Dodge Journey: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Dodge Journey: 10 model years scored from 2,843 NHTSA owner complaints and 41 recall campaigns. Worst year 2015, best year 2020.
Dodge Journey: which years to avoid
Across 10 scored model years the Dodge Journey ranges from 49/100 in 2015 to 92/100 in 2020 — a 43-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Journey at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (135 of them).
Avoid: 2015 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
The Journey ran from 2009 to 2020 with the same basic platform, and its record is moderate throughout — brake wear, the four-speed automatic on the base four-cylinder, and the electrical system. The 2015 year carries the most complaints; the 2017–2020 years score between 71 and 93 and are among the cheapest three-row vehicles on the site to buy, if not to run.
Read the guide
The cheap crossovers: Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass and Renegade, used — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
How the Journey changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 3 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2014
Mean score 74/100, about 25 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (336 complaints). 11 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2015–2016
Mean score 57/100, about 44 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (248 complaints). The record falls 17 points against the years before it. 5 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2017–2020
Mean score 84/100, about 19 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (173 complaints). The record improves by 27 points against the years before it. 4 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2020 (score 92). Worst: 2015 (score 49, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 92 | BUY | $4,536 | 65 | 1 |
| 2019 | 91 | BUY | $4,591 | 100 | 1 |
| 2018 | 70 | BUY | $5,013 | 233 | 6 |
| 2017 | 85 | BUY | $5,016 | 197 | 2 |
| 2016 | 65 | CAUTION | $5,623 | 386 | 4 |
| 2015 | 49 | AVOID | $6,135 | 553 | 6 |
| 2014 | 64 | CAUTION | $5,970 | 411 | 7 |
| 2013 | 76 | BUY | $5,976 | 353 | 4 |
| 2012 | 72 | BUY | $6,110 | 376 | 6 |
| 2011 | 83 | BUY | $5,954 | 169 | 4 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Journey, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Dodge Journey
Across every Journey model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Electrical System711 complaints across all Journey years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine633 complaints across all Journey years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes511 complaints across all Journey years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other374 complaints across all Journey years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Power Train251 complaints across all Journey years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Seats244 complaints across all Journey years · typical job: Seat frame, track or occupancy-sensor repair$500–$1,200
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Dodge Journey years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2015 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2015 is the weakest at 49/100, with its complaints concentrated in Engine.
What are the best Dodge Journey years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2020 at 92/100, on 65 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Dodge Journey problem?
711 of the complaints filed against the Journey across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04