Is the Subaru Solterra more reliable than the Dodge Journey?

No, the Dodge Journey has a slight edge. Solterra owners file 48.5 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 18 for the Journey. Solterra reports also include sudden acceleration at parking speed, which is the most serious pattern in either model's data.

Which has more recalls, the Solterra or the Journey?

The Journey has more. Federal recall records show 8 across its 2018 to 2020 model years, against 6 across the Solterra's 2023 to 2025 years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

What goes wrong most often on the Dodge Journey?

Electrical faults lead, with 97 complaints. The worst is stalling while driving, sometimes with power steering lost. Smaller repeat faults include door locks that ignore the key fob, backup cameras that go black or flip upside down, and a frozen touch screen.

Is sudden acceleration a problem on the Subaru Solterra?

Owners do report it. Both crash-linked electrical complaints describe forceful acceleration at parking speed, and a separate speed control report describes a car hitting a house with automatic emergency braking not activating. The number of reports is small, but the symptom is serious.

Which Dodge Journey year should I buy?

Aim for 2019, which is listed among the strongest years and not among the weakest. The 2018 is a weak year, and 2020 appears on both lists. Ask whether camera and headlight repairs were completed, whichever year you choose.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Dodge Journey vs Subaru Solterra: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Dodge Journey

Good

Subaru Solterra

Good

Slightly ahead on reliability, the Dodge Journey edges out the Subaru Solterra. Solterra owners file complaints at a much higher rate, including sudden acceleration at parking speed. The Journey has more recalls and its own stalling and transmission complaints, so the lead is narrow.

How Do the Dodge Journey and Subaru Solterra Generations Compare?

Model years 2018 to 2020 are the last three years of the Journey's first and only US generation, code JC49, which ran from 2009 to 2020. A facelift arrived for 2011. Any used Journey you consider is a late build of a long-running design, and the stalling, transmission and camera complaints still show up in these final years. With no newer version in the data to compare against, your choice comes down to which of the three years and which individual car.

Dodge Journey vs Subaru Solterra: Which Is More Reliable?

Dodge Journey vs Subaru Solterra at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Dodge Journey	Subaru Solterra
Reliability Score	74/100	71/100
Years Tracked	3	3
Total Recalls	8	6
Complaints per 10k Sold	18	48.5
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2020 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
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What Are the Common Problems With the Dodge Journey and Subaru Solterra?

Unwanted motion defines the worst Solterra reports. Cars lunge forward at parking speed, one hit a house without automatic emergency braking activating, and adaptive cruise control speeds up toward stopped traffic. Cold weather slows DC fast charging, and safety systems can switch off at startup. The Journey's worst pattern is engines stalling at speed with power steering lost, plus transmissions that slam in and out of gear. It also has repeat headlight fogging, flipping backup camera images, and brake shudder that survives new rotors. Both models have crash-linked areas. The Solterra's are electrical and speed control. The Journey's are electrical, back over prevention and exterior lighting.

Dodge Journey vs Subaru Solterra common problem areas comparison
Component	Dodge Journey	Subaru Solterra
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	4.6Average	11.3Above Avg
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.8Low	3.4Average
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	4.5Average
SERVICE BRAKES	0.9Very Low	3.4Average
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.5Very Low	3.4Average
STRUCTURE	0.3Very Low	2.3Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	2.3Low
SUSPENSION	—None	2.3Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	1.2Low	—None
POWER TRAIN	1.2Low	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	1.1Low	—None
ENGINE	0.8Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.8Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.8Very Low	—None
SEATS	0.7Very Low	—None
TIRES	0.1Very Low	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Who Should Buy the Dodge Journey vs the Subaru Solterra?

Pick the Journey if you want the lower complaint rate and can live with some nuisance faults like door locks that ignore the key fob or a frozen touch screen. Target 2019, which is among the strongest years and not among the weakest. Be cautious with 2018, and note that 2020 appears on both lists. Ask the seller whether camera and headlight repairs were done, and check for open recalls. Test drive for transmission jerks and brake shudder. Pick the Solterra if you want an electric SUV and will inspect it closely. The 2025 is listed among the strongest years, but it is also the newest and has had the least time to collect complaints, so do not treat it as proven. The 2023 is the weakest, and 2024 appears on both lists. Test the adaptive cruise control and parking behavior, and try DC fast charging if your winters hit freezing. Skip it if the sudden acceleration reports worry you.

Dodge Journey vs Subaru Solterra: Common Questions

Is the Subaru Solterra more reliable than the Dodge Journey?: No, the Dodge Journey has a slight edge. Solterra owners file 48.5 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 18 for the Journey. Solterra reports also include sudden acceleration at parking speed, which is the most serious pattern in either model's data.
Which has more recalls, the Solterra or the Journey?: The Journey has more. Federal recall records show 8 across its 2018 to 2020 model years, against 6 across the Solterra's 2023 to 2025 years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
What goes wrong most often on the Dodge Journey?: Electrical faults lead, with 97 complaints. The worst is stalling while driving, sometimes with power steering lost. Smaller repeat faults include door locks that ignore the key fob, backup cameras that go black or flip upside down, and a frozen touch screen.
Is sudden acceleration a problem on the Subaru Solterra?: Owners do report it. Both crash-linked electrical complaints describe forceful acceleration at parking speed, and a separate speed control report describes a car hitting a house with automatic emergency braking not activating. The number of reports is small, but the symptom is serious.
Which Dodge Journey year should I buy?: Aim for 2019, which is listed among the strongest years and not among the weakest. The 2018 is a weak year, and 2020 appears on both lists. Ask whether camera and headlight repairs were completed, whichever year you choose.

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How we score the Dodge Journey and Subaru Solterra

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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