10 Used Dodge Models You Should Steer Clear Of At All Costs

The minivan segment was in decline throughout the mid '00s, and Dodge needed a way to appeal to buyers looking for something a little more on-trend, but just as practical. The brand's answer was the Journey crossover, which debuted for the 2009 model year. It received a lukewarm reception from critics, some of whom pointed out its unremarkable handling and styling in a fiercely competitive segment. Unfortunately for 2009 Journey owners, its reliability record is much less middling — in fact, the car is one of the most troublesome Dodges produced this century.

It's subject to eight recalls according to the NHTSA, with issues concerning everything from a faulty ignition switch to a defective power steering return hose. The agency has also logged over 1,500 owner complaints for the model year, with over 800 concerning the car's electrical systems. Owners have reported electrical faults, including headlights turning on and off by themselves, starter motors repeatedly failing, and even short circuits leading to the car catching fire.

Many report that a faulty TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) was found to be the cause, although other drivers report being unable to properly diagnose the problem even after taking it to multiple mechanics. The 2010 Journey also suffers a similarly high level of owner complaints, with a smaller number of owners continuing to report electrical problems for model years as recent as 2017.

SlashGear is, in general, a fan of the Dodge Neon — it is one of the Dodge cars most worth resurrecting. It was a cheap, capable runabout that was generally hassle free to own, although not every model year could claim to be the latter. The 1995 model year is the worst offender, with the NHTSA recording nearly 1,200 complaints about the car to date. It's also been the subject of 11 recalls.

The nature of the owner complaints is varied. Over 300 owners reported problems with the engine and cooling systems, and more than 200 complained of issues with the brakes. Electrical systems were also cited over a hundred times, alongside issues with airbag deployment or failure. Given that any 1995 Neon on the market today will likely sport higher mileage and therefore more worn components even without the added reliability issues, it's almost certainly worth giving it a miss.

The Dodge Grand Caravan received a thorough revamp for the 2008 model year, with significant improvements made to both its exterior styling and the tech available in its cabin. However, the minivan's persistent reliability issues make it worth avoiding for used buyers today. The NHTSA has recorded over 1,200 complaints regarding the 2008 Grand Caravan as of this writing, plus eight recalls. The majority of owner complaints — over 800 of them — concern the car's electrical systems.

The failure reports paint a similar picture to that of the 2009 Dodge Journey, with drivers alleging that their cars' lights and wipers could randomly turn on or off without warning, often while driving, and electronic door locks could stick either on or off. These faults varied in severity, with some drivers reporting their cars would only occasionally have problems while others deemed their cars completely undrivable. Like the Journey, some owners have traced the problem to a faulty TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module). However, others report being unable to find the root cause of the issue even after multiple attempted repairs have been completed.

The Dodge Dart was discontinued not once but twice, with the second iteration of the car killed off due to a lackluster reception from both critics and buyers and subsequent poor sales. The car has attracted an unusually high number of complaints in the years since it was discontinued, with the NHTSA recording over 1,200 complaints to date. Over 500 complaints concern the powertrain, many of which cite transmission failure as their reason for the report. A 2019 recall was issued for the shifter cable bushing, but owners have reported transmission failure as recently as 2024.

Other common complaints include the failure of the clutch pedal, with a defective clutch slave cylinder often cited as the problem. Hundreds of other drivers have had issues with brakes failing, with complaints lodged as recently as 2023 despite a recall being issued for the brake booster in 2015. In total, six recalls have been issued for the car to date, although considering the stream of complaints that have continued pouring into the NHTSA, it seems they haven't been entirely effective in remedying the Dart's flaws.

It might have been one of the most innovative, forward-thinking minivans of its time, but the 1996 Dodge Caravan doesn't hold up for long-term reliability. The NHTSA has logged 1,647 complaints and 18 recalls concerning the minivan to date — with that many recalls it will be extremely difficult for any used buyer to check they've been carried out correctly. Owner complaints are plentiful and varied, with hundreds of owners reporting various electrical issues including persistent dashboard warning lights and gauges malfunctioning.

Another common cause for concern was the car's serpentine belt, which some owners reported replacing multiple times after repeated failure. High oil consumption is also consistently reported, alongside issues with the ABS. Airbags are also reported to be one of the most frequent failure points, with over 250 complaints as of this writing. The issues flagged by owners are most commonly reported in 1996 models, although several following model years also have higher complaints than average.

All of SlashGear's data for compiling this list was sourced from the NHTSA's database. The database covers every Dodge model sold officially in the U.S. from 1990 up to the present day and includes information on recalls, active and past investigations, and owner complaints made to the agency. We considered all three factors when deciding which Dodge models to include, with significantly higher levels of owner complaints than average being the primary criteria for inclusion.

High recall levels were also a secondary criteria, as used buyers often have little information available to them at the point of purchase about whether a car has had recall work completed. A higher number of recalls increases the chance that any given used car has not had one or more of the recalled issues rectified. As noted above, this is not intended to be a definitive guide to every problematic used Dodge model, but rather a general roundup of past model years with notable, well-documented flaws.