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We all have those friends who are accident prone, those that seem to cause damage wherever they go. Well, it turns out that some SUVs are like that, too. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, keeps track of which SUVs (and cars) cause the most havoc. It turns out that the Dodge Journey SUV causes more damage, or costs more to fix, than any other SUV, and that could mean you pay more for insurance.

Is the Dodge Journey really that bad?

2020 Dodge Journey
2020 Dodge Journey Crossroad

The IIHS publishes a chart that shows insurance losses by make and mode. It tracks most cars and SUVs and scores them as a percentage above, or below, the average for insurance coverage. It rates the costs incurred in six categories: collision, property damage, comprehensive, personal injury, medical payment, and bodily injury.

The chart shows the overall costs of collisions and other claims, like property damage, that vehicles incur. Vehicles that rate highly include the Hyundai Palisade and the Subaru Ascent, compared to the average costs. The IIHS adjusts the ratings to account for distortions that are not caused by the vehicle, such as the state drivers live in, their age, and other things like gender and marital status.

Is Dodge Journey insurance expensive?

The Dodge Journey has more red dots, putting it in the “substantially worse than average” category, than any other SUV. It causes 63% more property damage, 126% more costs for personal injury, and those injuries are more serious, to the tune of 127% higher than the average. When it comes to bodily injury, it causes 93% more costs than the average. However, it is cheaper to fix, and incurs 14% less comprehensive damage and collisions costs 14% more than the average.

What these costs mean is that you could be paying more for insurance on a Journey than a better-rated SUV. Also, the Journey was never a reliable vehicle.

There are other standouts in individual categories. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which is a special racetrack-ready version, has a rating of 409% higher for comprehensive coverage than the average. That could be attributable to its special, and expensive, engine and suspension package. When costs for bodily injury are factored in, the Hyundai Palisdae comes in on the other end of the spectrum. The IIHS found that its costs in that realm are 67% less than the average, which could mean that people are hurt less by Palisades.

Is Dodge Journey discontinued?

2020 Dodge Journey Interior
2020 Dodge Journey Crossroad interior | Dodge

Dodge discontinued the Journey after the 2020 model year. Over its 11-year lifespan, it had one major facelift in 2011. It was never a beloved SUV, but it did gain fans from the minivan-averse for its spacious interior with SUV looks. It had three rows of seats for up to seven people. The Journey was a mid-sized SUV and it was smaller than the Dodge Durango.

Is there a 2023 Dodge Journey?

dodge journey in mexico
A Dodge Journey being built | Susana Gonzalez, Bloomberg via Getty Images

You can buy a new Dodge Journey, but only if you live in Mexico. The hecho en Mexico or built-in Mexico Journey proved to be very popular in Mexico. For 2023 the country gets a rebadged version of a Chinese SUV. According to MoparInsiders, the new Journey is a rebadged Trumpchi GS5 SUV, but it loses one row of seats and now only seats five people.

So, for those of us who are accident prone to begin with, maybe we should stay away from the 2011-2020 Dodge Journey. Just to be on the safe side.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.