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Wikipedia: Dodge Nitro
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History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Dodge Nitro page on 6 January 2017, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Dodge Nitro was a compact SUV produced by Dodge from the 2007 to the 2012 model year. The Nitro shared its platform with the second generation Jeep Liberty. It was assembled at the Toledo North Assembly Plant in Toledo, Ohio. The Jeep facility is part of an automobile complex which includes the Toledo South Assembly Plant, home to the Jeep Wrangler since the 1940s.
The Nitro made its debut in February 2005 at the Chicago Auto Show, as a concept car featuring an aluminum themed interior design. Aluminum-trimmed vents behind the front fenders, and other aluminum trim around the door handles and rear hatch, were routinely displayed as the center stack and shifter also included a finish in satin silver.
The Nitro became Dodge's first compact SUV model since the Raider was discontinued in 1990. It also became the first modern Dodge branded automobile to be sold in Europe since its introduction in early 2007. In the U.S., the Nitro went into production in August 2006 and went on sale in September of the same year as a 2007 model. All Nitros were available with rear-wheel drive, and part-time four-wheel drive was available as an option. The Nitro was Dodge's entry-level SUV until the 2009 model year, when the larger, car-based Dodge Journey crossover SUV priced below it, arrived in showrooms. Compared to its shared platform with the Jeep Liberty, the Nitro is longer, lower, and wider. The extra length is split between the rear seat and the cargo area.
The Nitro originally came equipped with an SUV class-leading 5,000-pound (2,300 kg) towing capacity. Safety features such as electronic roll mitigation, traction control, and side curtain airbags, as well as a functional sliding cargo floor called Load 'N Go were also offered as standard equipment. Similar to a system offered on the Saab 9-5 station wagon, the floor can be extended through the rear hatch by 18 in (457 mm) to ease loading. Another attribute of the SUV, is its aggressive hot rod styling; complete with a bulged muscular appearance and pronounced fenders.
Despite its flashy debut, the Nitro sales did not bode well for the company starting 2009, although for 2010 the situation had slightly ameliorated. The decision was therefore taken not to continue its production into 2012, with the assembly effectively ending on December 16, 2011. It was purportedly speculated by Marchionne that a successor going by the same name could be presented at the 2012 New York show, although that information later proved to be rumored from false facts and that the Nitro would not get a second generation for 2012. Chrysler built 2012 Dodge Nitros for the fleet market only, although Dodge's official websites for the United States & Canada list no 2012 retail Nitros. The final Nitro came off the assembly line on December 16, 2011, with a total of 175,510 units built since its introduction.
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 21 November 2006 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 214: Side Impact Protection (Indicant) 2007 Dodge Nitro MPV National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |  PDF - 3.6MB - 121 pages |
| 8 August 2007 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 201: Occupant Protection in Interior Impact, Upper Interior Head Impact Protection 2007 Dodge Nitro National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 3.8MB - 175 pages |
| July 2009 | On-Site Side Air Bag Investigation 2007 Dodge Nitro National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 1,188KB - 29 pages |
| 7 June 2011 | NHTSA Recall 11V315000 2011 Chrysler 200, 2011 Chrysler Town & Country, 2011 Dodge Avenger, 2011 Dodge Caliber, 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2011 Dodge Journey, 2011 Dodge Nitro, 2011 Jeep Compass, 2011 Jeep Liberty, 2011 Jeep Patriot, 2011 Jeep Wrangler National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Recall Page - 1 page |
| 7 June 2011 | Updated Defect Information Report for Chrysler Group LLC From: David D. Dillon, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Claude Harris, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 340KB - 4 pages |
| 14 June 2011 | Steering Column From: Jennifer Timian, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration To: David Dillon, Chrysler Group, LLC NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 26KB - 3 pages |
| 28 June 2011 | NHTSA Identification Number 11V-315 From: David D. Dillon, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Claude Harris, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 26KB - 1 page |
| 28 June 2011 | Safety Recall L23: Steering Column Pivot Rivets From: David D. Dillon, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Claude Harris, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 234KB - 2 pages |
| July 2011 | Safety Recall L23: Steering Column Pivot Rivets Chrysler Group, LLC NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 3.7MB - 11 pages |
| 7 October 2011 | RECALL QUARTERLY REPORT -- QUARTER ENDING 9/30/11 From: David R. Bernier, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Claude Harris, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 56KB - 3 pages |
| 6 January 2012 | RECALL QUARTERLY REPORT -- QUARTER ENDING 12/31/11 From: David R. Bernier, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Nancy Lummen Lewis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 85KB - 2 pages |
| 2 April 2012 | RECALL QUARTERLY REPORT -- QUARTER ENDING 3/31/12 From: David D. Dillon, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Nancy Lummen Lewis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 38KB - 2 pages |
| 6 July 2012 | RECALL QUARTERLY REPORT -- QUARTER ENDING 6/30/12 From: David D. Dillon, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Nancy Lummen Lewis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 104KB - 2 pages |
| 5 October 2012 | RECALL QUARTERLY REPORT -- QUARTER ENDING 9/30/12 From: David R. Bernier, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Nancy Lummen Lewis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 39KB - 2 pages |
| 7 January 2013 | RECALL QUARTERLY REPORT -- QUARTER ENDING 12/31/12 From: David R. Bernier, Chrysler Group, LLC To: Nancy Lummen Lewis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Recall 11V315000 | PDF - 1.1MB - 2 pages |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2 February 2007 | All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro, The | Anthony Fontanelle |
| 12 July 2007 | DaimlerChrysler Recalls '07 Wranglers, Nitros | Anthony Fontanelle |
| 22 January 2008 | Dodge Nitro Cold Air Intake and an Improved Engine Output, The | Anthony Fontanelle |
| 4 January 2013 | Dodge Nitro Transfer Cases Now Sold to SUV Owners at TransferCasesforSale.com | TransferCasesforSale.com |