Volkswagen Atlas vs Dodge Avenger: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Avenger is ahead of the Volkswagen Atlas on the federal record, 74/100 against 64/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Volkswagen Atlas
- 8 model years scored
- 1,939 owner complaints on record
- about 55 complaints per year on the road
- 64 recall campaigns, 30 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (87/100) · worst 2021 (42/100)
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)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Atlas against Avenger
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
Volkswagen Atlas
- Electrical System — 472 complaints
- Air Bags — 363 complaints
- Engine — 357 complaints
Dodge Avenger
- Air Bags — 367 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 341 complaints
- Engine — 286 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Atlas's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Avenger's in Air Bags. 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
Volkswagen Atlas — avoid: 2021.
Dodge Avenger: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2011, 2014.
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 Volkswagen Atlas prices at about $44,100 and a Dodge Avenger at about $15,400 — the Dodge Avenger is roughly $28,700 less, and they return 22.0 against 24.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Volkswagen Atlas or the Dodge Avenger more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Avenger scores 74/100 against the Volkswagen Atlas's 64/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Volkswagen Atlas and Dodge Avenger years should I avoid?
Volkswagen Atlas: 2021. Dodge Avenger: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Volkswagen Atlas and the Dodge Avenger?
The largest complaint group on the Volkswagen Atlas is Electrical System (472 complaints); on the Dodge Avenger it is Air Bags (367).
Is the Volkswagen Atlas or the Dodge Avenger cheaper to own?
A recent used Volkswagen Atlas prices at about $44,100 and a Dodge Avenger at about $15,400, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.