2012 Dodge Journey problems & reliability
375 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Journey, alongside 6 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.
13 complaints report injuries (24 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Dodge Journey vehicles were involved in 45 fatal crashes with 25 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 | 115 | 31% |
| Engine | 97 | 26% |
| Service Brakes | 95 | 25% |
| Unknown OR Other | 48 | 13% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 44 | 12% |
| Power Train | 36 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 29 | 8% |
| Steering | 23 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 20 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 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 80,295 miles (middle 50% between 37,700 and 110,508 miles), based on 259 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 1, 2026
“I need antilock breaking module part number 68194693AF. The manufacturer has put it on a back order with around 1000 orders waiting. Please check why they are not issuing a recall when so many people are waiting for the same issue.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 18, 2026
“My 2012 dodge journey suddenly and violently stalled in the middle of crossing a green light. no check engine lights prior to this only thing that happened a few days before was car wouldn’t start said to press clutch and start button I have an automatic engine, and kept saying keys lefts vehicle even though keys…”
Power Train · filed Feb 15, 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
Technical service bulletins
224 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 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
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100653 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
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
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 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 2012 Dodge Journey has 6 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 2012 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 80,295 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.