Dodge Nitro Problems

A lot of cars have a function whereby the horn will sound when the car is locked if there's a door, bonnet or boot ajar. It's designed to warn the driver that the car may not be fully secure even though it's technically locked.

Sometimes, the little switches that detect whether a door is ajar can become sticky with grit and grime and don't function properly. Locate each switch and give it a quick spray with electrical contact-cleaner and you might find the problem goes away.

If the third brake light is working, then the problem is not with the brake-pedal switch (or the third light would not work either). That the two lower brake lights stopped working together is also a clue that it's not the bulbs that are at fault.

I'd be looking at the fusebox to see if the fuse that controls the lower brake-light circuit has failed. There should be a map of the fusebox inside the plastic cover, and from that, you can identify which fuse protects that circuit, and go from there. If there's no blown fuse at fault, you need to start checking earth connections as these can also cause all sorts of electrical mayhem. An auto electrician could probably sort this quite quickly without changing any more working parts.

The Dodge Nitro compact SUV was available in both rear wheel drive and 4 wheel drive. Most Dodge Nitro models sold in Australia were 4x4s.

If you've locked your keys in your car, or lost them all together, then you are going to need to get a little creative to get back into your car. In the old days you could probably have used a ruler and some wire to pop the door lock on your car, then hotwired it and driven it away. However, vehicles built in the last 40 years (like the Dodge Nitro SUV) aren't so simple and require the professional help of a locksmith to get into. A locksmith will be able to open your car door, though if you have lost your keys completely you may still need to have the car taken to your mechanic to have the locks replaced and the new keys coded to the car's computer.

The Dodge Nitro can tow up to 2270kg of braked trailer, or 750kg of unbraked trailer.

In short, no. They have a horrible history for sub-par engineering that ends up causing huge reliability issues.There are dozens of other 4WDs you can buy that are much better.

Pop off the door handle cover and remove the window switch panel with a plastic trim removal tool. Undo the window switches, then pop off the circular cover in the door pull pocket and remove the T20 Torx bit inside. There is another T20 Torx bit in the bottom corner of the door panel behind another circular plastic cover. The panel can then be lifted up, and off the door.