2011 Dodge Avenger Visibility Problems

Window Defrost and Passenger Heat /Air. While either in motion or while driving, no heated air exits the passenger side of the windshield defroster, nor the passenger window defrost, lower and center console vents. Heated air only exits the driver's side windshield and driver's side dash vents. Problem persists through all cabin air modes and circulations. This safety issue affects visibility and passenger safety by failing to defrost/defog windows and keeping cabin temperatures near or below freezing during cold weather (blowing cold air into the cabin).

NHTSA ID

11705315

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

Heater on the passenger side of the vehicle blows out cold air while driver side blows out hot air like it's supposed to. By having cold air being blown out, this causes the windshield and windows on the passenger side of the vehicle to fog up causing visibility issues.

NHTSA ID

11509591

Incident

Jan 23, 2021

Window Defrost and Passenger Heat /Air. While either in motion or while driving, no heated air exits the passenger side of the windshield defroster, nor the passenger window defrost, lower and center console vents. Heated air only exits the driver's side windshield and driver's side dash vents. Problem persists through all cabin air modes, and circulations. This safety issue effects visibility and passenger safety by failing to defrost/defog windows and keeping cabin temperatures near or below freezing during cold weather (blowing cold air into the cabin). Manufacturer is aware but has yet to recall the issue even though reports are widespread for their vehicles in this model and dealership states it is a known issue.

NHTSA ID

11445892

Incident

Oct 1, 2019

Hot air from drivers side and cold air from passenger side. I live in maine. I had a couple rough winters because we couldn't find out what it was. I found out what it is but I can't find a garage to put it in. This is a server visibly concern. The trunk and inside the car leaks above the windshield causing the car to smell musty and cause mold. Above the windowsheid where it leaks is causing Moisture inside and making the visibility almost impossible at times. This car has had two owners with less then 100,000 miles. Family owned

NHTSA ID

11426743

Incident

Jun 1, 2019

I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT ARE OPEN. THIS VIN IS ALSO ON THE BUYBACK LIST AND I'VE CALLED TWO LOCAL DEALERS TO ASK ABOUT IT AND THEY WON'T GIVE AN ANSWER BUT 'WE CAN TRADE IN'. I'VE ALSO CALL FAC. I BOUGHT IT CERTIFIED USED.

NHTSA ID

11388580

Incident

Dec 11, 2011

MY CAR STALLED 3XS HAS TO REPLACE IGNITION CONTROL SWITCH. MY HEAT DOESN'T WORK ON PASSENGER SIDE. MY LIGHTS FLICKER AS I ACCELERATE ON EXPRESSWAY OR EVEN ON THE STREET NOW. MOTOR ON PASSENGER WINDOW WENT OUT

NHTSA ID

11388270

Incident

Aug 20, 2020

Mileage

142,000 mi

"WINDOW DEFROST AND PASSENGER HEAT /AIR. WHILE EITHER IN MOTION OR WHILE DRIVING, NO HEATED AIR EXITS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER, NOR THE PASSENGER WINDOW DEFROST, LOWER AND CENTER CONSOLE VENTS. HEATED AIR ONLY EXITS THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD AND DRIVER'S SIDE DASH VENTS. PROBLEM PERSISTS THROUGH ALL CABIN AIR MODES, AND CIRCULATIONS. THIS SAFETY ISSUE EFFECTS VISIBILITY AND PASSENGER SAFETY BY FAILING TO DEFROST/DEFOG WINDOWS AND KEEPING CABIN TEMPURATURES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING DURING COLD WEATHER (BLOWING COLD AIR INTO THE CABIN)."

NHTSA ID

11384303

Incident

Oct 31, 2019

ALL THE SUDDEN MY DASH DEFOGGER ON PASSENGER SIDE AND PASSENGER DEFOGGER ARE BLOWING COLD AIR AND DRIVERS SIDE IS WARM. GOOGLED ISSUE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A BIG THING

NHTSA ID

11364779

Incident

Oct 17, 2020

Mileage

7,463 mi

CAR HAS NO HEAT ON PASSENGER SIDE AND A LITTLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. IN MY INVESTIGATION THE HEATER CORE FROM THE FACTORY HAS SOME BAD SPOTS ON THE INSIDE THAT CAUSE METAL TO BUILD UP INSIDE HEATER CORE CAUSING THIS ISSUE. IN THE WINTER MAKES IT SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAUSE IT WILL NOT DEFROST THE WINSHIELD. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL BY DODGE. IT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVING ON ANY ROAD. THIS IS AN ISSUE KNOWN BY DODGE AND THEY DONT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ID

