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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.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Unknown Or Other complaints

4 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2004
Unknown Or Other

MY PAINT IS FOGGING, I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO KEEP IN GOOD CONDITION BUT TO NO AVAIL! I AM REALLY UPSET OVER THIS!! AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY CAR AND THEN I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT OTHER DODGE AVENGERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM!! WHEN MY FRIEND BOUGHT HIS AVENGER AND IT HAD THE SAME FOGGING EFFECT I HAD REACHED THE END O…

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MY PAINT IS FOGGING, I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO KEEP IN GOOD CONDITION BUT TO NO AVAIL! I AM REALLY UPSET OVER THIS!! AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY CAR AND THEN I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT OTHER DODGE AVENGERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM!! WHEN MY FRIEND BOUGHT HIS AVENGER AND IT HAD THE SAME FOGGING EFFECT I HAD REACHED THE END OF MY ROPE!!! I WAS INFORMED IT IS GOING TO COST ANYWHERE FROM $500- $1500 TO FIX IT! WHY SHOULD I PAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WHEN I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO KEEP MY CAR IN GOOD CONDITION? PLEASE HELP!!!

NHTSA ODI #10069248

Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2003
Unknown Or OtherCrashFire

MY DAUGHTER, MICHELLE OWNED A 1996 DODGE AVENGER ES WHICH SHE LOST HER LIFE IN. ON OCTOBER 6, 2001 SHE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHICH THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES AND EXPLODED. IT WAS IN FOR RECALLS WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THE LOWER LATERAL BALL JOINT. ON OCTOBER 2000, HER FRONT END OF HER CAR FELL TO THE GROUND, WHICH WE REPORTED TO Y…

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MY DAUGHTER, MICHELLE OWNED A 1996 DODGE AVENGER ES WHICH SHE LOST HER LIFE IN. ON OCTOBER 6, 2001 SHE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHICH THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES AND EXPLODED. IT WAS IN FOR RECALLS WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THE LOWER LATERAL BALL JOINT. ON OCTOBER 2000, HER FRONT END OF HER CAR FELL TO THE GROUND, WHICH WE REPORTED TO YOU AND TO DAIMEN CHRYSLER. DAIMEN CHRYSLER PAID FOR THE REPAIRS TO HER CAR. NOW HER CAR EXPLODES AND BURSTS INTO FLAMES KILLING HER. SHE DID NOT DIE FROM THE INJURIES OF THE ACCIDENT, SHE DIED FROM THE FUMES AND FIRE. WE WANT TO KNOW SINCE THERE ARE REPORTS OF OTHER DAIMEN CHRYSLER AUTOS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS AS TO CATCHING ON FIRE WE WANT IT ON RECORD THAT HER CAR ALSO CAUGHT ON FIRE. WE WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THIS AND TO POSSIBLY SAVE SOMEONE ELSES LIFE. WE WANT TO KNOW IF THE AUTO MANUFACTURER HELD INFORMATION ON OTHER MAKES AND MODELS THAT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING FROM THE CONSUMERS FOR RECALLS. THE ACCIDENT DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE CAR BURST IN FLAMES IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ODI #10005711

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2002
Unknown Or Other

NO SUMMARY. DT

NHTSA ODI #770710

Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING, IT STALLED AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. IT HESITATED, SITTING STILL. PUTTING VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL KEPT IT FROM CUTTING OFF. DEALER HAS REPLACED A SENSOR IN ENGINE. PROBLEM CAME BACK AFTER A WHILE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #880811

Official recalls

2

00V421002 · 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

1

RQ00015 · 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