Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Dodge Avenger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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
THIS IS A CONCERN. I HAD MY DEALERSHIP INVESTIGATE WHY THE HORN DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK AND THE RESPONSE WAS THAT SINCE IT IS TIED TO THE DRIVER AIRBAG IT WOULD COST BIG DOLLARS TO FIX. I HAD AN ACCIDENT IN A PRIVATE PARKING LOT AND WAS UNABLE TO WARN THE OTHER DRIVER THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO BACK INTO ME. IT IS WORSE IN COLDER WEATHER. THE LACK OF A WORKING HORN IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT. IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM FOR A LONG TIME AND THIS IS MY 2ND COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA.*AK
CAR HORN FAILS TO WORK WHEN COLD TEMPS OUTSIDE AND ENGINE COLD. LEFT BUTTON ON STEERING WHEEL NEVER WORKS AND RIGHT BUTTON ONLY WORKS WHEN CAR IS WARM. I GOT HIT IN A PARKING LOT (LUCKILY LOW SPEED) AND I COULDN'T WARN THE OTHER DRIVER WHO DIDN'T SEE ME BECAUSE THE HORN WOULDN'T BLOW. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM - WHAT HAPPENS ON A HIGHWAY WHEN A DRIVER DOESN'T SEE ME??? I SEE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEB SITE ABOUT HORNS NOT WORKING AND I THINK IT SHOULD REALLY BE LOOKED INTO!! *AK
A FIRE STARTED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AFTER A SHORT RIDE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT INDICATES AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. FIRE SEEMED TO ORIGINATE NEAR THE FUSE BOX. *AK
HORN DOES'NT WORK DUE TO WATER GETTING INTO THE HORN ASSEMBLY. *AK
HORN BUTTONS MOUNTED ON THE STEERING WHEEL DON'T WORK AND FAILED DURING THE 1ST YEAR. DEALER REPORTS THESE ARE A PART OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY. TO FIX THE HORN BUTTONS, THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED. COST OF AIR BAG ASSEMBLY IS OVER $600. *AK
DEAD BATTERY.
HORN MALFUNCTIONED PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL.
VEHICLE FIALS TO START/STALLS, ALSO TRANSMISSION FAILURE/ROUGH IDLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CAR JUMPS GEARS FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL, ALSO REPLACED COMPUTER.
VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING. *AK
WHILE WAITING FOR A LIGHT TO CHANGE THERE WAS AN ENGINE COMPARMENT FIRE.PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .