Skip to content
Dodge AvengerModel year report

2009 Dodge Avenger Problems

Compared with other Dodge Avenger years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

0/100 0.3× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
67filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
79,500miles, 51 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 2.7L 6-cyl · flex-fuel FWD · 19 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Dodge Avenger (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2009 Dodge Avenger most often describe the engine quitting or losing power while driving, frequently accompanied by the electronic throttle control light, and they also report transmission or control module symptoms such as erratic shifting, high revving and stalling. Many complaints note that the vehicle identification number was not covered by the two recalls for this year, and other recurring themes are fuel gauge and fuel pump module problems, airbag warning lights or non-deployment, and windshield wipers that stop working in rain or snow.

  1. Engine

    Engine stalls or loses power while driving

    • 16 complaints (24%)
    • median 100,000 mi at 6.3 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • filed 2012–2020

    Complaints describe the engine shutting off at highway or city speeds, sometimes without warning and sometimes with the electronic throttle control or check engine light coming on. Owners report losing power steering and brake assist when this happens, difficulty restarting, and in some cases the vehicle refusing to go above 30 mph. Several say dealers could not reproduce or diagnose the problem, or that the throttle body was replaced without a lasting fix. Reported across a wide mileage range from roughly 5,500 to 190,000 miles, with many between 40,000 and 120,000 miles.

    Recall 08V5280002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for a scan of stored codes and any history of throttle body or electronic throttle control repairs, and test drive at highway speed to watch for hesitation or a rev limit.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Going home from work, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from my job, and traveling at approximately 40-42 MPH my engine just stopped....no sounds, no warning lights, nothing. Just tried to up my speed to go up a very small incline, and nothing...headlights still worked, no power steering, no brakes.......managed to pull over.........shaking like a leaf on a tree, because I am 65 years old, alone, no family to call, no one.....and this was a little after 9pm at night on nov 2nd. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11279957, filed 2019-11, 187,000 miles

    “My check engine light came on p2004. I then took it to a shop and was advised it was the electronic throttle control. They have been getting many customers taking their cars in for the same problem. Was advised to take it to Dodge because there should be a recall. The shop did not even charge me for the diagnostic. The car is not drivable. I stalled and was almost hit at a light. I called Dodge and it is going to be $105 for a diagnostic and once they find out what needs to be done they will give me a price. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10474335, filed 2012-09, 72,000 miles
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission/control module: high revving, harsh shifting

    Mentioned in 7 of 58 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the engine revving suddenly, the car feeling like it dropped into a lower gear, slipping or lurching on downshift, and the vehicle stalling with all warning lights lit. Some owners state a dealer identified the powertrain control module as the cause and reprogrammed or replaced it, while others report that their vehicle identification number was not included in the related control module recall. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 190,000 miles, often during acceleration or when slowing to a stop.

    Recall 08V5280003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the powertrain control module recall (08V528000) was completed for this vehicle, and note any shuddering or vibration when pulling away from a stop.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving down the road and all of a sudden it was like the transmission shifted down to a lower gear, the engine reved up and then within a few mins stalled out. With no warning also all the warning lights were lit up. When I tried to restart the car it just clicked after jump start because of trying to start it ...restarted but still was stuck in the low gear and stalled out again. I then called a tow truck and had it towed home. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11229678, filed 2019-07, 184,174 miles

    “I have a 2009 Dodge Avenger that is operating unsafely. It continues to maintain its speed when I take my foot off of the accelerator, and doesn't slow until I press on the brakes! It also to lurches forward when automatically downshifting, causing me to brake even harder with near misses in all of these situations. I initially worked with la mesa Dodge dealership, where I purchased the car, but after several months, poor cust svc and no resolution, I took the vehicle to hine Dodge in mission valley, ca. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10413217, filed 2011-07, 24,212 miles
  3. Fuel system

    Fuel smell, fuel leaks and fuel gauge readings

    Mentioned in 6 of 58 sampled complaints

    Owners report smelling fuel inside the car, seeing a leak at the fuel tank, and having the fuel pump module replaced, sometimes with the problem returning. Other complaints describe the gauge showing fuel that is not there, fuel spitting back out of the filler neck during refueling, and stalling or bogging that they link to fuel delivery. Some owners note the fuel gauge recall did not apply to their vehicle identification number. Reported from about 48,000 to 114,000 miles in the sample, in everyday driving and refueling situations.

