1997 Dodge avenger tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1997 Dodge Avenger, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205/55R16 OEM | R16 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 215/50R17 OEM | R17 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
1997 Dodge avenger wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x114.3 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M12x1.5 |
| Center bore | 67.1 mm |
| Source | adaptitusa-reference |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Dodge Avenger, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Dodge Avenger →
Compatible alternative sizes for 205/55R16
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
175/50R18 |
0.05% | plus 2 | Safe |
225/50R16 |
-0.08% | wider | Safe |
195/45R18 |
0.13% | plus 2 | Safe |
185/75R14 |
0.19% | alternative | Safe |
175/65R16 |
0.32% | winter narrower | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 205/55R16 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 205/55R16 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 225/45R17; one rim size up, 0.38% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 175/50R18; two rim sizes up, 0.05% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1997 dodge avenger ES
The 1997 Dodge Avenger ES ships from the factory on 205/55R16 tires mounted on R16 wheels. 2 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Dodge Avenger comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1997 Dodge Avenger ES owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1997 Dodge Avenger ES, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1997 dodge avenger
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Reported across: 1997 – 1997 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 16% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 37 reports covering every model year of the Dodge Avenger that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 16% | 20% | 0.8× |
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 11% | 2% | 4.5× |
| Sidewall failure | 8% | 15% | 0.5× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 8% | 9% | 0.9× |
| Tread or belt separation | 5% | 13% | 0.4× |
Mileage at failure
19 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 36,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 13,250 and 104,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Dodge Avenger. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER EQUIPPED WITH A NANKANG SPORT TIRES, SIZE: 245/45R/18. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND FULL SIZE TIRE. THE DEFECTIVE TIRE WAS INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE TREAD BEADING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE WAS 10,500 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN..... UPDATED 10-17-13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED ANOTHER TIRE FAILURE ON THE LEFT PASSENGER SIDE. THE TIRE BEAD SEPARATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE.
THE TIRES HAVE A DEFECT ALL FOUR, BRIDGESTONE TURANZA BRAND TIRE HAVE DEEP CRACKS AROUND THE OUTER RIM OF THE TIRE,IT FIRST APPEARED WHEN THE SEASON CHANGED FROM WINTER TO SPRING IT BECAME VERY NOTICEABLE AS IT BECAME WARMER, UNABLE TO PASS INSPECTION, WITH TIRES LESS THAN, 26 THOUSAND MILES ON THEM.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT TWO TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE OTHER TWO SENSORS FRACTURED AND EXHIBITED SLIGHT CORROSION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,877...UPDATED 08-20-14 *BF UPDATED 09/02/2014
I PARKED THE CAR AND WENT BACK TO IT AND THE FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT, DUE TO THE TPMS (TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING) SENSOR HAD CORRODED, CAUSING IT TO BREAK OFF AND THE VALVE STEM TO GO INSIDE THE TIRE AND WHEEL OF THE CAR. A FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE REST OF THE TPMS SENSORS REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT REAR TPMS SENSOR WAS ALSO CORRODED AND HALF BROKEN, AND COULD HAVE SNAPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE BLOW-OUT OF THE TIRE AND A POTENTIAL CRASH/INJURY.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1997 Dodge Avenger?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1997 Dodge Avenger?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1997 Dodge Avenger?
Where can I buy tires for my 1997 Dodge Avenger?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1997 Dodge Avenger?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1997 Dodge Avenger?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1997 Dodge Avenger?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Dodge Avenger is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1997 Dodge Avenger.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.