Common problems
Dodge Nitro common problems
What MOT testers find on the Dodge Nitro: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 4,518 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 15 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Brakes fails show up on 25.1 of every 100 MOTs of a Dodge Nitro at 15 years old (n=1,634), against 10.7 for all cars of that age (n=5,591,675).
- Exhaust, emissions and leaks fails are less common: 2.3 per 100 MOTs against 5.7 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 15 years: side/position light not working, on 10.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars 5.8).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 16.1 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 15 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 25.1 | 10.7 | 29.9 | 27.8 |
| Lights and electrics | 24.7 | 19.5 | 17.7 | 13.7 |
| Suspension | 14.1 | 16.7 | 26.1 | 32.3 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 8.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 5.4 |
| Body and structure | 5.7 | 6.7 | 9.4 | 11.2 |
| Tyres | 5.3 | 7.5 | 25.9 | 28.5 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 3.6 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.0 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 2.3 | 5.7 | 9.9 | 11.0 |
| Road wheels | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Steering | 0.9 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 4.3 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 4.3 |
What testers fail most on the Nitro at 15 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 10.3 | 5.8 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Handbrake too weak | Brakes | 7.5 | 2.3 | |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value | Brakes | 6.1 | 0.6 | |
| Brake light not working | Lights and electrics | 5.6 | 3.7 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Suspension ball joint worn | Suspension | 4.9 | 2.5 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side | Brakes | 4.7 | 1.1 | |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 4.3 | 2.0 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Coil spring broken | Suspension | 3.9 | 4.1 | £64 to £236 per spring (rough guide) |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding | Brakes | 3.6 | 1.4 | £55 to £267 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Dipped headlight not working | Lights and electrics | 3.6 | 2.4 | £18 to £86 per lamp |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 15 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 16.1 | 18.4 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 12.5 | 11.1 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 10.8 | 6.9 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | Lights and electrics | 9.5 | 5.9 | |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 8.4 | 9.4 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Suspension arm ball joint: ball joint has slight play | Suspension | 7.9 | 2.3 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Suspension | 5.6 | 8.5 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 5.3 | 9.8 | |
| Battery(ies): insecure but not likely to fall from carrier | Lights and electrics | 5.0 | 0.6 | |
| Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 4.7 | 3.3 |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Brakes | Lights and electrics | Suspension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 years | 1,466 | 25.2 | 22.2 | 11.4 |
| 15 years | 1,634 | 25.1 | 24.7 | 14.1 |
| 16 years | 1,418 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 13.2 |
What to check on a viewing
On the Dodge Nitro, testers most often record side/position light not working; handbrake too weak; rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Dodge Nitro?
At 15 years, the age with the most MOT tests (1,634), the fail items testers record most often on the Dodge Nitro are side/position light not working (10.3 per 100 MOTs), handbrake too weak (7.5 per 100 MOTs), rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value (6.1 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (16.1) and brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (12.5).
Which parts of the Dodge Nitro fail more often than on other cars?
At 15 years: brakes (25.1 per 100 MOTs against 10.7 for all cars); lights and electrics (24.7 per 100 MOTs against 19.5 for all cars); seat belts and airbags (3.6 per 100 MOTs against 1.7 for all cars). Compared with 5,591,675 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Dodge Nitro problems by area
More on the Dodge Nitro
Other Dodge models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Dodge Nitro?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources