2020 Dodge Journey: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2020 Dodge Journey
On the 2020 Dodge Journey, the failure owners report most often is backup camera failure, with 27 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 40,000 miles. Overall it scores 63 out of 100, high risk for a 2020.
High risk for a 2020 — 229th riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. 88 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 21 named failure modes on the 2020 Dodge Journey, and the three most-reported carry 47% of everything filed.
Backup camera failure leads with 27 reports and about 0.6 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other driver assistance problem follows with 9 reports, median 40,000 miles.
ABS module or sensor failure follows with 5 reports, median 35,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into infotainment (30), adas (9) and electrical (9).
At what mileage it happens
15 of the reports on the 2020 Dodge Journey came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 40,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 67% by 50,000 miles and 87% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 27% of the dated reports.
40% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 21. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 1 mentions a crash, 1 a fire and 1 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.26, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: backup camera failure at $250–$1,200, other driver assistance problem at $250–$1,800, ABS module or sensor failure at $500–$2,400 and other electrical problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
13% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 27 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 9 | 6 | — | 42k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 5 | 1 | — | 34k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 4 | 1 | — | 58k | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 3 | 1 | — | 58k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 3 | 1 | — | 142k | — | 0.1 | $200–$900 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 3 | 2 | — | 100 | — | 0.1 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 26k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 9 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.2 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2020 Dodge Journey draws about 2.0 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 79th percentile of complaint rates among 2020 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 43,915 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2020 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other driver assistance problem
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was upside down or blank while displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention). The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the rear-view camera had started failing. The contact stated that occasionally the image was inverted or the image rolled. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact had been calling the local dealer but was informed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
ABS module or sensor failure
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the check engine, Service Park Assist, and the TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The contact’s wife immediately pulled over to the side of the road to restart the vehicle; however, while attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal locked up, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brakes and ABS Module kit needed to be replaced; however, the part was no longer manufactured. The dealer informed the contact the vehicle could not be fully repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,294.
Recalls on the 2020 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2020 Dodge Journey, affecting an estimated 43,915 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover back over prevention: sensing system: camera. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
219,577 vehicles 2025-08-26- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ram ProMaster and 2019-2020 Dodge Journey vehicles. Cracks in the microprocessor may cause the vehicle's rearview camera image not to display properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility.
- Consequence
- A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed beginning September 30, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated July 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 59C.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2020 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2020 — 229th riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 12 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2020 comes out best at 63 and 2014 worst at 75, with 2020 itself at 63.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2020, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2018–2020 generation specifically, 2020 is the strongest year at 63 and 2018 the weakest at 72.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2018-2020 generation, 2020 Dodge Journey scores best at 63 and 2018 Dodge Journey worst at 72.
Where these figures stop being useful
88 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 88 reports, 15 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 17% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Dodge Journey?
The most-reported failures are backup camera failure (27 reports), other driver assistance problem (9 reports, median 40,000 miles) and abs module or sensor failure (5 reports, median 35,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2020 Dodge Journey reliable?
It scores 63 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 229th riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2020 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Dodge Journey is best?
Within the 2018–2020 generation, 2020 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 72. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed