAID IT WAS THE INTEGRATED POWER MODULE. VERY EXPENSIVE THAT I CAN'T FIX RIGHT NOW. VERY UNSAFE!
POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK !! ON THESE VEHICLES THEIR IS INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP RESERVOIR & THE LOWER RADIATOR HOSE CONNECTION AT THE ENGINE BLOCK !! THIS IS CAUSING THE RESERVOIR TO CRACK OR MELT & FLUID TO LEAK & BLOW ALL UNDER THE VEHICLE !! THIS IS A REAL FIRE DANGER DUE TO THE EXHAUST CONVERTER BEING WITHIN 3 FT OF THE POWER STEERING !! LETS NOT FORGET THAT THIS EXHAUST CONVERTER RUNS AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 DEG F. INSIDE !! THE DODGE CORP .ESQUIRES YOU TO PAY A $50.00 DOL. CORE CHARGE ON THESE PUMPS !! THIS IS BECAUSE THEY WANT THEM BACK & NOT OUT FOR THE N.H.T.S.A .TO GET HOLD OF THIS !! THESE PARTS A NOT CHEAP !! $269.00 FOR PUMP , PLUS $50.00 CORE CHARGE $6.99 P/S FLUID & $200.00 LABOR TO REPLACE PUMP ASM. !! THEY WANT AELL YOU THE PUMP RESERVOIR BY ITSELF , THEY ONLY SERVICE IT WITH A COMPLETE ASM. !! IF SOMEONE HAS NOT BEEN HURT BY A FIRE FROM THIS VEHICLE THEY HAVE BEEN LUCKY !! THIS IS REALLY A FIRE DANGER DUE TO THE EXHAUST CONVERTER BEING SO CLOSE !! I SURE WOULDN'T LEAVE A CHILD IN THIS VEHICLE BY HIMSELF DUE TO THE FLUID COULD IGNITE & ENGULF THIS VEHICLE !! I PUT 10 MPH. IN THE VEHICLE SPEED AT TIME OF INCIDENT , BECAUSE I CANT GIVE YOU A REAL MPH . FOR THIS FLUID LEAK FROM POWER STEERING !! THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR IS TO CLOSE ON DRIVERS SIDE OF ENGINE BLOCK NEXT TO THE LEFT FRONT ENGINE MOUNT !! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE NITRO. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS STARTED TO FLICKER ABNORMALLY. THE STEERING WHEEL THEN SEIZED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CONTACT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES ALSO ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY AND THREW THE CONTACT FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,500.
ON 5/11/10 MY 2008 DODGE NITRO CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE IN A PARKING LOT SERVICE LANE. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT OFF. IT CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN I TURNED TO GET OUT OF THE SERVICE LANE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. AS A RESULT OF MY NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE IT CRASHED CAUSING SEVERE INJURIES TO ME . *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE NITRO. HE STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING OVER 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD DOWN-SHIFT AND THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD LOCK. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY RESUME NORMAL OPERATION WHEN THE BATTERY WAS ADJUSTED OR RECONNECTED. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 23,068.
STEERING WHEEL IS SQUEAKING, NEEDS POWER STEERING FLUID OR ADJUSTMENT. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .