2008 Dodge Nitro

Showing the 2008 Nitro T. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy

17–19 mpgcombined; city 15–16, highway 20–22; every version of this model year

Five years of fuel

$17,100–$19,110U.S. average; Ohio $15,280–$17,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026

NHTSA overall safety rating

Not ratedlowest across the versions NHTSA tested

Recall campaigns

3over its history; check a VIN for open ones

Owner complaints

393filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2008 Nitro. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

• R
• SE
• SLT
• SXT
• T

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 393 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Nitro. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

1. 2007825
2. 2008393
3. 200936
4. 201078
5. 2011122

Every Nitro year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2008 Nitro over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 59 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 Nitro, the latest on Sep 18, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (16), power train (12), engine and engine cooling (11), structure (10), electrical system (8).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2008 Nitro.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Sources and dates

• U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
• NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
• U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data