Chrysler Group LLC: Structure
Chrysler Group LLC reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 3, 2013 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 62,578. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4X2 vehicles manufactured March 21, 2006, through March 1, 2008; and 2008 Jeep Liberty 4X2 vehicles manufactured February 15, 2007, through March 1, 2008. The transfer case heat shield may drop down and rub on the drive shaft, weakening it and potentially causing the drive shaft to break.
The risk
If the drive shaft breaks, a section of it can strike the transfer case tunnel with enough force that the airbag computer will believe the vehicle is in a crash and thus deploy the airbags. Additionally, the drive shaft failure will result in a loss of motive power. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a bracket to support the rear of the heat shield, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on May 29, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N10.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Dodge Nitro | 393 | 3 | 12 | 17 |
| 2008 Jeep Liberty | 541 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 2007 Dodge Nitro | 494 | 7 | 11 | 16 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 13V121000.
Full record for the 2008 Dodge Nitro → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →