Home · 2012 Dodge Journey · Complaints

What 375 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Dodge Journey

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (375)Crash / fire / injury (34)Electrical system (115)Brakes (106)Engine (97)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (44)Transmission & drivetrain (36)Airbags (29)Steering (23)Speed control (20)Fuel system (15)Wheels (13)

8 of 375 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 14, 2021Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngineCrash3 injuries

ENGINE LIGHT MULTIPLE TIMES- EMISSIONS CONTROL - FOUND ONLINE BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL: IN AFFECTED CARS, FCA WILL REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND UPDATE SOFTWARE FOR THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE — THAT IS, YOUR CAR’S PRIMARY DRIVETRAIN COMPUTER. FCA WILL RECYCLE THE OLD CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO REMOVE THE PRECIOUS METALS COMMON IN SUCH DEVICES, A USUAL PRACTICE. “OBVIOUSLY THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THAT’S THE BIGGEST PART OF THIS,” CHERNOBY SAID. THE REPLACEMENT CONVERTER HAS A “DIFFERENT MIXTURE OF PRECIOUS METALS … TO BE LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO SULFUR IN THE FUEL,” HE ADDED. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF REPLACEMENT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS NEEDED, THE AUTOMAKER IS RECALLING CARS IN WAVES. MODEL-YEAR 2011 CARS: FIRST QUARTER OF 2019 MODEL-YEAR 2012 CARS CHRYSLER'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS T47 CHRYSLER'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS S08 CHRYSLER'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS R61 CHRYSLER'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS R32

NHTSA ODI 11388246

Jul 28, 2017Electrical systemEngineFire

DODGE RECALL 2011-2015 2012 DODGE JOURNEY PURCHASED MARCH 25 2017 - TOTAL LOSS AS OF APRIL 24TH 2017 ENGINE BLEW DURING A REVERSE

NHTSA ODI 11011324

Jan 18, 2017EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE JOURNEY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, SMOKE APPEARED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V431000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,026. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

NHTSA ODI 10946193

Oct 25, 2016EngineFire

I HAVE HAD 5 ENGINE FIRES ,IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS, THE FOAM INSIDE THE ENGINE COVER MELTS ,CAUSING TOXIC FUMES TO COME IN SIDE THE DODGE JOURNEY,YOU CAN NOT USE THE HEATER OR A/C BECAUSE YOU WILL LOOSE YOU BREATH, I LMOST HAD A DEATH OCTOBER 23,2016 IN THIS 2012 DODGE JOURNEY, DUE TO TOXIC MELTING FOAM, .. DODGE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, ALSO PLEASE REFER TO COMPLIANT #10915935 NHTSA,PLEASE HAVE SOME ONE CALL OR E MAIL ME , IKNOW THST I WILL LOSE MY JOURNEY SOON DUE TO FIRE.....

NHTSA ODI 10918867

Oct 13, 2016EngineFire

ENGINE COVER CHATCHES FIRE, I HAVE TAKEN THIS 2012 DODGE JOURNEY TO THE DEALERSHIP 23 TIMES, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE COVER , NOW THE NEW COVER HAS BEEN ON FIRE, I WAS TOLD THAT ,THEY -THE DEALER SEVICE DEPT DON'T KNOW WHY THE COVER KEEPS TRYING TO BURN,THIS IS A 2.4 LITER 4CYL ENG, I NEED HELP, BEFORE THIS JOURNEY TOTALLY BURNS..........

NHTSA ODI 10915935

Jun 28, 2016EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE JOURNEY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, SMOKE EMITTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THERE WERE NO FLAMES VISIBLE. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN WITH CAUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V431000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10881269

Nov 18, 2014Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

THE 2012 JOURNEY WAS BEING USED TO JUMPSTART A 1997 F 350 FORD TRUCK. THE F 350 WAS NOT RUNNING WHILE THE JOURNEY WAS. JUMPER CABLES WERE ATTACHED CORRECTLY. THE WOMEN JUMPING THE CAR WENT INTO THE HOUSE FOR A MOMENT WHEN SHE HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND THE ROAR OF THE FIRE. THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE WINDSHIELD WAS BLOW OUT AND FLAMES REACHED 12 FEET INTO THE AIR. AFTER THE FIRE TRUCK PUT OUT THE BLAZE, THE HOOD HAD VAPORIZED . THE CAR WAS REPORTED AS A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE HEAT FROM THE FIRE WAS SO INTENSE IT IGNITED THE F 350. IT TOO WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. I DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION IN THE JOURNEY. THE FIRE CAPTAINS REPORT STATES THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS THE 2012 DODGE JOURNEY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH WOULD OCCUR IF A PERSON IS NEARBY OR SITTING IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10659095

Oct 2, 2014EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 DODGE JOURNEY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, WHICH WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,286.

NHTSA ODI 10640742

Working with the data? Download all 375 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Dodge Journey verdict →