    Recall 09V0470001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check the fuel gauge against actual fuel use over a tank, look for fuel odors around the tank and filler neck, and confirm whether recall 09V047000 was performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When I refuel my 2009 Avenger the fuel comes back out the filler tube. I can't even set the lock on the pump to the first click or it will burst gas out and splatters the car and myself. Looks like the 2008's had the problem also.”

    NHTSA complaint #10537403, filed 2013-08, 48,000 miles

    “Vehicle in motion most on highway and sometimes city streets. Sometimes the car will bog down usually between 40--65 MPH when accelerating and also while not. Took to dealership they keyed it (test) and said manifold sensor or sensor about $1500.00 repair. Got this fixed and car still doing it. This has been going on for at least 5 years that I know of. I don't drive vehicle all the time but when it gets drove it happens. The last time this happened was 2 weeks ago. Its was going on at about 50000 miles”

    NHTSA complaint #11254675, filed 2019-09, 104,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag warning light on or airbags not deploying

    • 9 complaints (13%)
    • median 80,250 mi at 5.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2021

    Complaints describe the airbag light switching on and off, sometimes with a chime or a spring-like noise behind the steering wheel when turning. Several owners report airbags that deployed without a collision, and others report airbags that did not deploy in a crash; some say the light came back on after a repair. Reported from under 12,000 miles to about 150,000 miles, appearing at various speeds and sometimes after turning the wheel.

    What to check: Watch the airbag light through a full drive including turns, ask whether any airbag-related repairs or clock spring work were done, and have the restraint system scanned for stored faults.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving down the highway and getting back to speed and heard a bang. Didn't hit anything and the driver's and passenger side airbags deployed. I was not injured and injured no-one else. My windshield on the passenger side was severly cracked. Now I'm between a rock and hard place, my insurance says that it may not be covered since I didn't collide with anyone, and I'm over my 36000 miles by 260 miles. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10425232, filed 2011-09, 36,260 miles

    “While driving a 2009 Dodge Avenger from national car rental (~11,000 miles on the vehicle) at 70 MPH on a florida toll way, the airbags deployed. There was no collision or contact with anything (animal, road debris, etc.), the road was flat and straight, and there were no circumstances or events that would have caused the airbags to deploy. I was talking on a cell phone using a bluetooth headset at the time and had just moved my blackberry, crossing the steering wheel when the airbags deployed. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10286959, filed 2009-10, 11,000 miles
  5. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Windshield wipers stop or bind in rain and snow

    • 7 complaints (10%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2012–2024

    Owners describe wipers that stop mid-windshield, move in jerks, or quit entirely in rain or snow, sometimes needing repeated switch cycling to get movement. Complaints mention corrosion found at the wiper motor, a replacement motor, and a recurrence afterward, as well as window regulators that let a window drop into the door. Reported from about 10,000 to 167,000 miles, typically during wet or snowy weather.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Run the wipers at every speed setting and check for jerky or incomplete travel, and ask whether the wiper motor or linkage has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I got this car may 13 2019 every since I had this car the wiper stop working when iam driveing in rain and snow. I took this car back to dealership in 2019 2020 and 2021 and they send me home and say there nothing wrong with the wiper. Now it 7/2022 it rain and the wiper stop again we could gotten kill on highway from columbus going back to spitzer moter tomorrow for the 4th time”

    NHTSA complaint #11474334, filed 2022-07

    “Have 10400 miles on 2009 Avenger, rolled up window and heard a noise then window fell down, some type of cable broke or came loose, warrenty expired 2 weeks before this happened. Will be contacting chrysler about this problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10462926, filed 2012-06, 10,400 miles

