Problems · by component
2012 Dodge Avenger power train problems
31 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Dodge Avenger cite power train, 6% of all 554 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
31
6% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I HAVE A 2012 DODGE AVENGER WITH APPROXIMATELY 76200 MILES ON IT. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT MY TRANSMISSION MADE A CLUNKING SOUND AND MY VEHICLE WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR BUT THE RPMS BUT JUMP UP TO ABOUT 7000 AND STAY THERE. I WAS ON A FOUR LANE ROADWAY GOING THROUGH A CITY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ENDED UP MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH 76,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION ISSUES SEEM TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE AVENGERS. AND OF COURSE WHEN I CALLED DODGE CUSTOMER CARE THEY STATED THEY CAN DO NOTHING FOR ME ON ANY KIND OF REIMBURSEMENT. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 76000 MILES! VERY DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM.”
“VEHICLE IN LIMP MODE AND WON'T SHIFT GEARS PROPERTY. STARTED AFTER A PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A ISSUE UNTIL I HAD IT FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN STARTED THE LIMP MODE AND THEN DRIVING IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. BECAUSE IT WON'T CHANGE GEAR AND GOING UP A HILL IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN IT WON'T CHANGE GEARS. OR SPEED UP.. IT SLOWS DOWN INSTEAD.”
“VEHICLE GOES INTO TRANSMISSION LIMP MODE OUT NO WHERE CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND LOCK INTO 1ST GEAR. WHILE DOING THIS THE VEHICLE IS INCAPABLE OF PICKING UP SPEED OR MAINTAINS SPEED SAFELY OF OVER 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR. DIAGNOSTIC CODE IS P0882 ON MY CODE SCANNER STATING POSSIBLE LOOSE PIN CONNECTION OR CONNECTIONS, LOW VOLTAGE TO TRANSMISSION CONTROL TIPM ( TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE ), TCM ( TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ) ETC., CAR WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY AND WOULD NOT ACCELLERATE TO BEYOND 20-25 MILES PER HOUR MAX AS CAR WILL NOT UPSHIFT. AFTER CHECKING ALL CONNECTIONS I RESET AND ERASED CODE AND CAR DROVE A FEW MILES NORMALLY AND SHIFTING PROPERLY BEFORE DOING SAME AGAIN WITHIN 5 MINUTES. HAD CAR TOWED 25 MILES HOME AT NIGHT. SPOKE TO SERVICE TECH AT LOCAL DODGE DEALER. HE STATED THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MODEL CARS ALL THE WAY THRU THE NEW DODGE CHALLENGER. AND MYSELF I STATE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU UNEXPECTEDLY CAN NOT AVOID SLOWING DOWN AND YOU CAN NOT SPEED UP TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION BY OTHERS DRIVING BEHIND YOU”
“I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH ON A STREET WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT POPPED ON AND THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING THE WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF AND THE BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING. I MANAGED TO TURN THE WHEEL ENOUGH TO MAKE A TURN ON A NON BUSY STREET AND MANAGED TO PUT IT IN PARK ONCE IT STOPPED ROLLING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING IT UP TO HEAD TO THE MECHANIC UP THE ROAD TO THE MECHANIC. DIAGNOSTIC SAYS CATALYTIC CONVERTER.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED TO 10 MPH AND LOST POWER. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE JERKED, SKID, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL AND THROTTLE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKES, SWAY BAR, AND BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LUTHER BROOKDALE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (8188 BROOKLYN BLVD, BROOKLYN PARK, MN 55445, (612) 326-3931), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A VOICE MESSAGE WAS LEFT, BUT THEY FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.”
“THIS CAR IS TOTALLY UNSAFE WORSE VEHICLE EVER. WHILE DRIVING MY CAR HAS LOST ALL POWER MAKING ME ALMOST LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE MY KIDS WERE IN IT AS WELL AND DRIVING ON. THE HIGHWAY. IT WILL BE FINE THEN JUST EVERYTHING SHUTS OFF. IT HAS SHUT OFF THEN NOT START OR I?VE CHANGED THE ENGINE ONE TIME AND AFTER THAT IT WAS OK AND NOW A YEAR LATER IS DOING G THE SAME EXACT THING. CAR WON?T START FOR SOME ODD REASON THEN STARTS FINE 30 MIN LATER I WAS TRYING G TO START MY CAR N IT BLEW UP IN MY FACE N BLEW THE AIR FILTER OFF AS WELL THIS CAR HAS BEEN SO BAD I?M SCARED TO EVEN DRIVE IT I ALSO HAVE VIDEOS OF IT DRIVING G FINE THEN JUST SHUTTING DOWN COMPLETELY THIS IS THE WORSE VEHICLE EVER WAY TO UNSAFE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTS GOING HAY WIRE FLASHING THE LIGHT OFF N AND THE CAR ALARM WILL GO OFF WHEN NO BODY HAS TOUCHED IT OR DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE IT GO OFF THERE'S MORE JUST REALLY UPSET CAN'T THINK OF THEM. *TR”
Showing 6 of 31 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.