Reliable Auto DB

2013 Dodge Avenger reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 548 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Avenger over 14 years — 24 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 3 Avenger years on this site. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Front seat head restraint, Pretensioner, and Engine.

2012 Dodge Avenger
Photo by Cutlass, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC0
Complaints

548

Per year

24

Recalls

5

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (154 of 548), then Engine (120) and Electrical system (98). Those filings include 26 that report a crash, 10 that report a fire, and 30 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Avenger has 553 complaints, 21 per year, and the 2014 has 205 complaints, 18 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Dodge Avenger. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall Front seat head restraint 2017-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 17V640000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2016-09-15 · NHTSA campaign 16V668000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Recall Engine 2013-11-06 · NHTSA campaign 13V552000
Summary Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200, and model year 2014 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Due to abrasive debris in the balance shaft bearings, these engines may have a loss of engine oil pressure, possibly resulting in an engine stall or engine failure.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine balance shaft module, free of charge. The recall began on December 24, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N52.
Recall Electrical system 2013-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 13V282000
Summary Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2013-02-06 · NHTSA campaign 13V043000
Summary Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured from October 30, 2012, through November 2, 2012. These vehicles may have a gas tank that has a broken control valve in the fuel tank assembly.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tank assembly and replace any affected control valves, free of charge. The recall began on April 4, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.

Complaints by component (548 total)

Air bags
154
Engine
120
Electrical system
98
Seats
60
Seat belts
52
Visibility and wipers
42
Service brakes
37
Speed control
34
Powertrain
32
Electronic stability control (ESC)
28
Fuel and propulsion system
27
Steering
19
Visibility
12
Structure
11
Engine and engine cooling
8
Wheels
8
Exterior lighting
7
Suspension
5
Forward collision avoidance
3
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Tires
2
Equipment
1
Fire-related
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Traction control
1
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

26

Fire-flagged

10

Injury reports

30

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120121320133420142520155820169720177320188220196920204020211620221120231720249202532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Unknown, all i know is that i leave my car to go play basketball and 3 hours later i come back and its popped out randomly."
    Seats · filed 2026-08-06
  • "Was driving on hwy when vehicle loss power, was able to quickly pull over. Turned vehicle off and restarted vehicle. Got back onto the hwy ,vehicle loss power again, this time it wouldn't turn over. Replaced fuel…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakes · filed 2026-03-19
  • "Both head rest which is attached to airbags or have airbags in them I don’t know but the exploded open. Headrest could have exploded while someone was in the seat and got head injuries. No problem has not been confirmed…"
    Air bags, Seats, Unknown or other · filed 2025-12-01
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Avenger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine and…"
    Engine and engine cooling, Engine · filed 2025-10-31

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Dodge Avenger 4 DR FWD 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Avenger 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Front-wheel drive 21 28 23 MPG $2800
Avenger 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 19 28 22 MPG $2950
Avenger 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 20 30 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

JS generation, 2012–2014
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-20 (2.4L and 3.6L) , 4.6 qt capacity
Tire size 225/55R17, 225/50R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-668 covers certain 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger and other FCA models: the Occupant Restraint Controller may experience a solder joint crack that can disable the air bag system warning lamp and affect air bag deployment. Recall 13V-043 covers certain 2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles that may have a gas tank with a broken control valve in the fuel tank. Recall 17V-640 covers certain 2012-2013 Avenger vehicles where a component within the ORC may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Dodge Avenger Next year 2014 Dodge Avenger See every Dodge Avenger model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Dodge Avenger reliable?

Owners have filed 548 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Avenger over 14 years — 24 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 3 Avenger years on this site. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Front seat head restraint, Pretensioner, and Engine.

What are common problems with a 2013 Dodge Avenger?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (154 of 548), then Engine (120) and Electrical system (98). Those filings include 26 that report a crash, 10 that report a fire, and 30 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Dodge Avenger more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Avenger has 553 complaints, 21 per year, and the 2014 has 205 complaints, 18 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Dodge Avenger been recalled?

The 2013 Dodge Avenger has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Dodge Avenger?

Owners have filed 548 complaints about the 2013 Dodge Avenger with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Dodge Avenger get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Dodge Avenger is 22.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Dodge Avenger take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner's manual.

What generation is the 2013 Dodge Avenger?

JS generation (2012-2014) for the US years this site tracks.

What tire sizes does a Dodge Avenger use?

Common US sizes include 225/55R17 and 225/50R18 depending on trim.