Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Dodge Journey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2011 Dodge Journey. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was repaired, however, the failure recurred while the vehicle was stopped at a stop sign, and the contact saw flames coming from the hood. The contact exited the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. A fire report was filed. There were no other occupants in the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The contact was informed that the fire started in the manifold. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving about 35 MPH, the contact saw smoke emitting from the hood without warning. The contact pulled to the side and added some coolant but the failure recurred after driving 5 more minutes. The vehicle lost power and the contact saw flames from the engine. The fire momentarily extinguished itself. The steering wheel then could not turn and the vehicle shut down. The contact mentioned that the alternator and wiring were damaged sue to the failure. There was no report filed and there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to the contact's resident. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the failure was known but the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Today 8-24-15 my 2011 Dodge Journey shut off as I was driving down a road. There was no prior indication the car all of the sudden would not steer , brake or do anything . The electric was still on but the car completely shut off . I had to use all my strength to maneuver it off the road and wait for it to slow down . My child was in the car . This is the second incident this has happened - 1st being in March 2015. Both have been reported to Chrysler . Both times I have brought to my local mechanic and it was set up for computerized diagnostic testing and both time threw no error codes. My mechanic believes it is an issue with the win module or something that is making the car ignition faulty and turning to accessory mode . It is unsafe to drive and I have contacted Chrysler because they need to stand behind their product . …
While driving this vehicle, sometimes at highway speeds, the engine will stall. While all interior accessories stay energized, the engine does not attempt to restart. This has happened dozens of times and the vehicle has been to the dealership for this issue three different times. This issue did not start occurring until the touchscreen stopped working and the dash display started showing in german along with the vehicle not starting. I had it towed into the dealer where they had it for two weeks. They replaced the telematics gateway control module, several relays, and the battery. After this repair is when the above issue started happening. This is outright dangerous and has left my wife (her vehicle) stranded now three separate times. …
I was driving on the freeway to work and the engine shut off. I lost power steering, power braking, ability to accelerate or really drive the car at all. All I could do was try to safely navigate an uncontrollable vehicle to the shoulder and hope I wasn't hit in the process. The check engine light came on, in addition to other warning lights (I think they were the tire pressure light, the vehicle traction control light and another indicator that looks like a lightning bolt). The car eventually restarted, but had problems driving and would start to cut out when it idled. We took it back to Dodge, they ran diagnostics but couldn't find any issues. After a lot of pressure, they replaced the main computer chip in the system. This was after replacing another minor part that didn't change the issue. This seemed to work for a few months, but then the problem began happening again. …
The vehicle completely shut down while driving down Ford road in dearborn mi. The steering would not move. The engine turned off. The brakes locked up. The car would not start to move out of oncoming traffic. It was towed to firstone complete autocare and serviced. Received the vehicle back on Saturday the 4th of August. Again drove the vehicle and on a bridge on ecorse rd in taylor mi. The vehicle did the exact thing. It was towed back to Firestone. Firestone returned the vehicle on August 6th and sent it to dealership for repair. Firestone said they saw no problem. Couldn't understand the problem. Both instances of stalling I had my 7 year old. Both instances we were nearly rear ended multiple times. Both times the vehicle shuts down with no steering, no breaks, and wont restart. It was a death trap. Firstone can verify my pick up locations both times. …
We purchased this vehicle used, back in February. Over the last several months the vehicle had sporadically shut off while driving. The engine completely stops while moving. Some times it takes multiple attempts to turn it back on after shutting down and other times it will turn back on. We have already had the car looked at and had some recall work done to it, but this keeps happening even so. It happened again today while going 40 MPH, 2 seconds before the car stalled the check engine light came on and then the car stopped while driving. Thankfully the person behind me was not following too close because they almost hit me when the car stopped moving. I was driving on a city street with moderate traffic around me, so I am lucky that no one hit me when the car came to a complete stop. I was able to put the car in park and put my hazards on, while waiting to restart the car. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Journey. While driving 65 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the check engine light illuminated due to a low battery. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. In addition, while driving 25 MPH, there where a squeaking noise coming from the brakes. When the vehicle was in reverse, it made a knocking/kicking noise and failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time where it was diagnosed that the transmission and a faulty cylinder head failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
MIL illuminates indicating cam shaft position senor and multiple other codes at start up or highway speeds. This also cuts off the stability control and puts the car in ,imp mode. The car will also stall without warning at highway speeds creating an unsafe condition. Dealership currently evaluating issue for cam shaft phaser failure. This occurs at least once a week however the most recent incidence on 6/14/2019 resulted in the car stalling while turning resulting in loss of power steering and braking. The code always resets after a driving cycle is completed but comes back in a day or so. It is my understanding that early 3.6 l engines for 2011 had an issue with cam shaft phaser but no recall has been issued for my vehicle.
It has been about a month since my 2011 Dodge Journey had begun to shut off without warning while I was driving, and with nyc traffic in the city it became dangerous for me to drive. I took it to my own mechanic who said it could only be resolved by the dealership since it May be an electrical issue with the car's computer that only the service shop at the dealership has the tools to fix. I am not driving faster than 30 MPH when it happens, I'm unable to brake and the car shuts off automatically. I have begun to use the emergency brake, but if there is a car that is too close, in front or behind me, I can get into an accident. Thankfully, I have always been by the shoulder on the highway and am able to pull over.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured July 19, 2010, to May 26, 2015 and equipped with 2.4L engines. In the affected vehicles, the engine cover may detach from the engine and contact the exhaust manifold.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install an improved mounting system for the engine cover, free of charge. The recall began on October 15, 2015.
Engine complaints in other Journey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Dodge Journey?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Dodge Journey, 20% of the model year's 169 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Dodge Journey engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-431 (engine, Jul 7, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Dodge Journey engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.