Problems · NHTSA complaints
2008 Chrysler Aspen problems
Owners filed 159 complaints about the 2008 Chrysler Aspen with NHTSA between May 2008 and Dec 2025. The most-cited component is air bags (43).
Complaints
159
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags43
- Fuel/propulsion system37
- Fuel system, gasoline29
- Electrical system18
- Power train16
- Engine16
- Steering12
- Suspension4
- Structure4
- Wheels3
- Seat belts3
- Service brakes, air3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Service brakes3
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
3
6
18
6
8
13
30
32
16
4
8
3
3
1
1
3
3
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 18 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 30 |
| 2016 | 32 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
43 reports4 crashes2 related recalls
“My Air bag light will not go out. Not sure what the problem is, cleaned all contracts in the connectors and seat belts and connectors under the seats. Check for a blown fuse. Could not find any bad fuses.”
Fuel/propulsion system
37 reports1 fire
“When adding fuel, there is a splash back and gasoline spews out and onto who ever is fueling the vehicle. Then when you start the car and drive a few minutes, the car will stall. This vehicle is available for inspection opon request. This issue puts many people in danger. The fueler getting splashed with gasoline, absorbs fuel into their skin, and also the smell of the fumes when entering back into the vehicle. The fueler also now has a very combustible liquid on them. Which is a fire hazard. Also gas spilling is horrible for the enviroment. When stalling, that creates a very hazardous enviroment for everyone in the vehicle, as well as the vehicles around them. A wreck could easily occur because of this issue. The issue has not been inspected by a dealer yet. No warning lamps or messages appeared. And i am uncertain of when the problem began.”
Fuel system, gasoline
29 reports1 fire
“EVERY TIME I FILL THE FUEL TANK THE VEHICLE STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE STALL OUT ON ME WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AND LOST CONTROL OF STEERING. *TR”
Electrical system
18 reports
“The manufacturer stop making a part that can fix my car. It’s at the Ford dealership in Opelika, Alabama and they cannot find a part to make the car safe. Please contact and pull the car for analysis to save lives. We love this car and the Ndsd said it does not qualify. Please call them and ask if this vehicle there and reason cannot be fixed so we can get something for the car”
Power train
16 reports2 crashes
“There is a known issue where the transfer case motor will erratically fail causing multiple safety issues. The car is AWD with a 2 speed 4WD selector. The motor can shift into neutral on its own disabling the gear selectors Park function ( it is used when towing the vehicle and disconnects the transmission from the drive train). It happened to me in a parking lot and fortunately it was on level ground or the car could have rolled away when I went into a store. I only discovered what had happened after I started the car and could not get it into forward or reverse. I turned the engine off and put the gear selector in Park, got out and I was able to move the car by pushing, after a Google search indicated it might be in neutral. I found a procedure online to remove the transfer case from neutral and it worked. There is a tiny hidden button on the 4WD selector panel to put the vehicle in neutral for towing and an extremely faint indicator light that come on when it is in towing neutral. The motor has intermittently started shifting in to 4WD and 4WD low on its own and then back to AWD. Again this is a known issue as there are literally hundreds of reports of…”
Engine
16 reports1 crash2 fires
“VEHICLE STALLS REPEATEDLY AFTER FILLING UP THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE GIVES NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR PROVIDES ANY OBD CODES TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE STALLS BOTH WHILE IN MOTION AND WHEN STATIONARY, WHEN IN MOTION ALL POWER ASSIST IS LOST INCLUDING THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKING ASSIST. MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOW AFTER NEARLY GETTING INTO A TRAFFIC COLLISION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND SHE LOST ALL POWER ASSIST WITH OUR TWO CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES IMMEDIATELY RESTART AND RUN FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEN STALL AGAIN OR WILL JUST CRANK AND FAIL TO START. THIS PROBLEM ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER FUELING UP AND TOPPING OFF THE FUEL TANK. ONCE THE FUEL TANK BURNS OFF SOME OF THE FUEL IT SEEMS TO RUN JUST FINE.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.