Problems · by component
2008 Dodge Nitro service brakes problems
27 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Dodge Nitro cite service brakes, 7% of all 393 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
27
7% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“ESP BAS LIGHTS (APPEARED AFTER). AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR FELT LIKE IT HIT A BRICK WALL EVEN THOUGH IT DIDNT, IT SLAMMED ME INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN CONTINUED DRIVING. AT THAT POINT, THE ESP BAS LIGHT CAME ON. HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DODGE OR CHRYSLER BY PHONE WITH NO CHANCE AT REACHING A PERSON CAUSE OF ROBOTIC ANSWERING SERVICES.”
“TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL. THE RECALL WAS FOR REPLACING THE EMBLEM ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE EMBLEM WAS REMOVED BUT THE REPLACEMENT COVER WAS NOT INSTALLED. ALSO THE RECALL FOR THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS NOT DONE.”
“I BOUGHT MY NITRO BRAND NEW IN 2009. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE WORKING EXCEPT THE RADIO. IN 2017 I STARTED HAVING BRAKE ISSUES . I HAD MY BREAKS REPLACED AND CALIPERS 4 TIMES BECAUSE THE BACK BREAKS WOULD NOT RELEASE ALL THE WAY CAUSING MY BREAK PADS TO WEAR FAST. I HAD TO LET IT SIT FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN IN IT FOR FEAR THAT THEY WOULD LOCK UP COMPLETELY. I TOOK IT 1 DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY NITRO FROM AND THEM 3 OTHER MECHANICS TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. IT IS NOT 2020 AND I JUST HAD IT IN THE SHOP BECAUSE THE WATER PUMP WENT AND FOUND OUT MY EMERGENCY BREAK SNAPPED I NEEDED NEW BREAKS AGAIN. I HATE TO GET RID OF MY NITRO BUT IT HAS BEEN NICKLE AND DIMING ME NOT KNOWING WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE BREAKS.”
“THE ABS, TRACTION, BAS ESP LIGHTS CAME ON JUST A WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AFTER I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE A RECALL COMPLETED. YESTERDAY THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED RED AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A BRIEF STOP ABRUPT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND I CONTINUED DRIVING. THE A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOCKED UP CAUSING THE GAS METER, SPEEDOMETER AND RPM TO ALL FALL TO ZERO AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. I MADE IT OFF OF THE ROAD BY COASTING THE CAR AND PUT IT IN PARK. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING SO IT WASN'T THE BATTERY. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND PROCEEDED TO MY DESTINATION AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME BACK ON BRIEFLY AND ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEN WENT AWAY. IMAGINE MY DISMAY AS I HAD JUST HAD A RECALL COMPLETED AND WAS NOT INFORMED AS TO WHAT THE OTHER ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE BEEN. I HONESTLY AND TRUTHFULLY BELIEVE THAT THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE A RECALLED PLACED ON IT FOR THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. I COULD HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THIS VEHICLE.”
“I LOVE THIS VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKES. WE'VE HAD TO GET THE BRAKES WORKED ON MORE THAN 10 TIMES. WE'VE REPLACED JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH BRAKES. JUST WHEN YOU THINK THEY ARE FIXED, SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS. THIS IS A 2008 AND HAS LESS THAN 38000 MILES ON IT. WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYWHERE BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF IT WILL MAKE IT. I WAS GOING TO TRADE MY NITRO IN FOR A FOR SOMETHING NEW. I THINK I WILL BE LOOKING INTO A FORD SUV. VERY , VERY DISSATISFIED!!!!”
“AUTOMATIC 2 WHEEL DRIVE EMERGENCY BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD WHEN APPLIED. TOOK TO DODGE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS OR REPAIR. WAS TOLD NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. RECALL ON 4 WHEEL DRIVE ONLY. HAD NEW BRAKES- ROTORS- CALIBERS AND PADS INSTALLED EMERGENCY BRAKE STILL NOT WORKING.THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.”
Showing 6 of 27 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.