As for which years to steer clear of, definitely avoid earlier models as drivers report these repeated issues:
Overall, newer Journeys make pretty good used vehicles. The Dodge Journey gets a 4.0 out of 5.0 reliability rating from RepairPal, which ranks it 6th out of 26 for midsize SUVs. The average annual repair cost is $562—a pretty average ownership cost rating when compared to other SUVs.