Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2012 Dodge Avenger has 554 owner complaints. The most involve air bags and the electrical system, 109 each. Combined mpg is 22 to 24 on gasoline and E85 flex fuel, with a 5-year fuel cost of $13,530 to $14,760 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 4 overall stars. Its 3 recall campaigns may apply: air bags, seats, seat belts, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
22–24 mpgcombined; city 19–21, highway 28–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$13,530–$14,760U.S. average; Ohio $12,090–$13,190 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's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 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.
Owners have filed 554 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 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
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Unknown or other
163
2
0
2
Air bags
109
22
0
23
Electrical system
109
5
5
5
Visibility/wiper
95
1
0
0
Engine
87
4
6
3
Seat belts
43
8
0
10
Power train
31
2
1
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
25
0
0
0
Visibility
25
1
0
1
Service brakes
21
5
2
5
Steering
20
1
0
0
Structure
20
7
2
5
13 more parts
Fuel/propulsion system
16
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
16
1
1
1
Seats
14
1
0
1
Exterior lighting
13
1
0
0
Suspension
10
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
5
0
0
0
Wheels
5
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
3
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
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.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 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.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Risk: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
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.
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the active head restraints , their non-deployment could increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 108 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Avenger, the latest on Jun 18, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (28), power train (24), electrical system (22), engine and engine cooling (16), structure (15).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Preliminary evaluation PE19014 Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment · covers 4 makes
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 2012 Avenger.
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:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Avenger Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
Avenger Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 30 / 23
Avenger Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
19 / 28 / 22
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
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