2013 Dodge Journey Complaint Log

I received TWO safety recalls that my dealer has never fixed. One for the ABS System R61/NHTSA 15V-675 and one for the beauty cover R32/NHTSA 15V-431. I was supposed to be contacted when the parts were available and never was. My beauty cover has come off and my ABS system randomly turns off. I am not sure who reported that these repairs for the recalls were completed but they were not. I would like them to be completed before my car either catches fire OR my ABS gives out and I get in an accident.

We were driving our vehicle and suddenly the car shut down. It basically stopped running. Dash lights on, heater blower going etc but speed was dropping to 0 quickly. We were in a small town so we could pull over but had it been a highway it could have caused major issue pending what lane you were in. There was no warning, no sign like a check engine light nothing. I got out and checked the engine area everything looked fine, continued moving and tapping things and finally shut the hood ready to call road side assistance because it had been about 30 min when we decided to try one more time to start it. We were getting cranking but no start and then after 30 min and poking around tapping it started right up. We already replaced alternator, battery, belt etc. But it just randomly shuts down. One day it started to shut down and then kicked back on again. But there is no warning, no check engine, no pending codes, no sign anything is wrong it just shuts down. Scary when you have a family you use the car for and it is winter with below freezing temps.

The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V432000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that previously, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine oil pressure warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact managed to pull over at a local gas station and noticed black smoke leaking from under the hood. The contact stated that after she depressed the release hood latch button, the engine fire increased and rose in size. The contact was able to safely exit the vehicle. The contact managed to obtain a nearby fire extinguisher and extinguished the fire with the help of nearby pedestrians. The local fire deparment arrive on scene and filed a report. A police report was not filed. The contact sought medical attention for severe mental distress. The fire department deems the source of the fire was possibly due to engine oil. Upon further investigation, a local independent mechanic diagnosed the source of the fire as an engine main wireharness failure. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard, where it was diagnosed as a total loss by the insurance provider and later transported to the contact's residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 267,000.

Oil filter housing cap broke during Oil filter change.

Cusumer choice automotive 1706 lower Roswell rd. Sold me a vehicle with a branded title with /knowledge it was a total loss vehicle now the ABS and traction lights or on the seatbelt deployed light is on air sensor light on and brakes or grinding I purchased on 10-4- 2025 this is November-20-2025 I asked for refund and to cancel they say as is not sure this is a wreck or flooded vehicle

On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at approximately 1:30 PM, the driver’s side headrest, part of my 2013 Dodge Journey’s AHR (Active Head Restraint) system suddenly exploded for no apparent reason. I was alone in the vehicle, waiting to make a left turn. The sudden loud, sharp sound and impact to the back of my head startled and stunned me; I felt as if I had been rear ended. I looked back but there was no one behind me. Not knowing what had happened, I felt scared and light headed. I was still able to complete my turn but I pulled over to compose myself and ensure that I was okay. I didn’t become aware of the failure of the headrest until I returned home and my husband inspected the vehicle. As I write this incident report 24 hours after it occurred, I am experiencing soreness and discomfort in my neck and plan to seek a medical assessment. The vehicle is available for inspection until repairs are made. The manufacturer acknowledges that the sudden failure of this component is a defect for this vehicle but as yet it has not been the subject of a recall. No inspection of the head rest component by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and the Push to START button was pressed; however, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the brake pedal felt firm and added force was needed to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with ETC (Electronic Throttle Control) system failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that most recently, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The driver side seat headrest cushion deployed automatically. There was no car collision. I noticed the seat headrest deployed after returning to the car hours later. I liked into the interior back side of the cushion part and I saw broken pieces inside.

We were going thru the park we did not hit anything nor where we going fast we were only going 14/15 mph . I was sitting in the pasenger seat and all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a loud pop and my head was hit by the head rest for no reason . We were not in an accident or anthing to cause it to just all of a sudden deploy.

The Catalytic Converter is the issue per our mechanic. We have had several issues out of the the vehicle, resulting in more money than the car is worth. The car no longer reaches over 55-60 mph, which is unsafe on the highway. Many times the car wont start. We thought it was the battery which have been changed several times, but the last mechanic stated it in fact the recall part that is needed.

