2010 Dodge Avenger

Showing the 2010 Avenger Heat. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
20–24 mpgcombined; city 16–21, highway 27–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$13,530–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $12,090–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
3over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
163filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2010 Avenger. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 163 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Avenger. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical system40060
Air bags3712011
Vehicle speed control27100
Engine23120
Power train20000
Unknown or other17110
Seat belts15304
Service brakes10306
Steering9102
Electronic stability control (ESC)6000
Engine and engine cooling6010
Fuel/propulsion system6010
14 more parts
Structure6102
Exterior lighting4000
Tires4000
Service brakes, hydraulic3000
Wheels3000
Visibility2000
Visibility/wiper2000
Fuel system, diesel1010
Fuel system, gasoline1000
Latches/locks/linkages1000
Parking brake1100
Seats1000
Suspension1000
Traction control system1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2008844
  2. 200967
  3. 2010163
  4. 2011209
  5. 2012554
  6. 2013548
  7. 2014205

Every Avenger year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2010 Avenger over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Air bags; Air bags: frontal; Seat belts: pretensioner

NHTSA campaign 16V668000 · reported Sep 15, 2016 · 1,435,625 vehicles potentially affected

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.

Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Steering: electric power assist system

NHTSA campaign 10V475000 · reported Oct 7, 2010 · 23,237 vehicles potentially affected

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER SEBRING, 300, CHARGER (LX) AND DODGE CHALLENGER (LC), AVENGER (JS), AND JOURNEY (JC), AS WELL AS MODEL YEAR 2011 DODGE RAM LIGHT DUTY PICKUP (DS) VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A SEPARATION AT THE CRIMPED END OF THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE ASSEMBLY.

Risk: LEAKED POWER STEERING FLUID ONTO HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS COULD CAUSE A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE AS NECESSARY THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service brakes, hydraulic

NHTSA campaign 10V009000 · reported Jan 11, 2010 · 20,045 vehicles potentially affected

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER SEBRING; DODGE AVENGER AND NITRO; JEEP LIBERTY, COMMANDER AND GRAND CHEROKEE; AND MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 DODGE RAM TRUCK. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN IMPROPERLY FORMED OR MISSING BRAKE BOOSTER INPUT ROD RETAINING CLIP.

Risk: THIS COULD RESULT IN BRAKE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH.

Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE BOOSTER INPUT ROD RETAINING CLIP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 41 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2010 Avenger, the latest on Apr 2, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (13), seats (7), structure (6), electrical system (5), engine and engine cooling (5).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2010 Avenger.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2010 Dodge Avengers for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: midsize cars. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Avenger
Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline21 / 30 / 24
Avenger
Front-Wheel Drive
2.7 L, 6 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline or E8519 / 27 / 22
Avenger
Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline16 / 27 / 20

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data