How many miles can a Dodge Journey last? When you’re in the market for a new or second-hand Journey, that’s, of course, a very reasonable question to ask. After all, you’re probably looking to get the most bang for your buck. In this blog, we’ll look at the most popular models but first, let’s start with a quick answer:
On average, a Dodge Journey lasts between 180,000 – 220,000 miles. A Dodge Journey needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs about 0.25 times per year with a 12% chance of the severe problem. Furthermore, Dodge Journey owners spend an average of $536,80 per year on repair costs.
Having said that, we’re certainly not done. Below we’ll first explain in more detail how many miles a Dodge Journey can last. After that, we’ll compare the Journey to its main competitors in terms of potential mileage and compare the Journey to other Dodges. Furthermore, we also discuss the common problems that a Journey can have for the models produced between 2009 and 2020, how much maintenance will cost per year, and how to maintain a Journey. Read on!
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Also read: Dodge Journey Towing Capacity: What Can It Tow?
How Many Miles Can A Dodge Journey Last?
Let’s first answer the question of how many miles a Dodge Journey can last in more detail. To do this, we retrieved data using autotrader.com. We selected all the Dodge Journeys that were available for sale in the United States on this website.
After that, we selected the cars that had more than 150,000 miles, between 100,000 – 149,999 miles, etc. This gave us a good overview of how many Journeys actually seem to reach the 150,000 miles mark reliably. We found the table below in which it seems that 3.46% of Journeys have reached this milestone.
This tells us that the Dodge Journey seems to be an average car when it comes to reliability. Normally a percentage between 3-5% is considered average, with anything in the range of 10% being very reliable.
| Amount Of Miles | Percentage Of Cars |
| Cars With 150.000+ | 3.46% |
| Cars With 100.000 – 149.000 | 14.67% |
| Cars With 45.000 – 99.999 | 36.14% |
| Cars With 0 – 44.999 | 45.73% |
However, we must also state that most Dodge Journeys have been sold in the past 5 years, which means many haven’t yet had time to reach this durability milestone. However, to give you an even better idea of how many miles a Dodge Journey can actually last, we also looked at the highest recorded mileage.
Here we found that this is a Dodge Journey with 240,000 miles (and several of them seemed to exist) which tells us the Journey does indeed seem to be reliable hit the 200,000 miles mark.
Want to know how many miles this Dodge can still last with an almost empty fuel tank? Read this blog we wrote earlier.
How Reliable Is A Dodge Journey Compared To It’s Competitors
Besides comparing the Dodge Journey to itself, it’s also important to compare the Journey to its competitors in terms of mileage. Below we looked at the five main competitors of the Journey, and the results are as follows.
First, it becomes clear that all cars seem to have around the same percentage reaching the 150,000 miles mark. Anything in the 3% range seems to be fairly normal, with the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Nissan Rogue severely underperforming in this category.
| Model | Sample Size | Cars With 150.000+ Miles | % Percentage Of Cars With 150.000+ | Highest Mileage |
| Dodge Journey | 8087 | 280 | 3.46% | 240,000 |
| Honda CR-V | 39402 | 1455 | 3.69% | 350,000 |
| Kia Sorento | 10429 | 339 | 3.25% | 270,000 |
| Ford Explorer | 32194 | 1139 | 3.54% | 280,000 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 3479 | 48 | 1.38% | 220,000 |
| Nissan Rogue | 39042 | 327 | 0.84% | 240,000 |
Furthermore, it’s important to look at the highest recorded mileage. The Dodge Journey does very well with 240,000 miles. However, the Journey is outperformed in this category by the CR-V, Sorento, and the Explorer. The CR-V even had multiple of them reaching the 350,000 miles mark.
How Reliable Is A Dodge Journey Compared To Other Dodges?
Furthermore, it’s also important to compare the Journey to other Dodges. The reason for this is that this gives you an idea of the quality standard that Dodge has over its complete line-up.
What we found here is that the journey seems to do average. It’s certainly not as good as the Caliber, Nitro, Dakota, and Avenger but not as bad as the Challenger or the Charger. The same goes for the highest recorded mileage: 240,000 miles is good but not staggering.
| Model | Sample Size | Cars With 150.000+ Miles | % Percentage Of Cars With 150.000+ | Highest Mileage |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 5635 | 541 | 9.60% | 290,000 |
| Dodge Charger | 13,465 | 252 | 1.87% | 250,000 |
| Dodge Dart | 1355 | 44 | 3.25% | 180,000 |
| Dodge Challenger | 12698 | 86 | 0.68% | 230,000 |
| Dodge Journey | 8087 | 280 | 3.46% | 240,000 |
| Dodge Durango | 10485 | 438 | 4.18% | 280,000 |
| Dodge Caliber | 330 | 77 | 23.33% | 230,000 |
| Dodge Nitro | 271 | 77 | 28.41% | 260,000 |
| Dodge Dakota | 548 | 182 | 33.21% | 300,000 |
| Dodge Avenger | 829 | 162 | 19.54% | 250,000 |
How Much Does A Dodge Journey Cost In Maintenance?
