Reliability & cost of ownership
Dodge Nitro Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Dodge Nitro? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Dodge Nitro problems by model year
18 recall entries across 6 model years and 1,114 owner complaints across 7 model years on file, sourced from the federal NHTSA database. We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the remaining model year — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Nitro | 1 | 2 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2011 Nitro | 3 | 122 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2010 Nitro | 3 | 78 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2009 Nitro | 1 | 24 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2008 Nitro | 3 | 393 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2007 Nitro | 7 | 494 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2005 Nitro | Not confirmed | 1 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Dodge Nitro, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system423 complaints
- fuel system, gasoline157 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system130 complaints
- air bags105 complaints
- power train102 complaints
- engine91 complaints
- unknown or other80 complaints
- structure72 complaints