Dodge
Dodge Journey years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015. Best years: 2019 and 2020.
The 2015 Dodge Journey draws the most owner complaints for its age: 552, or 46 for each year on the road, against a median of 26 a year across the 7 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is brake wear (105 reports).
- 1,866complaints
- 15recall campaigns
- 6model years with a page
Newest report Sep 25, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: brake wear (105 reports, median 52,244 miles) and seat belt (93 reports, median 66,000 miles).
Best years
2019
Most reported: infotainment (46 reports, median 83,000 miles).
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Dodge Journey year here: 552 of 1,866 (30%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 2 of the 6 model years and has the most reports overall, 288. Pooled across the years, half of the 173 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 41,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 9% of Dodge Journey complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 45 of its 396 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 6 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system: 2018. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 297 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 148. So far in 2026, 108 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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First generation (JC/JS)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 396 | 30 | 7 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (83) | 60,000 |
| 2015 avoid | 552 | 46 | 6 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (105) | 60,000 |
| 2016 | 387 | 35 | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (94) | 58,000 |
| 2017 | 197 | 20 | 2 | Airbag warning light or recall (29) | 36,500 |
| 2018 | 234 | 26 | 6 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (72) | 30,470 |
| 2019 best | 100 | 12 | 1 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (46) | 55,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2020 (65).
Year by year
2019 Dodge Journey best
100 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (46 reports, median 83,000 miles). 6 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 1 recall: 25V-552 on the backup camera.
2018 Dodge Journey
234 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (72 reports, median 61,200 miles), brake wear (25 reports, median 61,200 miles) and seat belt (21 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 18V-524 on the electrical system and 18V-396 on the visibility.
2017 Dodge Journey
197 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (29 reports, median 40,000 miles), seat belt (27 reports, median 56,750 miles) and stalling (22 reports, median 41,000 miles). 12 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 22V-723 on the exterior lighting and 18V-332 on the electrical system.
2016 Dodge Journey
387 owner complaints, 35 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (94 reports, median 58,000 miles), brake wear (53 reports, median 35,000 miles) and seat belt (43 reports, median 60,000 miles). 19 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 18V-332 on the electrical system and 16V-907 on the engine.
2015 Dodge Journey avoid
552 owner complaints, 46 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (105 reports, median 52,244 miles), seat belt (93 reports, median 66,000 miles) and stalling (75 reports, median 57,000 miles). 30 reports involved a crash and 47 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 18V-332 on the electrical system and 17V-432 on the airbags.
2014 Dodge Journey
396 owner complaints, 30 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (83 reports, median 54,717 miles), seat belt (51 reports, median 65,000 miles) and airbag (44 reports, median 67,000 miles). 24 reports involved a crash and 36 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 18V-332 on the electrical system and 17V-824 on the equipment.
Recalls that cover several model years
These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging.
After exposure to cold temperatures, the power steering return hose may rupture at engine start-up causing a loss of power steering assist.
The amber side reflex reflector assembled into the headlamp may not reflect brightly enough.
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.
In the affected vehicles, the engine cover may detach from the engine and contact the exhaust manifold.
In the affected vehicles, water may enter the wiring harness for the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module and leak into the module, disabling the ABS and/or the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
Questions
What Dodge Journey years should you avoid?
The 2015 Dodge Journey draws the most owner complaints for its age: 552, or 46 for each year on the road, against a median of 26 a year across the 7 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is brake wear (105 reports).
What are the best years for the Dodge Journey?
The 2019 and 2020 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2019 has 100 (12 a year) and 2020 has 65 (9 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Dodge Journey?
Brake wear, with 288 reports across the 6 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014 and 2015.
How many recalls does the Dodge Journey have?
15 recall campaigns cover the Dodge Journey model years 2014 to 2019 on this site. The widest, 18V-332 on the electrical system, covers 5 model years.
How many Dodge Journey complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the Dodge Journey?
On 1 of the 6 model years where owners report it: 2018.