The TIPM in these vehicles are faulty and nothing is being done about it by Dodge. There are hundreds of complains across several forums and every time Dodge is contacted about the issue they use the no recall excuse. I have a Nitro myself and it has multiple electrical issues for no reason other than poor manufacturing. The TIPM is the issue and it's not just my Nitro having this problem. My vehicle has accelerated without my assistance, it's had braking issues when there should be no issue. Components that need my action to work have activated on their own, such as... horn, wiper, wiper fluid, accelerator, etc... The wiring in these vehicles are faulty and it needs to be fixed by the manufacturer at their expense. It's time they step up a make it right by the consumer.
2008 Dodge Nitro electrical complaints
Page 2 of 8: complaints 11 to 40 of 198, newest first, as owners wrote them.
It started with all dash lights coming on saying it had issues and then just stopped dead in road. I had tpim put in, then alternator , and then new battery. Was fine and then head lights stopped coming on . Next, it starting with horn, and everything under the sun coming on and not stopping. Took to shop and they thought they found it, and drove for a day and as soon as I turned on headlights it stalled. In motion on a street driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. The contact stated that when the vehicle was unlocked, the alarm, windshield wipers, and horn engaged. The electronic throttle control and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer carolina chrysler jeep dodge ram (1001 halstead blvd, elizabeth city, nc 27909, (252) 391-9609) where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred with the check engine warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,668.
Driving to work and noticed smoke. Opened hood and flames were coming out of fuse box. Closed hood and grabbed purse and phone. Lady who pulled over behind me and people inside office called fire department because engine completely involved. Took a bit for fire dept. To gain control and extinguish. I did research and saw several similar complaints re fuse box. Insurance adjuster to examine 12/7/2020*dt the consumer provided photos.
Tipm malfunctions..vehicle vibrated and shut off while driving..starter cranked continuously without turning engine over. Continuously ran fuel pump which caused need for replacing,and a new battery as well. After replacing fuel pump,and battery,the vehicle shut off again..while driving. The vehicle,again will not start. Starter keeps running unless you turn the key to the "off position"
Was driving it an the whole dash lights up random codes now won't start
3 different times I have had to replace the battery in my nitro due to the stereo. The radio is not powering down properly and keeping the communication bus awake causing parasitic battery draw. I have a mygig head unit with navigation and sirius satellite dvd player. At time the the nitro will lock me in or out due to the stereo not powering off properly due to this issue you also can not get satellite service to work. Dodge needs to recall this issue as we did not ask for the issue. Also when filling up with fuel it does not stop on it is own like other cars and trucks, it spits fuel back out at you and spills everywhere on you the car and ground. The battery problem happens when it is turned off with no key in the ignition.
Two issues. It stalls going at speed on highway and it also had the dashboard light up like an xmas tree with everything going on and then the car will not start. Everything has power when this happens but the truck will not start at all. When you exit the vehicle, the truck still acts like the lights are on and the key is ignition as it dings as a warning. I have had the power module replaced twice and the same thing happens.
The tipm on this nitro is causing safety issues. Its stalled going down the highway. It cranks but doesn't start. The wipers will not turn off. It throws up strange error codes then they just go off. My steering wheel controls and cruise control works when they feel like it. Some issues happen while driving , but some happen when stationary.
I bought my nitro brand new in 2009 2 years later my radio would not turn off after car was shut off and door was open. I had to pull the fuse so my battery would not die. It also would shift off and on when ever it felt like while driving. I took it to dealership and they flashed it but it only mad it worse. Now if the fuse was in I would be driving and I'll of a sudden my whole dash would light up and my gauges would start going back and forth out of control and my windshield wipers would turn on. I took the fuse out in 2010 and still have not had a radio in my nitro since.
When I tried to start the dodge nitro the doors locked , horn blows, wipers and fluid run. And now the car wont start at all. Unhooked the battery terminal and hooked it back up, doors all lock with keys inside. There was a recall on 2007 nitros for the same reasons. Why wont they fix the 2008 models as well. There really needs to be a recall on this
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.
