2018 Dodge Journey

Above average

Owners filed 233 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 6 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
26,000 milesMedian miles at failure

94 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 010,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System60
010
Unknown or Other26
010
Service Brakes18
100
Engine16
000
Exterior Lighting13
100
Seats11
000
Power Train10
000
Back Over Prevention10
000
Air Bags10
305
Steering7
000

6 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting22V723000
Filed Sep 29, 202283,453 vehiclesChrysler (fca Us, Llc)

Defect. Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Dodge Journey vehicles. The amber side reflex reflector assembled into the headlamp may not reflect brightly enough. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk. A dim reflector may reduce the visibility of the vehicle to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will replace the headlamp assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 16, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z99.

Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood18V524000
Filed Aug 9, 201812,779 vehiclesChrysler (fca Us Llc)

Defect. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.

Risk. A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper18V523000
Filed Aug 9, 2018154,335 vehiclesChrysler (fca Us Llc)

Defect. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Risk. A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.

Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices18V396000
Filed Jun 14, 20181,741 vehiclesChrysler (fca Us Llc)

Defect. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Journey vehicles. When reverse gear has been selected, the rear camera view may not be fully visible within two seconds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Risk. If the full camera view is delayed and the driver does not check their surroundings before backing up, there may be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview mirror, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U58.

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera18V398000
Filed Jun 14, 20181,837 vehiclesChrysler (fca Us Llc)

Defect. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Journey and RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The backup camera may experience a loss of image display while backing up. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Risk. A loss of image in the rearview camera while backing up can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview mirror, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U56.

Electrical System › Software18V332000
Filed May 17, 20184,815,661 vehiclesChrysler (fca Us Llc)

Defect. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.

Risk. If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Sep 16, 2026IA

Air Bag in the steering wheel. we took it back to the dealership for them to fix or do something about it and they refused to. No warning at all.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Sep 1, 2026GA

Sitting at red light and with out warning car turns off I place it in park and try to start car again as soon as I push the ignition to crank the car a huge explosion from under the hood blew the hood backwards striking the a-piler to the driver's door trapping me inside the car as flames were observed coming through the dashboard had to forcefully kick driver side window out of frame to dive out of the car because the door being jammed shut

Air Bags
Filed Aug 25, 2026KY

First Complain is that I was driving my 2018 Dodge Journey SE 2.4L across the interstate in [XXX]. My friend was sitting in the Passenger's seat when all of a sudden a loud popping noise happened and the airbag in the headrest popped out and almost hit my friend in the head. The second issue is that the headlight assemblies that was replaced under a recall in 2022-2023 due to a reflective issue. Well the the recall assemblies are now collecting moisture bad and are blowing my headlight bulbs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Back Over Prevention
Filed Aug 19, 202680,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed that an unknown recall was not associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact later received an unknown recall notification with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 16, 2026PA

The factory-installed ParkView rear backup camera on my 2018 Dodge Journey is suffering from an intermittent, severe component failure. The video display randomly flips completely upside down while reversing. Frequently, the system fails entirely, leaving a completely blank or black screen on the center infotainment console.

Back Over Prevention
Filed Aug 12, 202668,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera image was inverted. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E052000 (Back Over Prevention), and the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and scheduled an appointment with the dealer on the contact's behalf. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who declined to perform the recall repair because the VIN was not included in the recall. However, the contact stated that the recall indicated that the recall was part-specific rather than VIN-specific. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 12, 2026ID

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.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 7, 2026TX

The backup camera went off for several days. There was an error message on the rearview mirror. The camera picture eventually came back on, but the camera is now pointing at my bumper. I cannot see behind my car anymore and I can no longer use it to see while backing up.

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera
Filed Aug 5, 2026GA

Loss of Visibility in Backup Camera When in reverses the camera will come on then go fuzzy then go out and displays a camera in orange with an orange line going though it

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera
Filed Jul 27, 2026FL

Back up camera stopped working 3 years ago.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Jul 22, 2026110,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to stop immediately. The traction control, ABS, and brake warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the calipers, rotors, and brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera
Filed Jul 15, 2026GA

Back up camera works sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t. The screen is either black with a orange camera with a orange line going through it or it works and the picture of blinking then goes black

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera
Filed Jul 15, 2026TX

The rearview backup camera intermittently fails to display an image when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. The camera occasionally works, but most of the time the screen is blank or the image does not appear. I understand that similar 2018 Dodge Journey vehicles were recalled for this exact defect, but my VIN was excluded even though it exhibits the same symptoms. This creates a significant safety hazard because the vehicle does not consistently comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 13, 2026TX

There is a leak somewhere on my driver’s side of my 2018 Dodge Journey. The water is coming up from the floor. The wetness caused my foot to slip off the pedal initially. A mechanic has determined that there is a leak, but can’t determine how to fix it. I’ve seen other people complain about the same issue, without any definitive fixes.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Jul 8, 2026NM

My backup camera doesn’t work sometimes and it says that my camera is upside down but it’s not.

Electrical System
Filed Jun 24, 2026PA

Was driving when power saver mode came on then died on the road. Charged the battery and it died 1 minute later checked the voltage and it appears the pump voltage regulator stopped working

Electrical System
Filed May 23, 2026AR

The wires that control my windows no longer work because the wires are in my door jam and after years of opening and closing the door on the wires they are worn out

Back Over Prevention
Filed May 1, 202684,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera occasionally displayed a brief intermittent image, an inverted image, or the camera was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V398000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who confirmed that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

Visibility
Filed Apr 6, 2026140,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the back over prevention camera was foggy or the image was displayed upside down. An independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the back over prevention camera wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V396000 (VISIBILITY); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 13, 2026LA

I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2018 Dodge Journey SE (VIN: [XXX] ) related to a failure in the vehicle’s emissions control system, specifically the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. On January 13, 2026, the vehicle began producing a strong sulfur or “rotten egg” odor while driving, and shortly afterward the check engine light illuminated. Diagnostic testing revealed trouble code P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold – Bank 1). This code indicates that the catalytic converter is not properly converting exhaust gases, which can result in increased emissions and potential exposure to exhaust fumes. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealership in Maurice, Louisiana, which confirmed that the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors are failing and must be replaced. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. This vehicle was purchased for our growing family and is regularly used to transport our children, including a [XXX] infant and a [XXX] child. Since the emissions system issue began, occupants have noticed persistent exhaust-like fumes and strong sulfur odors while the vehicle is operating. Our infant has experienced recurring respiratory issues, and our [XXX] began experiencing respiratory symptoms after we purchased this vehicle. While we cannot definitively determine the cause, we are concerned that exposure to exhaust fumes from the malfunctioning emissions system may be contributing to the

20 of 233 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2009
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
202064110Routine
2019100100Routine
2018 — this page233620Above average
2017197270Routine
2016386440Above average
2015553690Above average
2014414780Above average
2013353490Above average
20123766130Above average
2011169440Routine
20109883160Above average
20091,4338301Fatalities reported
20088000Routine
20074000Routine

Compare every Journey year →

Reading this record

Complaint volume is well above typical for a single model year.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Sep 29, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.