Avoid: 2013, 2012, 2008 (lowest Year Scores on complaints per year on the road, crash reports and recalls)
Best: 2007 (few owner reports)
9 model years of NHTSA owner complaints and recalls · How we grade
Across 13 model years, the Dodge Avenger has 3,038 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 52 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are electrical system and air bags. 2008 drew the most complaints (844), 2007 the fewest (2).
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for Dodge Avenger vehicles (US, public record). Typical used asking price $5,990–$7,397.
Complaint volume by model year. Raw NHTSA totals, not adjusted for sales volume or time on the road, so older and higher-selling years accumulate more. Every year links to its full breakdown.
Highest: 2008 (844 complaints). Lowest: 2007 (2).
Overwhelmingly negative sentiment, with a strong consensus that the vehicle is unreliable, poorly engineered, and offers little value even at low purchase prices.
Includes Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) failures causing no-crank/no-start conditions, flickering/strobing headlights, and general electrical gremlins.
Includes overheating (even when new), unreliable water pumps prone to leaking into the timing case, clogged heater cores, and erratic temperature gauge behavior.
Includes premature wear of lower front ball joints and sway bar bushings (causing loud clunking over bumps), and broken sway bar links contributing to poor handling.
Broadly described as poorly engineered, badly built, and prone to constant, varied failures ("one stupid thing after another").
Described as sluggish, not fuel-efficient in real-world use, and sensitive to oil change intervals.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Avenger. Individual model years are broken down above.
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