AI Damage2008 Chrysler Aspen 4X4: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Chrysler Aspen 4X4 filed 68 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 68
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 31% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 24% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 19% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 3% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 21 complaints (31% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 16 complaints (24% of all).
- Air bags: 13 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (12% of all).
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 68 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chrysler aspen 4x4. The contact stated that when shifting from park into drive, the vehicle rapidly accelerated and crashed into the wall of the garage.
Do not remember if the cruise control was during the times the sudden acceleration was experienced. Was going around 5 '' 10 mph stepped on brake to stop and engine rev''ed up and before I was ale to turn key off or put the transmission in neutral I hit a camper.
Hit a deer traveling at over 50 mph head on and the airbags did not deploy. Damage to the car was extensive including the front bumper, grill and headlights. The deer was estimated to weigh over 200lbs.
Vehicle engages 4wd lo and 4wd on it's own at any time. Driving this vehicle is dangerous at the transfer case engages automatically while driving. I can also hear 4wd engaging while locking the vehcile with the key fob.
Steering problems had rack and pinion replaced, inner tire rods replaced, lost control of vehicle, outer right tire rods broken, very fortunate my family and I not hurt (70mph on i95), replace outer tire rod, play in steering replace steering yoke. Also water gets into electrical system shorting out computer.
Loss of power steering made vehicle difficult to control to safely get onto the shoulder. Sudden loss of speed made the vehicle a further hazard. Once on the shoulder, the vehicle could be physically keyed off, then restarted without issue. Cause of failure is unknown.
Having a problem with the vehicle stalling after refueling with gas. Vehicle will stutter and stall within a couple of minutes. This is dangerous as the stall occurs while driving and you lose steering control of the vehicle.
Takata recall-the front passenger airbag inflator housing may rupture while deploying during a crash. The potential for such ruptures may occur in some of the subject airbag inflators after several years of exposure to persistent conditions of high absolute humidity and/or heat aging.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,491 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Aspen 4X4 has 54 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 68, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Chrysler Aspen 4X4?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, fuel/propulsion system, air bags. Total complaints: 68. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (6%), stalls while driving (6%), engine failure or replacement (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Chrysler Aspen 4X4?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Chrysler Aspen 4X4 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.