Dodge Dart: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Dodge Dart: 4 model years scored from 2,315 NHTSA owner complaints and 16 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2016.
Dodge Dart: which years to avoid
Across 4 scored model years the Dodge Dart ranges from 47/100 in 2013 to 84/100 in 2016 — a 37-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Dart at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Power Train (516 of them).
Avoid: 2013 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2014, 2016 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2016 (score 84). Worst: 2013 (score 47, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 84 | BUY | $4,876 | 256 | 5 |
| 2015 | 69 | CAUTION | $5,431 | 522 | 6 |
| 2014 | 83 | BUY | $5,256 | 370 | 4 |
| 2013 | 47 | AVOID | $6,516 | 1,167 | 1 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Dart, through the years →
Dart sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Dart on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Dodge Dart
Across every Dart model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Power Train907 complaints across all Dart years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Engine483 complaints across all Dart years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes446 complaints across all Dart years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Electrical System423 complaints across all Dart years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other342 complaints across all Dart years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Air Bags70 complaints across all Dart years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Dodge Dart years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2013 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2013 is the weakest at 47/100, with its complaints concentrated in Power Train.
What are the best Dodge Dart years to buy?
2014, 2016 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2016 at 84/100, on 256 complaints and 5 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Dodge Dart problem?
907 of the complaints filed against the Dart across all its model years sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component.
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04