2011 Dodge Avenger Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 Dodge Avenger most often describe two recurring problems: a passenger-side heating and defrost failure that leaves half the windshield unclear in cold weather, and engine stalling or loss of power that happens without warning and is often difficult for dealers to reproduce or diagnose. Air bag and restraint-system warnings, electrical faults and rear-end sway over bumps also appear repeatedly in the sampled complaints, usually at higher mileages.

1. 1
   Other or unknown

   No heat or defrost on passenger side

   • 63 complaints (30%)
   • median 89,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (50 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2025

   Owners describe warm air on the driver's side while the passenger side vents and windshield defroster blow cold, even with the system set to heat. Several say a dealer attributed it to a partly plugged heater core and quoted a four-figure repair that warranty did not cover; others had the core flushed, blend door actuators or the thermostat and water pump replaced with only temporary relief. Complaints frame the practical effect as a windshield that only partly defrosts in cold or wet weather. Reported from roughly 53,000 to 148,000 miles, mostly in winter or cold-weather use and present whether the car is moving or idling.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the engine warm, set the system to full heat and defrost and feel each vent and both sides of the windshield; uneven temperatures point to this issue. Ask whether the heater core was replaced or flushed and whether blend door actuators were changed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The heat from the passenger side does not work. The air works great, but no heat. This was just noticed a couple of weeks ago. I took the car to the dealer that I purchased it from and the cost will be $1,002.80. I feel this should be something that is fixed without me having to pay so much. I have only had the car for 1 year. I have read that there are several people that have the same problem. Should be a recall................”

   NHTSA complaint #10852393, filed 2016-03, 100,000 miles

   “My heat on my passenger side never works, it will blow at nothing causing issues with defrosting passengers window and issue with defrost on my main window on passenger side. All other vents blow out but that one makes a whistle noise and noting comes out. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11234445, filed 2019-07, 5 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls or loses power while driving

   • 40 complaints (19%)
   • median 72,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (35 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2022

   Complaints describe the engine cutting off at stops, at low speed or mid-acceleration, sometimes without any warning light, and needing a restart in traffic. Several owners report repeat dealer visits where no cause was found, while others were told the electronic throttle control, ignition switch or fuel system needed attention. Some describe the stall at highway speed with loss of power steering assist. Spread widely, from near-new vehicles to well past 140,000 miles, with many reports between roughly 70,000 and 170,000 miles.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for any service history covering throttle body, ignition switch, crank sensor or PCM work, and take a test drive that includes idling at lights and a steady cruise. A scan for stored codes is worth doing even if no warning light is on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car's engine stalls and shuts off while in the middle of acceleration or even while at idle. The dealership cannot find any issues as to why it would stop running and I am extremely afraid to drive the car for fear I will have an accident. When the engine stalls, the power steering stops working and it is hard to steer the car to a safe spot.”

   NHTSA complaint #11035527, filed 2017-10, 93,000 miles

   “While my 2011 Dodge Avenger is idling and slowing down it continues to stall out. It also sometimes does it while I'm driving too. I then have to put the car in park and restart it and put it back into drive in the middle of the road. There is no check engine light and no notifications under the system check dash light.”

   NHTSA complaint #11054862, filed 2017-12, 143,121 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bag and seat belt warning lights

   • 29 complaints (14%)
   • median 89,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2023

   Owners report the air bag or seat belt warning light staying on, sometimes after the occupant restraint control recall repair was already performed. Several complaints mention an air bag light following a collision or a clock spring and control module diagnosis, and some owners tie the light to recall campaigns by campaign number even when their vehicle was not covered. Dealers in these reports often said the light was unrelated to the completed recall. Mostly reported between about 90,000 and 175,000 miles, and in several cases after a prior recall repair.

