CarComplaints.com Notes: The Dodge Journey got a major overhaul in 2011. Let's hope it's better than the first generation (2009-2010) -- it couldn't be much worse.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,607 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Dodge Journey brakes problems

brakes problem

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2011 Dodge Journey Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #47

Dec 052020

Journey

  • 213,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Break calipers lock up when driving. They have been replaced and continue to do this

- Oneill, NE, USA

problem #46

Nov 122019

Journey

  • miles
The ABS module went bad and the part is discontinued. The car was stationary.

- Culpeper, VA, USA

problem #45

Jul 152020

Journey

  • 12,467 miles
I replaced my caliber and brakes less then a year ago. Since then I have been replacing my brakes every 3 months I have to replace my brakes and rotors. I keep smelling metal burning plus the brakes light is staying on.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #44

Oct 102016

Journey

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Shaking in car and steering wheel when I apply the breaks. This is suppose to be a recall but Dodge house says no recalls? I replaced the rotters and brakes and it still does it at any speed above 30 mph. Has been on going since we purchased the vehicle.

- Mineral Wells, TX, USA

problem #43

Oct 122015

Journey

  • 65,000 miles
1) cruise control not working and only works when it wants or refuses to turn off this happens sitting still, driving or even if I turn off and on the car for reset it still does not work. The web shows a recall but the Dodge dealership said no recall? this has been on going since we purchased the car and has been in the shop numerous times to get repaired and still not repaired. 2) wheels shake while applying the brakes I have replaced the rotters and brakes and it still does it I see a recall on this also but Dodge says no recall" airbag deployment without cause the internet says recall and the Dodge house says no recall" this Dodge Journey has many problems and should be fixed by the company by recalls. They did not fix the 2010 and they found them selves in a lawsuit, maybe that is what it is going to take on the 2011 also.

- Mineral Wells, TX, USA

problem #42

Jul 252019

Journey

  • 84,000 miles
ABS module failure dash lights on with ABS and tractiom control not working some times it feels like the vehicle is draggimg the brakes many customers on forums of the same vehicle complaint about it M.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Journey/2011/brakes/service_brakes.shtml

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #41

May 062019

Journey

  • 135,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After starting the vehicle, ABS, brake, and traction contol light illuminate. Occasionally light does not illuminate. Vehicle appears to drive and stop normally, but driving without ABS and traction contol decreases stopping performance and capabilities. Certified mechanic diagnosed problem indicating water damage consistant with the current recall R61 / NHTSA 15V-675 for the 2012-2015 models.

- Bossier City, LA, USA

problem #40

Dec 042018

Journey

  • 132,500 miles
My car has 132K miles and I'm replacing the brakes on the front for 8th time and the back for the 3rd time. Can't seem to get more than 15-20K miles out of a set of pads and rotors. Last two times I needed service the brake calipers had seized shredding the fairly new rotors which were so hot that I feared the car would catch on fire.

- Medina, OH, USA

problem #39

Aug 032018

Journey

  • 156,000 miles
The vehicle completely shut down while driving down Ford road in dearborn mi. The steering would not move. The engine turned off. The brakes locked up. The car would not start to move out of oncoming traffic. It was towed to firstone complete autocare and serviced. Received the vehicle back on Saturday the 4th of August. Again drove the vehicle and on a bridge on ecorse rd in taylor mi. The vehicle did the exact thing. It was towed back to Firestone. Firestone returned the vehicle on August 6th and sent it to dealership for repair. Firestone said they saw no problem. Couldn't understand the problem. Both instances of stalling I had my 7 year old. Both instances we were nearly rear ended multiple times. Both times the vehicle shuts down with no steering, no breaks, and wont restart. It was a death trap. Firstone can verify my pick up locations both times. Used goch and sons towing through Firestone on 8/5. used united towing in dearborn on 8/3. Firestone also has vehicle records on file.

