Problems with 2008 Dodge Nitro ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 nhtsa. 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 *tr

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.

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.

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.

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 *tr

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

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.

Car had not been driven regularly due to it throwing codes preventing it from being safety inspected. driven briefly around 12:00 noon on thursday, october 11th, 2018 to see what codes it would throw. on friday, october 12th, 2018 car was moved out of garage & parked in driveway where it sat until sunday, october 14th, 2018 when it spontaneously combusted and local fire department had to be called to extinguish fire. vehicle is a total loss.

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 nhtsa 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.

While driving or car sitting it randomly starts honking horn, wipers going, wiper spray, lights flashing. dangerous while driving on road due to lack of visibility. suspect tipm (totally integrated power module) is the problem.

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.

We were driving straight through a parking lot on friday, may 11 and suddenly the wipers in the front and back started going at an accelerated rate and the wiper fluid was continuously pumping out and the horn was continuously honking. i got into a parking spot, tried to turn the car off and it wouldn't. i was even able to turn the key in the ignition to the off but it was still running and i could pull the key out while it was running.. i was so startled i am not sure if the lights or any signals were going off. i did research on the web and apparently many, many people have had that and it is the tipm. it is not an isolated incident with these nitros. i brought it to the dealer today and they said it would be okay but gave me their card in case it happens again. honestly, i am afraid to drive this thing especially reading about the many incidents they have had. i reported this to chrysler as well.

Doors unlock lights inside and out all lights come on when no one is touching the keys they keep doing it every couple of minutes and stay on for up to five minutes draining the battery. the vehicle is parked keys out and it still happens

There have been variant problems such as the power locks stop working or go on and off by themselves, even when no one is by the car (we can hear it). now the car turns off while driving, even just goes black on the dash and the engine stops.

My nitro will not lock or unlock using the key or switches. driver side is the i my side that will unlock.

Tipm failed causing all power to be lost while driving. there was a recall for the 2007 nitro and the 2009 nitro for the tipm and an investigation for the 2008 but no recall. this power module needs to be recalled. there are hundreds of complaints of this happening. how does one know if my 2008 nitro doesn't have the 2007 power module that was recalled installed

...so, i left my house, got about a block down the street and all of a sudden my horn starts blaring, windshield wipers started moving, the windshield wiper fluid sprayed, all of my interior and warning lights starting blinking in and out and my nitro started sputtering. at this point i had lost power steering and power brakes but i managed to pull it over to the curb and the car dies. i'm sitting there thinking to myself, "what in the hell?!" i was already startled from the horn randomly blaring, so i'm in the middle of swallowing my heart when heavy, thick smoke starts coming from under the hood. ...and it stinks like smoldering wiring. i snatched my keys, popped the hood (which probably wasn't too bright in hindsight) and ripped the wiring off of the battery terminals. it was hot under that hood and i'm glad i had the wherewithal to disconnect the battery. i realized then that the car was never going to start again, nor would i want to. i had a friend tow it to his shop and he had a look. the tipm, wiring harness/wiring and surrounding plastic was all destroyed. he said the wires got so hot that it would all have to be re-run throughout the vehicle, a $3500 to 4000 estimate. forget that noise. my biggest concern is that the car was moving when all of this happened and had i not been in a quiet neighborhood this could have been much, much worse, especially considering the power steering and power brakes failed.

Driving the vehicle suddenly stop moving, the hazard lights, wipers, windshield washer washer, horn constantly blowing, engine running but not moving, just stopped moving in city traffic, extremely hazardous and life threatening situation. i noticed on social media this appears to be a very common problem with 2008 dodge nitroes, why have there not been a recall on such a common problem with these vehicles. this website have a number of other drivers testimonies of this extremely hazardous life threatening problem. what can be done to correct this problem immediately. http://www.carproblemzoo.com/dodge/nitro/horn-assembly-problems.php the nthsa really needs to investigate this problem, someone will loss their life, especially on an interstate hwy, which i was just about ready to enter, cars traveling at 60 plus mph.

The headlights randomly turn on and off even when the car is not running. this is draining the battery frequently. replacing the battery has not helped with this issue. the turn signals will randomly begin blinking while i'm driving. the horn has begun sporadically beeping while driving and also when the car is off and parked in my driveway. the heat has completely stopped working - it only blows ice cold air which is the last thing i need when it is below zero here in the mornings when i am leaving for work. there is clearly an electrical problem which seems to escalate over time - and it seems other years of this vehicle have been recalled for these same problems. i am not understanding why the 2008 has not been recalled. i am terrified of what this problem will escalate to - i have a young child that i must transport daily to daycare.

My a/c and heat randomly stopped working out of no where. no matter how long i wait or how high i turn it, the air never comes on. it's winter time and it's dangerous to be without heat in a car. i know several people who have the same problem and mechanics never seem to know how to fix the problem. so it just keeps happening. it doesn't work when it's stationary or motion.

While driving horn, wipers, windshield wipers turn on and remain on even when i turn off car. disconnecting battery is only way to get it to stop.

When i start my truck it do not start right away. i have to try at least 3 times. when i put my truck in reverse the car stalls an then i have to appl the gas hard an it jerks an doesn't move. i have to put the car in drive the try to reverse again. there's also a loud rubbing noise while in reverse. there's also a electrical problem the radio goes in an out. there is black padding around my car battery to keep the wires from touching. i complained to the dealer several times. the heat was not working. they took the truck and made the repairs. the only thing that was fixed was the heat. i am still dealing with the other issues. i have three children. two of them have disabilities. autism and adhd. this situation is very stressful. when i purchased this leased suv i had all these problems an i still have them.

