Dodge Journey Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Dodge Journey model year from 2007 to 2020, benchmarked against each other with 8,400 federal complaints, 26 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2009–2010. These years top the Journey's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2011, 2017–2020 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
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 Journey's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Dodge Journey.
Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-008 on May 1, 2023 to investigate an incident involving a 2009 Dodge Journey alleging occupant entrapment during a vehicle fire that resulted in a fatality. During the investigation, ODI collected information from the manufacturer and involved…
Model years named: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Electrical tops the Dodge Journey file with 2,356 complaints, concentrated in the 2009–2010 model years, most often reported around 60,500 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Better year | 88 | 1 | Electrical | 4 |
| 2019 | Better year | 134 | 1 | Other | 6 |
| 2018 | Better year | 346 | 6 | Electrical | 14 |
| 2017 | Better year | 316 | 2 | Electrical | 15 |
| 2016 | Typical | 613 | 4 | Engine | 27 |
| 2015 | Below average | 869 | 6 | Engine | 43 |
| 2014 | Below average | 645 | 7 | Electrical | 35 |
| 2013 | Typical | 509 | 4 | Electrical | 27 |
| 2012 | Typical | 623 | 6 | Electrical | 29 |
| 2011 | Better year | 253 | 4 | Brakes & stability | 12 |
| 2010 | Avoid | 1,647 | 3 | Electrical | 65 |
| 2009 | Avoid | 2,338 | 8 | Electrical | 100 |
| 2008 | Few reports | 12 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2007 | Few reports | 7 | 0 | — | 0 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 1,944 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Dodge Journey. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Dodge Journey TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Dodge Journey years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2009–2010 as the Dodge Journey years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Dodge Journey problem?
Electrical tops the Dodge Journey file with 2,356 complaints, concentrated in the 2009–2010 model years, most often reported around 60,500 miles.
What are the best Dodge Journey years to buy used?
The quietest Dodge Journey years in federal records are 2011, 2017–2020 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
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 Journey 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.