IllustrationWHILE WAITING TO HAVE RECALL REPAIRS DONE, FRONT END OF VEHICLE FELL OUT. UNABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE.*AK
1996 Dodge Avenger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge Avenger do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 157.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avenger years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 9 of 157 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports3 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
157 reportsAFTER MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE RECALL 00V421000 REPAIRS DONE WAS TOLD THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE , AFTER WAITING FOR AN HOUR. SCARED TO DRIVE VEHICLE DUE TO FEAR OF ITS SAFETY.*AK
ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED SIX TIMES ALREADY BECAUSE THERE WAS A SHORT IN WIRES. ALSO, THERMOSTAT HAS GONE OUT SIX TIMES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 25MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE TOTALLED.*AK
THERE IS A BROWN FOG BUILDING UP IN THE HEADLIGHT LENSES, CAUSING THE LIGHT TO BE DIM MAKING IT HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN AND THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS NO MOISTURE BUILD UP AND IS NOT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE LIGHTS. *SCC
WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH LEFT SIDE BALL JOINT BROKE, AND CONSUMER HAD TROUBLE CONTROLING VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS JUST HAD VEHICLE IN DEALER REPAIR SHOP TO GET RIGHT SIDE FIXED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
HEAT FROM HEADLIGHTS WAS MELTING INSIDE OF HEADLIGHT COVER. VEHICLE CANNOT PASS INSPECTION WITH THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, HIGH BEAMS HAVE TO BE ACTIVATED FOR DRIVING ABILTY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SAME OTHER COMPLAINTS.*AK BOTH HEAD LIGHT LAMP ASSEMBLIES NEED TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PRO…
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HEAT FROM HEADLIGHTS WAS MELTING INSIDE OF HEADLIGHT COVER. VEHICLE CANNOT PASS INSPECTION WITH THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, HIGH BEAMS HAVE TO BE ACTIVATED FOR DRIVING ABILTY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SAME OTHER COMPLAINTS.*AK BOTH HEAD LIGHT LAMP ASSEMBLIES NEED TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *YH
TRANSAXLE LOCKED UP. *AK
GEARS ARE NOT CHANGING PROPERLY, VEHICLE HAS A REALLY ROUGH START, VEHICLE STALLS, AND SOMETIMES WON'T START. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
TORQUE CONVERTER DROPPED AND HIT METAL CASING. TOW OPERATOR INDICATED IT WAS FROM TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONTACTED CHRYSLER, AND THEY WERE AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
Official recalls
200V421002 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
Dec 18, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THIS CAMPAIGN SUPERCEDES MMC'S PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN, SEE 99V-066.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT FOR WEAR. BALL JOINTS THAT EXHIBIT WEAR BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY DESIGNED LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS. BALL JOINTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE CLEANED AND A SPECIAL SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED TO PREVENT INTRUSION OF MOISTURE.
99V066003 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
Apr 5, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE RUBBER BOOTS, AND IF THE BOOT IS DAMAGED, THEY WILL REPLACE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM AND BALL JOINT ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ00015 · Lower Contrtol Arm Ball Joint
Opened Aug 2, 2000 · Closed Apr 20, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (3)
Suspension
There is no summary currently available
Suspension
There is no summary currently available
Suspension
There is no summary currently available