Dodge Dart Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Dodge Dart model year from 2012 to 2016, benchmarked against each other with 3,692 federal complaints, 11 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2012. These years top the Dart's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Dart's own worst year — full methodology.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Transmission & drivetrain tops the Dodge Dart file with 988 complaints, concentrated in the 2012 model years, most often reported around 59,850 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Typical | 361 | 5 | Transmission & drivetrain | 24 |
| 2015 | Below average | 810 | 6 | Transmission & drivetrain | 52 |
| 2014 | Below average | 565 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 36 |
| 2013 | Typical | 423 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 24 |
| 2012 | Avoid | 1,533 | 6 | Transmission & drivetrain | 100 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 1,036 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Dodge Dart. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Dodge Dart TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Dodge Dart years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2012 as the Dodge Dart years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Dodge Dart problem?
Transmission & drivetrain tops the Dodge Dart file with 988 complaints, concentrated in the 2012 model years, most often reported around 59,850 miles.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Dodge Dart only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.