11353857

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

99,000 mi

RIGHT SIDE DEFROST DOESN'T WORK CAUSING LITTLE TO NO VISIBILITY AND POSES A SAFETY CONCERN. DEALERSHIP SAID BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR WAS BAD. REPLACED AND STILL NOTHING. AFTER RESEARCHING FOUND MANUFACTURE DEFECT, THE HEATER CORE CLOGS, WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND DEALERSHIP DENIES ANY DEFECT AND WANTS FULL PRICE TO FIX (OVER HALF THE VALUE OF VEHICLE) I REFUSE TO LET MY CHILDREN RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE DURING WINTER OR COLD WEATHER!

NHTSA ID

11258659

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

95,000 mi

MY HEAT ON MY PASSENGER SIDE NEVER WORKS, IT WILL BLOW AT NOTHING CAUSING ISSUES WITH DEFROSTING PASSENGERS WINDOW AND ISSUE WITH DEFROST ON MY MAIN WINDOW ON PASSENGER SIDE. ALL OTHER VENTS BLOW OUT BUT THAT ONE MAKES A WHISTLE NOISE AND NOTING COMES OUT. IT'S LIKE IT'S BLOCKED, I ASSUMED IT WAS JUST THE CAR, AFTER GOING OVER IN A LANE ON MY PASSENGER SIDE AND HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE I COULD BARELY SEE OUT MY WINDOW TO VIEW MY MIRROR, I LOOKED MORE INTO IT AND HAVE SINCE REALIZED I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, IN FACT MULTIPLE OTHER COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED AND DODGE HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS. GET IT TOGETHER!

NHTSA ID

11234445

Incident

Dec 20, 2018

Mileage

5 mi

DEFROSTER VENT IS NOT PUTTING OUT HOT AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. THIS CAUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS AND APPROX. 1/4 OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW TO FOG AND OR FROST OVER CAUSING SERIOUS VISIBILITY ISSUES! VEHICLE CAN BE STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON THE ROAD, IT HAPPENS AT ANYTIME. VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP SAID IT IS A CHRYSLER MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE HEATER CORE ON THE DODGE AVENGERS. REPAIR SHOP FLUSHED THE HEATER CORE BUT STATED THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX AS THE ISSUE WILL CONTINUE TO REAPPEAR UNTIL CHRYSLER ADMITS THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ISSUES A RECALL TO RECTIFY THE DEFECT. DUE TO THE WINDOWS FOGGING AND OR FROSTING OVER IN COLD WEATHER, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT CHRYSLER NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF ASAP. THIS DEFECT COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS DUE TO VISIBILITY RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH!

NHTSA ID

11184497

Incident

Mar 1, 2019

Mileage

75,000 mi

KNOWN ISSUE THAT MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ADDRESS. UNSAFE TO DRIVE DURING VERY COLD TEMPERATURES. THIS VEHICLE ONLY PRODUCES HEAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE VENT. TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATES AND TURNS HEAT TO COOL WHILE DRIVING. DOES NOT PROPERLY DEFROST. HAS TICKING ISSUES COMING FROM BEHIND THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN CHANGING AC SETTINGS.

NHTSA ID

11157072

Incident

Oct 11, 2017

Mileage

90,000 mi

THE CAR BLOWS WARM TO HOT AIR OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND COLD AIR OUT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEN YOU HAVE THE CONTROLS SET TO HEAT. I HAVE HAD THE HEATER CORE AND COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSHED AS WELL AS HAD THERMOSTATS, WATER PUMP REPLACED BUT THE ISSUE STILL PERSISTS. WHEN SET TO DEFROST ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE DEFROSTS. THE PASSWNGER'S SIDE GETS WORSE. THIS ISSUE IS CURRENT AND ALWAYS HAPPENING NO MATTER THE STATE OF THE VEHICLE. IF IT IS MOVING OR STILL IT DOES NOT BLOW HEAT OUT THE PASENGER'S SIDE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR WINDSHIELD REDUCES VISIBILITY BECAUSE IT WILL NOT DEFROST AND BECAUSE OF THE HEIGHTENED HYPOTHERMIA RISK. YES

NHTSA ID

11129563

Incident

Sep 2, 2015

Mileage

72,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE AVENGER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE HEATER BLEW OUT COLD AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND HOT AIR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ONLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEATER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.

