Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Dodge Journey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the adaptive cruise control (ACC) mode failed to disengage as intended and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the windshield wipers engaged unintendedly and remained engaged after the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The contact's husband disconnected the battery terminals to turn off the windshield wipers; however, the vehicle failed to restart upon reconnecting the battery terminals. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V332000 (Electrical System, Vehicle Speed Control). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle with the cruise control activated, the cruise control failed to immediately deactivate, and the vehicle failed to decelerate while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the rear-view mirror and back-over prevention camera failed and displayed a black screen, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
When turning on vehicle the lightning stalls to come on properly. The dash board and radio is completely off even when vehicle has started. Speedometer does not have an accurate reading of how many miles per hour I'm truly going in which I don't feel safe due to the fact that I'm more likely to get pulled over for speeding or not driving fast enough while on the road. No one has inspected the vehicle to confirm other than myself and husband who drive the vehicle. I could be doing 20 miles a hour but the speedometer would say I'm going 45 miles a hour. I was resting at a complete stop and the speedometer stated that I was going 3 miles at a complete stop. There was no indicator flashing light or any message on the vehicle that was indicate there was a issue with the vehicle. The speedometer has been like this since April of 2022. …
Lighting bolt with parentheses came on along with off road sign. I was unable to accelerate past 20 mph and then I just rolled to a stop in morning traffic with my flashers on. I took it to dealership and they replaced my key battery since I told them i was also having problems lock and unlocking my car. I was told this should solve the problem. It did for about 3 weeks now lights back on car won't accelerate only till and it's shaking bad.
Rear wheel bearing is bad after only 35,000 miles causing the speed sensor to fail which causes the cruise control to fail. The wheel bearing has also caused extreme wear on the tread of my brand new tires, and the ABS and stability/traction lights to come on in the dash display. I have researched this problem extensively and found that many Dodge Journey owners have experienced the same issues.
My headlights become unseeable at times, its difficult to see the road. My cruise control has got stuck and at one point accelerated on its own, and my 3rd row seats have no seat belt buckles. No one has confirmed my vehicle. There has been some recalls.
While driving on the freeway some of the lights on my dash kit up and all the sudden my car would not go over 15 mph. I tried to turn it off and turn it back on and it continued to do the same thing. I did have my grandkids in the car.
While driving on the highway in my brand new Dodge Journey that was purchased less than 2 weeks ago, all the vehicles came to a stop and were stationary. My car included was stationary or stopped. While waiting for traffic to go, my foot was on the brake when my car suddenly accelerated (was in motion) and started to move forward. My foot was still on the brake when this occurred. I continued to push down the brake as hard as I could and pump the brake to make the car stop but it felt like the brake pedal would not go down. My brakes did not work and the vehicle in front on me ended up stopping my car. I pulled over to the left shoulder of the highway as much as I could and put my car in park and called highway patrol.
On 6/4/2018 I picked up my vehicle from the service department at my local dealership after taking it in for the ABS and traction control lights being on and loss of power. The dealership advised they did an update on the power control model and fixed a wheel speed sensor. While on the freeway about 9 miles away from the dealership the lights (ABS and traction control) came back on and the rpms went up. The vehicle was in cruise control and the vehicle had a 5mph loss in speed but went back up to 65mph with the raise in rpms. While going to exit the freeway and applying the brakes the cruise control would not disengage. I immediately placed the vehicle in neutral and turned the engine off and pulled to the right hand shoulde allowing the vehicle to coast to a stop.. After pulled over I applied the brake and placed the vehicle in park and turned the vehicle back on. …
From day 1: car doesn't accelerate properly; doesn't go as it should when one pulls into traffic. Very scary! The 'extra gears' only make the motor sound like it's going to explode, & doesn't make car move any faster/easier. I am an experienced driver with a perfect driving record; it's not the driver! Second issue: the hood keeps popping up, and I fear it will eventually fly all the way up. These issues are life threatening. 3rd issue: it certainly doesn't get the gas mileage that it should, getting 16-18. Please help! As a cancer patient, I depend on this car to get to many dr visits. Thank you.
Acceleration complaints in other Journey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2018 Dodge Journey?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2018 Dodge Journey, 9% of the model year's 237 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Dodge Journey acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2018 Dodge Journey, though it has 6 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 2018 Dodge Journey acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 46% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.