Recently I have been having issues with the rear back up camera in the vehicle not working turning off beeping when nothing is around, also glitching and showing the camera upside down. I am also experiencing battery drainage in the vehicle I have just had the battery replaced and the alternator replaced as well, while I am searching online for common issues this seems to be happening to a large amount of people and the issues just keep equaling out to more then one problem. Motors staying on, electrical problems, constant power draws, many more issues I have many links to articles with dodge journey owners having numerous issues and dodge not wanting to fix anything or recall things to fix their mistakes. I can add links to this page. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving to work and my ABS and Traction control light came on while driving in the rain and started hydroplaning on the highway now my brakes are not working properly

As I was driving to pick my son up from work at 10pm, I started to drive my 2013 dodge journey sxt and noticed my head position didn't feel right. I got to my sons job and as we were making our way to the gas station to get gas before we headed home my headrest hit me in the back of the head randomly. The active headrest sprung forward hitting me in the back of the head. Luckily I was not driving at that moment or it could have caused me to crash, being that it was night time and raining. I got home where I could get my flash light out and give it a good looking over and realized that it the clips on the inside of the active headrest broke. I tried to reset the headrest to dee if there was some other mechanism that would let it re-clip back in place and it just keeps springing forward. I have not taken it to get it looked at yet as I am writing you on the same night of the incident. I tool a picture of the headrest in it sprung forward state. I have also read alot of reviews on cargurus website about other dodge journey owners having the same issues. Over 20 complaints regarding this same issue. There were jo warning signs other than me noticing my head position felt strange before the headrest completely sprung forward.

We were pulling out of a parking lot on to the road and the riverside head headrest “exploded” open. We have looked and seen that some weee recalled but ours was not apart of the recall.

There was no damage to my headrest when I parked my car on the evening of: June 29, 2024. On Sunday morning; June 30, 2024. When I entered my vehicle. I learned that the driver seat headrest; airbag deployed/busted open for no apparent reason. My children travel with me in this vehicle. This is very, very dangerous!

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while her husband was driving out of the driveway, the passenger's side headrest abruptly exploded. No injuries were reported. The contact related to the failure with the Extended Warranty Program: Active Head Restraint (AHR) Inadvertent Deployment- X88 Warranty Extension. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, it was confirmed that the vehicle was no longer covered under the warranty extension. The contact received notification of the communication. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact heard a loud explosion and was struck in the back of the head. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, and the contact observed that the driver's side headrest had unintendedly deployed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the headrest needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the headrest needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger’s side headrest air bag independently deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 132,300.

The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in a parking lot, she had observed a small amount of smoke but was not aware of where the smoke was being emitted. The contact stated that she was alerted that her vehicle had burst into flames. The contact stated that when she was able to get to her vehicle the flames had been extinguished by the fire department and it was being towed away. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and issued a report. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot and her insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact was advised by her insurance provider that her vehicle had an open recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which had not been completed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

My headrest randomly deployed/opened. I have contacted the dealership, and spoke directly, with Dodge; still no success. I have been trying to get this issue fixed for over a year; I still have a broken headrest that hurts my neck and makes it uncomfortable to drive. Please RECALL the headrest for 2013 Dodge Journey! This is my second form and NOTHING has been done yet!!

The drive seat headrest popped open for no apparent reason. My son had placed a hand on the back of the seat when entering the back seat and it just popped right open. From what I understand this is a safety feature when in an accident. That feature is no longer working so that places myself at risk when driving. It obviously malfunctioned, and needs to be replaced. I have not yet taken it to get serviced. There were no warning lights regarding this issue and this happened about six months ago.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and driving through slush or snow on the ground, the traction control failed to operate as designed. The message to check all-wheel drive was displayed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V675000 (Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

I got in my car to go to work and noticed that the front headrests were busted open. I didn't not know that there were airbags in them, but apparently there are? The car has not been in an accident and was just sitting in my driveway. I have read up on this a little and it has happened to many other people as well. There is no reason for the cause, just a defect.

Electrical system keeps failing. Ecm emitts erroneous commands and changing it doesn’t solve the problem. Dealer won’t work on it and Chrysler doesn’t know. Research says that this is happening by the thousands.

