2013 Dodge Avenger: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
548 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 548 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 42.15
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Unknown, all i know is that i leave my car to go play basketball and 3 hours later i come back and its popped out randomly.
Was driving on hwy when vehicle loss power, was able to quickly pull over. Turned vehicle off and restarted vehicle. Got back onto the hwy ,vehicle loss power again, this time it wouldn't turn over. Replaced fuel pump,replaced valve timing sensor, crank sensor, replaced battery, replaced ignition switch and antitheft oem {replaced 5X}, reprogrammed vehicle 3X's, bought new key to program to vehicle. After $1500.00 st…
Both head rest which is attached to airbags or have airbags in them I don’t know but the exploded open. Headrest could have exploded while someone was in the seat and got head injuries. No problem has not been confirmed by anyone but myself,husband and self employed mechanic, I didn’t know what to do. No, no type of warning before it happen. Passenger one exploded January 2025, driver exploded about May 2025.
Recalls: 5 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 13V282000 | Electrical System | 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… |
| 13V043000 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured from October 30, 2012, through November 2, 2012. These vehicles may have a gas tank that has a broken control valve in the fuel tank assembly. |
| 13V552000 | Engine | Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200, and model year 2014 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Due to abrasive debris in the balance shaft bearings, these engines may have a loss of engine oil pressure, possibly resulting in an engine stall or engine failure. |
| 17V640000 | Seats:Front Assembly:Head Restraint | 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. |
| 16V668000 | Seat Belts:Pretensioner | 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… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,700
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags154 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Engine120 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other102 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System98 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Seats60 complaints · typical job: Seat frame, track or occupancy-sensor repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$500–$1,200
- Seat Belts52 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
Other Dodge Avenger years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Dodge Avenger?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (154 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Dodge Avenger a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 60/100, computed from 548 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Dodge Avenger's most common problem?
154 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Dodge Avenger sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Dodge Avenger cost to run per year?
About $5,850 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,252 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Dodge Avenger have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Dodge Avenger, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/07/2013. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Dodge Avenger really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 548 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 548 NHTSA complaints on record (42.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (28.3/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems