There are 27 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2012 Dodge Avengerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HAVE A 2012 DODGE AVENGER WITH APPROXIMATELY 76200 MILES ON IT. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT MY TRANSMISSION MADE A CLUNKING SOUND AND MY VEHICLE WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR BUT THE RPMS BUT JUMP UP TO ABOUT 7000 AND STAY THERE. I WAS ON A FOUR LANE ROADWAY GOING THROUGH A CITY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ENDED UP MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH 76,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION ISSUES SEEM TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE AVENGERS. AND OF COURSE WHEN I CALLED DODGE CUSTOMER CARE THEY STATED THEY CAN DO NOTHING FOR ME ON ANY KIND OF REIMBURSEMENT. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 76000 MILES! VERY DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM.
VEHICLE GOES INTO TRANSMISSION LIMP MODE OUT NO WHERE CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND LOCK INTO 1ST GEAR. WHILE DOING THIS THE VEHICLE IS INCAPABLE OF PICKING UP SPEED OR MAINTAINS SPEED SAFELY OF OVER 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR. DIAGNOSTIC CODE IS P0882 ON MY CODE SCANNER STATING POSSIBLE LOOSE PIN CONNECTION OR CONNECTIONS, LOW VOLTAGE TO TRANSMISSION CONTROL TIPM ( TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE ), TCM ( TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ) ETC., CAR WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY AND WOULD NOT ACCELLERATE TO BEYOND 20-25 MILES PER HOUR MAX AS CAR WILL NOT UPSHIFT. AFTER CHECKING ALL CONNECTIONS I RESET AND ERASED CODE AND CAR DROVE A FEW MILES NORMALLY AND SHIFTING PROPERLY BEFORE DOING SAME AGAIN WITHIN 5 MINUTES. HAD CAR TOWED 25 MILES HOME AT NIGHT. SPOKE TO SERVICE TECH AT LOCAL DODGE DEALER. HE STATED THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MODEL CARS ALL THE WAY THRU THE NEW DODGE CHALLENGER. AND MYSELF I STATE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU UNEXPECTEDLY CAN NOT AVOID SLOWING DOWN AND YOU CAN NOT SPEED UP TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION BY OTHERS DRIVING BEHIND YOU
VEHICLE IN LIMP MODE AND WON'T SHIFT GEARS PROPERTY. STARTED AFTER A PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A ISSUE UNTIL I HAD IT FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN STARTED THE LIMP MODE AND THEN DRIVING IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. BECAUSE IT WON'T CHANGE GEAR AND GOING UP A HILL IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN IT WON'T CHANGE GEARS. OR SPEED UP.. IT SLOWS DOWN INSTEAD.
I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH ON A STREET WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT POPPED ON AND THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING THE WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF AND THE BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING. I MANAGED TO TURN THE WHEEL ENOUGH TO MAKE A TURN ON A NON BUSY STREET AND MANAGED TO PUT IT IN PARK ONCE IT STOPPED ROLLING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING IT UP TO HEAD TO THE MECHANIC UP THE ROAD TO THE MECHANIC. DIAGNOSTIC SAYS CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
THERE IS NO HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BUT THERE IS HEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A MECHANICAL DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STALLED ON A HILL IN PARK AND STARTED TO ROLL DOWN THE HILL AND THE BRAKE AND EVERYTHING STOPPED WORKING AT THAT MOMENT IN THE CAR. I ALSO HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH THE CAR STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND DUE TO THIS IT CAUSED ANOTHER ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS ALSO WELL KEPT, BUT IT SEEMS TO HAVE A MECHANICAL DEFECT
THIS CAR IS TOTALLY UNSAFE WORSE VEHICLE EVER. WHILE DRIVING MY CAR HAS LOST ALL POWER MAKING ME ALMOST LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE MY KIDS WERE IN IT AS WELL AND DRIVING ON. THE HIGHWAY. IT WILL BE FINE THEN JUST EVERYTHING SHUTS OFF. IT HAS SHUT OFF THEN NOT START OR I?VE CHANGED THE ENGINE ONE TIME AND AFTER THAT IT WAS OK AND NOW A YEAR LATER IS DOING G THE SAME EXACT THING. CAR WON?T START FOR SOME ODD REASON THEN STARTS FINE 30 MIN LATER I WAS TRYING G TO START MY CAR N IT BLEW UP IN MY FACE N BLEW THE AIR FILTER OFF AS WELL THIS CAR HAS BEEN SO BAD I?M SCARED TO EVEN DRIVE IT I ALSO HAVE VIDEOS OF IT DRIVING G FINE THEN JUST SHUTTING DOWN COMPLETELY THIS IS THE WORSE VEHICLE EVER WAY TO UNSAFE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTS GOING HAY WIRE FLASHING THE LIGHT OFF N AND THE CAR ALARM WILL GO OFF WHEN NO BODY HAS TOUCHED IT OR DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE IT GO OFF THERE'S MORE JUST REALLY UPSET CAN'T THINK OF THEM. *TR
I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH MY HORN SOUNDING WHILE DRIVING AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE HORN CONTINUED TO SOUND WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT TIMES WITHOUT WARNING AND ON AUGUST 1, 2018 I WAS DRIVING AND IT WAS RAINING AND MY HORN STARTED SOUNDING AND I HAD MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON AT THE TIME AND WHEN THE HORN SOUNDED THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING FOR A FEW SECONDS AND WHEN THE HORN STOPPED SOUNDING THE WIPERS BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT THE TIME.I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY KEPT IF FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THEN DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS TOTAL INTEGRATED POWER MODULE.
