U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Dodge JOURNEY AWD problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

161 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

50,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 122 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 47 of 161 complaints (29.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	65	40.4%
Electrical and battery issues	38	23.6%
Transmission and shifting	13	8.1%
Steering behavior	12	7.5%
Engine operation	8	5.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Power Train

Service Brakes

Air Bags

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Tires

Electrical System: 47; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 33; Power Train: 23; Service Brakes: 19; Air Bags: 17; Engine: 17; Unknown Or Other: 13; Tires: 12

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 36; 25,000 to 49,999: 24; 50,000 to 74,999: 21; 75,000 to 99,999: 21; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 4

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (36). 39 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2009: 3; 2010: 24; 2011: 22; 2012: 16; 2013: 16; 2014: 16; 2015: 23; 2016: 17; 2017: 11; 2018: 7; 2019: 6

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 65 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 38 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10287357 · 2009-10-14 (October 14, 2009)

REDUCED BRAKING CAUSED BY WORN FRONT ROTORS AND FRONT BRAKE PADS FROM PREMATURELY WEARING OUT IN 13 MONTHS OF USE. ROTORS WORN BEYOND REPAIR (CANNOT BE RESURFACED) AND PADS WORN COMPLETELY. APPEARS TO BE DESIGN AND PRODUCT FAILURE. BRAKING SYSTEM MAYBE INADEQUATE FOR THE LOAD OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR. REQUIRES UPGRADED BRAKING SYSTEM TO OFFSET SIZE AND WEIGHT OF VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, CANNOT PURCHASE ANY UPGRADE ROTORS FROM THIRD PARTY SUPPLIERS DUE TO NEWNESS OF MODEL. NOTHING IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE EXCEPT THE SAME OEM PARTS…

Owner-reported narrative. 29,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10287357 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10308981 · 2010-02-12 (February 12, 2010)

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

Owner-reported narrative. 21,153 miles reported. Look up ODI 10308981 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10348925 · 2010-08-12 (August 12, 2010)

I WAS DRIVING 2009 DODGE JOURNEY SOMETHING SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING BY THE TIME I COULD SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OVER THE FRONT END AND THE ENGINE HAD LOCKED UP THERE WAS SMOKE COMING IN THROUGH VENTS UNDER THE HOOD AND OUT THE EXHAUST. CALLED 911 FOR ELECTRICAL HARNESS AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. ALL APPROPRIATE PEOPLE RESPONDED AND PUT THE FIRE OUT SAFELY. THE FAILURE OBVIOUSLY OCCURRED ONLY ONCE AND STILL WAITING ON THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO DECIDE IF THE VEHICLE IS TOTALED OR NOT. THE CAR HAD BEEN INTO THE SHOP FOR ENGINE TICK UPON STAR…

Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10348925 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10412412 · 2011-07-15 (July 15, 2011)

I HAVE A 2009 DODGE JOURNEY SXT AWD. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN OCT 2008. THE ISSUES WERE BRAKE/CALIPER FAILURE, WATER LEAK, WIRING HARNESS, IGNITION FAILURE ETC(THE LIST GOES ON). RECENTLY ON JULY 10-13 2011 MY VEHICLE WOULD AUTOMATICALLY STALL WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP OR IDEAL BRAKIN. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT REASON FOR STALLING. THE STATED IT WAS DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION WIRE BEING FRIED AND IT WAS GOING TO COST ME $227 TO REPLACE WIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED CHRY…

Owner-reported narrative. 53,846 miles reported. Look up ODI 10412412 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10321272 · 2010-03-21 (March 21, 2010)

WE BOUGHT A 2009 DODGE JOURNEY SXT BACK IN MAY 09. IN THE LAST MONTH FEB 2010 ON, THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING/SECURITY MECHANISM FOR THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS FAILED (SCHEDULED TO BE LOOKED IN TWO DAYS) AND TODAY OUR TRANSMISSION/GEARBOX LITERALLY EXPLODED UNDER THE HOOD AT 6,000 MILES. WE WERE DRIVING DOWN A BACK ROAD ON THE WAY TO STORE WHEN A STRING SMELL OF BURNING CAME INTO THE CABIN AND THEN WE HEARD A SEVERE POP AND THEN NOTHING BUT BILLOWING SMOKE. WE HAD OUR TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN CAR SEATS AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE TO TRY AND GET TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,052 miles reported. Look up ODI 10321272 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10363616 · 2010-11-01 (November 1, 2010)

2009 SXT AWD DODGE JOURNEY IS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE INITIAL JOURNEY WE PURCHASED WHICH WAS A LEMON. WE PICKED UP THIS CAR 5/2009. IT HAD A STRANGE SMELL, MUCH LIKE PROPANE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARM. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY AFTER SEVERAL VISITS. WE GAVE UP. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUED FOR THE LAST YEAR - PROGRESSIVELY THE SMELL WORSENED. ON THURSDAY, 10-28-10 WHILE ON INTERSTATE 270 I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MY ENGINE, AND THE PROPANE SMELL WAS ALMOST OVER POWERING. I PHONED THE DEALER AGAIN. THEY SAID TO BRING IN ON MONDAY, 11-1-1…

Owner-reported narrative. 22,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10363616 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10353884 · 2010-09-04 (September 4, 2010)

FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAVE GONE OUT FOUR TIMES. I HAD THE ROTORS RESURFACED TWO TIMES AND HAD TO PURCHASE NEW ROTORS TWO OTHER TIMES BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO FAR OUT OF SPEC. THE VEHICLE HAS 49,000 MILES. THE BRAKES AND ROTORS HAVE GONE OUT EVERY 10,000 TO 12,000 MILES. LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY AND PULSATING STEERING WHEEL ALMOST CONSTANTLY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10353884 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10358349 · 2010-09-29 (September 29, 2010)

I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED ON MY DODGE JOURNEY 2009 AND THE ROTORS AT 22,000 MILES. NOW THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THE FIRST JOURNEY I PURCHASED HAD THESE SAME PROBLEMS AND WAS REPLACED BY DODGE/CHRYSLER AS A LEMON MAY 2009. NOW THE DEALER HAS NO IDEA WHY THE BRAKES ARE GOING BAD OR THE ROTORS SO FAST OR WHY THE STEERING WONT STOP SHAKING. I FEAR NOW THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE CAR IS BAD. DEALER STATED THE JOURNEYS WERE KNOWN FOR POOR / FAULTY BRAKES BUT CHRYSLER WON'T RECALL THEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 22,340 miles reported. Look up ODI 10358349 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10466850 · 2012-07-21 (July 21, 2012)

MY TEENAGE DRIVER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, SHE MANAGED TO PULL TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP AND WE MERGED BACK ON THE HIGHWAY ONLY TO HAVE A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AGAIN. WE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAITED 10 MINUTES. THE CAR STARTED AND WE MADE IT HOME. TWO DAYS LATER WHILE ON A RURAL ROAD THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AGAIN. ALL WIRES AND CONNECTIONS CHECKED OUT TIGHT. WAITING TO HAVE IT TOWED AS DON'T WANT TO RISK AN ACCIDENT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 64,236 miles reported. Look up ODI 10466850 at NHTSA ↗