   Recall 16V668000Recall 13V282000

   What to check: Check that the air bag light goes out after the bulb self-test at start-up, and confirm with a dealer whether recall 16V668000 and 13V282000 were completed for that vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle air bag light has been on for months,recently took it in for the orc recall dealer advised that's not the reason for the recall, hes had multiple other Dodge avengers come in with the same issue. He sed me to contact Dodge and file a complaint. I did read today that 2012+ Dodge avengers have came up with another recall that has to do with air bag light being on so I don't know what else to do beside file a complaint. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11102143, filed 2018-06, 136,000 miles

   “I was in a recent accident that caused over $4,500 in damage to the front end of my 2011 Dodge Avenger. I hit the vehicle in front of me travelling at over 20mph and the airbags did not deploy and I braced myself against the steering wheel and thankfully was not injured. There are currently two open recalls for the airbag and seat belt restraint. The police officer on scene was bewildered that the airbags had not deployed, and I'm not certain they would work or not with the active recall due to the two main safey features of this vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10957887, filed 2017-03, 89,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: lights, cluster and no-start

   • 55 complaints (26%)
   • median 65,700 mi at 4.5 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2023

   Owners describe instrument cluster lights dimming or flickering, turn signals and wipers operating on their own, horn sounding by itself and intermittent no-crank or no-start conditions. Some reports mention a burned battery cable box or a tipm and horn assembly diagnosis, and several note repeat stalls or dead batteries after electrical repairs. Generally reported between about 70,000 and 170,000 miles, often as intermittent faults.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test all exterior lights, signals, wipers and the horn, and watch the cluster during a start and a short drive. Ask whether the battery, alternator or any wiring repairs were done recently.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car stalled 3xs has to replace ignition control switch. My heat doesn't work on passenger side. My lights flicker as I accelerate on expressway or even on the street now. Motor on passenger window went out”

   NHTSA complaint #11388270, filed 2021-01, 142,000 miles

   “While I was driving the battery, check engine, tire pressure, and traction light all came on at the same time, then all of a sudden everything (radio, instruments panel, speed odemeter etc...)when off in the car and then the A/C started blowing. It kept doing this off and on the whole time driving. The brake lights stay on. So far I have changed the battery, alternator, and the brake switch sensor and it's still doing the same thing. The vehicle was in motion on the hwy. I also got and check engine scan done on the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11413192, filed 2021-04, 132,000 miles
5. 5
   Suspension

   Rear end sways or steps sideways over bumps

   • 11 complaints (5%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 3.1 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2020

   Complaints describe the rear of the car shifting or fishtailing over bumps, expansion joints and slippery surfaces, with some owners reporting vibration near the back seat. Several say dealers found nothing wrong or performed alignments and control arm or sway bar work without curing it, and some relate it to premature rear tire wear. Reported from very low mileage up to about 222,000 miles, including cars under 1,000 miles.

   What to check: Drive over rough pavement and expansion joints at moderate speed and watch for rear-end movement. Check rear tire wear across the tread and ask whether alignments, control arms or sway bar components were replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am having back suspension problems where the car fishtails bounces you feel like you are shifting from side to side and it's once you go over 10 miles an hour it can happen going over a small bump it has happened multiple times I've had to replace my all my tires three times I've only had the car almost two years I've replaced my sway bar I pretty much have replaced my whole back suspension and it did not help. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11308795, filed 2020-02, 222,000 miles

   “Rear shifts side ways when going over any bump or expansion joint on road. Driving in snow or ice is very dangerous because rear is always sliding back and forth had car checked and Dodge dealership found nothing wrong with the car. Aside from giving me a panic attack every time this happens, I'm afraid I'm going to kill myself or someone else in a terrible accident from this problem. Thought it was something with the rear sway bar being mounted in the wrong place or something with the electronic stability control malfunctioning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10562561, filed 2014-02, 33,000 miles

Buying note. Check the heater and defroster output on both sides before buying, and confirm whether the air bag recalls were completed for the vehicle. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a code scan, a road test over rough pavement and a look at rear tire wear is worthwhile given the stalling, rear-sway and electrical reports owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.