My 2013 Dodge Journey is just one of thousands of Dodge/Chrysler/GM vehicles to have transmission failures with this type of engine (3.6L V6) and transmission (62TE). These transmission units are exorbitantly expensive and fail time and again paired with these engines on vehicles such as CARAVAN, TOWN & COUNTRY, 200, AVENGER, JOURNEY. This was a serious misstep and miscalculation by these companies, and they are costing their customers thousands upon thousands of dollars. Dodge and Chrysler (now Stellantis) should be held accountable, especially since they are now a conglomerate of the most consistently unreliable vehicles (Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Ram, Fiat).

My headrest on my passenger seat employed during the night. My wife noticed it in the morning when she went to turn the car on for work. My safety or whoever would be sitting in the passenger could be compromised if the headrest would’ve went off while driving. We are worried now that our driver seat might activate for no apparent reason. That would put myself or anyone else on the road in danger.

The car inside electrical would turn on, radio on, lighting on, fan on, but the engine light would be on and the car would not start. Not even a tow truck can jump it. I've fixed it once and they said it was the alternator, but that was 6 mths ago.

Was told of a catalytic converter recall

I was just pulling out of my driveway and it broke open air bag hasn't deployed but driver side head rest air bag compartment sounded like a small explosion but it broke open. There was no accident, I didn't hit anything just did it on it's own.

our 2013 dodge journey has been fixed three times off for the driveshaft. The mechanic shop keeps stating that the bolts are falling out and they have no reason to give us. We have to purchase the boats from that dealership in the cost a good amount of money, and we’ve only had the car for about four years

Transmission mount and engine mount and drive shaft mount breaking all the time. Transmission going out on vehicle.

many things had to be fixed like the camshift senor, tps, new battery after 2 months. the car will only crack and crack it will not fire. have took it everywhere and never get the answer as to what is wrong with it. the key fob will work hit and miss will show no key

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the front passenger’s side headrest air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no reported injuries. The contact called the local dealer who informed her that the repair was not covered under warranty. The dealer referred her to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

On November 2nd, 2022, while driving home with my teenage son in the passenger seat with his head leaning back on the headrest, the headrest spontaneously sprang/deployed and thrust his head forward toward the front of the car. When we got home, I looked into the headrest and found the latching pin broke away from the housing and deployed the headrest. This is available for inspection as I cannot put the broken headrest back into my vehicle. Fortunately, my son was not injured as far as we know. We will be having the local dealership look at the headrest tomorrow 11/5/22

In the past 3 years I have had my transmission go out on my vehicle 3 times. All 3 times I was driving when it happened and my car just stopped shifting or would not shift past 2nd gear. I have spoken to numerous mechanics about this issue, and every single one has told me that is a know issue with my specific type of dodge. It is an extreme safety issue to be getting on the freeway and have your transmission suddenly stop working. It is also ridiculous that consumers should have to come out of pocket 5K every 20,000 miles or so to fix or replace a defective transmission that dodge refuses to deal with. I contacted Dodge customer service to try and get my transmission fixed and was told that since they have not recalled it, they will not help me cover the cost. What I don't understand is why they have not issued a recall. If dodge service centers know about the issue, then dodge corporation should, and they should have dealt with this year's ago. I have documentation of the first 2 repairs, and an estimate for this latest one but can not include them from the device I am on.

The driver side headrest has snapped from its plastic hinges inside that keep the front cushion part attached the the back plastic cover. It happened while I was driving with my children in the vehicle and could have caused an accident!

The front passenger head rest deployed while parked due to the plastic piece inside the head rest broke that holds the pin that locks the head rest in place.

