2008 Dodge Avenger

NOTICE OF THE RECALL WAS RECEIVED VIA EMAIL ON 11/14/07 AND I HAVE CALLED 3 TIMES SINCE TO SCHEDULE MY VEHICLE FOR SERVICE SO NEW PART COULD BE INSTALLED. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS YET TO ARRIVE AND I WILL BE NOTIFIED. I HAVE YET TO BE CONTACTED. NO CONSEQUENCES HAVE SURFACED AS OF YET. *TR

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 BE IN DRIVING 70 MPH AND HAVING A COMPLETE FAILURE OF ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL POWER. WHEN IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEIR FIRST RESPONSE WAS A COMPONENT IN THE CAR'S MAIN COMPUTER. I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE REPAIR AS IT IS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT PLEASE WARNED OWNERS OF THIS VERY SERIOUS SITUATION AND HAVE THEM CHECK THEIR CAR. MY CAR WAS PURCHASED AT BOB BOAST DODGE IN BRADENTON FL. *TR

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 RENTAL CAR COMPANY HAS TOLD ME THERE HAVE BEEN 4 RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 AVENGER WITH THE 2.4L VVT 4CYLINDER AND TRADED IN MY 2001 DAKOTA WITH A 4.7L V8 MAGNUM FOR IT. I REGRET IT. I WOULD HAVE DON'T BETTER OFF BUYING A FORD. YES, THIS CAR GETS GOOD HIGHWAY GAS MILEAGE BUT IT HAS CAUSED NOTHING BUT HEADACHES BEYOND THAT POINT. IF I DRIVE AROUND TOWN IT SUCKS THE GAS LIKE NO TOMORROW. THE RPM'S ARE WAY TO HIGH. THE CAR SHIFTS AROUND 3,000 OR HIGHER RPM'S WHETHER IT IS WARM OR COLD. WHEN THE SHIFTS, IT IS NOT SMOOTH. THERE HARD SHIFTS. MY FIANCE'S 1999 DURANGO WITH 135,000 MILES ON IT SHIFTS BETTER THAN THIS CAR DOES. RANDOMLY THE CAR WILL DIE WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP FOR A STOP LIGHT/SIGN. THERE WAS ONE OCCASION WHERE I WAS DRIVING DOWN ONE OF THE BUSIEST ROADS IN OUR TOWN AND IT DIED WHILE I WAS DOING ABOUT 40MPH. BEFORE IT DIES, IT SHAKES REAL BAD FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS THEN I LOSE EVERYTHING. THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR HANDLE WILL NOT MOVE. IT IS LIKE IT IS FROZEN IN PLACE. THE HANDLE WILL NOT PULL OUT AT ALL. IT WILL OPEN JUST FINE FROM THE INSIDE BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING FROM STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAR. MY DOORS SQUEAK WHEN I OPEN AND CLOSE THEM. WHENEVER I TURN THE WHEEL THE CAR GROANS AT ME. I'VE TAKEN IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER ABOUT 3 TIMES. WHEN I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE SHIFTING, RPM'S, AND RANDOMLY DYING THEY JUST SAID THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO ACT UP. FINALLY, TWO OTHER NEW AVENGERS CAME INTO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. NOW THEY TELL ME THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT. MY 2001 DAKOTA WITH 142,000 MILES NEVER GAVE ME THIS MUCH TROUBLE THE ENTIRE TIME I OWNED IT. I HAD IT A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS AND PUT AROUND 50,000 MILES ON IT AND ONLY CHANGED THE OIL AND DID A TUNE UP. *TR

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 NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I FEEL THIS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CAR GOING INTO REVERSE, WHILE IN DRIVE. *JB

THERE IS VISIBLE DENTING/BUCKLING TO THE UNDERBELLY OF MY 2008 DODGE AVENGER. I SENT A FORMAL LETTER TO CHRYSLER HQTRS BACK IN LATE JULY AND THEY TOOK MORE THAN A MONTH TO RESPOND TO MY LETTER. I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS SECTION OF CHRYSLER ON THE 28TH OF AUGUST AND BASICALLY WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD BE LOOKED AT BY THE DEALERSHIP. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME ME THAT IT WAS A NATURAL CURVE IN THE SUBFRAME? WHILE OUT ON THEIR LOT I NOTICED 10 OTHER AVENGERS WITH A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DESIGN TYPE (MORE RIGID AND STURDY I.E. NO DENTING) TO THE UNDERBELLY THAN MINE. I ONLY SAW 1 OTHER AVENGER LIKE MINE WITH THE SAME DEFECT. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A COVERUP TAKING PLACE. THIS IS A THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND THE INTEGRITY OF DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT WOULD OCCUR IF INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT, HEAD-ON OR REAR-ENDED? THE OUTCOME SO FAR HAS BEEN UNSATISFACTORY AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN DO? THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN THAT NEEDS THE ATTENTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND CHRYSLER CORP. *TR

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. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO JUMPED INTO REVERSE WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER CALLED THE CONTACT AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER, THEY DO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE BEGAN IN APRIL OF 2007 AND HAS CONTINUED EVER SINCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 2,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THERE WERE BROKEN BOLTS AND STUDS. THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT RETURN TO PARK. THE ROCKER ARMS, VALVE COVER, LIFTERS AND HEADS WERE REPLACED IN THE ENGINE. UPDATED 08/08/07. *JB