2010 Dodge Journey problems & reliability
987 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Dodge Journey, alongside 3 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.
15 complaints report injuries (19 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2010 Dodge Journey vehicles were involved in 47 fatal crashes with 30 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 | 599 | 61% |
| Engine | 164 | 17% |
| Unknown OR Other | 110 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 100 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 89 | 9% |
| Steering | 69 | 7% |
| Power Train | 48 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 40 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 36 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 34 | 3% |
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 73,000 miles (middle 50% between 42,000 and 104,000 miles), based on 744 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was backing out of the driveway. Pulled forward to a two-way stop and my driver side headrest exploded and shot my head forward and I almost went in a two-way traffic. Now I have whiplash”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 9, 2026
“Car since bought either won't start or fails to come out of gear then stalls out in reverse or randomly in intersections I have small children and it's dangerous and several mechanic cant figure it out. Replaced batteries starters and issue continues”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 18, 2026
“This situation is occurring more and more often with this vehicle. The vehicle will be in drive, moving, and in the middle of a road or highway just shutdown completely. It happened 4 times 2 weeks ago. Brought to a auto mechanic and nothing could be discovered to be malfunctioning.”
Electrical System · filed Apr 20, 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
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
- 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
54 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 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
Lubrication and Maintenance Fluids If MOPAR fluids and chemicals are not readily available, please review Service Library for specifications so a suitable alternative can be used
9100196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
If a Mopar oil filter is not available, use a filter that meets or exceeds USCAR36 specification and is compatible with semi and full synthetic oils.
S2209000004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2022
Oil Filter If a Mopar Oil Filter is not available, use a filter that meets or exceeds USCAR36 specification and is compatible with semi and full synthetic oils. Recommended Brands: Wix, Purolator, and NapaGold
9004509 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2022
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 2010 Dodge Journey has 3 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 2010 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 73,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.