2018 Dodge Journey · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 25owner reports
- 61,200median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Aug 12, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
25 of the 234 complaints on this car describe brake wear. Only infotainment is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 25 reports
Brake wear on other Journey years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2019.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (6 reports), the caliper (4 reports) and the ABS module (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
All 6 recalls on the 2018 Dodge Journey, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 18,000 and 70,000 miles, from the 16 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 Dodge Journey that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
CEL (Check Engine Lamp) Illuminates, Recent PCM Replace or Flash Update Performed, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) P057B Brake Pedal Position Sensor Circuit Performance, P1572 Brake Pedal Stuck, C0042-54 Brake Pedal Missing Calibration
A/C Pressure Transducer A/C inoperative and diagnosis leads to pressure transducer. Call Steve Rice at cell (248) 867-0061 before replacing the pressure transducer. If no response in 15 minutes, please proceed with repair.
What owners wrote
“The brake calipers and brake rotators in the front are a safety concern. In other recalls the rear calipers and rotors have been flagged for recall. The front also has the same issue. Unrelated the visibility of the front windshield is extremely obstructed by the plastic body that surrounds the windshield. It is over 6 in wide and very unsafe when trying to exit Ally's or before turning at traffic lights.”
Filed Aug 12, 2026
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 25 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 72 reports