Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Dodge Journey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Me and my son were sitting in the car waiting for my wife and the car started dying lights started were flashing the horn was honking wipers were going interior lighting and gauge cluster was all flashing then smoke started to come through the vents so we jumped out and that's when I seen flames under the hood the wiring harness from the firewall to the fuse box was completely in flames. I eventually tamed to fire with snow beings that it was all I had at the moment. The vehicle hasn't been inspected by anyone yet I wasn't sure how to go about this never had to deal with anything like it. It is available for inspection anytime.
SYMPTOMS - Dangerous Malfunction Critical Component Failure - Wipers constantly on slow speed, even in driving rain. No Rear Wiper. No TURN SIGNALS Engine rough and limited to ~2,500 RPM. No HORN. Left signal initiated by Driver in Vehicle#1 when turning left in front of other driver Vehicle#2, no left signal light resulted; Driver in Veh#2 presumed Veh#1 was proceeding straight and pulled out; Result was Near Miss frontal collision. Right Steering column stalk - Front Windshield Wipers constantly on, can not shut off. No WW washer activation. No wiper speed control - almost like default: lowest continuous operation (not intermittent and not high speed). No rear WW wiper and wash operation either. Left steering column stalk - No turn signals, no bright lights, no dash light control. Most dash gauges do work except Navigation compass. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the passenger side window was in the down position and failed to close. The contact placed a bag on the window; however, water entered the vehicle. Afterwards, while driving at unknown speeds, smoke emerged from the passenger side door, the other remaining doors failed to lock, and the windows failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact to call NHTSA. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 175,000.
Vehicle battery drained. Replaced battery and wipers stayed on continuously. Multi function switch was inoperative which controls the turn signals, high and low beam, and fog lights. Factory navigation with surrounding area caught fire with no key in the ignition while car was parked in driveway resulting in total loss of vehicle.
This is not the first time this has happened. My windshield wipers come on by themselves and will not turn off, had to remove fuse. As I was driving home from work they came on and wouldn't turn off. Then the turn signals, headlights, and dashboard lights stopped working. This car has a mind of its own and these work when they feel like it; meaning they come and go, working one second then not the next, then working again....usually they don't work and stop for a long period of time then eventually work again like nothing happened. This time I'm not so sure how long it is going to go on because it is worse and ongoing. I am finding just how dangerous it is not to be able to use turn signals, etc. I am unable to drive to work now because of the headlights! And now the rain is coming in and I am not going to be able to drive without headlights or wipers. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the key was difficult to turn over and start the vehicle on numerous occasions. The contact heard a loud clicking noise. The contact had to make several attempts to get the vehicle to start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was an internal electrical failure. The contact referred the contact to an authorized dealer. The contact indicated that the front driver and front passenger side windows were not able to wind up and down due to the electronic control failure on the driver side door. The contact also was not able to use the key fob and manually press the lock and unlock function. The contact had to use the key to lock and unlock the doors as the failure progressed. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: (electrical system). …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that when the fob was placed in the ignition, the engine did not start. The vehicle was previously repared per NHTSA campaign number: 14V373000 (air bags, electrical system); however, the failure recurred multiple times. The contact was also experiencing electrical failures throughout the vehicle. Also, both side view mirrors were not working, in addition to all of the door locks, master control unit, and child safety locks. The vehicle was unable to detect that the driver's side door was open. Also, the passenger side windows were nonfunctional. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where multiple repairs were made on several occasions. The mechanic replaced numerous modules, fuses, and relays; however, the failures recurred. …
Have lost most controls from drivers door switch, only thing that works is rear windows. All other 3 doors work fine independently. Vehicle had the k07 recall done in feb 2011. Since then, there was intermittent auto/up-down on both front doors. Now I have lost function as mentioned before. The vehicle has been at local Dodge/Chrysler dealership since 14 November for diagnosis and repair. They cant figure our problem. Chrysler corporation was contacted by me for assistance on 19 nov. As of this message, still no final diagnosis and repair. All they do is keep changing parts as directed by Chrysler. We are extremely frustrated with this situation and my gut feelings tell me there is a failure with the k07 recall and/or key fob recall number r03. All these components are related electronically. Sincerely think its time for the NHTSA to relook these 2 recalls with Chrysler corporation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact noticed that there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the engine mounts, but the failure recurred. The contact also stated that the driver side window opened and closed independently. In addition, the other power windows only functioned manually. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the housing was cracked, the drive shaft going into the transmission hub was misaligned and needed to be replaced as well as the transmission. The contact received NHTSA campaign number: 14V373000 (air bags and electrical system) but the part was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
All the vehicle dash lights started flashing, gauges bounced to 0 and back, wipers would activate, and vehicle made chime noise - repeatedly. The problem will sometimes last only for a few seconds and other times for the duration of the drive, and even continuing upon startup of the next drive. This problem was very intermittent to begin with and now is becoming more common. I have not been able to find a solution and the dealer originally told me that they could not help me because they could not duplicate the problem. This problem is well known on many online forums and is a huge safety concern for my wife and children. I believe that it May be an issue related to the TIPM and related to NHTSA action number :dp14004. Dodge really needs to recall this issue, immediately. The problem is happening very frequently now.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Journey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2009 Dodge Journey?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2009 Dodge Journey, 2% of the model year's 1,594 complaints. The component named most often is power window devices and controls (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Dodge Journey window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2009 Dodge Journey, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Dodge Journey window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.