Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.2× usual Extended coverage
290 serious complaints of 554, the most about air bags (109) and engine (87); per car on the road, 1.2× this model's usual year. 3 recalls.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 dodge avenger. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v668000 (air bags, seat belts); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, May 2017
“The contact owns a 2012 dodge avenger. The contact stated that while driving with the heater in operation, the check engine warning light illuminated. The light indicated that the thermostat needed to be checked. The contact replaced the thermostat, however, the failure persisted.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Nov 2020
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage MIL Illumination: P0300, P0302, P0304 or P0306 (X56 Warranty Extension) This bulletin involves checking for excessive cylinder leakage and replacing the cylinder head if necessary. (09-002-14, Dec 2014)
- Extended coverage Customers may comment on the following:The AHR is deployed on one or both front seats and will not reset. (2302720, Nov 2020)
- Repair program Emissions Recall U67 - Catalytic Converter Efficiency - Dealer Notification (Revision 11) (U67, Jun 2026)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
554 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 22–24 mpg · NHTSA: 4 of 5 stars · 2012 trims and features
Every Avenger year's verdict →
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl; 3.6L 6-cyl · Drive: FWD
2012 Avenger trims
| LUX | R/T | SE | SXT | SXT Plus |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Dodge reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Dodge aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl | FWD | 22–24 mpg | 4 of 5 | 1 | 205 | Air bags (69) | — |
| 2013 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl | FWD | 22–23 mpg | 4 of 5 | 5 | 548 | Air bags (154) | — |
| 2012 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl | FWD | 22–24 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 554 | Unknown or other (163) | — |
| 2011 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl | FWD | 22–24 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 209 | Unknown or other (57) | — |
| 2010 | 2.4L 4-cyl 2.7L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl | FWD | 20–24 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 163 | Electrical system (40) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dodge Avenger 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 1 | 205 |
| 2013 | Dodge Avenger 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 5 | 548 |
| 2012 | Dodge Avenger 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 554 |
| 2011 | Dodge Avenger 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 209 |
| 2010 | Dodge Avenger 4DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 163 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Avenger | Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
22–24 |
| 2013 | Avenger | Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
22–23 |
| 2012 | Avenger | Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
22–24 |
| 2011 | Avenger | Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
22–24 |
| 2010 | Avenger | Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 2.7 L Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
20–24 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.