My son was driving and all of a sudden the horn started blowing, the wipers were wiping and the hazard lights were all going. he pulled over, turned off the car an it still didn't stop. it eventually did stop on its own after a few minutes. he took it to the dealer the next. they told him no error codes came up , charged him $95 and sent him on his way. a quick look on the internet and i see this is a common problem and they just blew it off. we will take it to our local service station tomorrow (after driving 6 hours round trip today to get it from him at school). the car only needs to last less than a year. he will buy a new car once he graduates. we really don't want to pour a ton of money into it now. he was driving on a 4 lane state highway when it happened. from what i have seen on the internet, this can cause the engine to stall as well. we are fortunate that didn't happen to him, but we are worried that it might in the future.

Two times our vehicle has lost all power while driving down city streets. we had no brakes or power streering.... thank goodness we weren't in heavy traffic and were able to get off the street without having an accident. the horn started honking and the wipers started going with the washer fluid pouring out. my husband opened the hood and banged on the tipm and was able to get it to stop. we were then able to restart the engine and drive to our home. we had the vehicle checked and was told it is the tipm and that it will be at least $1200 to replace. we are afraid to drive it anywhere for fear that it will happen again in the middle of traffic causing an accident. there are reports of people who have had their tipm replaced in their nitros and the same thing happened again after replacement. we are undecided at this point what we're going to do but we will think twice about purchasing another dodge/chrysler product .

The vehicle randomly turns on headlights, wipers, sprays wiper fluid, horn blows, lock/unlocks itself, windows and power lock button will not function during these episodes. this has happened with no one near the vehicle, upon opening the doors, and driving down the road. this has been occurring for a couple months very rarely. it's not done it daily for the last week. now it has added not starting to the list of issues. you can unplug fuses and put them back and sometimes will start. occasionally battery cable has to be pulled off and put back to finally get it to start.

The horn on the car will go off by itself, window shield wiper fluid will go off by itself. doors lock automatically.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. while the vehicle was parked or being driven the power door locks failed to lock or open the doors without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the totally integrated power module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000. updated 06/23/17*lj

Takata recall ...once again nothing is still being done and my problems got worse it's already been diagnosed as the tipm and not only did it start out as horn blowing and doors locking and unlocking by its self and trying to stall while driving now lights are flashing while unoccupied and have flashed off going down the road..and as i went to go to work due to lights continuously flashing it ran my battery completely down left me stranded. this is a major issue.ive spoken with my warranty company they said it's not covered i've also called chrysler and they refuse to do anything about .let me add heat and air and heated seats go hay wire as well .but i guess it's time to get a lawyer..i'm not paying big money for something that's gonna cause me harm .

Electrical for door panel went out. can't roll windows up or down, and can't lock door from driver side. but the light is still on in the panel.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. while driving 60 mph, the vehicle lost power. the contact stated that the tire pressure warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the alternator and battery were defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired; however, the alternator was previously replaced three times. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 07v291000 (electrical system); however, the vin was not included. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

While driving the wipers and fluid will start going off both wipers front and back and the horn will start blaring, have to pull over and pop open the hood and bang on the fuse box, everything will stop and i am able to start the truck up and go on. now the headlights stop working, i turn on the headlights and they come on for a split second and then off, only the running lights will stay on. i have opened the drivers door and the horn will honk and the wipers will move up briefly. other times nothing happens for days. *tr

Driving on a long stretch of dark highway, lights started flickering on and off, finally lights went totally out leaving me in the dark not able to see forward i then crashed into the side of the off road scary, next day took to shop they said it was the tipm, goes out every 4 to 6 months going on my 3rd one lights are out, lighter, and window

Tipm computer is bad and affects many items. car will stall when driving. wipers and washer fluid will come on randomly. horn will suddenly blare on its own and stick. headlights will stop working. this is a very widespread problem and dodge has recalled other vehicles for the same problem but not the 2008 nitro.

It constantly honks horn, flashes lights and locks and unlocks unattended with or without keys in ignition.its so bad runs battery down. noticed it's tried to stall while driving going around curves or turns. it's been diagnosed as the tipm and warranty won't cover it. i've disconnected the battery due to annoying others as well plus running battery down.this is getting to be a bigger problem.more and more issues .it's definitely a safety issue and needs to be fixed by chrysler!

Horn blows will unoccupied.doors lock and unlock by itself in or out if vehicle, vehicle has stalled several times,break light on and breaks failed ,heated seat either burn you or won't work, a/c comes on by itself,gas is disappearing really quick,oil light comes on, starter sticking, took to dealership and was diagnosed with tipm failing.s several times its tried to stall on me traveling on highway and friday ran upon a slow vehicle in a curve and break light came one as i applied breaks and had little to no breaks.i almost hit the other vehicle due to this .this obviously is a safety issue and needs to be handled .and its even affect the remote start as well .it won't run 30seconds and it shuts off .can't lock doors knowing they'll stay locked either .but most importantly above all is the stalling out its all tried to do and massive amount of fuel its dumping into engine getting into my oil ruining my vehicle and the electrical issue is gonna cause something catastrophic and needs to be recalled asap.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that the key fob failed to unlock the doors. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. the contact stated that the horn, windshield wipers, and lights would activate independently without warning. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred while the vehicle was off and the battery was disconnected. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 141,000.

Throttle sticking. have to pull over and restart. will not restart all the time. dash door icon indicates rear door is open when it is not. safety issues may not have a place to pull car over when throttle is sticking.from 2006-2012 dodge was had these electrical and engine problems plus others. from day one why no recalls on these problems

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge nitro. while attempting to lock the doors with the key fob and on the vehicle's door panel, the vehicle would not lock. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

When car is running, security light comes on low tire pressure light activates, rpm gauge has random readings, esp traction control lights activate, security system randomly activates with the horn, car stalls.