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#BS-2008-DODNIT-7FBA

2008 Dodge Nitro

Based on reports from 608 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
608
Crashes
25
Fires
16
Recalls
3
TSBs
59
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 608 complaints, 25 crashes, 16 fires, and 3 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.6x the class average. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

electrical system problems faulty tipm

40 complaints • Severity 8.9/10

$X,XXX
2

faulty tipm

18 complaints • Severity 8.8/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission faliure

2 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

193 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 85K miles.

!Inspect the Fuel SystemMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

44
0–30K
103
30–60K
115
60–90K
105
90–120K
68
120–150K
50
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (115 reports) • Median: 85K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (193 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical193 (32%)
Fuel System111 (18%)
Lights39 (6%)
Visibility39 (6%)
Engine36 (6%)
Brakes32 (5%)
Other26 (4%)
Drivetrain25 (4%)

2008 Dodge Nitro: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 32% of all reports filed for the 2008 Dodge Nitro, with 193 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 85,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 85K-mile mark.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 18% of all reports filed for the 2008 Dodge Nitro, with 111 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Lights Issues

Lights complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2008 Dodge Nitro, with 39 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility Issues

Visibility complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2008 Dodge Nitro, with 39 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
07
4
08
8
09
30
10
38
11
57
12
65
13
79
14
98
15
41
16
29
17
54
18
49
19
18
20
13
21
7
22
7
23
5
24
5
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Dodge Nitro. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (3 recalls)

08V525000Oct 2008

PARKING BRAKE

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 3,663 MY 2007-2008 DODGE NITRO AND MY 2008 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THE PARK BRAKE LEVER CLUTCH DRUM MAY DISTORT AND REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PARK BRAKE SYSTEM.

13V121000Jun 2013

STRUCTURE

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4X2 vehicles manufactured March 21, 2006, through March 1, 2008; and 2008 Jeep Liberty 4X2 vehicles manufactured February 15, 2007, through March 1, 2008. The transfer case heat shield may drop down and rub on the drive shaft, weakening it and potentially causing the drive shaft to break.

20V396000Feb 2021

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan and 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro vehicles. These vehicles may have a loose or missing brand emblem in the center of the steering wheel. The loose emblem or the securing nuts for the emblem within the driver air bag module may become projectiles in the event of a driver air bag deployment.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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This is the worst model year for the Dodge Nitro according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is electrical.

2008 Dodge Nitro vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

608

Class avg

387

1.6x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 608 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Dodge Nitro Model Years

2012201120102009200820072005
View all Dodge Nitro years →

2008 Dodge Nitro: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Dodge Nitro?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2008 Dodge Nitro is related to the electrical, with 193 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2008 Dodge Nitro reliable?
The 2008 Dodge Nitro has 608 complaints, 25 crash reports, and 16 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 1.6x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Dodge Nitro problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2008 Dodge Nitro have any recalls?
Yes, the 2008 Dodge Nitro has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Dodge Nitro problems start?
Based on 485 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 85,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 608 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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