Dodge Avenger vs Hyundai Genesis: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Avenger is ahead of the Hyundai Genesis on the federal record, 74/100 against 70/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Dodge Avenger
- 4 model years scored
- 1,515 owner complaints on record
- about 30 complaints per year on the road
- 12 recall campaigns, 9 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (89/100) · worst 2013 (60/100)
Hyundai Genesis
- 6 model years scored
- 1,039 owner complaints on record
- about 14 complaints per year on the road
- 26 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (97/100) · worst 2015 (39/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Avenger against Genesis
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Dodge Avenger
- Air Bags — 367 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 341 complaints
- Engine — 286 complaints
Hyundai Genesis
- Electrical System — 245 complaints
- Engine — 232 complaints
- Service Brakes — 190 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Avenger's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Genesis's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Dodge Avenger: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2011, 2014.
Hyundai Genesis — avoid: 2015.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Dodge Avenger prices at about $15,400 and a Hyundai Genesis at about $28,200 — the Dodge Avenger is roughly $12,800 less, and they return 24.0 against 19.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Dodge Avenger or the Hyundai Genesis more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Avenger scores 74/100 against the Hyundai Genesis's 70/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Dodge Avenger and Hyundai Genesis years should I avoid?
Dodge Avenger: no year scores below 45. Hyundai Genesis: 2015. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Dodge Avenger and the Hyundai Genesis?
The largest complaint group on the Dodge Avenger is Air Bags (367 complaints); on the Hyundai Genesis it is Electrical System (245).
Is the Dodge Avenger or the Hyundai Genesis cheaper to own?
A recent used Dodge Avenger prices at about $15,400 and a Hyundai Genesis at about $28,200, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.