What breaks most · 2005 to 2012 model years
Dodge Nitro problems by year
Owners have filed 1,114 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Nitro across model years 2005 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2007 for electrical system complaints, 2008 for electrical system complaints and 2011 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2005 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2008, 2011
- Fewest complaints: 2005, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 11142005 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007494 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 4126 fires · 51 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 74kMedian 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) | |
| 494 | 16 | 7 | Electrical system (133) | |
| 393 | 17 | 3 | Electrical system (198) | |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 78 | 3 | 3 | Electrical system (26) | |
| 122 | 5 | 3 | Electrical system (54) | |
| 2 | 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 | 27% |
133 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 17% |
82 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 12% |
57 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
54 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
53 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Air bags | 8% |
41 | 8 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 7% |
36 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Dodge Nitro |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
36 | 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.
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Brakes not braking uphill dash lights not lighting when have issues like low fluids or oil drive train light comes on power steering makes kind bump noises when turning transmission studders in reverse or switching gears
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The door locks for the rear doors do not work. The engine heater core also stopped providing heat to the car. Even after cleaning it out.
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My suv keep having problems with the electrical issues, first it started with the radio and then my brake light keep bowing and we replaced the circuit board and bulps and within three days they blowed again and at night when i turn my lights on my brake lights or turn signals do not work,
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 6, 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, 2011 carry the most filings on the Dodge Nitro. The 2007 alone has 494 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 133 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 74,000 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.