Body complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The door locks quit working and then they jam. The inside handle breaks and the lock knob wont move up so your trapped inside so these no way to get out without climbing over the seats. If you were to cash and there was only one way out of the car it better not be the doors that have stopped working.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated there was water in the ceiling of the vehicle. The contact noticed water stains on both sides of the ceiling of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer/mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage were 42,950.
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 5 MPH, the front drive shaft fractured, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop, and the front driver's side and passenger's side airbags erroneously deployed. The contact stated that there was no collision during the incident. The contact's son sustained a concussion and facial injuries, causing severe swelling to the face and severe headaches. No medical treatment was received, but the son remained bed ridden for several days from the injuries sustained during the air bag deployment. The cause of the failures were not determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of the failures. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V121000(Power Train, Air Bags, Structure), which the contact's son related to the failure. The failure mileage was 203,000.
On 2/11/2021 me an my mom was head to doctor at 445 am and it was just raining cold and we hit a patch of ice going 20 miles and hour and I lost control and we went rolling 3 times and air. Bags did not deploy and the seat belt restriors didnt restrict as we was rolling some time in process my head hit windshield and got knocked out it was on a hwy moving their was no one on the road but us.. It wount let me up load my pictures I have but will be glade to mail them to u waiting on police report he put wrong information about me on for so it needto be fixed.
The contact owned a 2007 Dodge Nitro. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V121000 (POWER TRAIN, AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE). The contact stated that while stopped, the sound of an explosion was heard, and the side air bags deployed. The contact believed the vehicle had been struck by another vehicle. The contact suffered injuries to the neck and had issues with his hearing. The contact stated that medical attention was not required. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the underbody shield was striking the drive shaft while driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer advised the contact that a field inspector would be sent to inspect the vehicle. The field inspector inspected the vehicle and the contact was awaiting the results. …
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that the underbody shield was striking the drive shaft while driving. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number 13V121000 (Power Train, Air Bags, Structure) however, the fix failed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 201,500.
Related recalls (1)
Structure
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4X2 vehicles manufactured March 21, 2006, through March 1, 2008; and 2008 Jeep Liberty 4X2 vehicles manufactured February 15, 2007, through March 1, 2008.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a bracket to support the rear of the heat shield, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on May 29, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Nitro years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (89) and 2008 (14) model years. Body complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Dodge Nitro body problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 13V-121 (structure, Apr 3, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Nitro body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles; 13% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body › door (47 mentions), followed by the body (46).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.