The contact's wife owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The stated while driving 65 MPH, the power steering assist failed without warning. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the side of the roadway. The contact got a ride home and trailered the vehicle back to his residence. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V273000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact then stated that her husband was able to tow the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where they disconnected the Bluetooth module. The contact stated that the vehicle was operable however, a few days later, while driving, the check engine and throttle body warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled again. The contact stated that she allowed the vehicle to rest for fifteen minutes to before being able to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to an inspection station to be inspected but failed due to the mass air flow sensor. The contact stated that she took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the mass air flow sensor needed to be replaced. The mass air flow sensor was replaced however, the vehicle failed inspection again. The contact then stated that on another occasion while driving, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed and stalled without warning. The traction control, check engine, and the electronic throttle control warning lights remained illuminated. The contact was concerned for her safety while operating the vehicle. The contact then stated that she took the vehicle to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the throttle body and crankshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired multiple times for the throttle body, crankshaft, and mass air flow sensor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the ABS and brake warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle had experienced a similar failure as mentioned in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V675000 (Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

I was getting into leave my car and three lights came up. The traction light, ABS, and my Brake light. It rained really hard yesterday and now I have all three lights on my dash. Supposedly the recall is no more and I have to pay out of pocket. I just bought this car back in May of 2022. I should not be held responsible for paying out of pocket for this recall. I need help getting this fixed.

My spark plugs were causing issue I had them replaced 6 months later my car starts throwing the same code they just keep resetting it saying nothing is wrong. Lately after my last oil change my coolant isn’t propelling through the engine properly and my car will under heat when traveling hills

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of a fluid leak underneath the front end of the vehicle. The “Low Oil” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken for an oil change, and the contact was informed that the oil level was adequate, and the oil was clean. The contact was informed that the warning light might be faulty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer found 5 holes in the radiator. The radiator was replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the engine also needed to be replaced. The engine was not replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

My car was parked in the driveway and when I went to leave in my car I noticed the headrest felt odd. I got out of the car to inspect it and found that the active head rest had deployed. The vehicle has not been in an accident and was parked at time of incident.

I purchased a 2013 dodge journey approximately 8 months ago. Before I bought it I asked the salesperson if the front end was out of alignment, as it pulled to the right. He told me everything was checked, and it was in excellent condition. He told me the reason it pulled to the right is that the roads were made with a slight slant for water to run off. It continued to pull, although it was drivable. When the snow fell, Oct. 2021, and the roads were packed with snow and ice I could barely keep the vehicle on the road. It kept wanting to swerve off the road to the right. I had to drive 20 miles an hour to and from work on bad roads. There were times I had to stop as I felt little to no control. I had never had anything like this happen to me. I called Iron Trail Motors in Virginia, MN (where I purchased it) and explained what was happening. The person I spoke to said their car was slipping back and forth, also. She said she had an SUV and they aren't easy to control in the winter. I've had to replace 3 different wheel bearings in that time. I was just in the shop last week. They told me the reason the wheel bearings were going is the LR and RR upper and lower control arms were bad. Lateral links. They must have been bad when I bought the vehicle, along with many other repairs. The work they need to do is $1200 -$1700. I was informed driving with a bad control arm is dangerous. To start, a control arm is a hinged suspension link situated between the chassis and the suspension upright or hub that attaches to the wheel. If something is wrong with the control arm, the following can happen: Your steering will be unpredictable and hard to control Your vehicle may pull to one side, even when you are holding the steering wheel straight It still needs to be repaired.

The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the vehicle began to deaccelerate its speed and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated she saw smoke exiting under the hood and parked on the side of the road. The contact was able to exit the vehicle with her 3 children before the vehicle exploited into flames. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. The contact stated the fire department extinguished the fire and a fire report was filed. A police report was also filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was towed to towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The contact called the used dealer where she bought the vehicle and made them aware of the failure. The VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V431000 ( Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The passenger side headrest popped open when no one was in the passenger seat. Scared me half to death!

Vehicle will not start. Took to dealership and they charged battery. After repairing some recommendations I got the car back and it wouldn’t start. Same issue as before, I took it back and they said it was dead battery. I paid for a new battery and drove it home. Next day it would not start. I’ve been reading some reader boards and I’m told it has to do with wiring to the transmission. It gets cold in Alaska and my daughter and granddaughter can’t be stranded in inclement weather. Tested the starter and the alternator and both are good. New battery and new key fob battery and still a no go. Dodge needs to figure this out, as their certified mechanics can’t seem to diagnose the issue.

I noticed today that the front passenger headrest popped apart, or deployed. I am not sure exactly what to call it. I had no front seat passengers.

Driver headrest deployed while driving.