Owners have filed 1,594 complaints with NHTSA about this Journey[1]. The electrical system is the group named most often, with 814 complaints[2].
Most reported problems
Here are the complaint groups in the stories we read, biggest first.
- Electrical System. 814 complaints[2]. Owners describe door locks that malfunction, alarms that will not shut off, lights that stop working and cars that will not start. Some tell of the engine shutting off after a bump to the key fob.
- Brakes. 359 complaints[5]. Owners describe front pads and rotors wearing out far sooner than they expected. Some say dealers had no explanation for the early wear.
- Air Bags. 286 complaints[6]. Owners describe the air bag warning light coming on, sometimes again after a repair. A few stories involve crashes where owners say some air bags stayed folded.
- Engine. 196 complaints[7]. Owners describe ticking noises, the engine surging in park and the car stalling on the road. Fires also appear in this group[7].
- Power Train. 132 complaints[8]. The group includes 6 crashes and 10 fires[8].
- Unknown Or Other. 97 complaints[9]. These reports do not fit a named component.
- Steering. 79 complaints[10]. The median mileage at failure is 95,015[10].
- Tires. 71 complaints[11]. The median mileage at failure is 32,000[11].
Recalls
Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2009 Journey is necessarily included.
- Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, And Connections (16V273), May 2016. About 8,569 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, steering problems, loss of power. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[12]
- Air Bags › Frontal (16V047), January 2016. About 110,482 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[13]
- Air Bags (14V373), June 2014. About 722,705 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, steering problems, reduced braking. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[14]
- Electrical System › Wiring (10V658), December 2010. About 64,934 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[15]
- Air Bags › Frontal (09V118), April 2009. About 4,314 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[16]
- Electrical System (09V082), March 2009. About 16,852 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[17]
- Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) (08V528), October 2008. About 712 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, stalling. Dealers do the repair free of charge.[18]
- Electrical System › Wiring (08V247), June 2008. About 6,692 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire.[19]
Fuel economy
EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.
| Version | City / highway / combined MPG | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|
| Journey 2WD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive[4] | 19 / 25 / 21 | $3,200 |
| Journey 4WD, 3.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive[20] | 15 / 22 / 17 | $3,950 |
| Journey 2WD, 3.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive[21] | 16 / 23 / 18 | $3,700 |
Safety ratings
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD/AWD[22] | n/a | n/a | n/a | 4 | 17.9% |
How 2009 compares with other years
Show the numbers
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1,594 | 8 |
| 2010 | 1,085 | 4 |
| 2011 | 169 | 4 |
| 2012 | 376 | 6 |
| 2013 | 353 | 4 |
| 2014 | 416 | 7 |
| 2015 | 554 | 6 |
| 2016 | 389 | 4 |
| 2017 | 201 | 2 |
| 2018 | 237 | 6 |
| 2019 | 102 | 1 |
| 2020 | 66 | 1 |
NHTSA's counts for the Journey show 1,594 complaints and 8 recalls for 2009[3]. Among the 12 model years listed, 11 have fewer complaints than 2009 and 0 have more[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2020 (66) and the most are for 2009 (1,594)[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.
Should you buy a used 2009 Journey?
NHTSA holds 1,594 owner complaints for this Journey[1]. The electrical system and the brakes lead the list[2][5]. Air bag complaints are fewer but include crashes and injuries[6]. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales[1]. If you are shopping for one, read the recalls, fuel and safety sections on this page and check that open recalls were completed.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Dodge Journey?
- Owners name the electrical system most often, then the brakes and the air bags[2][5][6]. See the problems section above for what owners describe.
- Does the 2009 Dodge Journey have recalls?
- Yes. The by-year fact lists 8 recalls for this model year[3]. The Recalls section on this page lists each one by code.
- How many complaints has the 2009 Dodge Journey received?
- NHTSA has 1,594 owner complaints on file[1]. They are unverified reports and one complaint can name several components.
- What is the gas mileage of the 2009 Dodge Journey?
- See the fuel economy section of this page for the EPA figures.
Keep exploring
Other model years of the Dodge Journey
Compare all model years of the Dodge Journey
Other Dodge models from 2009
Similar cars from 2009: suvs
Facts and sources
- NHTSA has 1,594 owner complaints on file for the 2009 Dodge Journey (42 mention a crash, 37 a fire, 35 injuries, 1 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
- 814 complaints name the electrical system component group (12 crashes, 17 fires, 11 injuries, median mileage at failure 80,000). NHTSA vehicle records
- Owner complaints and recalls for every Dodge Journey model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
- EPA rating for Journey 2WD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 19 city / 25 highway / 21 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- 359 complaints name the brakes component group (8 crashes, 5 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 22,463). NHTSA vehicle records
- 286 complaints name the air bags component group (24 crashes, 1 fires, 25 injuries, median mileage at failure 100,000). NHTSA vehicle records
- 196 complaints name the engine component group (6 crashes, 14 fires, 4 injuries, median mileage at failure 79,500). NHTSA vehicle records
- 132 complaints name the power train component group (6 crashes, 10 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 77,456). NHTSA vehicle records
- 97 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 99,000). NHTSA vehicle records
- 79 complaints name the steering component group (3 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 95,015). NHTSA vehicle records
- 71 complaints name the tires component group (1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 32,000). NHTSA vehicle records
- Recall 16V273, filed May 6, 2016: Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, And Connections. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 16V047, filed January 29, 2016: Air Bags › Frontal. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 14V373, filed June 26, 2014: Air Bags. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 10V658, filed December 24, 2010: Electrical System › Wiring. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 09V118, filed April 9, 2009: Air Bags › Frontal. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 09V082, filed March 12, 2009: Electrical System. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 08V528, filed October 9, 2008: Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Control Module (Tcm / Pcm / Tecm). NHTSA recall database
- Recall 08V247, filed June 3, 2008: Electrical System › Wiring. NHTSA recall database
- EPA rating for Journey 4WD, 3.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 22 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- EPA rating for Journey 2WD, 3.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 23 highway / 18 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD/AWD: rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 17.9%. NHTSA vehicle records