2008 dodge nitro with 80,000 miles driving in town and all the dash warning lights came on blinking and the engine almost stalled. It continued while driving it. Took it to mechanic next day but lights were not on. 3 pages of "lost communication" codes printed. Mechanic said it was most likely the main computer but the lights were not on so they couldn't fix. The next day lights all came back on driving on highway car almost stalled and it wouldn't shift. We drove it straight to mechanic. It would not restart. Thankfully it was parked at this time. Mechanic said it's the main computer module and will cost $1500-$2500 to fix. If it died while we were driving it would have been tragic! It has under 100,000 miles this should not have happened already. We did not take pictures of all the warning lights that would be the only evidence we have. We can upload a bill once we get it.
The car jerks back an shifts off randomly in the road an the emergency brake doesn't work it almost caused me to get in an accident
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. The contact stated that the vehicle's horn sounds independently and remained activated, the radio turned off on its own, the windshield wipers operate faster than normal, and the speed decreased from 60 to 40 MPH, which caused the vehicle to decelerate and jerk. In addition, the liftgate indicator displayed that it was open when it really was not and the esp, check engine, air bag, and no fuse warning indicators illuminated. Furthermore, the door locks were locking and unlocking independently. The contact called sherman dodge chrysler jeep ram (7601 skokie blvd, skokie, il 60077, (847) 262-3598) and was informed it could be the tipm and was to schedule an appointment. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
The total integrated power module has gone, car won't run, anti-theft alarm won't stop going off. The car is stationary, only way to stop alarm was to unhook battery cables. Lights flashing, windshield wipes going, windshield fluid pouring out, horn blurring, this has happened 6 time, now car won't start, but the anti-theft alarm keeps going *dt
The wiper turns on at a high speed, faster than normal, horn get stuck, radio goes off and on for a long period of time and when you turn the truck off all continue to work even with the key out of ignition. This happen when I'm driving or when it's stationary. Does not matter where I'm at, could be on expressway, hwy or road. It gives no warning.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. While driving 65 MPH at night, the windshield wipers activated, the horn sounded, wiper fluid sprayed onto the front and rear windshields, and the headlights failed. Also, all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the side of the road. The vehicle lost power and failed to restart. The contact called aaa and had the vehicle towed to his residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mechanic informed the contact that there was a recall on the 2007 models. The vehicle was later taken to sierra chrysler dodge jeep ram (located at 1305 mountain ave, monrovia, ca 91016, (626) 739-5400), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.
Started vehicle and drove a block with heater and wipers running. The heater shut off and on and the horn started blaring off and on. During this time the locks were going up and down too. Pulled over, turned ignition to the off position and removed the key. The engine still ran for a little bit, horn still blaring, and front/back wipers still ran without a key in the ignition. Eventually the engine shut down with everything except for the wipers. The wipers continued to run until we had the vehicle towed away a couple hours later. There was smoke coming from the fuse box and a terrible smell of a melting electrical system. This is a huge safety concern because I could have been on the highway traveling over 75 miles per hour in the rocky mountains when this all occurred. Thankfully this happened while exiting a business instead. Recall needs to happen before someone dies. Unfortunately the local shop couldn't take my vehicle in to inspect. Tried other shops in nearby towns plus a dealership and they were not able to take the vehicle either. So I eventually had the vehicle towed from eagle, co to the denver metro. Cost me nearly $600 just for the tow to my house. I still need to have it towed to the local garage and accessed. Looks like it will cost plenty. The garage suggested fixing the problem was not worth the effort. The cost to remove, replace, service, adjust, reprogram, and install would exceed $5500 and that would not guarantee the vehicle to properly work. Blue book value for private sale is listed at $5804 when the vehicle was running properly. Ended donating vehicle to vehicles for veterans so they could part out the remaining items that were still good. Purchased new/used vehicle to replace the nitro. I would like to recover at least the blue book value of $5804 if possible. This breakdown has caused financial hardship within our home.
When parked my vehicles head lights, dome lights and car unlocks randomly over and over. It causes my battery to die and the remote isn't even being touched.
