BerettaBri

Scratch the project - returned the car to the dealer. Leaky sunroof just hours after purchasing car = bad mojo.

My wife and I bought an R/T last week... had the car for less than 12 hours and we got (thankfully) the first rain in East Tennessee in a few months. My wife got in the car the next morning to go to work and it was soaked inside... The headliner was dripping water down on the console, all over the MyGig, it was dripping through the map lights and infrared sensor, the floor was soaked.... I looked up into the sunroof area and water was coming in at a pretty steady stream. I drove it back to the dealer and returned it. Our enthusiasm for the car was extremely high when we test drove it and bought it at a really good price for what it compared to other cars in the segment, but our confidence was rattled in the workmanship and we decided to make a pass on it. The dealer, Cogdill Dodge, in Knoxville was very cool about the return--they didn't try to spin it or force the issue, they said they understood our concerns and didn't want to push us back into a car that was now soaked and not up to par as "new" to us. We drove over to the Mazda dealer and took the deal offered to us on a Grand Touring CX-9 and at $4000 more over the Journey and a couple of weeks driving it we have no regrets. I hope Dodge pulls it together on these issues... its the kind of stigma that sticks with a buyer and gives the notion that they don't build a good product... its not like you are buying a TV or appliance, its a $20,000-$30,000 investment in your peace of mind and need for dependability and transportation.

Hey DogSportz- Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you with this car... I'll be hauling around a Great Dane, a Boxer and a Mutt... so lots of claw marks coming my way for sure (ESPECIALLY on the black paint). I was able to buy plastic/rubber bumper gaurds on the Honda Passport and Mazda Tribute I used to have, I'm surprised it isn't an accessory offering--at that, i am suprised they don't have a cargo mat that stretches the whole length of the back two rows when laid flat. Here is what I am thinking of doing for the bumper.... I had bought some black rubber floor runner material at Lowe's that is pretty durable yet flexible stuff. I am going to try cutting a piece that will basically lay out and completely curl over the bumper so that it is completely protected (should the dogs happen to scramble in or out and possibly scratch the paint perpendicular to the flat top part of the bumper. On the back-side of the runner/matting I will glue down a felt backing so that it doesnt scratch the bumper when laying out across it. I will try affixing it with bolts or upholstery push-rivets INSIDE the storage compartment in the trunk area--this way when not in use I can just flop it into the storage bin and its out-of-sight and then it will be secured in so that it won't slip out from under their paws when they are racing in or out of the car. If I can make this work I will post some pictures.