Selling a junk or non-running Chrysler Aspen

An Aspen with an open air bag recall, a dead engine or a failed transmission doesn't have to be driven anywhere. We buy whole non-running and junk cars: sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The do-not-drive air bag recalls

These are the campaigns to check first on any Aspen. NHTSA's summaries tell owners not to drive the vehicle until the repair is done.

Those vehicle counts are for every model in each campaign, not just the Aspen. 15V313 also lists Dodge Ram pickups, the Durango and the Chrysler 300. 16V947 names the 2009 Durango and Aspen built January 17, 2007 to December 18, 2008, plus 2010 Ram 3500 cab chassis trucks.

Enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If one is open, ask a Chrysler dealer about the repair before you decide anything. Our open recall guide covers selling with one unfinished.

What the Aspen is

Wikipedia covers the Aspen inside its Dodge Durango article. For the generation the Aspen came from, it lists production from September 2003 to December 19, 2008 at Newark Assembly in Delaware, body-on-frame construction, and four engines: a 3.7-liter V6, a 4.7-liter V8 that runs on E85 or gasoline, a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and a 5.7-liter Hemi hybrid. The EPA lists the Aspen in 2WD, 4WD and HEV form, with flex-fuel and hybrid powertrains.

The hybrid was rare. Wikipedia says it improved fuel economy to 19 mpg city and 20 highway, against the Hemi's 13 and 18, and that Chrysler dropped it two months after it debuted. It estimates about 800 Durango and Aspen hybrids were built in all.

Complaints by year, and the other two recalls

These Aspen counts come from owner complaints we read at NHTSA on October 10, 2026. A 2009 Aspen has had two fewer years on the road than a 2007.

2007. The first year has 244 complaints. The gasoline fuel system leads (62), then air bags (53) and the fuel/propulsion system (42). NHTSA files those two fuel categories separately. Campaign 06V386 covers 2007 Aspens whose right front steering knuckle may have been cast badly on July 18-19, 2006; dealers inspect and replace parts from that lot. Its 6,644 vehicles include other models.

2008. Down to 159 complaints, now led by air bags (43), then fuel/propulsion (33) and the gasoline fuel system (25).

2009. Only 40 complaints, led by air bags (11) and the power train (8). Campaign 13V038 covers the rear differential pinion nut. It began with 2009-2012 Ram 1500 and 2009-2011 Dakota trucks, and Chrysler told owners on November 7, 2013 that dealers would add a pinion nut retainer. Its 278,674 vehicles are mostly those trucks.

The single 2006 complaint was filed under a year before the EPA's 2007 start. Across all years, 7 complaints say the SUV was towed.

Repair or sell?

Do the recall check first; it costs nothing. After that, compare a written repair quote with what a running Aspen of the same year, drive and mileage sells for.

• Engine trouble: see blown engine.
• Transmission gone: see bad transmission.
• Too big to keep fixing: junk truck or SUV covers selling a full-size body-on-frame vehicle.

Selling the Aspen whole

1. Have the VIN, mileage, 2WD or 4WD, and whether it's a hybrid.
2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where it is parked and if the wheels turn. A full-size SUV with a locked-up 4WD system needs the right truck.
4. Leave it whole. Don't pull the catalytic converters, wheels or battery, and mention anything already gone.
5. Have the title ready at pickup. Still paying on it? Read still owe on the loan.

Other Chryslers: the Pacifica, Town and Country and 300, or every Chrysler we cover.