Dodge Journey vs Subaru Ascent: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Journey is ahead of the Subaru Ascent on the federal record, 74/100 against 70/100 — 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)
Subaru Ascent
- 7 model years scored
- 1,029 owner complaints on record
- about 29 complaints per year on the road
- 24 recall campaigns, 8 safety-critical
- best year 2025 (87/100) · worst 2019 (32/100)
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 Ascent
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
Subaru Ascent
- Electrical System — 289 complaints
- Power Train — 179 complaints
- Visibility/Wiper — 152 complaints
Both nameplates have Electrical System as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Dodge Journey — avoid: 2015.
Subaru Ascent — avoid: 2019, 2020.
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 Subaru Ascent at about $44,100 — the Dodge Journey is roughly $17,500 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 Subaru Ascent more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Journey scores 74/100 against the Subaru Ascent's 70/100, 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 Subaru Ascent years should I avoid?
Dodge Journey: 2015. Subaru Ascent: 2019, 2020. 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 Subaru Ascent?
The largest complaint group on the Dodge Journey is Electrical System (711 complaints); on the Subaru Ascent it is Electrical System (289).
Is the Dodge Journey or the Subaru Ascent cheaper to own?
A recent used Dodge Journey prices at about $26,600 and a Subaru Ascent at about $44,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.