636 of the
7,994 complaints filed about the Dodge Journey
are about the airbag system —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2009.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the air bag and ABS warning lights illuminated, and the cruise control feature became inoperable. The contact received notifications for Manufacturer Recalls: R61 and T47; and the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the air bag wiring harness and the ABS module water ingress were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred approximately five years later. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11756515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Purchased vehicle from Wildcat Used Cars in Somerset, KY on [XXX]. Took home and notified dealership of not having seatbelts in middle row. After having an inspection completed, found the SRS system was disabled, airbags removed, knee airbag just stuffed back in. All cables and components unplugged, fuses missing to cause the system to not load up and show the defect. had resistance from dealership in undoing the sale, until i made note of their mechanics checking off and noting in the carfax that it was "all good" and had be completely inspected. Dealership admitted that they don't check fuse boxes and cables if the lights on the dash aren't illuminated. This is a huge failure of safety. All is on a recorded line from their phonelines from the date range of 4/27/26-5/2/26. All is notated in documentation and photographic evidence. Finally settled and they bought the vehicle back on [XXX] and assured me it would be sent back with the correct salvage title, and it is currently out for resale on their lot as of today 5/24/26. They are fully aware of all the issues. The SRS,ABS, HVAC 40 Relays, and the Traction control system have all been disengaged/compromised to bypass the system of any issues ongoing. The middle row seat isn't secured down, and the airbags have been entirely removed. [XXX] Above is the website listing for this vehicle. The carfax is not updated to the correct report. This vehicle was involved in an accident where the SRS system has been compromised & I was driving this with my [XXX] in this vehicle for approximately 2 months like this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11739789 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Passenger seatbelt sensor stopped working then while later the cover broke off of the frame with no cause. Not allowing the seatbelt or airbags to work properly. According to Mopar it was not covered under warranty. I have seen multiple Dodge Journeys with this same issue. It’s obviously a safety defect that needs addressed. They won’t address it until someone is seriously hurt or killed because of their manufacturing error. That’s wild!
NHTSA complaint #11736336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This situation is occurring more and more often with this vehicle. The vehicle will be in drive, moving, and in the middle of a road or highway just shutdown completely. It happened 4 times 2 weeks ago. Brought to a auto mechanic and nothing could be discovered to be malfunctioning.
NHTSA complaint #11732518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact received a notification of NHTSA 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.
NHTSA complaint #11721423 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Well I don't know I bought my car from extreme Auto I don't know if he is paying the police off or what to exchange cars or vin numbers but my vehicle has a few of the recalls that are still rolling on the ABS light is coming on the engine Department a few other things that I could not get fixed and they said that it wasn't part of the recall that airbag shelf which is works with the blinkers also because when I had an inspected they had informed me of that previously and there wanting us to get into accident and say that I was driving crazy and basically get away with it and that's what the police does undercover cops use it vehicle similar to mine and I seen it at Johnson County Police Department and I think they lied I had an inspection done and Merriam Auto and it's on file and I would need to go pick that one up that was the first one that I had got done and it should still be in the system and and they paid her off because she no longer works there anymore they refuse to fix it and I paid extreme money for the prior inspections to this one and I also have a contract that I paid $475 to get an oil panel and engine oil cover gaskets put on it purchase the parts off of Amazon in the oil panel he purchased it I don't know why this b**** you want to f*** with me my kids are gone and that was a second opinion they also pulled my vehicle over and ran my VIN number and that is on my kids and my life and my soul the detective said I don't have alternative email
NHTSA complaint #11712588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1.) Air bags failed to deploy going 35mph during a car accident. Yes, this is available for inspection. 2.) Given the lack of air bag deployment, all of the passengers are suffering from injuries that would have been less severe. 3.) The vehicle is in a safe location until I am able to find direction for assessment of the air bags. 4.) This vehicle has not been inspected yet except photos. This has been reported to the police. 5.) No warnings. The air bags did not deploy during a car accident.
NHTSA complaint #11710139 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The airbag and seatbelt restraint systems are non-functional. The airbag warning light and seatbelt warning light are illuminated. The vehicle was sold to me by a licensed dealership, and after purchase I discovered evidence of prior crash damage that was not disclosed. Due to the disabled airbag and seatbelt systems, occupants would not be properly restrained or protected in the event of a collision, creating a serious risk of injury or death. The vehicle was purchased used, and I was not involved in the prior crash nor told about it. The exact details of the prior crash are unknown. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The issue has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives.
