Problems · by component
2008 Dodge Nitro exterior lighting problems
38 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Dodge Nitro cite exterior lighting, 10% of all 393 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
38
10% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the exterior lighting
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
“VEHICLE STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. WIPERS AND LIGHTS WOULD JUMP ON BY THEMSELVES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. TIPM AND ESP ICON LIT UP ON THE DASH SHORTLY AFTER. VEHICLE WOULD MAKE GRINDING NOISES WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE INTO DIFFERENT GEARS (PARK, REVERSE, AND DRIVE). DOORS WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AS IT WAS PROGRAMMED TO DO. FUNCTIONS ON KEY FOB NO LONGER WORKED AS THEY SHOULD (LOCK BUTTON WOULD UNLOCK THE DOORS AND UNLOCK BUTTON WOULD ACTIVATE THE AUTOMATIC START). I REMOVED THE BATTERY FROM THE KEY FOB AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS BROKEN INTO ONCE THE FOB STARTED MALFUNCTIONING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR THE LAST 3.5 WEEKS AFTER ELECTRICAL ISSUES GOT WORSE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. I HAVE READ SEVERAL REVIEWS AND CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND IT SEEMS THAT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH MY 2008 DODGE NITRO ARE VERY COMMON AMONGST OTHER DODGE DRIVERS AS WELL AS CHRYSLER 300 DRIVERS. I KNOW OF 2 OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR CHRYSLER 300S (OLDER 2007 MODELS). A RECALL NEEDS TO BE STARTED FOR SAFETY PURPOSES BECAUSE OPERATING THESE VEHICLES IN THIS STATE ARE HIGHLY UNSAFE. I WAS DRIVING…”
“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.”
“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.”
“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”
“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.”
Showing 6 of 38 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.