TAKATA RECALL MY CAR HAD BEEN HAVING THIS KNOCKING SOUND, AND THEN DEVELOPED THIS SOUND LIKE SOMETHING WAS STRETCHING INSIDE THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE BATTER LIGHT CAM ON BUT THE CAR WAS OK. THE NEXT DAY IT CAME BACK ON THE AIR CONDITIONING CAME ON THEM WENT OFF ALL THE OTHER LIGHTS ON THE DASH KEPT COMING ON AND OFF. K STOPPED AT AN AUTO PARTS STORE TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT, AND IT WOULD NOT START ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH WERE ON THE FRITZ AND RESET. WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD IT WOULD NOT LET ME GO ABOVE 40 MPH AND THE RPM WENT UP TO LIKE 4.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. WHILE THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED IN REVERSE, THE SHIFT GEAR CONNECTOR JUMPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GREENWAY DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM ORLANDO (9051 E COLONIAL DR, ORLANDO, FL 32817, (888) 292-3985), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS TEMPORARILY REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT NO RECALL WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TAKATA RECALL ALSO HEATER CORE ISSUE. HEAT ONLY BLOWS ON DRIVERS SIDE WHEN SET TO HEAT AND COLD AIR BLOWS ON PASSENGER SIDE. SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CHRYSLER BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO FORCE A RECALL. TRANSMISSION ALSO SLAMS INTO GEAR WHEN STOPPING AND AT TIMES BEFORE ACCELERATION. NO DIP STICK TO VERIFY FLUID LEVEL. DEALER STATES NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY STATED THEY FLUSHED HEATER CORE AND STILL HAVE SAME ISSUE. THIS HAPPENS DRIVING IN WINTER OR SUMMER ON HIGHWAY, CITY STREETS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED BEHIND A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE TRUCK IN FRONT SUDDENLY MOVED AND ALLOWED THE CONTACT TO NOTICE ANOTHER VEHICLE HEADING TOWARDS THEM AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GAIN CONTROL. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE LANDED IN A DITCH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE'S FRONT FENDER WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIPM, PCM, AND ORC FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED A NEW PCM, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,013.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING, BRAKE, AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL LOCKED UP WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE IN ORDER FOR IT TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.
KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM PASSENGER SIDE DASH, FOUND TO BE AIR BLEND DOOR. KNOCKING OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER ENGINE START. VEHICLE HAS ALSO LOST HEAT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE, DUE TO BUILDUP OF "SLUDGE" IN THE HEATER CORE. THE LOSS OF HEAT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE CREATES THE IN-ABILITY TO DE-FROST/DE-FOG WINDSHIELD AND COULD POSE A SAFETY RISK TO DRIVING CONDITIONS IN LOW TEMPERATURES OR HIGH HUMIDITY. CURRENTLY CUSTOMERS ARE BEING ASKED TO PAY A COST RANGING FROM $1,200-$2,000 TO REPLACE THE HEATER CORE, COOLANT FLUSH, AND BLEND DOOR REPLACEMENT. ISSUE SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO POWERTRAIN MANUFACTURING (WHERE ELSE WOULD SLUDGE/DEBRIS COME FROM IN HEATER CORE?) BUT THIS ISSUE IS NOT BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY...
MY CAR HESITATES AND JERKS VICIOUSLY WHENEVER I ACCELERATE. I ONLY HAD THE CAR 9 MONTHS. I DID RESEARCH AND NOTICED THIS YEAR CAR HAS A RECALL ON IT BUT I HAVE YET BEEN NOTIFIED BY MY DEALER. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE PROBLEM AND WILL I RECEIVE ANY RECALL ASSISTANTS ??
