2009 Dodge Journey problems & reliability
1,433 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Dodge Journey, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
27 complaints report injuries (34 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Dodge Journey vehicles were involved in 52 fatal crashes with 35 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 767 | 54% |
| Air Bags | 269 | 19% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 195 | 14% |
| Engine | 149 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 106 | 7% |
| Power Train | 104 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 84 | 6% |
| Steering | 72 | 5% |
| Tires | 52 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 34 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 65,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,000 and 100,000 miles), based on 977 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 14, 2026
“Power steering hose ruptured after a few days of snow and ice. I went to drive to the store but was unable to turn out of the driveway due to no power steering. I done some research to where I found out there was a recall for this same issue but evidently my VIN # isn't included in this recall as while as many others…”
Steering · filed Feb 4, 2026
“The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing in cold weather, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that the power steering hose was leaking fluid and had detached. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact related the…”
Steering · filed Feb 2, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Vehicle entrapment
Engineering Analysis EA24003 · opened Aug 1, 2024 · open
- Vehicle entrapment
Preliminary Evaluation PE23008 · opened May 1, 2023 · closed Aug 15, 2024
- Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
Defect Petition DP14004 · opened Sep 25, 2014 · closed Jul 24, 2015
- Air Bag Non-Deployment/Engine Stall
Recall Query RQ14002 · opened Jun 16, 2014 · closed Mar 2, 2015 · led to recall 14V373000
Technical service bulletins
52 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Dodge Journey. The 10 most recent:
LAMP - DOME
106241 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2025
LAMP - DOME
104974 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 12, 2025
LAMP - DOME
103774 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2025
ACTUATOR - A/C AND HEATER
103954 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
ACTUATOR - A/C AND HEATER
104087 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number…
9004009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2021
(Revision A) No Start No Crank ? Starter Will Not Engage And There Are No Related Codes Or Concerns
S1121000006RevA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2020
(Revision A) No Start No Crank ? Starter Will Not Engage And There Are No Related Codes Or Concerns
S1121000006 Rev. · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Dodge Journey has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Dodge Journey?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 65,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.