Buying note. Check that both open recalls (08V528000 for the powertrain control module and 09V047000 for the fuel gauge) have been completed for the specific vehicle, and have a shop scan for stored engine, transmission and airbag codes before purchase. A thorough test drive at highway speed plus checks of the wipers, fuel gauge and airbag light will surface most of the issues owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 67 consumer complaints for the 2009 Dodge Avenger. 51 of the complaints include a mileage, and 31% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 79,500 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 37 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 6 Dodge Avenger model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 0 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Wheels (4), Body and structure (3), Seat belts (2), Steering (2), Electronic stability control (1), Engine cooling (1), Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “I was traveling down a busy road when a truck pulled out in front of me with no time to stop and smashed my whole front end in mainly on the passenger side and I had no air bag depolyment”

NHTSA complaint #10735374, filed 2015-07, 113,300 miles

Engine: “Notice RPM / MPH would rev-up ...did not think much of it till I notice, having to apply brake s harder when coming to a stop becuase the car was still acceraling while I was appling pressure to brake. Notice when taking off from a complete stop or partial stop, car would stumble (RPM would drop to zero --just as to stall). Check eng. Light came on took car directly to service repair shop -code p2017(intake runner valuve error)-replace intak mainfold- (488445aj). Less then 4 hours of pick up, same problem but worst. …”

NHTSA complaint #10552554, filed 2013-11, 43,801 miles

Electrical system: “Red lighting symbol appears on the dash while I'm on the highway. Suddenly my car loses its horsepower and I begin to coast. I pull over to the side and the car begins to shake violently until I put it in park. When in park, the car idles to about 2500 RPM. I've done a bit of research and it appears countless people are having the same problem at the same mileage with this vehicle. According to them, it is caused by the electronic trottle control that seems to be impossible to fix.”

NHTSA complaint #10865039, filed 2016-05, 105,000 miles

Fuel system: “There is a recall on the pcv on the year make and model and my check engine light is reading that it is bad but they say that my VIN does not match for recall but yet my year make and model does”

NHTSA complaint #11102735, filed 2018-06

Mileage when problems were reported

31% of the 51 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 43,801 and 124,000 miles.

4%0–108%10–2520%25–5016%50–7518%75–10018%100–15018%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (51 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 79,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’10’128’148’16’18’20’22’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Dodge Avenger. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Avenger · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Dodge Avenger version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Avenger FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic213024$2,800
Avenger FWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162720$3,350
Avenger FWD2.7L 6-cyl · flex-fuel4-speed automatic192722$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Dodge Avenger → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 37 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 37 bulletins →

Other model years of the Dodge Avenger

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201420550,000142345 · TypicalFalling
201354871,000542396 · MoreFalling
201255470,000342390 · MoreFalling
201120978,0003—2350 · TypicalFalling
201016375,0003—2243 · TypicalFalling
20096779,5002—220 · FewerFalling
200883270,0006—22100 · MoreFalling
20002254,4371—20—Stable
19996264,1001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19985883,0002—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19978394,5002—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1996157128,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995196109,4782—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Dodge Avenger model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Dodge Avenger?

Owners of the 2009 Dodge Avenger most often describe the engine quitting or losing power while driving, frequently accompanied by the electronic throttle control light, and they also report transmission or control module symptoms such as erratic shifting, high revving and stalling. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls or loses power while driving; Transmission/control module: high revving, harsh shifting; Fuel smell, fuel leaks and fuel gauge readings.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Dodge Avenger have?

NHTSA recorded 67 consumer complaints for the 2009 Dodge Avenger as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Dodge Avenger is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 11 complaints (16% of the total), followed by engine with 11.

Has the 2009 Dodge Avenger been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Dodge Avenger get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Dodge Avenger (Avenger, 2.7L 6-cyl · flex-fuel) at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Dodge Avenger reported?

Among the 51 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 79,500 miles and the middle half falls between 43,801 and 124,000 miles; 31% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.