What's Wrong with the 1st Generation (2009–2020) Journey?

Journey owners have made 1,884 complaints about the 2009–2020 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 46th out of 54 Dodge generations in overall reliability, with real brakes and electrical concerns.

Common 2009-2020 Dodge Journey Problems

Some of the worst issues 1st generation Journey owners have to deal with.

  1. AHR Randomly Deploys

    The active head restraints in some Dodge vehicles are handing out free concussions. A mechanical breakdown inside the restraint means they could deploy randomly at any time.

    Continue reading article "AHR Randomly Deploys" A Dodge head restraint

  2. Journey Premature Brake Wear

    Dodge tried a best-of-all-worlds approach when building the Journey. Instead, they ended up with the weight of an SUV being stopped by brakes more suited for a sedan. The end result is brakes that are woefully inadequate and wear out way to…

    Continue reading article "Journey Premature Brake Wear" Yeah, I see the problem

  3. Valve Stem Corrosion

    Fiat-Chrysler made a mistake by using aluminum valve stems in some of their early tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), like the one found in the Dodge Journey. The aluminum stem and metal cap are highly susceptible to corrosion from sal…

    Continue reading article "Valve Stem Corrosion" A corroded valve stem

  5. Stuck in Park

    Can't shift the car into reverse or drive! Now what? This is most commonly reported from Dodge Avenger owners, but there have also been similar complaints about other Dodge makes as well as other Chrysler and Jeep vehicles having a similar …

    Continue reading article "Stuck in Park" Red arrow points at a disassembled gear shifter

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

1st Generation (2009–2020) Journey Key Numbers

  1. 10 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 1,884 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 46th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 54 eligible generations.

Recent 1st Generation (2009–2020) Journey News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) owners are worried that their vehicles may not pass the next state inspection. And for good reason.

    Last month, FCA announced that nearly 900,000 vehicles fail to meet emissions standards and will need new catalytic converters. That’s a lot of parts to come up with all at once, so FCA’s plan is to split the recall into stages with older vehicles getting repaired first. Some owners have filed a lawsuit because they will could fail their next state inspection before parts are available.…

    keep reading article "Dodge Vehicles May Not Pass Inspection As Owners Wait for Replacement Catalytic Converters"

  2. The EPA has announced Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) will recall over 863,000 vehicles for failing to meet U.S. emissions standards.

    The affected vehicles are from the 2011-2016 model years, with front-wheel-drive and gasoline engines. Each will need a new catalytic converter. Given the scope and complexity of the repair, FCA plans on splitting the recall into phases with the oldest models getting repaired first.

    keep reading article "Some Dodge Vehicles Will Need New Catalytic Converters After Failing to Meet Emissions Standards"

  5. The 2009-2016 Dodge Journey likes to leak when it's cold, according to Fiat-Chrysler (FCA).

    Good thing summer is on the way:

    FCA says an investigation determined power steering fluid lines can leak when the engine is started in cold weather. The automaker says steering will be more difficult but a driver won't lose steering control and no accidents or injuries have been reported.…

    keep reading article "Journey Leaks Power Steering Fluid When It’s Cold Outside"

  6. Continental Automotive systems did the right thing by announcing their airbags had corrosion issues

    , but there's just one problem --- they've known about this for years:

    "According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, Continental knew about the defective air bags as far back as 2008."

    A new [lawsuit][3] wants compensation for injuries or other losses during that time between Continental discovered the problem and actually did anything about it.

    The law firm Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg & Gilbert has [more on that class-action][4].

    keep reading article "Grand Caravan and Journey Mentioned in Continental Airbag Lawsuit"

  7. Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) is recalling 112,000 vehicles with defective Continental airbags.

    They opened an internal investigation in July 2015 to find out why a 2009 Dodge Journey airbag deployed for no apparent reason. The automaker later found 13 potential inadvertent airbag deployments with airbags made by Continental Automotive Systems.

    Recently, Continental announced they needed to recall 5 million airbags that were susceptible to corrosion. The airbags in question might not deploy in a crash, which really defeats the point.

    FCA says they aren't sure when the recall will begin.

    keep reading article "Grand Caravan and Journey Mentioned in Continental Airbag Lawsuit"

  8. Fiat-Chrysler is recalling 275k SUVs because of a BS issue. Oh wait, an ABS issue. My mistake.

    275,614 model year 2012-2015 Dodge Journey SUVs could lose control because of water entering the anti-lock brake system module wiring harnesses.

    Water and electronics are not friends. Once the ABS module gets wet it fries up like an egg and disables the anti-lock brakes. It might even disable the electronic stability control system (ESC) for good measure.

    FCA hasn't mentioned when the recall will begin. Full details, including build dates for the affected vehicles, are available on our site.

    keep reading article "Journey Anti-Lock Braking System Recall"

  9. Engine covers are mainly for looks.

    I mean, sure, there's some heat retention, dirt prevention and noise reduction qualities, but let's be honest --- they're mostly for show. Maybe that's why I'm so upset that Fiat-Chrysler had to recall a quarter-of-a-million small SUVs earlier this summer for fires via engine covers:

    "Loose engine covers that can dislodge and possibly cause a fire."

    Seriously? FCA says if you drive your vehicle on unpaved or uneven roads, the cover can become dislodged and start to melt if it touches the exhaust system. Good times.…

    keep reading article "Loose Engine Covers Recalled Before They Take Off"

What Journey Owners Say About This Generation

The Journey's Premature Brake and Rotor Wear

This car has been a royal pain for us. It is less than six years old and this is now the third time we are replacing the brakes. All three times it has been at different Chrysler dealerships. Not once has any of them mentioned that the brakes are inadequate or that there has ever been any support from Chrysler on the costs.

2010 Journey Owner in Northwest Territories

Sometimes the car would start and other times it would not. It has left us abandoned on multiple occasions. If you placed it in neutral it would start 90% of the time. We finally gave up and parked it while we paid it off. I can't even sell it because I couldn't let someone else get abandoned so I would have to reveal what a POS it is.

2009 Journey Owner in Ontario

The Journey's Premature Brake and Rotor Wear

The [J]ourney is a nice vehicle but need to change pads every year, only drive 20 miles a day to work. Around every 5,000 you need to change pads and rotors. Wears very bad in this vehicle. This vehicle should have recalls it's a huge safety problem.

2009 Journey Owner