2009 Dodge Journey AWD

Typical pattern

5.7% of complaints about the 2009 Dodge Journey AWD came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2009 vehicle — around the middle of the 212 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (47 complaints), typically at 6.3 yr or about 74,000 miles.

Complaints: 247
Median age at failure: 4.8 yr
Median mileage: 61,750 n=190
Crash / fire / tow: 4.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Electrical system

47 reports · 74,000 mi

6.3 yr

2.1%

Service brakes, hydraulic

33 reports · 20,000 mi

1.9 yr

Power train

28 reports · 75,000 mi

4.9 yr

14.3%

Tires

20 reports · 34,495 mi

2.9 yr

Service brakes

19 reports · 74,000 mi

4.6 yr

Air bags

17 reports · 79,000 mi

6.7 yr

5.9%

Engine

17 reports · 96,000 mi

6.3 yr

11.8%

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic 21,153 mi 1.1 yr in service

ROTORS, BRAKE PADS, AND CALIPERS. I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST MONTH TO TRY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MY TIRES/BRAKES VIBRATE AND MAKE A LOUD HUMMING SOUND ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH AND WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES. THE PROBLEM STARTED IN OCTOBER, I WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT BACK IN JANUARY AND HAVE BEEN BACK 3 TIMES SINCE THEN. *TR

Service brakes, hydraulic 5,300 mi 1.6 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE JOURNEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE 3 MPH IN HIS GARAGE, HE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. A FEW WEEKS LATER AFTER DRIVING FIFTEEN MILES AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, HE SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW IT BEHIND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE FAILURE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 5,300. THE POWER TRANSFER SEAL UNIT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 11/12/10

Service brakes, hydraulic 14,000 mi 1.9 yr in service

PRE-MATURE BRAKE ROTOR WARPING AND SUBSEQUENT PAD WEAR. 2009 DODGE JOURNEY HAD ALL 4 ROTORS AND ALL PADS REPLACED AT 14,000 MILES AT MY EXPENSE. NOW AT 28,500 MILES, I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. DODGE/CHRYSLER WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

Power train 33,000 mi 1.6 yr in service

WHILE MAKING A TURN THERE WAS A LOUD BANG FROM THE UNDER THE ENGINE AREA. AFTER THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE, HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER REPLACED PTO UNIT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A REAR END COLLISION. *TR

Other Journey AWD model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.