IllustrationSINCE CONSUMER HAS OWNED VEHICLE HE HAS HAD TO HAVE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED NO LESS THAN TWENTY (20) TIMES DUE TO WARPING. WORK HAS BEEN PERFORMED BY DEALERSHIP AND DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK CONSUMER HAD BEEN TOLD THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *SLC
1996 Dodge Avenger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge Avenger do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 157.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avenger years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 9 of 157 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports3 fire reports9 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
22 reportsVEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD-ON AT ABOUT 35 MPH (EST.). NEITHER THE DRIVER SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. PASSENGER'S HEAD STRUCK AND SHATTERED WINDSHIELD. DRIVER'S FACE STRUCK STEERING WHEEL CAUSING DAMAGE TO MOUTH AND SHOULDER. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. AMAZING NO ONE WAS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. ALSO,…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD-ON AT ABOUT 35 MPH (EST.). NEITHER THE DRIVER SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. PASSENGER'S HEAD STRUCK AND SHATTERED WINDSHIELD. DRIVER'S FACE STRUCK STEERING WHEEL CAUSING DAMAGE TO MOUTH AND SHOULDER. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. AMAZING NO ONE WAS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. ALSO, I WOULD NOTICE THAT IF I WAS TRAVELING OVER ABOUT 40 MPH, THE CAR WOULD SHAKE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. CAR WOULD SOMETIMES STALL WHEN STOPPED. SOMETIMES I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND PUT IT BACK INTO PARK BEFORE IT WOULD START. ALSO THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT SEEMED TO NOT BE FULLY SEALED AS IT ALWAYS HAD CONDENSATION INSIDE. NOTICED THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SEEMED TO BE STICKING OUT AND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT WAS DIFFICULT TO OPEN. I WONDER IF THIS CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. I KNOW I WAS NOT TOLD IT HAD BEEN. I JUST RECENTLY LEARNED THEY DO NOT MAKE AVENGERS ANYMORE. IS THERE A REASON FOR THIS. ARE THEY DANGEROUS. COULD SOMETHING HAVE CAUSED THIS CRASH OTHER THAN THE DRIVING OF THE DRIVER. I WILL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE MY VIN NUMBER AS SOON AS I CAN GET IT. CAR IS IN STORAGE NOW.*AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS VIBRATION. ALSO ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAKS. *AK
NO SUMMARY
BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED THEY CONTINUE TO WARP SEVERE SHAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ALSO FAILURE OF HEAD VALVE GASGET
IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CREDIT UNION WENT TO PUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ON AND IT WAS REAL EASY TO PULL UP, VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER WAS TOLD THAT A SPRING POPPED ON THE BACK BRAKES WHICH WAS CAUSING THE NOISE. THE BRAKES WERE HANGING DOWN. *AK
FRONT SUSPENSION HAS PROBLEMS FOR SOME TIME. I HAVE A NOTICE FROM CARPOINT WEB SITE ABOUT A RECALL, AND IHAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RECALL FROM DEALER OR EITHER CHRYSLER. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS??
ALSO PROBLEM WITH THROTTLE BODY. ALL FAILURES HAPPENED AFTER 9800 MILES. WAS TOLD AT 30,000 MILE CHECKUP THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T. *AK
ABS MODULE ASSEMBLY FAILED AT 30,000 MILES AND 6 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. $1300.00 TO REPAIR. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT ANYONE (INCLUDING ME) WILL PAY TO FIX. ABS WILL REMAIN DISABLED.*AK
GLOVE BOX DOOR FAILED.
Official recalls
200V421002 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
Dec 18, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THIS CAMPAIGN SUPERCEDES MMC'S PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN, SEE 99V-066.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT FOR WEAR. BALL JOINTS THAT EXHIBIT WEAR BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY DESIGNED LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS. BALL JOINTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE CLEANED AND A SPECIAL SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED TO PREVENT INTRUSION OF MOISTURE.
99V066003 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
Apr 5, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE RUBBER BOOTS, AND IF THE BOOT IS DAMAGED, THEY WILL REPLACE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM AND BALL JOINT ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ00015 · Lower Contrtol Arm Ball Joint
Opened Aug 2, 2000 · Closed Apr 20, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (3)
Suspension
There is no summary currently available
Suspension
There is no summary currently available
Suspension
There is no summary currently available