How reliable is the Dodge Nitro compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Dodge Nitro, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 57.0% across 906 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Dodge Nitro?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 22.4% of failed Dodge Nitro tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Dodge Nitro?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.0% of all Dodge Nitro tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Dodge Nitro usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 110,027 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Dodge Nitro models petrol or diesel?

Of the Dodge Nitro cars tested, 93% are diesel, 7% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Dodge Nitro MOT pass rate & common failures

From 906 recorded MOT tests of the Dodge Nitro, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 906 MOT tests, 57.0% of Dodge Nitro tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Dodge Nitro fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 22.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 110,027 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

57.0%unadjusted, not comparable906 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Nitro. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 906 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Dodge Nitro tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn22.4%
73 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning21.5%
70 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement14.7%
48 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
4.Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value14.4%
47 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
5.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning14.1%
46 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened12.6%
41 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Parking brake inoperative on one side12.6%
41 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.2%
30 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.9%
29 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Warning device shows system malfunction8.6%
28 occurrencesBrake system warning lamp on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Dodge Nitro tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.0%
217 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured21.5%
195 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged15.0%
136 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.9%
126 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.2%
120 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.7%
97 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users8.1%
73 tests
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure6.2%
56 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Dodge Nitro

The 17 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The Nitro fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 110,027
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel92.6%
Petrol7.1%

Check a specific Dodge Nitro

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Dodge models

Dodge Ram — 80.3% unadjusted
Dodge Caliber — 48.4% unadjusted
All Dodge models

Common questions

How reliable is the Dodge Nitro compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Dodge Nitro, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 57.0% across 906 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Dodge Nitro?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 22.4% of failed Dodge Nitro tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Dodge Nitro?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.0% of all Dodge Nitro tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Dodge Nitro usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 110,027 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Dodge Nitro models petrol or diesel?: Of the Dodge Nitro cars tested, 93% are diesel, 7% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.