Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that the rear driver's side door would not unlock to open. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that the drivers side interior door handle fractured which prevented the use of the drivers side door to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Nitro 4x2. The contact stated that both rear exterior and interior power doors locks failed to unlock or lock. In addition, on separate occasions, the front passenger and driver side exterior and interior power door locks failed to lock or unlock. The failure occurred sporadically. When the failures occurred, the contact would manually unlock the door to exit or enter the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Nitro 4x2. When attempting to use the key fob to unlock the doors, the locks failed. The rear driver side door would not lock from inside the vehicle as well. The dealer stated that the door latch needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,054.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that the rear door locks failed to unlock, which prevented the doors from opening. The contact mentioned that the locks would only unlock manually. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the locks needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 84,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated then when the doors were locked, the locks spontaneously unlock. The contact mentioned that when the failure occurred, the doors locks were unable to lock manually or electronically. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.
My car will not lock. About a year ago the "lock-unlock key" stopped working and no one could figure out what was wrong with it. Since then I've had to manually use the key to unlock the driver door and then manually use the door lock/unlock button for the rest of the doors. Last month (March 2015), the locks completely stopped working. After 2 days the unlock button on both the driver and passenger sides starting working, but the lock button is completely non-functional. I have to manually lock every door to keep my car somewhat secure, however my trunk is now stuck unlocked with no way to lock it. I have brought my car to 3 mechanics and none of them can figure out the problem. After doing some research it seems many people are having this same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Dodge Nitro. While attempting to unlock the doors manually and electronically, the doors failed to unlock. The contact mentioned that the front driver's door was the only door able to unlock. The doors were able to unlock by rolling down the windows and opening the doors from outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear hatch door also failed to open. The vehicle was taken to faulkner Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat (6643 carlisle pike, mechanicsburg, pa 17050, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the totally integrated power module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Nitro years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (35), 2008 (6) and 2009 (6) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Dodge Nitro door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for any Dodge Nitro model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Dodge Nitro door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles; 15% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (11 mentions), followed by the hatchback/liftgate › lock (3).
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.