NHTSA complaint #11705291 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cusumer choice automotive 1706 lower Roswell rd. Sold me a vehicle with a branded title with /knowledge it was a total loss vehicle now the ABS and traction lights or on the seatbelt deployed light is on air sensor light on and brakes or grinding I purchased on 10-4- 2025 this is November-20-2025 I asked for refund and to cancel they say as is not sure this is a wreck or flooded vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11700612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
None of the airbags in the car deployed when I was in a high-impact front-end collision traveling at 45 mph. I was wearing my seatbelt, but the airbags did not deploy. I did not have the added protection of the airbags, so my injuries were much more severe than they would have been if the airbags had deployed. I have 2, possibly 3 fractures in my neck and spine, 2 fractures to the ribs near the sternum, organ damage, necrosis and nerve damage to the right leg, severe whiplash and many more injuries. The insurance company inspected the car after the car accident, Pioneer Insurance Company. There were no warning lights on that would indicate a problem with the airbags. I had been driving that car for years and never had a problem with the airbags. To my knowledge, no one has ever been in an accident in this car that would require the use of the airbags. I expected the airbags to work if I ever needed them and they did not, without warning.
NHTSA complaint #11698788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The cover for the seat belt and airbag on the front passenger seat have become disconnected without any incident causing such. Possibly not allowing the seat belt or airbag to function properly. Also the airbag sensor & seatbelt sensor for this seat stopped working at the same time the cover became un attached to the frame. It makes the seatbelt very hard to use and not sure it would function properly in a wreck not so I think the airbag would be able to deploy properly as the sensor is also not working. I was told this was not covered under my warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11694123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A few years ago the passenger seatbelt beeper stopped working. Unsure if air bags will deploy in a crash or not since the seat isn't detecting a person. Mentioned to dealership and told it would be a costly repair to check all the wiring.
NHTSA complaint #11690553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Faulty active head restraints in both front driver and passenger seats, causing both units to deploy while driving, causing my driver to temporarily lose control of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11687796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While returning from a shopping trip with my mom the passenger headrest broke/exploded? It caused several small plastic fragments to fly from I guess inside and the headrest hit my mom in the back of the head. There were no lights to indicate a problem, no other vehicles around and we were only traveling 25 mph. No police or anyone else involved Ed. Wasn't sure what to do. I saw a recall for this on similar vehicles but mine is not included.
NHTSA complaint #11686440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light unexpectedly illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,718.
NHTSA complaint #11685048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was sitting, idling in my car when my active headrest restrain system in my passenger seat suddenly went off. I am lucky no one was in my passenger seat and that I wasn't driving at that time. I looked more into it and it looks like the plastic encasing the metal bar which holds the headrest together snapped. Googling online I saw that this is a common issue with dodge, jeep, and Chrysler cars. I am now worried my driver side active headrest restraint system could go off while I am driving and cause an accident, as the passenger one definitely flew forward fast when it snapped.
NHTSA complaint #11684112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving in the vehicle to put gas in, all of the sudden, i heard something snap and felt something hit the back of my head really hard. I felt disoriented as I didn't know what had happened. When I stopped and look at the seat, I noticed that head rest had deployed suddenly without warning and hit the back of my head. There was no accident that should have caused the head rest deployment. I sat there disoriented and started getting a headache and my neck started getting stiff. It's been a week since it happened, if it doesn't go away , I will be seeing a doctor as the pain comes and goes.
NHTSA complaint #11674723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Jun 26, 2025 I was driving down a residential street when I heard a loud bang - it sounded like something hit my car. I stopped, got out and looked all over the outside of my car but found nothing wrong. As I re-entered the drivers side of the car, I saw the passenger side headrest...it had exploded!!! I immediately called my brother who is an auto mechanic and he told me that the headrest is part of the airbag system. I did not know this. He said that some vehicles were recalled because of the headrests exploding for no reason. Although my car is a Dodge, it is not one currently under recall. I am afraid to drive the car for fear the drivers side headrest will also explode while I am driving, causing injury to me or my children in the backseat. The car is now parked until it can be repaired...and the cost is in excess of $1000 to replace both headrests!!!
NHTSA complaint #11670292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My passenger side headrest popped open while my car was in park today. Randomly deployed. This is beyond unacceptable that something could just happen like a safety feature deploying when not impact provoked.
NHTSA complaint #11668726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.