Dodge Journey vs Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Journey is ahead of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport on the federal record, 74/100 against 68/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Dodge Journey
- 10 model years scored
- 2,843 owner complaints on record
- about 28 complaints per year on the road
- 41 recall campaigns, 20 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (92/100) · worst 2015 (49/100)
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
- 6 model years scored
- 1,266 owner complaints on record
- about 22 complaints per year on the road
- 22 recall campaigns, 12 safety-critical
- best year 2016 (93/100) · worst 2018 (37/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Journey against Santa Fe Sport
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Dodge Journey
- Electrical System — 711 complaints
- Engine — 633 complaints
- Service Brakes — 511 complaints
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
- Engine — 720 complaints
- Service Brakes — 225 complaints
- Hydraulic — 154 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Journey's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Santa Fe Sport's in Engine. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Dodge Journey — avoid: 2015.
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — avoid: 2017, 2018.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Dodge Journey prices at about $26,600 and a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport at about $22,100 — the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is roughly $4,500 less, and they return 21.0 against 22.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Dodge Journey or the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Journey scores 74/100 against the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Dodge Journey and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years should I avoid?
Dodge Journey: 2015. Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: 2017, 2018. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Dodge Journey and the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The largest complaint group on the Dodge Journey is Electrical System (711 complaints); on the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport it is Engine (720).
Is the Dodge Journey or the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport cheaper to own?
A recent used Dodge Journey prices at about $26,600 and a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport at about $22,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.