Besides knowing how many miles a Dodge Journey can last, it’s also important to look at the car’s maintenance cost to reach these miles. Below we’ve used data from Repairpal.com. We compared each manufacturing year of the Dodge Journey (data for 2019, 2020, and 2021 types is not yet available) to the other production years.
On average, a Dodge Journey costs $536,80 per year to maintain. The 2013 – 2009 models seem especially expensive to maintain, with the 2011 year costing around $673 to maintain per year. The 2018 and 2017 models are less than $400 per year to maintain, which is logical given that these cars are new and have fewer defects.
| Year Of Manufacturing | Dodge Journey Maintenance Cost |
| 2018 | $ 397 |
| 2017 | $ 377 |
| 2016 | $ 500 |
| 2015 | $ 498 |
| 2014 | $ 530 |
| 2013 | $ 595 |
| 2012 | $ 581 |
| 2011 | $ 673 |
| 2010 | $ 635 |
| 2009 | $ 582 |
Also read: The Complete Cost Of Maintaining A Dodge
Dodge Journey Common Problems
Besides knowing how many miles a Journey can last, you also need to know about its common problems. Below, we´ve given an extensive summary.
NOTE: Before buying a used car, I always like to make sure the vehicle isn´t having any problems that you should be aware of. The easiest way to do this is by buying an OBD2 scanner. These scanners can easily be plugged into any car you’re interested in, and they’ll give you a rundown of potential problems.
Keyless Entry Doesn’t Work
In pre-2018 models, the keyless entry may sometimes stop working. This is because of faulty software in the wireless ignition node. An update normally solves the problem. A Dodge dealer may do this free of charge; otherwise, expect between $50 – $80.
Water Leak
The seals of the body of the Dodge Journey can start to become bridle or less flexible, which can cause water to enter the compartment. Especially common in pre-2019 models. Expect to pay around $100 for resealing the doors.
Debris In The Cylinder Head Coolant Port
Debris in the cylinder head coolant port can cause the engine to overheat and also means that the thermostat will get damaged. This is a common problem in pre-2017 models. Removing this debris and the thermostat will correct the issue. Expect to pay around $150 – $180 for this.
Vibrating Brakes
One of the more costly problems of a Dodge Journey is that the front brake rotors tend to warp, resulting in vibration when you apply the brakes. This is common in pre-2017 models. If you experience this problem, also check the back rotors. The rotor will need to be replaced, which costs $250 – $300 for the set.
Noise From The Steering Pump
In pre-2016 models, a whining noise can sometimes be heard when steering. This is a problem with the steering pump. The steering pump needs to be replaced, and the powertrain control module will need a software update. Expect to pay around $350 – $400.
Squeaky Noise From The Rear Suspension
A squeaky noise can sometimes be heard from the rear suspension in pre-2014 models. This problem is caused by interference between the parking brake cable clamp screw head and the rear cross-member. Expect to pay $100 – $200.
Also read: Types Of Gas A Dodge Journey Takes (All Generations)
Is A Dodge Journey A Smart Buy?
So, is the Dodge Journey actually a smart buy? To answer that question, we have to take everything into account. This means judging the car on its lifespan, the number of problems it has, the cost involved, and how much value you get for the money you spend on the car.
As said before, the Dodge Journey seems to be fairly reliable in terms of mileage. The Journey doesn’t outperform its competition in terms of mileage but doesn’t underperform and is, therefore, a worthy competitor.
Regarding how many problems the car has, we would say that it’s probably good to check a second-hand car thoroughly before buying it, but there aren’t any real dealbreakers. The car doesn’t have any major engine or transmission problems which makes it a safe bet in this category. The average cost of $536,80 is also pretty normal for this type of car. Also read: Dodge Journey Transmission: Overview, Problems, Fluids
Then there’s the question of how much value you get if you buy a car that’s been used. If you want the most value for your money, then we suggest buying a Journey that’s six years old. A six-year-old Dodge Journey has normally already lost 48% of its value, which means you get quite a discount.
However, assuming that a 6-year-old Journey has driven around 81,000 miles (13,500 per year), this still leaves almost 9 years of useful years, assuming the car will reach 200,000 miles.
Are you in the market for this Dodge? Don’t forget to check out our extensive list of the largest Dodge dealers per state!
Dodge Journey Maintenance Schedule
For a Dodge Journey to reach a high mileage, you’ll need to take care of it according to the maintenance schedule of Dodge. Below we’ve outlined all the maintenance that will need to be done regularly and at what mileage you can expect to do this.
- Change the oil every 7,500 miles.
- Rotate the tires every 10,000 miles
- Change the cabin air filter every 20,000 miles
- Change the air filter every 30,000 miles
- Change the spark plugs every 100,000 miles
- Change the automatic transmission filter every 120,000 miles
- Flush and change the coolant every 150,000 miles.
Sources
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!