- Taylor, MI, USA

problem #38

Apr 022018

Journey

  • miles
Since I have purchased the vehicle 4 years ago, I have had the brakes replaced 4 times due to premature ware. The calipers have also been replaced due to rear brakes not releasing and pads wearing and heating. One mechanic showed me where they were stressed from the high heat of this issue. Now my rear drivers side brake pad is gone completely unlike passenger sdie, though replaced at the same time including calipers. I believe it isn't releasing again

- Plymouth, WI, USA

problem #37

Mar 142017

Journey

  • 55 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Electric:my lights keep going out since purchase under 1yr..,replace fuses 4times in 6mths..my truck locked up with ignition start key remote in car an almost locked my son 6yr. Old in car...had to call aaa for lockout service safety concern and Dodge did safety check an stated no concerns...,also stockton Nissan purchased all 4new tires an did brakes an drums under warranty of safety from purchase an both went bad under 5mths of work order history an they refuse to do any checks on this vehicle, ..my passenger tire split, and right now when I drive there's a loud, squeaky noise with vibration when hitting brakes while driving...stockton Dodge wanted to charge me 480$ just to diagnose recommend I take back to purchase dealer(stockton Nissan) and they should send it to Dodge but lisa, and amanda mathews would not take the vehicle at Nissan...stated gary bishop says do not take this vehicle for any reason...I don't understand why if I pay for extended warranty coverage over $3000 to stockton Nissan and they were the ones who supposedly did the work that's unsatisfactory an cause defects an safety issues an concerns...I also called Nissan Corp/lithia and was told about lithia/Nissan&first extended warranty coverage policies in middle of a big change so it limited my vehicle being repaired over 130"?"miles of home range an I'm a partial paraplegic..also stockton sold me this vehicle an extended warranty knowing my disability an safety concerns for myself an 5young kids.. this is unacceptable an unsafe for any dealership with purchase of a vehicle and in complaint of safety concerns repeatedly an for the customer to be prolonged stating they can trade it back but wanna do it as another purchase with more $$ down, credit check again, an same process as new purchase..stockton Nissan with held information viable from the extended warranty purchase contract due to changes..

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #36

Jan 022012

Journey

  • miles
Excessive brake wear causing warped rotors and pad replacement every several thousand miles. Began shortly after taking delivery of this vehicle new and has continued since. Vehicle now has 80K miles on it....probably had in for brake work service 10 times costing thousands.

- South Grafton, MA, USA

problem #35

Dec 012016

Journey

  • 61,653 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the front suspension failed. The front end shook and vibrated out of control. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front end tie rod, brakes, calipers, and rotors were prematurely worn. The reason for the failures was unknown. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 61,653.

- Green Bay, WI, USA

problem #34

Jan 102017

Journey

  • 108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Journey. While driving approximately 70 mph, the ABS warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wheel bearing and brakes were defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that water entered the wiring harness and the ABS module, headlamps, and dash wiring harness needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 15V675000 (service brakes), but the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

- Vacaville, CA, USA

problem #33

Dec 092016

Journey

  • 68,000 miles
My husband and myself purchased our 2011 Dodge Journey rt 2 yrs ago and was sold on how great this truck was. Since then we have changed the rotors and brakes 6 times. We had our tires changed due to shaking while braking but the problem still existed. So the tires were not the problem. Recently 2 days ago my husband was driiving with my children in the truck and could not stop the truck due to the brakes. He pushed the brakes literally all the way to the floor and hardly stopped. My truck is now in a tow yard and luckily my husband and kids are safe. There is definite problem with these trucks and something need to be done before someone is seriously hurt. We R now without a vehicle due to this problem which I have called Dodge and complained about and was told it's a basic problem with the brakes and there is no official recall on them. Someone should be responsible for this problem!

- Toms River, NJ, USA

problem #32

Jun 202016

Journey

  • 98,246 miles
Takata recall.

