There are 8 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2012 Dodge Avengerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CADILLAC CONVERTER RECALL- WHEN THE CADILLAC CONVERTER WENT OUT THE CAR MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE AND LOST POWER TO ACCELERATE. COME TO FIND OUT THE PRESSURE BLEW BACK AND POPPED HOSES OF AND BROKE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE FLAP CANT OPEN AND CLOSE. CHRYSLER SAID THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS NOT DUE TO THE CADILLAC CONVERTER BUT TEO AUTO MACANICA SAID IT WAS. THIS IS A $700 REPAIR DUE TO A RECALL! HAD BEEN DRIVING CAR AROUND TOWN ALL DAY. STOPPED TO TURN AND LOUD NOISE HAPPENED. LUCKLY COASTED TO BLOCKS TO HOUSE AND HAD TOW TRUCK TAKE TO REPAIR SHOP.
MY 2012 DODGE AVENGER CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FWY. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR BECAUSE THE BRAKE BECAME LOCKED IN PLACE AND I COULDNT PRESS IT DOWN WITH MY FOOT. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT WORK. IT WAS UNSAFE TO GET OUT OF THE MOVING CAR, SO I WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR AS THE FIRE UNDER THE HOOD GREW RAPIDLY. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND WITH QUICK THINKING, I USED THE CURB AT THE END OF THE FWY OFF RAMP TO HELP ME STOP THE CAR. WHEN FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED, THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF MY CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, CHRYSLER/DODGE HAS HAD REAPEATED COMPLAINTS REGARDING SIMILAR INCIDENTS.
TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED. FIRST WAS IN NOVEMBER 2018. I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE VEHICLE FLASHED THE THROTTLE BODY SENSOR LIGHT ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 25MPH. BROUGHT TO DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THEY COULDN'T CHECK THE ETC LIGHT DUE TO IT SHUTTING OFF WITH RESTART OF THE VEHICLE BUT WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATOR. FIXED THE ALTERNATOR AND NO PROBLEMS AGAIN UNTIL JANUARY 2019. THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AND THE CAR FLASHED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND DIED WHILE IN MOTION. POWER STEERING WAS VERY TIGHT BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. AFTER 4 TRIES OF RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, IT STARTED BACK UP BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON. I WILL BE TAKING IT BACK TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP IN HOPES OF FINDING OUT WHAT IS WRONG, BUT AM NERVOUS BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAVE READ AMONGST OTHER AVENGER OWNERS.
THE THROTTLE BODY CONTROL LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON WITH THE ABS LIGHT. HAD IT AND THE SENSOR CLEANED. TWO DAYS LATER THE SAME LIGHTS AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ARE COMING ON.
I HAVE A 2012 AVENGER; THE HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR STOPPED BLOWING HOT AIR. I TOOK THE AVENGER IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ISSUE WAS FROM CASING SAND CLOGGING THE RADIATOR, HEATER CORE AND THE OIL COOLER. THIS IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. ALSO THE SPRING ON THE ACTUATOR DOOR WAS STICKING AND NOT OPENING PROPERLY ..POOR CONTACT MATERIALS ON THE CONNECTORS FOR THE ACTUATORS!!. IT SEEMS THAT OVER TIME THEY OXIDIZE AND DEVELOP A RESISTANCE THAT ATTENUATES THE SIGNAL BACK TO THE CONTROL. WHEN THE SIGNAL GETS TOO LOW THE CONTROL LOSES TRACK OF THE ACTUATOR POSITION AND KEEPS DRIVING THE MOTOR, RESULTING IN CLICKING OR BROKEN TEETH. IT IS TOUGH TO REACH THE CONNECTOR CONTACTS TO CLEAN THEM- THE CLICKING GOES ON EVEN AFTER THE CAR IS OFF!!!! PLEASE FIX!
I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 60 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ETC LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH AND MY CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, MY CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 10 MPH. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET IN A SAFETY LANE. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED A FEW TIMES, I WAS VERY SCARED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE PRODUCTION OF THIS VEHICLE. THERE ARE TONS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS VEHICLE, SOME OF THE VEHICLES HAVE LOW MILEAGE AND SOME DON'T. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN. I THINK CHRYSLER NEEDS TO OWN UP AND RECALL THIS THROTTLE BODY!
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON, THE CRUISE SHUT OFF, THE BRAKE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER AND WAS BRAKING ITSELF. THE SUDDEN LOSE OF SPEED AND BRAKING OUT OF THE DRIVER'S CONTROL ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR CREATED A SAFETY HAZARD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE THROTTLE CONTROL AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,629.
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