Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Dodge Avenger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving from arkansas to texas and was approximately ten miles from my destination when the car pulled to the right on a narrow two lane highway hitting the approximately one foot tall concrete bride side. It was misting rain and the car kept pulling right and then started to go into a skid. I tried to steer to stop skidding and spun around into the ditch and rolled. Only the passenger side curtain air bags and the passenger seat airbag deployed. No airbags deployed on the driver side or from the dash or steering wheel. The vehicle sustained major damage to the front, sides and top. There had been prior warranty repair to the driver seat airbag by orr Dodge of searcy because the airbag system malfunction warning light had come on in the vehicle.
My vehicle stalled, started shaking, shut down and lost power while driving. The following three warning lights came on; 1) malfunction indicator light (MIL); 2) electronic throttle control (etc); and 3) electronic stability control (ESC). I have noticed that the car seems to stall when I put it in drive and take off is slow. It takes me several blocks to just reach 30 MPH. The car also feels as if it is lunging but resumes a slow pace. Take off is extremely slow when I stop for traffic lights. The engine seems to lose pressure. The car will rev and accelerate on its own even with the brake pedal being pressed. My car started sputtering in traffic, the car revved up like I was pressing on the gas. Then yesterday I experienced immediate loss of power in the vehicle & the inability to increase speed, almost causing me to be involved in an accident. …
In January 2020 my 2013 Dodge Avenger began to have issues that resulted in it stranding me at various times, I had the car towed and assesses it was determined that the battery was bad was the battery was replaced ( last replaced 2 years prior) the car was returned to me and almost 1 week later I was again stranded with a car that would not start and so I had it towed and assessed and this time it was the alternator , I had it repaired and returned to me the vehicle seemed fine for 2 weeks when suddenly the windshield wipers stopped working or would work intermittenly, the ac or heater would work intermittenly, the car horn and alarm stopped working and would go off randomly while driving, the vehicle would stall if the heater was on while driving and the alarm would go off if it stalled, finally I called Dodge and they told me to bring it in, they would find out what was wrong with it …
When the electronic stability control malfunction indicator light comes on, my car starts shaking violently, not responding as quickly to pressing gas pedal, jerking, slow acceleration, bogging down when I reach 50 and the feeling of my brakes applying themselves my room gauge sometimes rocks back and forth before and after the gear shift...a weird smell and heat coming from under the car even tho it's not reading a higher temp... I've changed the cps twice and the code will not clear... P0340...this happens all the time but it's random and happens even while I'm driving...or when the car is running for a few minutes in park...random...while the episode is happening sometimes I hear this fast paced tapping and "movement" behind my dash & steering wheel...I've tried everything I can to solve this problem and now I find out my car has recalls...my car dealership never informed me it was …
It doesn't matter if the car is moving or if it is stationary, there is only warm air on the drivers side and there is cold air blowing out on the passenger side. Only the drivers half of my windshield will defrost. I have replaced the actuator twice and it does not help. The clicking under the dashboard not only returns, but the heat (or lack-there-of) is not affected. It still only blows warm air on the drivers side of the car. The defrost only works on the drivers side of the car. I understand there are many complaints of this happening to avengers across the board, no matter the model type. All due it looks like to casting and sand issues. After flushing the car multiple times, there has been no change. Replaced the heater core/thermostat ($850) and the heat worked for about a week then started blowing cold air again. I took it back and they replaced the heater control panel. …
A couple years after I got my car it would shut down when I would come to stop signs and no mechanics could tell me why. No lights ever came on. It had shut down on the freeway before and let the power slowly die down until the car turned off. That time the car actually had a light when I tried turning it back on. I essentially have had to replace my transmission and engine within a year. The car would overheat at times but no lights would go off so I just could let the car cool down and let the overheating stop. Fast forward to replacing the engine and transmission and my car is now idling high even without the gas being touched. On the freeway it will go to as high as 4000rpms now and it feels like the car is going to stop working again. Also the door blend actuators and other actuators have been making noise for about 4 years. …
The following three warning lights have started to come on intermittently; 1) malfunction indicator light (MIL); 2) electronic throttle control (etc); and 3) electronic stability control (ESC). The malfunction and ESC lights were the first warning lights to come on. The lights have activated while I am driving on dry payment without any hazardous conditions present. The etc warning light now comes on too. I have noticed that the car seems to stall when I put it in drive. Take off is slow. It takes me several blocks of driving to reach 30 MPH. The car will also feel as if it lunged but resume a slow pace. Take off is extremely slow when I stop for traffic lights. The engine seems to be losing pressure. I have maintained the recommended oil change schedule. The aforementioned conditions represents a safety hazard. …
Driving on interstate and car jerks and then shuts off ! Cars swerve around to avoid hitting me. Thank god! I could start the car back up to get off the road all I could do was cry and pray that no one hit me in the back! That someone would help me to the side of the road! That I would see my children again! Called the tow truck and sat in my because I was not prepared to play frogger with my life! Googling a how to. Unfortunately, for me there was no option. What really, made me mad was that this was a known problem and others have had this situation! The manufacture has not addressed this faulty problem!
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Dodge Avenger. While the vehicle was stationary, the traction control indicator illuminated without warning. The contact stated that the transmission had a downshift issue and would not switch gears properly. In addition, the engine overheated due to a coolant overflow. Furthermore, the engine made a loud shaking noise while driving. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 65,225. Updated 01/25/17 the consumer stated A/C is broken, and windows/door locks jam.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Dodge Avenger. While driving various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated before moving forward. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The electronic stability control warning indicator illuminated. The contact had to restart the vehicle to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic throttle control sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 56,000.
Traction Control complaints in other Avenger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2013 Dodge Avenger?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2013 Dodge Avenger, 5% of the model year's 548 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Dodge Avenger traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2013 Dodge Avenger, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Dodge Avenger traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to stability & traction control problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.