What are the most common problems?

The electrical system group has the most complaints, followed by unknown or other and back over prevention.

Yes, the by-year fact shows a recall on file. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.

The record shows 66 complaints in total. The engine group is smaller, but owners describe stalling and overheating there.

What is the gas mileage?

See the fuel section on this page for the figures.

See the by-year comparison on this page, which uses the complaint counts for each year.

2020 Dodge Journey Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 66 owner complaints on file for this Dodge Journey^[1]. The electrical system group is the biggest, with 20 complaints^[2].

66owner complaints^[1]

1recalls^[3]

21MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

4★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups owners reported, biggest first.

Electrical System. 20 complaints^[2]. Owners describe a rear camera that flips, flickers or goes dark, plus dash controls and the radio acting up on their own.
Unknown Or Other. 19 complaints^[6]. These reports do not fit a clear component group, so we have little to add.
Back Over Prevention. 14 complaints^[7]. Owners describe the rear camera image turning over or blank and parking sensors that stop working. The median mileage at failure is 41,500^[7].
Engine. 9 complaints^[8]. In the stories we read, owners describe the car losing power while driving, stalling, and overheating from a cooling part that failed.
Exterior Lighting. 5 complaints^[9]. Owners describe moisture building up inside the headlights again and again, even after repairs.
Brakes. 4 complaints^[10]. One of these mentions a crash and one mentions an injury^[10].
Steering. 3 complaints^[11].
Power Train. 3 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2020 Journey is necessarily included.

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera (25V552), August 2025. About 219,577 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]

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, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	19 / 25 / 21	$3,200

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV FWD^[5]	4	4	5	4	18.5%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2020 Dodge Journey with electric motor^[14]	173 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
JOURNEY 4DR SUV AWD V6^[15]	193 in	72 in	67 in	114 in	4,246 lb
JOURNEY 4DR SUV FWD I4^[16]	193 in	72 in	67 in	114 in	3,825 lb
JOURNEY 4DR SUV FWD V6^[17]	193 in	72 in	67 in	114 in	4,043 lb

How 2020 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Journey model year. The 2020 is highlighted^[3].

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 66 complaints and 1 recalls for 2020^[3]. Among the 12 model years listed, 0 have fewer complaints than 2020 and 11 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 2020 Journey?

The complaint record is small, at 66 complaints in total^[1]. The weight sits on the electrical system and rear camera groups^[2]^[7]. Engine reports are fewer, but owners describe serious moments like sudden power loss^[8]. One complaint mentions a fire and none report deaths^[1]. These are unverified owner reports, so check the recalls section and ask a seller whether the camera and lighting have been fixed.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems?: The electrical system group has the most complaints^[2], followed by unknown or other^[6] and back over prevention^[7].
Are there recalls?: Yes, the by-year fact shows a recall on file^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.
Is it reliable?: The record shows 66 complaints in total^[1]. The engine group is smaller^[8], but owners describe stalling and overheating there.
What is the gas mileage?: See the fuel section on this page for the figures.
Which year is best?: See the by-year comparison on this page, which uses the complaint counts for each year^[3].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Dodge Journey

2009 1,594 complaints, 8 recalls
2010 1,085 complaints, 4 recalls
2012 376 complaints, 6 recalls
2013 353 complaints, 4 recalls
2014 416 complaints, 7 recalls
2015 554 complaints, 6 recalls
2016 389 complaints, 4 recalls
2017 201 complaints, 2 recalls
2018 237 complaints, 6 recalls
2019 102 complaints, 1 recall
2020 this page

Compare all model years of the Dodge Journey

All Dodge models

Similar cars from 2020: small suvs

2020 Land Rover Discovery 32 complaints, 10 recalls
2020 Lincoln Corsair 61 complaints, 16 recalls
2020 Mazda CX-9 19 complaints, 1 recall
2020 Mitsubishi Outlander 57 complaints, 4 recalls
2020 Nissan Pathfinder 48 complaints, 0 recalls
2020 Nissan Rogue 152 complaints, 1 recall

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 66 owner complaints on file for the 2020 Dodge Journey (1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
20 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Dodge Journey model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Journey, 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
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 18.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
19 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
14 complaints name the back over prevention component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 41,500). NHTSA vehicle records
9 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
5 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the brakes component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the steering component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 25V552, filed August 26, 2025: Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera. NHTSA recall database
EPA Test Car List, 2020 Dodge Journey with electric motor: rated 173 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, JOURNEY 4DR SUV AWD V6: length 193 in, width 72 in, height 67 in, wheelbase 114 in, curb weight 4,246 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, JOURNEY 4DR SUV FWD I4: length 193 in, width 72 in, height 67 in, wheelbase 114 in, curb weight 3,825 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, JOURNEY 4DR SUV FWD V6: length 193 in, width 72 in, height 67 in, wheelbase 114 in, curb weight 4,043 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2020 Dodge Journey: problems, recalls and fuel economy