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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)

1 of 375 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

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

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 →