The Lane Check

Cars › Dodge › Journey › 2020

2020 Dodge Journey problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
18%
10 of 57 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2020 Dodge Journey. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 18% of relevant complaints.

Better than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 8 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 15%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2020 Dodge Journey have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 10 of 57 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Dodge Journey concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (18%). For comparison, the 2019 scores 19%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
10
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
65
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
1 crashes · 1 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM19 · 29%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER19 · 29%
BACK OVER PREVENTION14 · 22%
ENGINE8 · 12%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING5 · 8%
SERVICE BRAKES4 · 6%

The years either side

2010
26%
246 of 1,085
2011
34%
50 of 169
2012
41%
138 of 376
2013
32%
99 of 353
2014
38%
137 of 416
2015
42%
201 of 553
2016
57%
198 of 388
2017
46%
73 of 197
2018
26%
50 of 234
2019
19%
16 of 101
2020
18%
10 of 65
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2020 Dodge Journey

What one owner reported

ENGINE01/29/2026
I am filing this complaint to report a repeated safety-related defect involving the engine thermostat in my 2020 Dodge Journey and to formally request an investigation by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). The thermostat in this vehicle has failed twice, despite being replaced after the initial failure. …

One of 10 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Dodge Journey?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Dodge Journey, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
back over prevention: sensing system: camera25V552000 · Aug 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ram ProMaster and 2019-2020 Dodge Journey vehicles. Cracks in the microprocessor may cause the vehicle's rearview camera image not to display…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2020 Dodge Journey? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2020 Dodge Journey

Does the 2020 Dodge Journey have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 10 of 57 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Dodge Journey concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (18%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Dodge Journey?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Dodge Journey, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Dodge Journey years are better?

The 2020 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Dodge Journey years we track (18%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2020 Dodge Journey?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2020 Dodge Journey shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.