NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Dodge Journey. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH on two occasions, the vehicle lost power, and the brake pedal and the steering wheel became stiff. There were no warning lights illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off because the contact was nervous to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal scraping sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact became aware that the power steering cooler and hoses were hanging down underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the hood flew open and struck the windshield and cracking the bottom of the windshield. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to partially close the hood. The contact then drove to her father's residence, and the contact's father assisted with closing the hood. The used car dealer, where the vehicle was purchased, was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Rear backup camera recently went black while still displaying check your surroundings message, and immediately returned to normal after a few seconds. Approximately one week later the image flipped 180 degrees to a upside down position in which I lost perception of where I was while backing up. Thankfully the warning beeper was working and I stopped before backing into a car in a busy street. Have not seen a dealership yet. I have looked up my vin and found no recall for this specific issue, but I did discover that newer models 2018 to 2020 did have a recall for the exact issue that I am having.
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ON THESE MODELS ARE FAILING TOO. THERE ARE RECALLS ON THE OTHER 2017 DODGE JOURNEYS, PLEASE ADD THIS MODEL TOO THEM ASAP ITS DANGEROUS AND WE USE THIS TO TRANSPORT KIDS. THANK YOU PHOTOS OF FAILING CODES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Initially, the component that was failing was the rear wiper blade. The wiper blade would not perform a proper rotation. It wouldn’t move at all when I would turn the switch, but anytime the car was unlocked or locked. The door was open or closed the blade would move. A few days later, one reverse light was out. The rear wiper doesn’t really pose any risks but with my reverse lights, failing and any other lights in the rear could be a safety issue. My partner being an elevator mechanic knows electrical like the back of his hand., so he did the process of elimination, realized that it was the wiring at the back hatch. The wiring is shot brittle breaking burning.. which could possibly start a car fire which would put me my child. My boyfriend in danger.. the problem has not been confirmed by a dealer have not taken it to an independent service center. My partner does all of the repair maintenance on my car. I did not get any warning, signs or messages prior to the failure. My partner has fixed the wiring issue at the back hatch, but if it still needs to be inspected, I’m sure if wiring is checked anywhere else in the car it’s gonna be the same issue. The wires are brittle and breaking melting,
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light unexpectedly illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,718.
Drivers side head rest popped open after getting out of vehicle at a store I stopped at after a hike. No warning lights no accident prior to this happening. It literally just popped open passenger in vehicle thought it was a cool feature until we researched this was a potential safety flaw that some how this vehicle is not showing eligible for.
The electrical system keeps failing. The front windows the radio ac and power lock and doors glitch on and off. This is daily to put where the radio and ac will not stay on for more than 30 seconds.
In April 2025 I was driving and the abs light came on and windshield wipers went off sporadically. Dodge dealer found nothing wrong. It happened again in June 2025. Dodge dealer had car for 1 week and stated they could not find problem but car was safe to drive. They said to return when problems were more constant. On the morning of 8/14/2025, I dropped someone off at the dr and went to Starbucks. Went inside for order. While driving back to drs windshield wipers went crazy and car started to stutter. I pulled over .4 miles from Starbucks. When I stopped I saw smoke so got out of the car and could see flames. I went to open backdoor for my purse but door would not open. Drivers door was not fully closed so was able to retrieve to call 911. Fire department arrived quickly but front of car was already engulfed in flames. Fire department was able to get Fire out. Car was a total loss.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH with her son seated in the front passenger’s seat, there was a loud popping sound coming from the passenger’s side seat before the front passenger’s seat headrest exploded. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be inspected; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to a fractured clip. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The active headrest deployed in the driver's seat while the vehicle was in use. The vehicle was not involved in any accident at the time of the deployment, and it was unprovoked.
My check light came on and when I check the code which was a p0420, Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1). Emissions Recall U67: Catalytic Converter Efficiency. This was part of the recall. Therefore it doesn’t meet the CA emissions standard. It is causing my vehicle to slightly overheat at standstill. It’s hasn’t been inspected yet and It has been over a month since this started happening to the vehicle.
My wife and I each have a 2017 Dodge journey. Both of our vehicles have now shown codes for catalytic converter issues. Previous years of Dodge journeys have been recalled for similar issues, but not ours at least not yet. I don't think it's right that we should have to repair on two cars the exact same issue that is reported for other journey years.
My family has two Dodge journeys both 2017s. The catalytic converter code keeps popping on our cars. Other years of Dodge journeys and other Dodge vehicles have had recalls for those but not ours. Seems suspect to me that we would have two Dodge journeys that are popping for the same codes, and this seems to be a issue in other Dodge journey years previously.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights were flashing on the instrument panel. The contact stated that after receiving an oil change, the engine oil was low within a week. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the oil level was topped off, and the contact was informed that the engine oil cooler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that oil was leaking onto top of the transmission and that the engine oil cooler needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Transmission is going out car has been taken care of it started over heating and you can feel it switching gears! Taken to shop was told Transmission needs to be replaced
I’ve had to replace the thermostat 4 times in 6 months, PTO was just repaired and now it fails to accelerate past 2000 rpm, transmission is clunking when shifting. I just got my car back from the Chrysler dealership.
