general problems of the 2008 Dodge Nitro

The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 5 mph, the front drive shaft fractured, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop, and the front driver's side and passenger's side airbags erroneously deployed. The contact stated that there was no collision during the incident. The contact's son sustained a concussion and facial injuries, causing severe swelling to the face and severe headaches. No medical treatment was received, but the son remained bed ridden for several days from the injuries sustained during the air bag deployment. The cause of the failures were not determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of the failures. The contact was informed of NHTSA campaign number: 13v121000(power train, air bags, structure), which the contact's son related to the failure. The failure mileage was 203,000.

The chrome accent piece on the rear hatch of the Dodge Nitro (just under the rear windshield wiper) is a large highly reflective surface area that is located at eye level for most drives following these vehicles. The surface reflection from this 'mirror like' piece blinds the drives following these vehicles creating a safety hazard. I was stuck in traffic following this model vehicle and despite my best efforts to shield my eyes from the reflection was blinded to the point that I had to pull over to allow my eyes time recover (the effect was similar to that of starring at a welding arc). A simple design change by the manufacture could eliminate this hazard.