Dodge Avenger Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
4,731 NHTSA complaints (1995–2015).Complaint rate: 1270.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Dodge Avenger?
Quick answer from 4,731 NHTSA complaints · 1995–2015
Dodge Avenger reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is electrical faults. Pick the right year and this Avenger can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.
- 2010 Dodge Avenger· 245 complaints
- 2011 Dodge Avenger· 311 complaints
- 2014 Dodge Avenger· 329 complaints
- 2008 Dodge Avenger· 1,238 complaints
- 2013 Dodge Avenger· 871 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- electrical faults — 548 complaints (1.6% involved a crash)
- airbags — 509 complaints (20.0% involved a crash)
- engine problems — 435 complaints (3.0% involved a crash)
- transmission / drivetrain — 262 complaints (1.5% involved a crash)
- unintended acceleration — 260 complaints (3.8% involved a crash)
What Happened to 3,724 Dodge Avengers On the Road
Complaints record what owners reported. These are the outcomes actually recorded against 3,724 Dodge Avenger VINs built 1998–2014 — accidents, title brands and odometer flags from our vehicle-history database, not from the NHTSA complaint file.
Do the complaint spikes show up in real accident history?
The Dodge Avenger averages 37.6% accident history across all model years. Here is how the years flagged above compare on real records:
- 2008 — 25.9% of 355 VINs on record show accident history, in line with the 37.6% model average. Owners complained more, but these cars are not crashing more.
- 2013 — 42.1% of 1,123 VINs on record show accident history, in line with the 37.6% model average. Owners complained more, but these cars are not crashing more.
Typical Dodge Avenger on record: 2.7 owners on average, 115,604 average miles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2012–2013 Dodge Avenger (109 crash-related complaints). The 2009 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Electrical System.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $8.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Dodge Avenger Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Faults | 548 | 1.6% |
| Airbags | 509 | 20.0% |
| Engine Problems | 435 | 3.0% |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 262 | 1.5% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 260 | 3.8% |
| Wipers & Visibility | 187 | 1.1% |
| Seat Belt Issues | 182 | 15.9% |
| Automatic Transmission | 124 | 2.4% |
| Electronic Stability Control | 112 | 5.4% |
| Fuel System | 110 | 0.0% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | — | 254 | 30 | 3 | View → |
| 1996 | — | 235 | 28 | 3 | View → |
| 1997GOOD | — | 109 | 18 | — | View → |
| 1998GOOD | — | 72 | 16 | 1 | View → |
| 1999GOOD | — | 96 | 6 | 2 | View → |
| 2000GOOD | — | 33 | 0 | 1 | View → |
| 2007NO DATA | — | 2 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2008AVOID | — | 1,238 | 63 | 40 | View → |
| 2009GOOD | — | 99 | 4 | — | View → |
| 2010 | — | 245 | 24 | 12 | View → |
| 2011 | — | 311 | 22 | 4 | View → |
| 2012AVOID | — | 836 | 61 | 17 | View → |
| 2013AVOID | — | 871 | 48 | 13 | View → |
| 2014 | — | 329 | 39 | 5 | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (4,731 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
On-road outcomes: Accident, title-brand, theft and odometer records for 3,724 Dodge Avenger VINs in our vehicle-history database. Independent of the NHTSA complaint file — a complaint is what an owner reported, these are what was recorded against the vehicle. Year-level figures are shown only for model years with at least 200 VINs on record.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
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