We were driving on the interstate and my front seat passenger headrest blew apart. I could have suffered neck injury due to the force of the impact, or accident due to startling the driver. We called our local dealership and they were familiar with this issue however stated it is not on a recall and we could have the headrest replaced for $500 plus labor. There were no warning signs from the vehicle. I did have a sore neck and headaches for a couple of days. I just had a mechanical give me this page and said I should report the issue.
Didn’t get into accident but a couple months ago my car wouldn’t start , wouldn’t try to the lights wouldn’t come on nothing. Someone cleaned battery terminal it started . Now randomly sometimes it won’t start it will try but won’t so I put it neutral and barley push it toward put it back in park then it will start .
I am so not happy with Jacob Conlon who works at Mitsubishi in La porte. I realized that he was playing with me all the time and that he never repaired my suv until I found out from Danny who works at Dodge. I dropped it off at service and picked it up more than 5 times because Jacob never repair it
The driver side Active Head Rest deployed while driving on the highway striking me in the back of the head. Luckily it did not cause any accidents or injuries.
I bought my 2017 dodge journey new in 2017 about 2mouths ago I start having problems with my windows now going up or down , I bought a new window switch and still didn’t work .i notice broken wires in the driver side wire harness,I believe this s a safety issue and needs to be addressed immediately thanks .
Passenger head rest deployed for no reason. If someone was in the seat they would have got severe whiplash. It was a broken plastic piece inside the headrest. This is a common occurrence. There were no warnings. I kept the part in case it needs to be inspected. Definitely a manufacturers defect that needs to be addressed before someone gets hurt
So on 7/1/24 our vehicle started overheating some. And then we had the check engine light to come on along with another light that looks like a lightning bolt inside an inside out parenthesis. So I research the symbol and it came back as an issue with the Electric Throttle Control which is also means there is a problem with the electric parking brake. And then a mesage came on that said OIL TEMP HIGH SPEED MAY BE LIMITED. And then it started smoking really bad under the hood. So i researched some more and found out back in 2018 there was a recall on the same issue that was completed on September 23rd 2018.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the instrument cluster was flickering, and the vehicle stopped. The contact pulled over and noticed smoke. The contact opened the hood and detected a fire. The contact extinguished the fire with some water he had. There were two unknown warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, a police report, or an air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine light came on. ABS light on. Red lightning bolt light came on. Car running very rough with diminishing power. Local mechanic said take it to the dealer. Took it to the dealer and it was repaired. Noted that there is a recall for RAM trucks with same problem but none for the Journey.
Pull over police officer stated said lights are to dim to be driving at night told me I need to have my lights checked out. While driving about 60- 62 mph the vehicle just shut down without warning trying push the accelerator it would not go no further stuck on interstate with emergency blinkers if could of cause bad accident or someone could of hit me without warning. Dodge journey I need some assistance with my vehicle Opposite site Interstate
IN THE MIDST OF DRIVING THE RED ELECTRIC LIGHTNING BOLT SIGNAL STARTED FLASHING, SECONDS LATER THE NON-SLIPPERY SIGNAL CAME ON AND THEN THE CAR STARTED SHAKING/RATTLING. THE GAS PEDAL BECAME HARD TO PRESS AND MY CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, FORCING ME TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND TURNING THE CAR OFF.
The actuator for cabin air engages when vehicle is completely off. This is due to a short in the electrical system, causing the actuator to function when power is directly applied. This could cause the electrical system to overheat and cause a fire.
The vehicle shuts off while driving. It has occurred 6 times over the course of a year. It results in a total loss of power, steering, brakes creating a very unsafe scenario. It has happened 5 times while doing above 35 mph and in one case above 50 mph and resulting in one missed stop sign. This creates a tremendous level of anxiety. I have taken it in on four occasions to reputable repair facilities Christian brothers automotive for repair three times soon to be four times and CarMax once. Three times I was turned away with no help only inspection fees. The fourth time Christian brothers replaced cam shaft sensors only to have another incident while driving 40mph down the road. Thankfully I was able to stop safely and now I have another appointment scheduled for service. I feel like there is a safety miss on this vehicle.
The car lost power and wouldn't speed up. Could have been rear ended. We had the abs light come on,the traction control light on, the air bag light on and a few more I didn't recognize they came on and went out so fast. Had to pull over and restart the car.
