What breaks most · 2007 to 2018 model years
Dodge Journey problems by year
Owners have filed 3,326 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Journey across model years 2007 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2009 for electrical system complaints, 2010 for electrical system complaints and 2012 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2007, 2008 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2010, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2007, 2008, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 33262007 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 20091329 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 14870 fires · 158 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 53kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 50Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 1329 | 37 | 8 | Electrical system (715) | |
| 789 | 14 | 3 | Electrical system (478) | |
| 131 | 6 | 4 | Brakes (40) | |
| 251 | 18 | 6 | Electrical system (72) | |
| 184 | 16 | 4 | Brakes (44) | |
| 226 | 18 | 7 | Engine (62) | |
| 227 | 22 | 6 | Engine (68) | |
| 114 | 10 | 4 | Engine (30) | |
| 40 | 5 | 2 | Engine (7) | |
| 24 | 2 | 6 | Unknown or other (6) |
What fails on the 2009 Dodge Journey
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 54% |
715 | 12 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2009 Dodge Journey |
| Air bags | 19% |
247 | 20 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 15% |
195 | 4 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2009 Dodge Journey |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 9% |
126 | 6 | Shop engine parts for the 2009 Dodge Journey |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
98 | 4 | Shop brakes parts for the 2009 Dodge Journey |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
91 | 6 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2009 Dodge Journey |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
68 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
56 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2009 Dodge Journey |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Battery goes dead all the time, check enjine light, traction light, loses power going up small hills, won't shift, air bag light stays on, testing says it has a battery drain, cam shat sensor light changed but still says bad, we put a new battery in but doesnt help.
-
Air bag light is on car electrical system malfunctions engine starts when it wants to. I've already replaced the battery and starter
-
I have changed my key fob 3 times and got a new battery and it still say key is not detected. I have to get a job every 3 months to get my car started.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Journey years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2010, 2012 carry the most filings on the Dodge Journey. The 2009 alone has 1329 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Dodge Journey problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 715 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Journey problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Journey complaints that include mileage is about 53,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.