IllustrationTHE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED, AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *JB
1998 Dodge Avenger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Dodge Avenger are lower than 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: 19 of 58 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 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
8 reportsVEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *TT
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON A SIDE STREET, AND ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHOSE DRIVER WAS DRUNK, RAN THE STOP SIGN AND REARENDED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT,BOTH SIDE AIRGBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVER IN CAR IN FRONT JAMMED ON HIS BRAKES. CONSUMER DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO STOP, AND RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 45MPH CONSUMER HIT A POLE HEAD-ON, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,WEATHER WAS CLEAR.DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THIS VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE DIRECT SIDE AND THE AIR BAG RESTRAINTS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
ON THE EVENING OF 12/24/98 MY SON LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS CAR WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL THAT WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF. NOT SURPRISINGLY, CHRYSLER INFORMED US THAT THE RECALL SITUATION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER STRIKING…
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ON THE EVENING OF 12/24/98 MY SON LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS CAR WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL THAT WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF. NOT SURPRISINGLY, CHRYSLER INFORMED US THAT THE RECALL SITUATION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER STRIKING A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CHRYSLER ALSO DENIED ANY FAULT IN THIS. IF IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER, THEN WHO? THIS COMPLAINT WAS INITIALLY FILED WITH NHTSA ON 12/26/98. I AM STILL WAITING FOR SOME SORT OF ACTION FROM NHTSA. A PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO PROTECT VEHICLE OCCUPANTS MUST SURELY RESULT IN A RECALL OF VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE SYSTEMS. THE VEHICLE IN IN THE CUSTODY OF CHRYSLER. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT REPAIR AND RETURN OF THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE !!!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SITE. THANKS TO YOUR INFORMATION WE NOW KNOW THAT OUR CAR WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL THAT EVIDENTLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED OF A RECALL AND ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAGS NOT ACTUATING. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON AFTER FAILING TO REDUCE SPEED WHILE …
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SITE. THANKS TO YOUR INFORMATION WE NOW KNOW THAT OUR CAR WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL THAT EVIDENTLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED OF A RECALL AND ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAGS NOT ACTUATING. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON AFTER FAILING TO REDUCE SPEED WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN. FORTUNATELY, MY SON AND HIS FRIEND WERE WEARING SEATBELTS. WHAT A MERRY CHRISTMAS THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE.
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.
98V045002 · Vehicle Speed Control
Mar 3, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DASH PANEL PAD CAN SHIFT INTERFERRING WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE CONTROL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE THROTTLE CABLE CONTROL WOULD NOT RETURN TO IDLE INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE A PORTION OF THE DASH PANEL PAD SO IT CANNOT INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE CONTROL.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.