Dodge Journey problems: recalls, complaints and what they cost
The Dodge Journey was sold in the US for model years 2009–2020. Pick a year below for its open safety recalls and the components owners complain about most — then, for each of those, whether it is safe to keep driving and what the repair should cost.
Model years with their own breakdown
Other years — look up live
Searched but never built
There is no 2024, 2023, 2022 or later Dodge Journey — US production ran 2009–2020. Those pages explain what a listing showing that year is likely to be.
Choose a year to load recalls and complaints.
What goes wrong with the Dodge Journey?
Across 7 model years sampled between 2010 and 2020, NHTSA records 31 recall entries — one campaign counts once for each model year it covers, so the number of distinct campaigns is lower — and 3,236 owner complaints for the Dodge Journey. Counts track how many were sold as much as how good the vehicle is, so the useful signal is which components the complaints cluster on and which years stand out against the rest of the run.
Where complaints concentrate
| Component | Owner complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1,036 | 32% |
| Engine | 289 | 9% |
| Power Train | 289 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 277 | 9% |
| Unknown or Other | 253 | 8% |
| Steering | 230 | 7% |
Electrical System draws the most reports on this nameplate. That is a starting point rather than a verdict — a component can dominate because it genuinely fails or simply because it is the part owners notice. Match it against what your own vehicle is doing before spending anything.
By model year
| Year | Recall entries | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 65 |
| 2016 | 4 | 388 |
| 2015 | 6 | 553 |
| 2014 | 7 | 416 |
| 2013 | 4 | 353 |
| 2012 | 6 | 376 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1,085 |
Model years 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019 are not in this retrieval, which means no records were returned for them — not that there were none. Use the year selector above to query those years live.
Older years accumulate more complaints simply by being on the road longer, so compare a year against its neighbours rather than against the newest one.
Recent safety recalls
Steering
After exposure to cold temperatures, the power steering return hose may rupture at engine start-up causing a loss of power steering assist.
Free remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering return hoses, steel tubes, and power steering oil cooler, free of charge. The recall began on May 24, 2016.
Electrical System
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.
Free remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch and key FOBs, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Steering
Some Of these vehicles May experience a separation at the crimped end Of the power…
Free remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary the power steering pressure hoses free Of charge. The safety recall began on December 20, 2010. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air Bags
In the affected vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may unexpectedly deploy if the air bag wiring harness gets chafed within the steering wheel and short circuits.
Free remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag wiring within the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary. A protective cover will also be installed. These repairs will be made free of charge.
Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit. Take the campaign number to any franchised dealer. How recalls work.
Recall text above is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice, affected VIN ranges and dealer instructions.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation), public domain, retrieved 2026-10-08. Use the year selector above for the current live figures.
How does a SUV or crossover typically fail?
Most modern crossovers are unibody cars underneath, so they inherit car failure patterns rather than truck ones — with two differences. The extra weight over the same platform works the suspension and brakes harder, and all-wheel-drive systems add transfer cases, couplings and driveshafts that a front-wheel-drive car simply does not have. Those extra driveline parts are where the segment-specific complaints concentrate.
What should I check first?
For a SUV or crossover, the systems worth ruling out before anything else are all-wheel-drive driveline noise and uneven tyre wear. Match what the vehicle is actually doing to the guide below — each one opens with a safety verdict, not a parts list.
- Clunk over bumps
- Humming rises with speed
- Grinding when braking
- Transmission slipping
- Shaking at highway speed
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must fix free of charge, forever, with no mileage limit and regardless of how many owners the car has had. A complaint is one owner’s report filed with NHTSA. One complaint is an anecdote; two hundred naming the same component is a pattern, and patterns are what you want before you buy or before you authorise a large repair. Read the complaint list by concentration, never by total — a model that sold three times as many units collects roughly three times as many complaints while being no worse.
What should I check before buying one?
On any all-wheel-drive example, check that all four tyres match in brand, model and tread depth. Mismatched rolling diameters quietly destroy couplings and differentials, and it is the single most common expensive mistake previous owners make on this segment.
Beyond that, the checks that find expensive problems are the same on any vehicle: see it started from stone cold, look under the oil cap, smell the transmission fluid, and scan it for stored and recently-cleared codes. Our used car inspection checklist walks through each one, and why cars fail explains how systemic defects emerge in the first place.
Check one before you buy it
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Does the Dodge Journey have any open recalls?
Open safety recalls for the Dodge Journey are listed on this page, pulled live from NHTSA's public database. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, so an open campaign is money the manufacturer owes you rather than a repair you pay for. Check by VIN for certainty on one specific vehicle.
What are the most common Dodge Journey problems?
The complaint list on this page groups owner reports by component, which is the useful view: one component dominating the list is a pattern, while complaints spread evenly across many systems usually just means the model sold in volume. For this class of vehicle, all-wheel-drive driveline noise and uneven tyre wear are the areas worth checking first.
Is the Dodge Journey expensive to repair?
Cost depends far more on which system fails than on the badge. Each symptom guide linked from this page carries a parts-and-labour range for US independent shops, so you can price the specific fault rather than the car in general.