2018 Dodge Journey
The Verdict
The 2018 Dodge Journey has 237 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (85 complaints) and electrical (78 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 49/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Dodge Journey, consider the 2020 model year which has 72% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2020 has 72% fewer complaints
View the 2020 Dodge Journey dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 3
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
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 vehi...
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. Chrysl...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
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 vehic...
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. Chrysl...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
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...
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...
Reported Sep 8, 2018
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine shut off without warning, causing an immediate loss of power steering and power brake functionality. The contact maintained control and guided the vehicle to a stop safely. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
I own a 2018 Dodge Journey Crossroad V6. I am submitting this complaint because I have experienced multiple serious and recurring problems with the vehicle. The vehicle has had multiple transmission repairs/replacements. I have spent a significant amount of money addressing transmission problems, yet I continue to have major mechanical issues with the vehicle. The vehicle is also experiencing catalytic-converter/emissions-system problems. The check-engine light is on and the vehicle has produced diagnostic trouble codes P0420 and P0430, indicating catalyst-system efficiency problems affecting both banks. I am concerned about the reliability and safety of continuing to operate the vehicle with these issues, particularly given the repeated mechanical problems I have already experienced. Another significant safety concern is the factory backup camera. The camera intermittently glitches and the image can suddenly appear upside down. This makes the rear-view display unreliable and potentially prevents the driver from accurately seeing people, vehicles, or objects behind the vehicle while backing up. The problem is intermittent, which makes it especially concerning because the driver cannot reliably know when the camera will malfunction. I am requesting that NHTSA document these problems and investigate whether there are known defects or safety issues affecting 2018 Dodge Journey vehicles, particularly regarding the transmission, catalytic-converter/catalyst-system problems, and malfunctioning backup camera.
My rear view back up camera flipped upside down.. then it would have lines in it like an old tv.. now it’s just black and doesn’t work at all. There is a recall for my model just 1 year newer than mine. Can you help me!
Technician notes exterior headlight assembly is defective and not reflecting bright.
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 up camera stopped working 3 years ago.
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.
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.
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
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.
My backup camera doesn’t work sometimes and it says that my camera is upside down but it’s not.
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
237 total