2011 Dodge Journey problems & reliability
169 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Journey, alongside 4 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.
7 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 Dodge Journey vehicles were involved in 15 fatal crashes with 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 47 | 28% |
| Electrical System | 43 | 25% |
| Engine | 29 | 17% |
| Steering | 23 | 14% |
| Power Train | 20 | 12% |
| Air Bags | 14 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 14 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 4% |
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 18,625 and 98,437 miles), based on 134 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Power steering starts leaking in cold climates resulting in tightness and difficulty in steering wheel . recall code s08”
Steering · filed May 22, 2026
“Stirring wheel fluid hose has burst during cold weather, and will lose control of wheel. My car wasn’t listed in the recall for that said issue for other dodge journey’s. I had it repair ones and now its doing it again.”
Steering · filed Jan 22, 2026
“The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard with the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS brake module…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 20, 2025
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
Technical service bulletins
162 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Dodge Journey. The 10 most recent:
Emissions Recall U67 - Catalytic Converter Efficiency - Dealer Notification (Revision 11)
U67 Combo Rev11 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jun 18, 2026
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
STARTER - ENGINE
103617 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 20, 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
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 2011 Dodge Journey has 4 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 2011 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.