HEATER NOT WORKING. (65,000 MILES) TOOK THE CAR TO FIRESTONE, WHERE THEY DID A FLUSH WHICH DID NOT WORK AND TOLD ME TO TAKE TO THE DEALER AND REPLACE THE HEATER CORE. WHERE THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $2500 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE COOLANT SYSTEM (HEATER CORE, RADIATOR, OIL COOLER, THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP). THE TECH ADVISED THERE WAS SOMETHING RESTRICTING FLOW THROUGH THE HEATER CORE. THERE IS A 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY ON THE CAR BUT THEY DO NOT AGREE THAT THE COOLANT SYSTEM THAT COOLS THE ENGINE (POWER TRAIN) SHOULD BE INCLUDED. WHERE DID THE SEDIMENT/SLUDGE COME FROM? POSSIBLY OIL CONTAMINATION FROM THE ENGINE (POWER TRAIN)? THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED IN NUMEROUS MODELS AND DODGE HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT TO THEIR TECHS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE COOLANT SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW SOMETHING THEY DID IS WRONG. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM GM HAD WITH DEX-COOL WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE BURDENED WITH THE FAILURES OF THE MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE A QUALITY PRODUCT. I HOPE THIS MATTER IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS IT TRULY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THE HEAT DOES NOT WORK IT IS NOT JUST UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE DRIVER/PASSENGERS BUT IT WILL ALSO REDUCE VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD SINCE THE DEFROST/HEAT DOES NOT WORK.
HEATER NOT WORKING. (87,000 MILES) TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $2500 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE COOLANT SYSTEM (HEATER CORE, RADIATOR, OIL COOLER, THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP). THE TECH ADVISED THERE WAS SOMETHING RESTRICTING FLOW THROUGH THE HEATER CORE. THERE IS A 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY ON THE CAR BUT THEY DO NOT AGREE THAT THE COOLANT SYSTEM THAT COOLS THE ENGINE (POWER TRAIN) SHOULD BE INCLUDED. WHERE DID THE SEDIMENT/SLUDGE COME FROM? POSSIBLY OIL CONTAMINATION FROM THE ENGINE (POWER TRAIN)? THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED IN NUMEROUS MODELS AND DODGE HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT TO THEIR TECHS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE COOLANT SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW SOMETHING THEY DID IS WRONG. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM GM HAD WITH DEX-COOL WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE BURDENED WITH THE FAILURES OF THE MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE A QUALITY PRODUCT. I HOPE THIS MATTER IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS IT TRULY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THE HEAT DOES NOT WORK IT IS NOT JUST UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE DRIVER/PASSENGERS BUT IT WILL ALSO REDUCE VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD SINCE THE DEFROST/HEAT DOES NOT WORK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE 20 -30 MINUTES TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WAS A CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THIS ISSUE FOR THE PCM REPROGRAMMING; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,801.
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS IN MARYLAND,I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE ENTIRE CAR SHUDDERED. THE ROTORS WERE APPARENTLY WARPED AND THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP. THE MORE THE BRAKE TEMPERATURE INCREASED THE MORE DIFFICULT IT BECAME TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. MOST OF THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS HIGHWAY OR COUNTRY ROADS, AS I LIVE IN A SUBURBAN AREA. THE BRAKES STILL ACT UP IN FLAT AREAS JUST NOT AS BAD AS THEY DID IN THE MOUNTAINS. I HAVE A SIX SPEED 2.4L, 4 CYLINDER IN THE AVENGER. BEFORE AND AFTER HAVING THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWNSHIFT HARD BETWEEN 3RD AND 2ND GEAR AND 2ND AND 1ST GEAR. WHEN I BACKED OUT AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, IF YOU DIDN'T WAIT FOR ABOUT THREE SECONDS PRIOR TO ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP THEN BANG INTO GEAR A TAKE OFF. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO LOCK INTO DRIVE BEFORE TAKING OFF. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT WITH 36,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE A PEA THRASHER WHEN ITS STARTED ON COLD MORNING. (IT SOUNDS LIKE A LIFTER THAT HAS LOST ITS PRIME). ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD, SURGES (OVER REVS) WHEN COMING TO S ATOP, AND AT TIMES WHEN ITS DOWN SHIFTING WHILE GOING DOWN A HILL, IT SLAMS INTO LOWER GEAR.. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL BODY SOUNDS THAT I HAVEN'T ADDRESSED YET. I WAS TOLD BY MECHANICS AND SERVICE TECH'S THAT THIS WAS A COMMON SOUND FROM MY SIZE ENGINE. THE HAVE RAN UPDATES, YET THE NOISES ARE STILL THERE. I MENTIONED THAT AT IDLE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, IF I WAS TO POWER ANY OF THE WINDOWS, THE HEADLIGHTS DIM AND THEN ENGINE DROPS FROM APPROXIMATELY 950 RPM TO BELOW 500 AND STALLED THE ENGINE. ... UPDATED 04/11/13 *BF
TRANSMISSION WILL GET STUCK INTO A GEAR AND NOT SHIFT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. AFTER 1000 MILES, TRANSMISSION AGAIN MALFUNCTIONS AND TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. SECOND MALFUNCTION VERY SIMILAR TO FIRST, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN DRIVE THE CAR AFTER THE SECOND MALFUNCTION. CAR SEEMS TO BE STUCK IN A HIGHER GEAR THAT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO GET STARTED FROM A FULL STOP. THIS IS A NEW AVENGER WITH 3.6L PENTASTAR ENGINE. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 27 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026