The contact owned a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the instrument panel began to behave erratically, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, prompting her to attempt to quickly veer to the shoulder of the roadway. As a result, the contact was sideswiped by another vehicle on the driver's side. The air bags did not deploy. All warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact transported herself to an area hospital and was treated for a nondescript injury to her right shoulder. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V332000 (Electrical System, Vehicle Speed Control), and the VIN was included, and parts were available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the service AWD, ABS, and cruise control warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic for the failure; however, the cause of the failure was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired because a permanent remedy had not been determined, and several unknown parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
I bought my 2017 Dodge Journey in September 2021, as I was driving home I noticed an issue with acceleration. I would have my foot on the throttle and the vehicle would seemingly convulse, like accelerate then bow down and repeat. I brought It back to the dealership and they kept it for a week and returned my vehicle stating they couldn't figure out the issue. to this day it still does the same thing! Its so dangerous especially when pulling out from a stop sign or a highway into flowing traffic. Sometimes My car will accelerate Great! Mostly its slow and harsh when im on the throttle. Only stops when I release the gas petal or floor it... NOT SAFE The dealership
My engine light came on my vehicle and the dealership says it’s a catalytic converter problem and I need a new one. That part apparently is recalled on other vehicles but not on mine for the year 2017. But other vehicles are having issues with that part as well and the dealership says the manufacturer should pay for it since it’s recalled but the manufacturer told me no due to not being in a certain year. I have kids and need my car.
Throttle system gave out in 2018. Had the system replaced. Throttle light is still coming on and will lose pressure. And the rear back windshield wiper will not go all the way down. And heating/cooling system is not working properly in the front part of the SUV. Or in the back
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle, she observed that the driver's side seat headrest had detached from the seat, potentially compromising safety in the event of a collision. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
My ac or radio will turn on when ever it wants. I can turn my stuff off up to 18 times in a day. I have no control over my units front or back. I have spoken to neighbors co workers and strangers who have the same car. Every last person I have talked to is having the same issue with this car. I have taken my car while it was under warranty to have the issue taken care of. They will not do anything since they don't witnes it happening. This should definitely be a recal.
Transmission oil pump is faulty. It was recalled on the previous years
Alternator/Battery issue Alternator replaced 3 times Not charging causing battery today Electrical issue cannot be diagnosed Vehicle shut off while going 65 on highway. Loss of power steering/braking function. Car accelerated by itself. This has happened three times and been replaced three times.
Air bags did not deploy when I hit someone at 35+mph. My passenger and my safety was put at risk because the air bags did not deploy causing us to be thrown forward forcefully causing pain in our back and neck. Car is being towed to a shop and I let them know my concerns for the air bag being faulty
Was hit by another vehicle in front driver wheel which knocked me off the roadway. During the collision I kept hitting the brakes and the car wouldn't stop. I had no control over the steering as well. My car then hit a fence. My airbags never deployed with extensive damage to the front end of my car. Because of the airbags not deploying I hit my head on the steering wheel causing injury as well as my knees hit the dashboard.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while the seat belt was in use, the seat belt and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the seat belt sensors needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle could only be serviced by the dealer. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
In June 2023, the air bag light came on intermittently. In July 2023, the air bag light came on and stayed on (no longer intermittent.
The lights on the interior are coming on by them self, I believe the problem lies in the rear wire harnesses. My car only has 31000 miles
The vehicle wouldn’t start, just kept idolizing. After trying for 10 minutes then getting a new key battery, the vehicle started then engine light was on. A code for crankshaft was on. But then check engine light went off by time I was home. Car broke down in middle of road. Wheel and breaks locked up which was very unsafe with my kids in car and I was unable to move it till tow truck came. Vehicle started working once it was at the auto repair shop. So we had him change the fuel pump because nothing else would show was wrong with the vehicle. Then 5 days later it broke down again. It is now back at the auto repair with no code showing.
UNKNOWN
The middle row bench seat, middle seat seatbelt doesn’t function the way it should. It doesn’t lock when you fully extend it or be able to hold a person during an accident. This seat has hooks for a child restraint but can’t see how it will hold a child seat if the seat belt won’t lock in place during an accident. Took my vehicle to a dodge dealer in Michigan City, IN who informed me this is not a defect, it’s the way the vehicle was designed. I have serious concerns about this because that is the seat someone can go through the windshield.
As I was driving in March 2023 every light on the dashboard came on in the car. The car started shaking, the engine was very loud, the car speed slowed down than stopped, as I pressed the gas the car would not accelerate. After the car was parked overnight it started than I drove it to a Dodge dealership for repair, after being at the dealership for 7 days nothing was found by the technician to be wrong, the problem never happened while it was at the dealership, so I took the car. While driving the car for 7 months after the issue when I would drive up hills, I would have to completely press down on the gas to make it up the smallest hills. I didn't have any other issues until November 3, 2023, I was driving down the street and the same thing happened again. All the dashboard lights came on the car started shaking and the car speed slowed down eventually stopping.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driveshaft detached from the rear axle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.