Here's Why The Dodge Journey Was Discontinued

The Dodge Journey had an interesting lifespan. It debuted in 2009 as an affordable five or seven-seat, three-row crossover SUV, but it only received a single facelift over its 12-year production run. Moreover, Dodge didn't release a second-generation Journey in North America to continue the lineage, and production ended in 2020 despite being a strong seller. The automaker sold more than 100,000 units in 2015 and 2016, which left industry experts wondering why Dodge was keen on cutting the Journey from its lineup for the 2020 model year.

It could be related to the Journey's well-known electrical problems and reliability issues, which make it one of the midsize SUVs to avoid when searching for a used family vehicle. It's not all bad news, since the 2013, 2016, and 2019 models are the best years for the Dodge Journey, but newer and more updated competition, like the VW Tiguan and Kia Sorento, offer more of everything for the price.

The funny thing is that Dodge contemplated axing the Journey (and Grand Caravan) long before the 2020 model year, despite both vehicles accounting for 47% of Dodge's USA sales for 2019. Car and Driver called it a "leap of faith" as Dodge transitioned from making affordable yet practical family cars into a high-performance automaker.

After discontinuing the Journey and Grand Caravan, Dodge only had the Challenger, Charger, and Durango in its dwindling lineup. Still, it's hard to deny that the Journey's aging platform, thirsty powertrain, and tight interior made it lag behind competitors. "In many ways, the Journey still seems stuck in the first decade of the millennium," said Motor Trend in its 2020 Dodge Journey review. "The Journey is the least-expensive seven-seat SUV on the market, yet every vehicle in the Journey's class is newer, with better comfort, dynamic, and technology attributes.

The Dodge Journey ended its production run in Journey SE Value and Journey Crossroad trim models powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 172 horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque. Cabin versatility and trunk space are sterling attributes of every Dodge Journey. Folding the second and third-row seats reveals up to 67.6 cubic feet of cargo space, while there's an underfloor storage bin under the rear cargo area and an available watertight cubby on the floor behind the first row.