NHTSA Complaint #10484031 — 2008 DODGE NITRO

I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2008 DODGE NITRO IN NOV 2010 (STILL COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY). I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR SYSTEMS WENT HAYWIRE, THE DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHER FLUID ENGAGED, THE HEADLIGHTS CUTTING OUT AND THE HORN BLARING UNCONTROLLABLY. TURNING THE CAR OFF DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER 3-4 MINUTES. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE WAY TO WORK (THIS TIME THE RADIO TURNED TO FULL VOLUME WITH NO ASSIST), THE HEAT CUT OUT AND THE WINDSHIELD/LIGHTS/HORN WENT NUTS. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND WAS ASSURED THEY'D FIND THE PROBLEM. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP RAN DIAGNOSTICS, PULLED CODES, BUT COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE SO TOLD ME IT WAS "ABSOLUTELY FINE" TO DRIVE. I CONTINUED TO DEAL WITH THE 'FREAK OUTS' THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UNTIL ANOTHER ONE HAPPENED WHERE THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP (UNTIL WE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY). I BROUGHT IT TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO PULLED CODES AND SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM, BUT I HAD TO BRING IT TO DODGE. ON THE WAY TO WORK AT APPROX 70 MPH, I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR (IT WAS AS IF I WERE SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES-ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NEVER ENGAGED) I AM LUCKY THE PERSON BEHIND ME WAS ABLE TO SWERVE AROUND ME AND NOT REAR-END ME. DODGE DETERMINED THAT THE COMPUTER TOLD MY TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO 'FAIL MODE' THRUSTING ME INTO 2ND GEAR. I PAID FOR ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY TOLD ME A TUNE-UP AND A CLEANING OF THE BATTERY COILS WOULD CLEAR THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WORKED NORMAL FOR A WHILE, BUT THEN HAD TWO MORE INCIDENTS, ANOTHER FAIL MODE ON THE HIGHWAY (WHICH ALSO INCLUDED LIGHTS/WIPERS/HORN). I AM PREGNANT AND FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS CAR. DODGE CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I HAVE VIDEOS OF THE 'FREAK OUTS' SO THEY CANNOT DENY IT, BUT THEY CHOOSE NOT TO HELP AND TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE ME TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR