2008 Dodge AVENGER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
831 owner complaints analyzed
6 distinct recall campaigns
70,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 719 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 217 of 831 complaints (26.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 154 | 18.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 110 | 13.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 102 | 12.3% |
| Braking behavior | 88 | 10.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 42 | 5.1% |
| Steering behavior | 38 | 4.6% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 217 |
| Power Train | 145 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 134 |
| Engine | 115 |
| Air Bags | 86 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 79 |
| Unknown Or Other | 46 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 44 |
Electrical System: 217; Power Train: 145; Vehicle Speed Control: 134; Engine: 115; Air Bags: 86; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 79; Unknown Or Other: 46; Engine And Engine Cooling: 44
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 66 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 144 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 173 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 123 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 155 |
| 150,000 and above | 58 |
Under 25,000: 66; 25,000 to 49,999: 144; 50,000 to 74,999: 173; 75,000 to 99,999: 123; 100,000 to 149,999: 155; 150,000 and above: 58
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (173). 112 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 30 |
| 2009 | 39 |
| 2010 | 164 |
| 2011 | 72 |
| 2012 | 82 |
| 2013 | 90 |
| 2014 | 80 |
| 2015 | 68 |
| 2016 | 50 |
| 2017 | 39 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 41 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 |
2007: 5; 2008: 30; 2009: 39; 2010: 164; 2011: 72; 2012: 82; 2013: 90; 2014: 80; 2015: 68; 2016: 50; 2017: 39; 2018: 33; 2019: 41; 2020: 10; 2021: 6; 2022: 10; 2023: 5; 2024: 4; 2025: 3
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 154 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 110 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 102 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10192638 · 2007-06-07 (June 7, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER SXT. ON MAY 31, 2007, WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION STALLED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED TO 20 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS TOSSED AROUND IN THE VEHICLE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE ON JUNE 2, 2007. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE COMPUTER CONTROL MODULE WAS RESET. ON JUNE 5, 2007, THE ENGINE'S RPM'S MAXED OUT AND BEGAN TO REV. THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. …
Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10192638 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10224175 · 2008-04-11 (April 11, 2008)
ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 DODGE AVENGER SXT IN LIGHT RAIN, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. EACH TIME THE CAR STALLED THE WIPERS WERE ON. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DODGE DEALER AND WERE TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM. A DAY AFTER HAVING THE CAR LOOKED AT IT STALLED AGAIN, ALMOST CAUSING A REAR END COLLISION. CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER IMMEDIATELY, THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 1 1/2 DAYS AND TOLD US THE SOLENOID VALVE IS GETTING RAW GASOLINE IN IT DUE TO US "TOPPING OF THE GAS TANK WHEN WE FILL IT UP" (NEVER HAVE DONE THAT). THEY…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10224175 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10197028 · 2007-07-20 (July 20, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER R/T. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR OVER A MONTH FOR REPAIRS. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAS NOISY LIFTERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES AND THEY ONLY REPLACED THE LIFTERS ONCE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS IS HOW THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE MANUFACTURED DUE TO THE THERMAL EXPANDER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES IN AN AUTOMATIC NEUTRAL DROP. THE ENGINE RACES ABOVE 5,000 RPMS, WHICH IS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE. …
Owner-reported narrative. 7 miles reported. Look up ODI 10197028 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10217512 · 2008-02-08 (February 8, 2008)
LOSS OF COMPLETE POWER WHILE DRIVING. MY SON'S NEW 2008 DODGE AVENGER LOSS COMPLETE POWER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE TODAY. WITHOUT WARNING ALL ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE POWER WAS LOSS. LUCKILY, HE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO GO ONTO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT POWER STEERING, THERE WERE NO BRAKE LIGHTS AND MORE THAN LIKELY THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. IF HE WAS IN THE CENTER LANE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE SERIOUS SITUATION. MY NINE-YEAR SON WAS ALSO IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. I CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION TO …
Owner-reported narrative. 5,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10217512 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10205845 · 2007-10-16 (October 16, 2007)
VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AUTOMATIC IN DRIVE, WHEN SIGNAL CHANGED, REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND CAR REVERSED WHILE STILL IN DRIVE HITTING THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME. THIS EVENT HAPPENED AFTER 5 DAYS OF HAVING POSSESSION OF THE CAR. SECOND EVENT HAPPENED 20 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP. AGAIN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, CAR IN DRIVE, WOULD NOT MOVE. CAR HAS TO BE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES TO DATE. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK TO DEALERSHIP EACH TIME AND PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. THEY CAN FIND…
Owner-reported narrative. 750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10205845 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10216687 · 2008-02-01 (February 1, 2008)
I WAS IN A 2008 DODGE AVENGER THAT WAS A RENTAL CAR. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION AREA WHEN THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON ITS BRAKES. I WAS GOING BELOW THE 55 MPH SPEED LIMIT, AND HAD A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES, THE CAR DID NOT STOP. I PRESSED HARDER AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN BUT DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT HIT THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS DEFINITELY A BRAKE FAILURE. THEN THE AIR BAG EXPLODED INSTEAD OF DEPLOYING LEAVING ME WITH BURNS ON BOTH ARMS AND HANDS. SINCE THEN THE R…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10216687 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10258841 · 2009-02-16 (February 16, 2009)
CAR PURCHASED 2/08 WITH 8999 MILES. IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A STARTING PROBLEM. USING FACTORY REMOTE STARTING THE CAR WOULD STALL AFTER A FEW SECONDS. ONCE IT FLOODED AND WOULDN'T RESTART WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (A NO NO FOR THIS TYPE OF INJECTION SYSTEM). LOOKED AT BY DEALER THREE TIMES WITH NO PROBLEM FOUND AND NO FIX MADE. THE FOURTH TIME WE TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE THEY FOUND(NOW APPROX. 21000 MILES) IT BUT STILL NO CODE VISIBLE FROM COMPUTER. SERVICE WRITER SAID WE NEEDED A FUEL INJECTION SERVICE SO I SAID DO IT. HE SAID IT W…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,999 miles reported. Look up ODI 10258841 at NHTSA ↗