AI Damage2009 Dodge Nitro 4X4: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Dodge Nitro 4X4 filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 25% of all complaints
- 4 Wheels 25% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 13% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Wheels: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
It randomly will not start and will only click when you try to start. It started out turning on after a couple of attempts and has escalated to more than 20 attempts before it would start. We have replaced a lot of parts, have contacted dodge corporate, got 2nd opinion and still having problems.
Driving on highway for 75 minutes. Pulled over to rest area- got out of vehicle and noticed the bumper on the back right side was melted and very hot to touch. Then noticed my tail pipe was gone. My guess is the exhaust from the muffler was hot and melted the bumper.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 dodge nitro 4x4. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle shook violently and the driver side air bag deployed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Driving down the expressway and low tire light came on, lost all air in front passenger tire. When I looked the air valve was missing, checked other wheels and found alloy lug nuts( tire pressure moniters) were all cracked and falling off. Had towed to clio randy wise chrysler.
2009 dodge nitro - tpm valve stems corrosion at valve stem retaining nut: when retaining nut fails, falls off, it then chews up the inside of the tire, and the valve stem blows out tire while driving - tire goes flat so fast operator must stop before wheel is damaged and now we find out from the dealer that all 4…
I tried to restart the vehicle multiple times to no avail....I then turned on my emergency lights and they blinked a couple of times then a beeping sound was made, the everything went out and smoke began to pour from under the hood. I lifted the hood to find that the smoke was coming from the tipm.
While driving on interstate at about 65 to 70mph my truck made this thumping sound and a big jerk. I stopped at the traffic light, the truck acted as if it was going to shut off. I drove off and the truck began to jerk really bad. What could this be????? 2.
2009 dodge nitro - tpm valve stems corrosion at valve stem retaining nut -- nut fails and valve stem blows out while driving - tire goes flat so fast operator can not stop before tire is damaged and has to be replaced - dealer will replace valve stem but will not cover the tire loss - this could be very un safe at…
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 11,899 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Nitro 4X4 has 122 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 8, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Dodge Nitro 4X4?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, tires. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (25%), door locks, latches, handles (13%), jerking, harsh shifts (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Dodge Nitro 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 2009 Dodge Nitro 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 2009 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 2026-11-06.