- Wolfforth, TX, USA

problem #31

Jul 012015

Journey

  • 67,000 miles
We have had our brakes/calipers/rotors/brake lines checked and/or replaced "3 times" over the past 4 months. Each time the mechanic was not comfortable with me driving the car in that condition - so he kept the car each time until it was fixed. Back in July - the brakes sounded horrible - grinding and squealing - and very very hot. In July, our mechanic said - brake pads were gone - rotors shot, caliper shot, so we paid over $400 to have all of that repaired. So, new rotors, brakes and calipers on the rear of this car.....we thought the problem was fixed (although we are still puzzled at why the brakes/rotors/calipers were so bad). Well, 2 months later (September) the problem was back and worse this time. The rear driver side brake was insanely hot, you could hear it ticking with heat and could feel the heat from a foot or two away - the squealing sound was back and even worse. That we have had the same problem (brakes/rotors/calipers shot) 3 times in a four month period. Again in November, needed new brakes, calipers and it even ruined the brake line with the heat!!! the caliper "broke", the brake pads were worn down again - in only 2 months!!! our mechanic researched the problem and said Chrysler put the wrong brake system on the Dodge Journeys (years 2009-2013 I believe) and corrected it in 2014. The current brake system is not adequate for the weight of the vehicle. He said there is a class action lawsuit right now - but no recalls as of yet. He said it would be $400 for a new break system. Our mechanic also said auto zone will not longer keep replacing our brake pads for free (they did this 3 times as we thought it was faulty brake pads/calipers at first) as there is nothing wrong with their product - the problem is with the brake system in the Dodge Journey. Please help! how do we get Chrysler to replace this brake system to make it safe to drive?

- Alliance, OH, USA

problem #30

Oct 012012

Journey

  • 4,000 miles
When driving this vehicle at highway speeds, when you have to push the brakes there was a pretty severe vibration. The vibration at times was almost bad enough to make you lose control depending on speed and how hard you have to apply the brakes. When I asked the dealership about this on more than one occasion they told me that this was a known problem with 2009 - 2011 model years but there was no recall. Then at 37,000 miles I had to take my car in for brake noise and they told me that all of my brakes were bad and that the rotors were worn unevenly and needed replaced. I said there is no way that a 37,000 mile car should have that bad of brakes and I reminded them of the previous complaints. It did no good and I had to pay $700. If you read online there are many complaints like mine and with the issue being something as important as brakes, this should be taken seriously.

- Belleville, MI, USA

problem #29

Aug 242015

Journey

  • 119,174 miles
Today 8-24-15 my 2011 Dodge Journey shut off as I was driving down a road. There was no prior indication the car all of the sudden would not steer, brake or do anything. The electric was still on but the car completely shut off. I had to use all my strength to maneuver it off the road and wait for it to slow down. My child was in the car. This is the second incident this has happened - 1st being in March 2015. Both have been reported to Chrysler. Both times I have brought to my local mechanic and it was set up for computerized diagnostic testing and both time threw no error codes. My mechanic believes it is an issue with the win module or something that is making the car ignition faulty and turning to accessory mode. It is unsafe to drive and I have contacted Chrysler because they need to stand behind their product. They are unwilling to make it a priority and have not offered a resolution. Just a note, the 2009 and 2010 version of this vehicle have been recalled for same issue. I have set up appt to have it diagnosed by Chrysler service center as they have indicated -however, the only time they could fit me in was a full week away. So now I wait because they feel that my car is safe " and haven't even offered a rental "!

- Cornish , ME, USA

problem #28

Jul 012015

Journey

  • 58,000 miles
It has been about a month since my 2011 Dodge Journey had begun to shut off without warning while I was driving, and with nyc traffic in the city it became dangerous for me to drive. I took it to my own mechanic who said it could only be resolved by the dealership since it may be an electrical issue with the car's computer that only the service shop at the dealership has the tools to fix. I am not driving faster than 30 mph when it happens, I'm unable to brake and the car shuts off automatically. I have begun to use the emergency brake, but if there is a car that is too close, in front or behind me, I can get into an accident. Thankfully, I have always been by the shoulder on the highway and am able to pull over.

- Flushing, NY, USA

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