NHTSA Complaint #10283611 — 2008 DODGE NITRO

INADEQUATE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS ARE SELECTED, THE ROADWAY ACTUALLY BECOMES DARKER. THIS VEHICLE UTILIZES A SINGLE HEADLIGHT ASSY ON EACH SIDE CONSISTING OF AN H13 HIGH/LOW BEAM LAMP. SINGLE BEAM HEADLIGHT SYSTEMS HAVE TRADITIONALLY POWERED BOTH THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM FILAMENTS WHEN THE HIGH BEAM MODE IS SELECTED AND WHEN LOW BEAM MODE IS SELECTED ONLY THE LOW BEAM FILAMENT IS POWERED. WHEN HIGH BEAM IS SELECTED IN THIS VEHICLE, BOTH FILAMENTS ARE ENABLE BRIEFLY DURING THE TRANSITION FROM LOW TO HIGH. DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD THE LIGHT INTENSITY IS AT THE LEVEL ONE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE WHEN HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ARE SELECTED. HOWEVER THIS IDEAL ILLUMINATION IS SHORT LIVED BECAUSE IMMEDIATELY THE LOW BEAM FILAMENT IS EXTINGUISHED LEAVING ONLY THE HIGH BEAM FILAMENT TO LIGHT THE WAY AND IT SIMPLY IS NOT SUFFICIENT. ON A DARK ROAD ACCEPTABLE LIGHTING CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH THE COMBINATION OF LOW BEAM LIGHTING AND FOG LAMPS. I CARRIED MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIGHTS WERE OPERATING PROPERLY AND THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT CHRYSLER VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEMS OPERATE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN JUNE 2008 AND AFTER A ROAD TRIP IN JAN 2009, I REALIZED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND DISCOVERED ONLINE BLOGGS WHERE OTHER OWNERS COMPLAINED ABOUT WEAK HEADLIGHTS ON THE DODGE NITRO AS WELL AS OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCTS. *TR