Started off with check engine light reaching the end of November 2025 then about a week later started to experience whining noises when accelerating, jerking and fluid started leaking. My safety and of others was put at risk because as the jerking happened out of nowhere when driving other vehicles could of hit me from behind. I looked up to see if there was any recalls and some did show up but when i reached out to the dealer they did not respond back. Then a independent service center looked into it and on their end they also saw the recall without me mentioning it and they reached out to the dealer and they were told there was no recall.
Dodge Journey jerking problems
93 of the 5,298 owner complaints about the Dodge Journey describe jerking or lurching, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 93
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,100
- typical mileage
- 53,000
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 16Check engine light 13Grinding brakes 6ABS 6Won't start 5Transmission failure 5Loss of power 5Adaptive cruise 4
Trouble codes mentioned
P0365 1P0344 1P0339 1P0128 1C121C 1
What owners say
The contact's fiancée owns a 2015 Journey Dodge. The contact stated that while his fiancée was driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was jerking. The driver pulled to the side of the road, called, and notified the contact of the failure. The contact advised the driver to continue driving slowly. The driver was able to slowly drive to the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission fluid was flushed and replaced, and a filter was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
viscous unit for AWD dodge journeys has been failing causing a clunking and chunking noise. Causing the car jerk on takeoff or on turns. From what others been having issues with is the same thing. Causing a risk of a crash of the rear differential cracking and breaking free from the car. I had to replace the Rear Axle Bdorc/Viscous Unit on my car already, again from what I read from other owners, they have been having the same issue. and some are worse than others. I fear that it may cause danger to the occupants inside the car and around.
While driving the car, car stalled and began displaying the lightning bolt icon on the cluster. The power steering stopped working and the brake was very stiff and hard to depress. I pulled off the road and waited a few minutes and started the car again. The idle was very rough, icon was still displayed on the cluster, and car began jerking and stalled again. I had the vehicle towed to the house and began looking into the issue. Error codes read on the car was P0365: Camshaft Position Sensor “B” Circuit, and the red lightning bolt indicating an issue with the electronic throttle body. The battery was taken out and tested bad so it was replaced. The throttle body was cleaned and tested good. When I tried to start the car after the codes were cleared, the vehicle attempted to start but wasn't able to turn over fully. The P0365 code returned. I then had a mechanic come check out the car to see if he could do anything to help. He determined that the valves in the engine were bent and the cars timing was off. With all of this being said, This issue I am complaining about is the P0365 Camshaft sensor code. There was a recall for the camshaft sensors in some 2016 Dodge Journeys but my VIN did not fall in that range. When I called FCA, I was told there was nothing to be done because my VIN wasn't included in the recall. A bad camshaft sensor would cause all of the issues that I am experiencing with the car. If the sensor is bad or doesn't perform as it should, it could effect the overall timing of the engine's firing sequence, causing stalling, failure to start, and damage to the engine, like in my case with the bent valves. This incident posed a severe safety risk to myself and the other drivers around me due to the loss of power steering and partial loss of braking ability. Luckily this incident did not occur on the interstate or major highway, where there are speeds in excess of 55 mph.
Traction control goes off without warning at random times. In different weather conditions for no reason. Car jerks and will no longer accelerate. Have cause several dangerous situations while driving this car
The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the brakes made an abnormal grinding sound. The contact also stated that the steering wheel was misaligned and would not return to center. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where no brake failure was found, and the steering wheel was aligned; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle lurched and jumped. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal continuously until the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the traction control and the ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to start when the weather was cold. The contact stated that the failure persisted upon attempting to jumpstart the vehicle and replacing the battery. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle when the weather was warm. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failures to the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 15V675000 (Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 16V273000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Drivers seat head rest deployed at a stop light which caused my head to jerk forward.
The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking and failed to properly accelerate before the vehicle stalled. While operating the vehicle the traction control, ABS, and several unknown warning lights became illuminated. Additionally, the "Service Park Assist" message was displayed. In addition, the battery was often drained and needed to be recharged. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power train was faulty and advised that the vehicle needed to be taken to the local dealer. No service was performed. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic who replaced the alternator, serpentine belt, brake sensor, and several unknown parts but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the battery was replaced several times, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a grinding sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle started to jerk. The contact veered off the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact then stated while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle started to jerk and decelerated while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was inspected by an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC codes for transmission failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
I was driving on the highway and my car started to jerk when I accelerated and hit the brakes. I pulled over to see what was wrong with the car. It hesitated to start back up and when it did it stalled. My ESC light came on and my engine light came on before I pulled over. I was stuck on the side of a busy highway with a car that almost caused an accident when it jerked. Took the car to AutoZone for a diagnostics check and got 3 error codes, P0344, P0128, and C121C-00. Was informed that there are similar issues being reported about cars of the same year, make, and model that was not included in a 2016-2017 recall and that there is an open investigation referring to the camshaft sensor being intermittent (Code P0344). There was no other warning lights on the dashboard. All the lights came on at the same time.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If the transmission loses hydraulic pressure, the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission pump, free of charge. The recall began on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S44.
Recall number 16V461000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling 712 my 2009 sebring, dodge caliber, avenger, journey, jeep patriot, and compass vehicles. A new adhesive used in the power train control module (PCM) manufacturing process can cause the printed circuit board to break.
- Risk
- This can cause the engine to stall and cause a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the PCM free of charge. The recall began on november 10, 2008. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 08V528000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge Journey jerking
Which Dodge Journey years have jerking or lurching problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (24 complaints), 2016 (16 complaints) and 2010 (11 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix jerking or lurching on the Dodge Journey?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,100 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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