Dodge Avenger Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 3,156 consumer complaints across the 13 model years of the Dodge Avenger (1995–2014) that have at least 5 complaints. 2008 has the most, with 832. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (596 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Avenger years →
All Avenger model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 205 | 50,000 | 1 | 135 | 45 · Typical | Falling |
| 2013 | 548 | 71,000 | 5 | 139 | 96 · More | Falling |
| 2012 | 554 | 70,000 | 3 | 108 | 90 · More | Falling |
| 2011 | 209 | 78,000 | 3 | 88 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
| 2010 | 163 | 75,000 | 3 | 41 | 43 · Typical | Falling |
| 2009 | 67 | 79,500 | 2 | 37 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2008 | 832 | 70,000 | 6 | 59 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2000 | 22 | 54,437 | 1 | 12 | — | Stable |
| 1999 | 62 | 64,100 | 1 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 58 | 83,000 | 2 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 83 | 94,500 | 2 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 157 | 128,000 | 2 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 196 | 109,478 | 2 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system596 18%
- Air bags564 17%
- Other or unknown440 14%
- Engine438 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain416 13%
- Vehicle speed control268 8.3%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)266 8.2%
- Brakes249 7.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2012: “The passengers side of my heater including defrosters's blows cold air. The car only has 50,500 miles. This causes the passengers side to not properly defrost and for any passenger in the car to be cold as cold air is blowing at their feet or face depending on where the control is set. This is a continued issue until I find out what the problem is.”
NHTSA complaint #11306690, filed 2020-02, 50,500 miles2013: “Vent doors keep failing, driver side vent gets hot while one of the vents in the middle is warm and the other is cool. Passanger side is cold as can be. This is while using the heater. I have seen many people online talk about this problem. I have also seen reports on NHTSA about the same issues. I also have replaced them multiple times.”
NHTSA complaint #11365905, filed 2020-10, 90,309 miles2011: “The car only has heat coming out of 1 vent and it's warm not even hot. I've had lines flushed, actuators and blend door replaced and it still doesn't work. When it's cold the car doesn't get above 40 degree's. It's unacceptable as I have 2 kids and can't have them in freezing temperatures. Apparently this is a defect with the vehicle and Dodge/crystler refuses to fix it”
NHTSA complaint #11301027, filed 2020-01, 120,000 milesOther Dodge models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology