Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2012 Dodge Journey
NHTSA data on file today
The 2012 Dodge Journey has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns and 377 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, averaged across 2 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #17V432000 Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment due to Chafed Wire NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V273000 Power Steering Return Hose may Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V675000 Water May Enter the ABS Module NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V431000 Engine Cover may Contact Exhaust Manifold NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #11V550000 BRAKE FLUID NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #11V487000 ROD BEARING FAILURE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Electrical System 116 complaints
- Engine 97 complaints
- Service Brakes 96 complaints
- Unknown or Other 48 complaints
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 44 complaints
- Power Train 36 complaints
Of the 377 complaints on file, 21 report a crash and 13 a fire; across all 377 complaints, owners report 24 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $9,000–$13,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2012 Dodge Journey struggles with multiple reliability issues, including those related to electrical systems, brakes, and engine recalls. With frequent complaints and significant recall activity, owners should be prepared for potential costly repairs.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| electrical system | 50,000–90,000 miles | $400–$1,000 | very common |
| engine | 60,000–100,000 miles | $700–$2,000 | common |
| brakes | 30,000–70,000 miles | $300–$750 | common |
| air bags | 0–100,000 miles | $500–$1,500 | occasional |
| steering | 60,000–100,000 miles | $600–$1,200 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil change every 5,000 miles
- Brake fluid every 2 years
- Transmission service at 60,000 miles
- Coolant flush every 5 years
- Replace air filter annually
- Spark plugs every 5 years
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Burned smell from engine
- Brakes spongy or unresponsive
- Strange electrical behavior
- Loss of power steering
- Sudden stability control issues
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2012 Dodge Journey at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.