What breaks most · 2005 to 2012 model years
Dodge Nitro problems by year
Owners have filed 931 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Nitro across model years 2005 to 2012. Two years stand out: 2007 for electrical system complaints and 2008 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2005, 2009 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 2005, 2009, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 9312005 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007419 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3819 fires · 43 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 18Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 419 | 16 | 7 | Electrical system (103) | |
| 339 | 15 | 3 | Electrical system (166) | |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 60 | 3 | 3 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 92 | 4 | 3 | Electrical system (41) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Dodge Nitro
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
103 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 20% |
82 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
48 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
47 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 10% |
43 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 6% |
26 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Air bags | 6% |
25 | 8 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
22 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Electrical problem when pressing unlock button my doors lock instead. My plug outlet no longer works. When rolling down driver window down. Passenger window will roll down and up also. My gas cap light has stayed and and gas cap has been replaced.shift solenoid
-
Tpmi issue -while driving wipers and washer came on by themselves. Horn beeping and headlights went out. Looked on line and there were thousands having the same issue.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Nitro years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2008 carry the most filings on the Dodge Nitro. The 2007 alone has 419 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Dodge Nitro problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 103 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Nitro problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Nitro complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.