2017 Dodge Journey Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Dodge Journey most often describe stalling or losing power while driving, sometimes with the transmission or electronics involved, and a large share of complaints center on electrical trouble such as repeated battery failures, warning lights and dashboard glitches. Airbag warning lights, seat belt latching problems and a small cluster of reports about seat headrests deploying on their own also appear repeatedly, alongside oil leaks from the engine's filter housing area. Many complaints fall under about 60,000 miles, though electrical and seat issues continue to be reported at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and electrical warning lights

   • 28 complaints (14%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 3.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2025

   Complaints describe batteries needing replacement every year or two with the dealer simply installing another battery, red battery warnings, headlights and radios flickering, and dashboards where many or all lights come on at once. Some report the vehicle would not start after sitting, or that the digital speedometer and other displays behaved erratically; a few describe smoke or fire from the front wheel wells or engine bay. Reported across a wide range from very low mileage up to about 173,000 miles, with many reports between roughly 30,000 and 65,000 miles.

   Recall 18V3320003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask how many batteries the car has had and whether the intelligent battery sensor or charging system was diagnosed; check that all warning lamps go out after start-up and look for signs of chafed or repaired wiring.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My wife went to start the Journey, car won't start brakes won't press down all I hear is clicking sound like the car wants to start but won't, look for help online what I get is that it's a security issue that has the car locked tried to over ride by disconnecting the positive cable to reset but nothing, I understand that this is a common problem with Dodge vehicles”

   NHTSA complaint #11280155, filed 2019-11, 51,000 miles

   “As my husband was driving for work for the census, the engine light and the message notification envelope both appeared on the dash screen they flashed on once flashed off and flames blew out from both front wheels wells. The car immediately went up in flames and my husband was lucky to get out of there alive.*dt*dt*dt consumer stated vehicle has not been repaired.*jb*jb*dt*dt*jb the consumer provided photos.”

   NHTSA complaint #11361661, filed 2020-09, 61,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Stalling or losing power while driving

   • 31 complaints (15%)
   • median 44,400 mi at 2.9 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe the engine cutting out at highway speed, at stoplights, in drive-thru lines and while accelerating, sometimes with no warning light and sometimes after a jerk or hesitation. Several report multiple dealer visits, PCM updates and sensor replacements (crankshaft or camshaft position sensors) that did not resolve the problem, and some say the dealer could not duplicate the failure. Reported from roughly 8,000 to 110,000 miles, most often between about 25,000 and 65,000 miles, at all speeds and driving conditions.

   Recall 18V3320001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for a scan of stored codes and any history of position-sensor or PCM/software work; a test drive that includes highway and stop-and-go driving can help reveal hesitation or cutting out.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on briarcliff rd and my car cut off while it was on (run) it was in motion. Everything locked. The brakes, gas the steering wheel. I sat there I almost was hit. I kept trying to press the gas and brakes but it wouldn't push down. I could not believe it I was scared and panicked. I then cut the car off and it cut on I immediately started driving toward home.”

   NHTSA complaint #11258646, filed 2019-09, 94,578 miles

   “My 2017 Journey was manufactured in august of 2016 Dodge has a recall for journeys for crankshaft position sensors for journeys that were made from may of 2016 to july 2016 my car has been stalling out since 40,000 miles and the problem is getting worse upon research this may be the crankshaft position sensor and there have been multiple complants online stating others cars have had issues with this sensor but Dodge only did a limited recall on these vehicles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11300816, filed 2020-01, 62,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on (seat wiring / squib fault)

   • 27 complaints (13%)
   • median 37,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners report the airbag warning light coming on and staying on, sometimes intermittently at first, often traced by a dealer or mechanic to a wiring harness or connector under the driver's seat (a seat thorax squib circuit code) or to seat belt sensors. Several say the harness repair was quoted as not covered by warranty, and some describe airbags not deploying in a collision. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles, with some at higher mileage.

   What to check: With the ignition on, confirm the airbag lamp self-tests and goes out, and ask whether any under-seat wiring or squib repairs have been done; move the driver's seat through its full travel while watching for the light.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There bag light has come on at about 35,000 miles and has not went off. The A/C and heat keeps coming on whenever it wants no matter how many times I turn it off I have went up to Dodge multiple times and nothing has happened as I am over the 30,000 miles and to be charged 200 just to see what the problem is and then charge me even to fix it is ridiculous. The airbag light came on while I was driving and I pulled over and turned the car and turned it back on and it was still on”

   NHTSA complaint #11269604, filed 2019-10, 35,000 miles

   “Other driver ran red light causing me to hit them at an intersection. I was traveling 40mph. My air bags did not deploy. Front of my vehicle was totaled.”

   NHTSA complaint #11360958, filed 2020-09, 67,000 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Seat belt latching and release problems

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe seat belts that would not pull out or latch at all, and second-row belts that would not release when the button was pressed until the car sat unused for hours or a day. One owner had a front passenger buckle assembly diagnosed as needing replacement, and another pair of complaints said the seat belt and airbag lamps were lit together. Reported from about 17,000 miles up to around 135,000 miles, on both front and second-row positions.

   What to check: Buckle, unlatch and fully extend every seat belt, front and second row, before buying; a belt that binds or a release button that sticks is worth having inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “It has happened to me twice since I got the car that I was unable to buckle up. The seat belt was locked and I could not pull it so that I could buckle myself ... Kind of scary when your driving without a seat belt. I tried opening the door closing it turning on and off the car putting it in park etc in different patterns nothing worked ... I had no choice I had to drive to pick up my kids after leaving work”

   NHTSA complaint #11110988, filed 2018-07, 21,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while the seat belt was in use, the seat belt and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the seat belt sensors needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle could only be serviced by the dealer. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11542907, filed 2023-09, 135,000 miles
5. 5
   Seats

   Seat headrest deploys on its own

   • 22 complaints (11%)
   • median 84,200 mi at 5.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners describe a loud pop followed by the front seat headrest deploying by itself, in a parked car after the seat was reclined and while driving at highway speed, in one case striking the passenger. One owner found a headrest detached from the seat; repairs were often not completed because of parts or a fractured clip. Reported between roughly 43,000 and 150,000 miles, in both parked and moving situations.

   What to check: Check that both front headrests sit in their normal position and adjust freely, and ask whether either headrest assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We were driving my car last night and all of a sudden there was a big pop sound and my husband got hit in the back of the head with the headrest. I guess what had happened was the headrest deployed out of the blue for no reason.”

   NHTSA complaint #11297873, filed 2020-01, 94,400 miles

   “After reclining the seat, the passenger's side headrest deployed. At the time the vehicle was stationary in a parking lot. Not sure why that happened. Don't know what to do about this, take it to the dealer or what. Is there a recall on the headrests?”

   NHTSA complaint #11350500, filed 2020-08, 43,400 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase scan for stored codes plus a test drive that includes highway, stop-and-go and full seat belt use covers most of what owners report here; ask for service records on battery, sensor, software and under-seat wiring work, since several complaints describe repeat visits for the same symptom.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.