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Dodge Nitro is not safe! Has anyone experienced torque problems from park to reverse? Chrysler denies responsibility. Read my story. 
On February 18, 2008 we turned in our lease on a Dodge Grand Caravan and started a new lease on a 2008 Dodge Nitro at Crestwood Dodge in Garden City, MI. I have been very loyal to Chrysler. My father is retired from Chrysler and my brother works at a Dodge Plant. I’d say that I would be a Chrysler customer for life as long as I am treated as well as expected.
Since leasing this new Dodge Nitro, we had not noticed any problems. Then on Monday, March 31, 2008 at approx. 8:25am, my wife was ready to take my daughter to school. She routinely got into the car, started it, put her foot on the brake (and not the gas) and engaged the gear from Park to Reverse. Within a split second, the car made an unusually loud noise and the car bursted backward taking out the right side of our gate and a portion of the fence adjacent to the gate. This took her by surprise. She applied the brake but the brake was not able to engage as the transmission had torqued the engine so hard that it forced her into the side of the house and the rear bumper rammed into a brick pillar supporting the roof of the front porch. The impact of hitting the house and the pillar eventually stopped the momentum of the Nitro. Right away she went inside the house and called me while I was on my way to work.
We took the Nitro to Dearborn Collision and were helped immediately by collision who assessed the damage, verified that this incident was not an issue with the floor mat or any other obstacle that would have interfered with the accelerator pedal.
Also that morning I called Crestwood Dodge and spoke to the Crestwood service manager. I asked him if there are any known recalls on the transmission malfunctioning on the Nitro. He told me no. I asked him for advice on what to do; he immediately referred me to the 1.800 number for the Chrysler Customer Claims Resolution Group.
On the phone I filed a claim with the Chrysler Customer Claims Resolution Group. A few days later we received a form letter from the Chrysler Customer Claims Resolution Group stating that they will send an investigator to Dearborn Collision to see if there was an electrical problem with the Nitro. We called the 1.888.922.7329 number and talked to a representative. They informed us that an investigation was performed at Dearborn Collision and that we will receive an answer to what their decision will be. In our conversation with Chrysler, we were told that the contact person for this case is case manager. On Wednesday, April 9, 2008 we received this letter stating that the inspector found no indication of a malfunctioning defect. On the previous day I spoke briefly with Dearborn Collision and I asked about this investigation. They stated that the investigator hardly looked at anything. Never even started the car and that he were in and out within a few minutes. I am suspicious that this so called investigation was not very thorough. On Thursday, April 10th I spoke to the Chrysler case manager and discussed how we can just get out of this lease and simply into another one stating that I could never allow my family or myself to ever drive this Nitro ever again and that I would simple like to transfer to a new lease at Crestwood Dodge. I also learned that this investigator is not within the Chrysler Corporation, rather a company called EAA Inspections. The case manager advised me that if I want out of the lease I would have to go back to the dealership and arrange a meeting with the District Manager that governs Crestwood Dodge.
I talked to someone who worked at the Pocono Indiana Transmission plant who said that there is a computer chip located in the Transmission Control Panel could have easily malfunction by opening up the torque like it was on the highway.
Chrysler is denying all responsibility and no Lawyer wants to fight Chrysler. I am NOT putting my family's life in jeopardy with that car.
This had to have happened to someone else besides us. HELP!!!
On February 18, 2008 we turned in our lease on a Dodge Grand Caravan and started a new lease on a 2008 Dodge Nitro at Crestwood Dodge in Garden City, MI. I have been very loyal to Chrysler. My father is retired from Chrysler and my brother works at a Dodge Plant. I’d say that I would be a Chrysler customer for life as long as I am treated as well as expected.
Since leasing this new Dodge Nitro, we had not noticed any problems. Then on Monday, March 31, 2008 at approx. 8:25am, my wife was ready to take my daughter to school. She routinely got into the car, started it, put her foot on the brake (and not the gas) and engaged the gear from Park to Reverse. Within a split second, the car made an unusually loud noise and the car bursted backward taking out the right side of our gate and a portion of the fence adjacent to the gate. This took her by surprise. She applied the brake but the brake was not able to engage as the transmission had torqued the engine so hard that it forced her into the side of the house and the rear bumper rammed into a brick pillar supporting the roof of the front porch. The impact of hitting the house and the pillar eventually stopped the momentum of the Nitro. Right away she went inside the house and called me while I was on my way to work.
We took the Nitro to Dearborn Collision and were helped immediately by collision who assessed the damage, verified that this incident was not an issue with the floor mat or any other obstacle that would have interfered with the accelerator pedal.
Also that morning I called Crestwood Dodge and spoke to the Crestwood service manager. I asked him if there are any known recalls on the transmission malfunctioning on the Nitro. He told me no. I asked him for advice on what to do; he immediately referred me to the 1.800 number for the Chrysler Customer Claims Resolution Group.
On the phone I filed a claim with the Chrysler Customer Claims Resolution Group. A few days later we received a form letter from the Chrysler Customer Claims Resolution Group stating that they will send an investigator to Dearborn Collision to see if there was an electrical problem with the Nitro. We called the 1.888.922.7329 number and talked to a representative. They informed us that an investigation was performed at Dearborn Collision and that we will receive an answer to what their decision will be. In our conversation with Chrysler, we were told that the contact person for this case is case manager. On Wednesday, April 9, 2008 we received this letter stating that the inspector found no indication of a malfunctioning defect. On the previous day I spoke briefly with Dearborn Collision and I asked about this investigation. They stated that the investigator hardly looked at anything. Never even started the car and that he were in and out within a few minutes. I am suspicious that this so called investigation was not very thorough. On Thursday, April 10th I spoke to the Chrysler case manager and discussed how we can just get out of this lease and simply into another one stating that I could never allow my family or myself to ever drive this Nitro ever again and that I would simple like to transfer to a new lease at Crestwood Dodge. I also learned that this investigator is not within the Chrysler Corporation, rather a company called EAA Inspections. The case manager advised me that if I want out of the lease I would have to go back to the dealership and arrange a meeting with the District Manager that governs Crestwood Dodge.
I talked to someone who worked at the Pocono Indiana Transmission plant who said that there is a computer chip located in the Transmission Control Panel could have easily malfunction by opening up the torque like it was on the highway.
Chrysler is denying all responsibility and no Lawyer wants to fight Chrysler. I am NOT putting my family's life in jeopardy with that car.
This had to have happened to someone else besides us. HELP!!!
