1997 Dodge Avenger

Summary:

The car was a very good value

General Comments:

Great body styling.

The car has aged well.

I still love getting behind the wheel of this car after 125,000 miles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th March, 2005

1997 Dodge Avenger 2.0 twin cam

Summary:

I've had a lot of fun in this car!

Faults:

The driver side door handle broke on me. The spoiler has faded pretty bad. The headlight covers have faded, and even though I just wanna replace the cover I'm told I need to replace the whole lamp assembly. The stock breaks were horrible. In the rain the windows leak due to there being no top railing on the door. Transmission grinds into 2nd gear when shifting at high RPM's.

General Comments:

Very reliable, has a little bit of power, not too acceleration much, but a decent top speed, great handling, I put low profile tires and brenbo brakes and rotors on and the handling and breaking improved drastically. I maintained the car well and it has done very well for me. Scheduled maintenance at 60,000 was the only major work it needed. Put a very large stereo inside of it and still had enough room for a usable trunk.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th February, 2005

1997 Dodge Avenger Base Inline 4 Cylinder

Summary:

Great car, great performance, loads of fun to drive

Faults:

Nothing has really gone wrong with the car. The only thing I can really complain about is 0-60mph comes in 14 seconds or more.

General Comments:

If you're looking for a sports car that holds five people and has performance, Dodge Avenger's where it's at! Four people can fit in the car easily, but five, you're pushing it then. Performance for an Inline four engine is amazing, top speeds of 140mph have been recorded for the base Avenger, imagine what the Avenger ES can do! The only problem with seating is, the Avenger is not good for long road trips. After an hour and a half, the driver's back begins to hurt. All the other wise, Dodge made a big mistake to stop making the Avenger. What were they thinking!?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th October, 2004

25th Oct 2004, 08:15

They continued the avenger under the new name: stratus.

1st Feb 2006, 09:08

The Stratus doesn't look any thing like the avenger. I don't like the style and that was my favorite part about the avenger. I owned a 1995 Avenger and I loved it even after crashing it twice, the most dependable car I ever owned. I'm buying a 1998 today that's why I was checking out these comments.

5th Feb 2006, 17:47

I just bought a 1997 Avenger ES Jan 31st 2006. Love the car. Only problem I'm having is taking the retaining pin off the headlights. One went out and I can't get them off. Anyone have an idea how to do it? Please e-mail me at brad_jobe@hotmail.com

1997 Dodge Avenger SE 6 L

Summary:

The 1997 Dodge Avenger is not that great of a car

Faults:

The design of the trunk is HORRIBLE.

The headlight covers have a film over them.

The car also has a rattle in the front.

Check engine light is on.

Windshield leaked.

General Comments:

The design of the trunk is HORRIBLE. I was in the process of moving and could not fit majority of boxes in the trunk or in the backseat. The boxes were not that big.

The headlight covers have a film over them. I had a mechanic try and buff the film off to no avail. I am unable to drive at night, as the headlights are not bright enough. My only option is to buy new headlight covers.

The car also has a rattle in the front. It is a very annoying rattle. At first it was on the right front side of the car and now it is on both sides. I've had many parts replaced and it is still rattling.

The check engine light is also on. I had a diagnostics test done and they said the gas cap was not on tight enough, simple problem, and easy fix. Well the engine light did return a couple months later and I replaced an emission's part. The engine light has returned.

I also find this very strange and I'm not sure if anyone else had this problem; my windshield leaked. There were no cracks or holes in the windshield. I took it to a glass repair shop and they had to re-seal the windshield.

If you are considering buying an Avenger do not do it. I don't have any ill feelings towards Dodge, but I've had so many problems with this car. I'm just hoping the front tires fall off when the car is parked and not while I'm driving (due to the rattling noise).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st August, 2004

28th Oct 2004, 12:53

I own a 1998 Dodge Avenger and I have the same problem with my head light covers. It is like they are dirty on the inside or something, but they cannot easily be removed. It certainly is a challenge to drive at night because the lights are so dim.

I am also having a problem with my car stalling while driving. I have 93,000 miles.