NHTSA Complaint #10787562 — 2010 DODGE NITRO

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY WITH THE AUTOMATIC KEY FOB. EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN HEAR THE LOCKING MECHANISM ACTUATE, THE HORN SOUNDS AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE LOCK POST, IT DOESN'T PHYSICALLY LOCK THE DOOR. YOU CAN STILL PUSH THE OUTSIDE DOOR BUTTON AND THE DOOR WILL OPEN. I'VE FOUND THAT IT USUALLY TAKES 2 - 3 ATTEMPTS BEFORE IT WILL LOCK. I'VE NOTE AFTER AN ONLINE INQUIRY THAT SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME AND/OR A VERY SIMILAR PROBLEM AS WELL, AND IT WAS NOTED IN ONE POST THAT IT WAS FOUND TO BE A PROBLEM WITH A MODULE IN THE DOOR MECHANISM. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WARRANTING A FACTORY RECALL AND/OR REPAIR AS IT CONSTITUTES A VEHICLE BREECH THAT WOULD ALLOW A SAFETY AND/OR THEFT AVENUE. USING THE KEY TO PHYSICALLY LOCK THE DOOR EACH TIME SHOULDN'T BE THE EXPECTED RESPONSE, AS SEVERAL OTHERS NOTED IN THEIR POST THAT THIS DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK, AND THE AUTOMATIC KEY FOB SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO WORK AS IT WAS INTENDED OR IT'S POINTLESS TO HAVE EVEN PROVIDED ONE WITH THE VEHICLE. IT SHOULD BE SAID THAT THE FAULT ONLY OCCURS WITH THE VEHICLE STATIONARY AND THAT AT THIS POINT THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCK AS INTENDED SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.