Dodge Journey hesitation problems

Filed Mar 2, 2026 · Airbags, Engine · 267,000 miles · NC · fire · 1 injury

The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact received a notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V432000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that previously, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine oil pressure warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact managed to pull over at a local gas station and noticed black smoke leaking from under the hood. The contact stated that after she depressed the release hood latch button, the engine fire increased and rose in size. The contact was able to safely exit the vehicle. The contact managed to obtain a nearby fire extinguisher and extinguished the fire with the help of nearby pedestrians. The local fire deparment arrive on scene and filed a report. A police report was not filed. The contact sought medical attention for severe mental distress. The fire department deems the source of the fire was possibly due to engine oil. Upon further investigation, a local independent mechanic diagnosed the source of the fire as an engine main wireharness failure. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard, where it was diagnosed as a total loss by the insurance provider and later transported to the contact's residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 267,000.

Filed Dec 9, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · SC

Driving on highway 26 at 70 miles in Newberry, SC, the truck hesitated and cut of stalled, was able to get it of the road before it died, push the button to try to start, Engine light came on and dashboard went out, steam coming from the hood, got the children out of the car, on the side of the road, open the hood, fluid everywhere, with no warning lights, truck ran hot, and messed the engine up in the truck, me and my daughter and grandchildren could have gotten hurt in that truck if another car had hit us in that road, the truck just cut of No warning lights or nothing, this problem needs to be fixed.

Filed Nov 24, 2025 · Engine · 57,800 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and then lost motive power, with the check engine warning light illuminated after the loss of power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed; however, the contact was informed that the engine may have failed due to the vehicle having no antifreeze, which caused the engine to overheat. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,800.

Filed Apr 5, 2025 · Engine · IL

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a persistent engine misfire in my 2014 Dodge Journey AWD, which I believe may pose a safety risk to my family, myself, other drivers, and is not explained by regular maintenance and care. Since I first purchased the vehicle, I have performed all necessary maintenance and adhered to the recommended service intervals. However, despite these precautions, the engine has experienced consistent misfires. The misfires are particularly noticeable when I attempt to accelerate, whether when speeding up or turning. This issue has caused a noticeable hesitation in power delivery, which has created dangerous situations while merging onto highways or trying to maintain speed during turns. I have taken the vehicle to multiple certified mechanics and dealerships, but they have been unable to provide a clear cause for the engine misfires. The misfires have not been resolved with routine maintenance or repairs. This issue has persisted for several months and continues to affect the vehicle's performance, causing slow acceleration and hesitation, which increases the risk of accidents or collisions in certain driving situations. Given the nature of this issue and its potential impact on vehicle safety, I am concerned that this problem may be more widespread and may require further investigation by the federal safety agency. I would appreciate it if your agency could look into this matter and assess whether this issue could be a design flaw, manufacturing defect, or an undiscovered safety hazard. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and any guidance or steps that can be taken to address this issue.

Filed Feb 27, 2025 · Engine · 97,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, or while the vehicle was idling while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made a chugging and choking sound. The vehicle hesitated before accelerating as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become a constant failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an inspection was completed, and the vehicle failed the Emissions test due to DTC: P40; for the catalytic converter and Oxygen sensor. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

Filed Dec 11, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · VA

Vehicle has P0740 code of which is a recall on the transmission pump. The recall is S 44 however my vin does not apply even though it’s the same make,model,year, engine and drivetrain as the recall. Please include my Vin number in the recall because the vehicle stalls/ hesitate when the gas pedal is applied and the transmission is trying to downshift when speeding up to change lanes. The situation is dangerous because the driver can lose control of the vehicle when planning to execute and not get a response from the vehicle when accelerating or changing lanes. The problem is more of a 2 to 3 second hiccup and the vehicle seems confused. Include this vehicle and my Vin number in the S 44 recall of which my dealership has stated it should’ve been included with the rest of the 2015 and 2016 caravan, dodge journey recalls. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured July 31, 2015, to April 18, 2016, 2016 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured August 17, 2015, to January 29, 2016, and 2016 RAM ProMaster vehicles manufactured August 15, 2016, to April 15, 2016. The transmission pump may seize causing a loss of hydraulic pressure.

Filed Sep 18, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · 209,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that there was an abnormally strong exhaust odor coming from the vehicle. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle was hesitating and experiencing a loss of motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the catalytic convertor had failed and needed to be repaired. While having the vehicle inspected, the vehicle received another diagnostic test and the contact was informed of the failure related to Customer Satisfaction Campaign Number: U67 with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 10230438 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Unknown or Other, Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 209,000.

Filed Dec 28, 2023 · Brakes · MD

The ABS light and Check engine light came on and dash began flickering. Vehicle also experienced sputtering issues and hesitation on acceleration. Vehicle was inspected by an independent technician who recommended taking it to a dealership for an ABS Module. The Vehicle was taken to the dealership and dealership determined that an ABS control and ABS module were needed. Parts were ordered, however, after contacting Chrysler customer care I learned that the ABS module is back ordered and on hold for engineer review. According to the representative I spoke to, folks have been waiting months for this part and it has been a high volume part order. The part number is 68164594AA. According to the rep, the part may take until April to arrive. If this is true it sounds like a significant number of people may be having a serious issue with their Dodge vehicle ABS module.

Filed Oct 16, 2023 · LA

I have brought the car to the dealership three times. It stalls and hesitates when accelerating. The dealership cannot recreate the issue because it only happens after you've been driving all day running errands and they don't have anyone that can duplicate the problem. It has stalled on me several times in traffic are leaving fast food. Restaurants with my grandchildren installed across three lanes of traffic and when backing out of the driveway it stalled on the highway. The dealership explained to me that this particular motor consumes oil and goes into a protection mode. There are no check engine lights. Are any warning lights that ever come on in the vehicle. I only have 33,000 mi . I was explained to me that I need to start checking my oil about every thousand miles but that is just a manufacturer's defect in the motor and it just consumes oil. That was told to me by Benjamin ,My service advisor at Ralph Sellers Dodge Chrysler Jeep I'm now scared to drive my vehicle.

Filed Sep 5, 2023 · Engine · 170,000 miles · UT

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made abnormal knocking sounds. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while responding upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while starting the vehicle and driving from a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was low compression in cylinder #2, and the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.