Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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 25 MPH, the contact can a grinding sound coming from the rear brakes. No warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, however the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was repaired as the front brakes were repaired. The contact mention while attempting to reverse the vehicle the rearview camera takes a few mins to display an image. The contact was relating the failure to related to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 ( SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was also relating his second failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V398000( BACK OVER PREVENTION )however, the VIN was not included in the recall. …
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear brakes. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The front brakes were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera image was slow to be displayed. The contact related the failures to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 ( SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) and 18V398000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 61,200.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and the contact heard an abnormal grinding sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Midas where the vehicle was diagnosed that the rear brake caliper pistons failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she was informed by the mechanic that the vehicle was included in a recall. The contact then stated that she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear brakes. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed; however, the result was not provided. The front brakes were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated while attempting to reverse the rearview camera image was not immediately displayed. The contact related the failures to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) and 18V398000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recalls. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 61,200.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to stop immediately. The traction control, ABS, and brake warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the calipers, rotors, and brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shook abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The contact stated that all four tires were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to Midas but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed a failure with the ABS unit; however, the parts to perform the repair were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted again to confirm parts availability and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was also made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention screen delayed in responding, before going black and then returning to normal operation. Additionally, the vehicle failed to stop in a reasonable amount of time while depressing the brake pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,862.
There are known recalls on 2018 Dodge Journeys. For some reason my VIN [redacted] doesn't show on the list. 1) back up camera shows a black screen or a blurry dark picture (on going issue for over a year) 2) electrical system sometimes refuses to acknowledge the key fob and or won't start due to it thinking it has a dead battery. (on going issue for almost two years) 3) when braking in an emergency situation, heavy vibration from the rear of vehicle (on going issue for a few years when hard braking rarely occurs)
The brake calipers and brake rotators in the front are a safety concern. In other recalls the rear calipers and rotors have been flagged for recall. The front also has the same issue. Unrelated the visibility of the front windshield is extremely obstructed by the plastic body that surrounds the windshield. It is over 6 in wide and very unsafe when trying to exit Ally's or before turning at traffic lights.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Brake complaints in other Journey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2018 Dodge Journey?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the brakes of the 2018 Dodge Journey, 11% of the model year's 237 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › caliper (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Dodge Journey brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-523 (caliper, Aug 9, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Dodge Journey brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.