2017 Dodge Journey problems & reliability
196 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Dodge Journey, alongside 2 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.
12 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Dodge Journey vehicles were involved in 89 fatal crashes with 27 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 → | 59 | 30% |
| Engine → | 43 | 22% |
| Power Train → | 31 | 16% |
| Air Bags → | 29 | 15% |
| Unknown OR Other | 25 | 13% |
| Seats → | 19 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 19 | 10% |
| Steering → | 15 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 14 | 7% |
| Service Brakes → | 14 | 7% |
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 35,799 miles (middle 50% between 22,750 and 63,625 miles), based on 104 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving on a smooth paved road at normal speed, the active head restraint on the passenger seat suddenly deployed without any impact or collision. The headrest struck the passenger in the back of the head, causing pain and a potential injury. The vehicle did not experience a crash, bump, or sudden stop. After…”
Seats · filed Jul 7, 2026
“The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60–70 MPH, the traction control warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was released, the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jun 16, 2026
“Had over 1300 miles until next oil change. Car has no leaking issues. Car ran out of oil completely and seized engine during camping trip. I use synthetic and both mileage/time were both way under than what was on my next oil change sticker... warranty says they won't cover it. So now I just have a shell of a car I…”
Power Train · filed Jun 7, 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
- Back up camera failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE24006 · opened Feb 27, 2024 · closed Sep 26, 2025
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
Technical service bulletins
157 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Dodge Journey. The 10 most recent:
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
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
S1408000384 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2024
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
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
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 2017 Dodge Journey has 2 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 2017 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 35,799 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.