2012 Dodge Avenger Engine Problems
Owners have filed 87 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2012 Dodge Avenger, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 79,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “heater core” (30% of reports).
- 87engine complaints
- 79,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,550typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Heater core: mentioned in 26 of 87 complaints (30%)
- Cold air: mentioned in 11 of 87 complaints (13%)
- Heat passenger: mentioned in 5 of 87 complaints (6%)
- Chrysler jeep ram: mentioned in 5 of 87 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2012 Dodge Avenger at $2,550, and half of them between $1,650 and $3,450.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2019), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 71 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 87 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 3 an injury.
Dodge Avenger engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Avenger | 42 | 20% | 51,100 |
| 2013 Avenger | 120 | 22% | 90,000 |
| 2012 Avenger | 87 | 16% | 79,000 |
| 2011 Avenger | 38 | 18% | 86,000 |
| 2010 Avenger | 23 | 14% | 82,000 |
| 2009 Avenger | 11 | 16% | 109,000 |
| 2008 Avenger | 115 | 14% | 101,850 |
| 1999 Avenger | 1 | 2% | 173,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2012 Dodge Avenger. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2012 dodge avenger will shut off whenever it feels like and you lose control of power steering. It feels like itâs not getting gas. It will crank back up when it feels like.The horn honks randomly.
My car dies while im driving down the street, making it difficult to steer and qhen you try to restart it, sometimes it starts and some times it don't. But this is not the first time its happened it was just the latest
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Avenger. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter. The vehicle was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Dodge Avengers have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 87 owner complaints about engine for the 2012 Dodge Avenger (16% of the 554 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Dodge Avenger engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 79,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2012 Dodge Avenger?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,550 (half paid between $1,650 and $3,450), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2012 Dodge Avenger?
The most frequent phrase is “heater core”, in 26 of 87 complaints, followed by “cold air” (11).
Other 2012 Dodge Avenger problems
- Air Bags problems (109)
- Electrical System problems (109)
- Visibility/wiper problems (95)
See all 2012 Dodge Avenger problems or engine problems across all Avenger years.