Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
21 mpgcombined; city 19, highway 25; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470U.S. average; Ohio $13,820 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2020 Journey. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Journey. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
20
0
1
0
Unknown or other
19
0
0
0
Back over prevention
14
0
0
0
Engine
8
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
5
0
0
0
Power train
3
0
0
0
Service brakes
3
1
0
1
Steering
3
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
3
0
0
0
Air bags
2
1
0
1
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
6 more parts
Vehicle speed control
2
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Journey over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ram ProMaster and 2019-2020 Dodge Journey vehicles. Cracks in the microprocessor may cause the vehicle's rearview camera image not to display properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility.
Risk: A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed beginning September 30, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated July 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 59C.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 116 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2020 Journey, the latest on Dec 3, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (31), electrical system (30), structure (20), power train (18), engine and engine cooling (16).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2020 Journey.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Journey Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 21
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data