2018 Dodge Journey Owner Complaints

Technician notes exterior headlight assembly is defective and not reflecting bright.

NHTSA ID

11765367

Incident

Sep 18, 2026

Air Bag in the steering wheel. we took it back to the dealership for them to fix or do something about it and they refused to. No warning at all.

NHTSA ID

11764844

Incident

Feb 10, 2024

Sitting at red light and with out warning car turns off I place it in park and try to start car again as soon as I push the ignition to crank the car a huge explosion from under the hood blew the hood backwards striking the a-piler to the driver's door trapping me inside the car as flames were observed coming through the dashboard had to forcefully kick driver side window out of frame to dive out of the car because the door being jammed shut

NHTSA ID

11761448

Incident

Aug 19, 2026

First Complain is that I was driving my 2018 Dodge Journey SE 2.4L across the interstate in [XXX]. My friend was sitting in the Passenger's seat when all of a sudden a loud popping noise happened and the airbag in the headrest popped out and almost hit my friend in the head. The second issue is that the headlight assemblies that was replaced under a recall in 2022-2023 due to a reflective issue. Well the the recall assemblies are now collecting moisture bad and are blowing my headlight bulbs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11759321

Incident

Aug 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed that an unknown recall was not associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact later received an unknown recall notification with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11757898

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

Mileage

80,000 mi

The factory-installed ParkView rear backup camera on my 2018 Dodge Journey is suffering from an intermittent, severe component failure. The video display randomly flips completely upside down while reversing. Frequently, the system fails entirely, leaving a completely blank or black screen on the center infotainment console.

NHTSA ID

11757288

Incident

Aug 15, 2026

The brake calipers and brake rotators in the front are a safety concern. In other recalls the rear calipers and rotors have been flagged for recall. The front also has the same issue. Unrelated the visibility of the front windshield is extremely obstructed by the plastic body that surrounds the windshield. It is over 6 in wide and very unsafe when trying to exit Ally's or before turning at traffic lights.

NHTSA ID

11756534

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera image was inverted. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E052000 (Back Over Prevention), and the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and scheduled an appointment with the dealer on the contact's behalf. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who declined to perform the recall repair because the VIN was not included in the recall. However, the contact stated that the recall indicated that the recall was part-specific rather than VIN-specific. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ID

11756433

Incident

Jul 12, 2026

Mileage

68,000 mi

The backup camera went off for several days. There was an error message on the rearview mirror. The camera picture eventually came back on, but the camera is now pointing at my bumper. I cannot see behind my car anymore and I can no longer use it to see while backing up.

NHTSA ID

11755529

Incident

Jun 5, 2026

Loss of Visibility in Backup Camera When in reverses the camera will come on then go fuzzy then go out and displays a camera in orange with an orange line going though it

NHTSA ID

11754897

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

Back up camera stopped working 3 years ago.

NHTSA ID

11753182

Incident

Mar 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to stop immediately. The traction control, ABS, and brake warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the calipers, rotors, and brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ID

11752059

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Mileage

110,000 mi

The rearview backup camera intermittently fails to display an image when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. The camera occasionally works, but most of the time the screen is blank or the image does not appear. I understand that similar 2018 Dodge Journey vehicles were recalled for this exact defect, but my VIN was excluded even though it exhibits the same symptoms. This creates a significant safety hazard because the vehicle does not consistently comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111.

NHTSA ID

11750685

Incident

Jun 25, 2026

Back up camera works sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t. The screen is either black with a orange camera with a orange line going through it or it works and the picture of blinking then goes black

NHTSA ID

11750522

Incident

Jan 7, 2026

There is a leak somewhere on my driver’s side of my 2018 Dodge Journey. The water is coming up from the floor. The wetness caused my foot to slip off the pedal initially. A mechanic has determined that there is a leak, but can’t determine how to fix it. I’ve seen other people complain about the same issue, without any definitive fixes.

NHTSA ID

11750130

Incident

May 31, 2026

My backup camera doesn’t work sometimes and it says that my camera is upside down but it’s not.

NHTSA ID

11749044

Incident

Mar 4, 2026

Was driving when power saver mode came on then died on the road. Charged the battery and it died 1 minute later checked the voltage and it appears the pump voltage regulator stopped working

NHTSA ID

11746171

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

The wires that control my windows no longer work because the wires are in my door jam and after years of opening and closing the door on the wires they are worn out

NHTSA ID

11739675

Incident

May 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera occasionally displayed a brief intermittent image, an inverted image, or the camera was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V398000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who confirmed that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ID

11735092

Incident

May 1, 2026

Mileage

84,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the back over prevention camera was foggy or the image was displayed upside down. An independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the back over prevention camera wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V396000 (VISIBILITY); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11729403

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Mileage

140,000 mi

I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2018 Dodge Journey SE (VIN: [XXX] ) related to a failure in the vehicle’s emissions control system, specifically the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. On January 13, 2026, the vehicle began producing a strong sulfur or “rotten egg” odor while driving, and shortly afterward the check engine light illuminated. Diagnostic testing revealed trouble code P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold – Bank 1). This code indicates that the catalytic converter is not properly converting exhaust gases, which can result in increased emissions and potential exposure to exhaust fumes. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealership in Maurice, Louisiana, which confirmed that the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors are failing and must be replaced. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. This vehicle was purchased for our growing family and is regularly used to transport our children, including a [XXX] infant and a [XXX] child. Since the emissions system issue began, occupants have noticed persistent exhaust-like fumes and strong sulfur odors while the vehicle is operating. Our infant has experienced recurring respiratory issues, and our [XXX] began experiencing respiratory symptoms after we purchased this vehicle. While we cannot definitively determine the cause, we are concerned that exposure to exhaust fumes from the malfunctioning emissions system may be contributing to these health issues. In addition, adult occupants have reported feeling unusually tired or fatigued after longer car rides in the vehicle, which raises additional concerns about potential exposure to exhaust gases inside the cabin. Because catalytic converter failures can allow harmful exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide and other pollutants to pass through the exhaust system improperly, we believe this issue presents a potential safety risk to vehicle occupants, p INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U

NHTSA ID

11724215

Incident

Mar 10, 2026

I replaced the alternator and battery, 3 months later I was told I have an issue with the pcm which was similar with the recall for the same vehicle I drove. My vehicle was not part of the recall. Tbs Recall tv-u87-18

NHTSA ID

11722733

Incident

Mar 7, 2026

CarMax sold me a vehicle with a Cracked & Leaking Exhaust Manifold & Catylic Converter & its causing Exhaust Fumes to come up inside vehicle & is getting worse as I drive it.

NHTSA ID

11718922

Incident

Dec 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that occasionally the rearview camera image appeared upside down or distorted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E052 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed that the contact that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000.

NHTSA ID

11718827

Incident

Feb 18, 2026

Mileage

132,000 mi

The backup camera displays upside down. Talking to other Dodge owners this seems to be a common problem. I Seema to me this is a defect that has the potential to be a safety hazard because it gives a distorted review

NHTSA ID

11718291

Incident

Dec 31, 1969