2013 Dodge Journey: won't start

Filed Jan 30, 2026 · NY

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.

Filed Jan 8, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · AR

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.

Filed Aug 20, 2023 · Electrical · OR

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.

Filed Feb 19, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · AK

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.

Filed Jan 10, 2021 · Electrical, Transmission · PA

Thus the 4th time win thin a 2 year period that my 2013 dodge journey let me sit. Time 1&2 battery need to be replaced, a costly bill. 3rd time the fuse blew. All 3 times my cars check engine light came on & a weeks let me sit. As of jan. 8, again my car leaving me, engine light came on & a weeks later left me sit. Not sure what to do at this point, I'm unemployed & have a car payment, I can't afford a costly repair. This seems to be a general problem with the journeys, why on earth aren't you recalling them. I know that it would be costly, but at least you might have happy customers. I'm thinking of surrendering the vehicle due to this continuous no start problem. My next step is to file a complaint with chrysler capital.

Filed Feb 6, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 106,534 miles · NE

My dodge journey's engine shut off twice while I was driving with no warning. No loss of lights or radio, but the engine just shuts off and car cannot be restarted. The first time I was driving on a highway, and right after accelerating from a stop at a red light the car died. Had to have it towed, and had an auto part store do some basic tests and was told it was just a bad battery, however when it happened again the day after replacing the battery. This time I was on a city street having just exited off of the interstate. I was in traffic and again the car just lost power due to the engine shutting down. Again it would not start and could not be jump started so had it towed to the dealer. Dealer was able to get a code p061c, and followed instructions to update the PCM. From what I understand, a software update was applied to the power control module. I am very concerned with the fact that my car can just shut down the engine with no warning at all. Very dangerous.

Filed Nov 11, 2019 · 70,000 miles · WI

I have had problem with dodge journey not starting. I've spent money on emergency road service jump starts, along with new battery, but problem persists and the service garage can't get it to consistently start as all cars should! Winter has come early and I fear being stranded in freezing temperatures. Also big inconvenience. I've driven for over 40 years and feel I bot and paid for a reliable car, but have not gotten what I paid for. Dodge has my money and I have their junk. I hope my little grandchildren are not with me when the car won't start! So far the problem has occurred when I leaving home. I can't seem to get answers from the service garage without pouring more money into it and still no resolution!

Filed Nov 10, 2019 · Electrical, Engine · 77,000 miles · OH

My 2013 dodge journey has a random no start. It will just click. The battery, alternator, and starter are all good. I usually have to jump it to get it to start. Sometimes that doesn't even work. It will make the lights start to go haywire. They will flicker or flash on and off. It will say no key detected when I'm literally sitting with my key fob in hand. It is a push button start. I have got the batteries replaced in the key fob as well. This will happen at random. It's happened in my driveway with a slight incline so we parked it on the curb where it was flat to see of maybe the incline of the driveway had anything to do with it, but it's done it on flat surfaces as well. I have tried to look up reasons why and have seen this as an issue with a lot of other journey owners. This started back in the spring and happens several times in a week then it will stop for almost a month and the cycle will start all over again.

Filed Aug 22, 2019 · Electrical · 72,523 miles · NJ

Stationary at the time mechanic came, car had not been running right, hesitating while driving, and stalled in driveway. Battery not charging or holding a charge/ no start, no nothing sent to local mechanic - I have not had a running car for five weeks. Alternator shot, and charging system, requires complete re wire as of 8-13 / 3 burnt wires, mechanic called auto electric specialist, indicated complete charging system burnt up.

Filed May 24, 2019 · Electrical · 70,000 miles · GA

Fuel hand goes to empty, lights power off,power locks stop working, A/C cuts off while in motion but car will not cut off unless disconnected from battery happened on a city street but I drove on the highway afterwards just to get it home will not crank from push start button have to reconnect the battery and hold down a fuse

Filed May 16, 2019 · Electrical · 108,195 miles · CA

I have had the car three months and the car has been in the shop multiple times had the engine replaced and the battery and the car is doing it again it will not start and I'm at the end with this lemon of a car

Filed Mar 8, 2019 · Electrical · 30,000 miles · TN

I purchased this car in 2012 and since then, I have replaced the battery at least once a year and dodge keeps telling me that there is nothing wrong with the car. To me, this is a design flaw as I cannot get to the battery to check water or status. I was driving down the road the other day when all the idiot lights started flashing, so I pulled over and turned off the car. I tried to restart it and the battery was dead!! E tn dodge had just replaced the battery, under warranty, as I had just replaced the battery two months earlier, and now it was dead, once again, 1 year later, almost to the day. And now it's back at e tn dodge, replacing the battery once again. And yet, dodge keeps telling me that there is nothing wrong with the car, that replacing the battery, once a year, is normal in this area. I spoke with george stephens at the dodge dealer and he was the one who said that. I have called chrysler and they keep telling me to "bring it to the nearest dealer", chrysler has told me this four times for a total of about 5 weeks downtime, both at the dealer and on the road/home total. I truly cannot get anyone at chrysler to listen to me and they are not taking this seriously. At the same time, since owning the car, my remote will not start the car if it's cold. I have to physically go outside, open the car door, sit in the seat and start it as if I was going to use it right than and there. I have the paperwork where I have taken it to rocky williams dodge, in mt. Juliet, tn to get it fixed and they said "nothing wrong"....,to me, this is a serious design flaw and safety issue as if I or my wife are on the interstate and the battery dies, I am stuck. And it has happened before...