Subaru Outback vs Dodge Journey: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Journey is ahead of the Subaru Outback 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
Subaru Outback
- 13 model years scored
- 6,232 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 57 recall campaigns, 34 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (93/100) · worst 2020 (35/100)
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)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Outback against Journey
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
Subaru Outback
- Electrical System — 1,898 complaints
- Visibility/Wiper — 1,659 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 1,128 complaints
Dodge Journey
- Electrical System — 711 complaints
- Engine — 633 complaints
- Service Brakes — 511 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
Subaru Outback — avoid: 2019, 2020.
Dodge Journey — avoid: 2015.
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 Subaru Outback prices at about $44,100 and a Dodge Journey at about $26,600 — the Dodge Journey is roughly $17,500 less, and they return 28.0 against 21.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Subaru Outback or the Dodge Journey more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Journey scores 74/100 against the Subaru Outback'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 Subaru Outback and Dodge Journey years should I avoid?
Subaru Outback: 2019, 2020. Dodge Journey: 2015. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Subaru Outback and the Dodge Journey?
The largest complaint group on the Subaru Outback is Electrical System (1,898 complaints); on the Dodge Journey it is Electrical System (711).
Is the Subaru Outback or the Dodge Journey cheaper to own?
A recent used Subaru Outback prices at about $44,100 and a Dodge Journey at about $26,600, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.