Started vehicle and drove a block with heater and wipers running. The heater shut off and on and the horn started blaring off and on. During this time the locks were going up and down too. Pulled over, turned ignition to the off position and removed the key. The engine still ran for a little bit, horn still blaring, and front/back wipers still ran without a key in the ignition. Eventually the engine shut down with everything except for the wipers. The wipers continued to run until we had the vehicle towed away a couple hours later. There was smoke coming from the fuse box and a terrible smell of a melting electrical system. This is a huge safety concern because I could have been on the highway traveling over 75 miles per hour in the rocky mountains when this all occurred. Thankfully this happened while exiting a business instead. Recall needs to happen before someone dies. Unfortunately the local shop couldn't take my vehicle in to inspect. Tried other shops in nearby towns plus a dealership and they were not able to take the vehicle either. So I eventually had the vehicle towed from eagle, co to the denver metro. Cost me nearly $600 just for the tow to my house. I still need to have it towed to the local garage and accessed. Looks like it will cost plenty.
Since I purchased the vehicle in 2010, it's had strange electrical issues. First, the door locks have been malfunctioning. After a couple of uses, they no longer respond to the remote, or door lock button. Nor will they automatically lock while the vehicle is in motion. That's very dangerous. The second issue is that the horn would randomly honk. The honking stopped for about a year. Tonight, the honking started at random and wouldn't stop. The key wasn't in the ignition and the car was parked. I had to remove the negative battery cable to avoid a visit from the police for disturbing the peace. The third issue is that the airbag light came on. Yet another strange issue. When starting the engine, there will be s long start as if the starter stays engaged for too long. Sometimes , the engine will start, not idle and just stop. The engine has started and barely had any power and would barely move.
As I was driving to work, the alarm began going off, the wiper blades both front and back turned on, the doors were locking & unlocking themselves as I was driving & my vehichle stalled in the middle of the morning rush hour. Thankfully, I was able to once again start it long enough to pull off to a safer area. I propped the hood open after doing some quick research on youtube as to what it could be causing the alarm wiper blades to turn on. I tapped the tipm (or fuse box) a bit just like in the video iooked up and sure enough the alarm shut off & my car started once again. I've looked at several forums online between dodge nitro users & they all seem to be having the same issue pointing to the tipm. In the forums the owners of these vehicles are stating there's thousands of dodge/chrysler vehichles with this same issue. Yet, there has been no recall. Not only does the tipm replacement cost approximately $1,000. But it is extremely dangerous to drive these vehicles that are stalling in the middle of traffic, during rush hour & with children in the car. Please take a look into this issue, don't ignore the thousands of people that are having this issue with dodge/chrysler vehicles & do a recall. Once, again I feel that it is very dangerous for a car to stall & behave in that manner while in motion. Not only for the driver but for other drivers around these cars with defective tipms.
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!
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. The contact stated that the remote start key was not working, the vehicle alarm kept sounding, and the doors would not lock or unlock occasionally even with the key. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 150,000. *tt
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.
4 big things wrong: first, the fuel spills out onto the ground when filling it up at gas station because it does not click off. I am always in a hurry to leave the gas station so no sparks ignite the fuel on the ground and then blow up my truck. Second, there are electrical problems. None of the inner dome lights work and the passenger headlight has a short in the wiring. 3rd, the heater stopped blowing through the main vents and also it gets cold then hot then cold again. The temperature on heater wont stay warm. 4th:the transmission is slipping and wont run right. It will not move when gas is pushed then after a few seconds it will kick in and go. Then it slips between gear shifting. Its an automatic
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. Within months of purchasing the vehicle, it stalled several times without warning. An independent mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure, but stated that the totally integrated power module may need to be replaced. The contact planned to take the vehicle to milford chrysler (500 us-209, milford, pa 18337, 1-(570) 296-2636) for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency action number: dp14004 (electrical system). The manufacturer issued two tsbs on the electrical system, but no recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
I was driving my 2008 dodge nitro and felt a jerk then air bag tried to deploy and vehicle lost power while driving down the road. It did this twice and air bag on drivers side is trying to deploy with light and dinging every time driven. The gas cap will not seal causing check engine light to stay on and there has been contant electric issues. Head lights and tail lights have to now be constantly replaced and air bag light is always coming on with dinging noise. I believe I'm having issues with the drive train and several other issues that are all recalls in this year of dodge nitro.
The breaks on my 2008 dodge nitro keep locking up completely while I'm driving down the hwy. Which causes my truck to come to a abruptly forcefule stop. Especially when I'm traveling at speeds of 65 or more. I can get the brakes to release by unhooking my battery for about 10 minutes. Long enough for the system to reset. My brake pads are slightly worn . My ABS light is also on / on my dash.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Dodge Nitro?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history