NHTSA ID

11080124

Incident

Mar 12, 2018

Mileage

79,000 mi

NO HEAT ON PASSENGER SIDE. MAKES FOR UNCOMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE AND LACK OF VISIBILITY ON PASSENGER SIDE

NHTSA ID

11066780

Incident

Feb 1, 2018

Mileage

82,000 mi

DRIVER SIDE BLOWS HOT AIR AND THE PASSENGER SIDE BLOWS COLD AIR. WHETHER ON THE WINDSHIELD OR THROUGH THE VENTS. PASSENGER SIDE FOGS UP AND DOESN'T CLEAR WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE IS FINE.

NHTSA ID

11063909

Incident

Jan 20, 2018

Mileage

89,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO EMIT HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

NHTSA ID

11057225

Incident

Dec 25, 2017

Mileage

112,000 mi

HEATER ONLY BLOWS HOT AIR ON DRIVERS SIDE VENT. MIDDLE TWO VENTS ARE COOL AIR AND PASSENGER VENT IS VERY COLD AIR. IT IS CAUSING THE SAME EFFECT ON MY WINDSHIELD, WHICH IS CAUSING SERIOUS VISIBILITY ISSUES ACROSS HALF OF MY WINDSHIELD DUE TO NOTHING DEFROSTING THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE EVEN AFTER MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES AND MORE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE SEEING AS I CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE SAFELY FOR MYSELF AND ANY PASSING BY VEHICLES. WE ALSO HAVE CHILDREN AND THE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS THIS PAST WEEK, IVE HAD TO PACK BLANKETS ON TOP OF THEM IN THE CAR (SINCE THEY CANNOT WEAR THICK COATS WHILE IN A CARSEAT) JUST TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP THEM WARM AND EVEN THEN THEY ARE COMPLAINING THAT THEY ARE COLD. FOR A VEHICLE THAT I STILL MAKE PAYMENTS ON, I EXPECTED TO ATLEAST STAY WARM AND BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE IM DRIVING DURING COLD TEMPERATURES. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ASAP.

NHTSA ID

11057067

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

105,000 mi

PASSENGER-SIDE DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER BLOWS COLD AIR RENDERING VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, OR COLD SEASON. SEVERAL NEAR-MISS OCCURRENCES ON ROAD WAY DUE POOR VISIBILITY ON PASSENGER-SIDE WINDSHIELD AND PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW. PASSENGER-SIDE HEAT INOPERABLE. REPLACED PASSENGER-SIDE BLEND DOOR ACTUATORS. FLUSHED HEATER CORE (TEMPORARY FIX), BUT REOCCURRING PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11054670

Incident

Dec 14, 2017

Mileage

73,000 mi

WIPERS STOP WORKING, THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT COME AT RANDOM WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION

NHTSA ID

11054609

Incident

Dec 13, 2017

HEAT FROM MY VEHICLE ONLY COMES OUT OF MY DRIVERS SIDE. THIS IS CAUSING HALF OF MY WINDSHIELD TO NOT BE DEFROSTED IN THE MORNING AND I HAVE TO DRIVE UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS

NHTSA ID

11053417

Incident

Dec 8, 2017

Mileage

49,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO EMIT HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BAXTER CHRYSLER (17950 BURT ST, SUITE A, OMAHA, NE 68118, PHONE: (402) 493-7800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEATER CORE FAILED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

NHTSA ID

11051801

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

66,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE AVENGER. WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN OR PARKED, THE DEFROSTER FAILED WHEN ACTIVATED AND OBSTRUCTED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A MECHANIC WHO FLUSHED THE RADIATOR LINES AND INSTALLED A NEW THERMOSTAT, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ID

10945019

Incident

Dec 9, 2016

Mileage

62,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIPERS OPERATED NON-STOP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10659372

Incident

Nov 5, 2014