OPIEFAVORS Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 Hi all. Ive been reading through the forum and it seems like these Journes are good vehicles. Im thinking about buying a used Journey for my wife. Im typically a chevy/GM guy but recently I havent been too happy about their vehicles. Besides the brake wear issues, what are some of the other common problems with these? What benifits do you get in real world 3.5 vs the 3.6? Does one engine seem to have more issues than the other? Thanks for any responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razor420 Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 think twice, mine has been a real lemon, the 3.6 in mine had to have the heads replaced, cam phasser issues, power steering completely redone, and brakes and tires were gone at 20.000 miles. the uconnect radio has been replaced 2 times. been in the shop more than my garage. trying to sell it but the re sale on journeys is very low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingit11 Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 razor420; I am sorry you have had so many problems with your Journey. Every manufacturer has their Lemons. Having said that, we are on our second Journey. Wife liked the 2009 SXT that when it came time to trade it in she decided to get a 2013 Crew. We have been fortunate and have only had a couple of minor issues (2009, blew power steering return hose Christmas Eve). Most trouble we have had is keeping the body in good shape. 2009 was damaged ($4,000) from a wind storm and our 2013 was hit on the rear bumper when a pick-up with 30 foot trailer could not stop on ice. Have not had any brake issues with either one. So far we have been happy with our Journeys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 I too am in the happy camper camp. We are on our second DJ. I would recommend it to anyone. Best features for the price out there. Go with the 3.6 as this is the newest engine. I think they started putting the bigger brakes in 2011. My suggestion is to go drive one. Like winfgit11 says, every manufacturer makes a lemon every now and then. Most common compaint I hear is the AWD system gives some people fits. I dont need the extra weight, cost and maintenance of an AWD system, so we stuck with FWD. Also some report issues with the electronics in really cold temps. It does great in the snows we get around here. I recopmmend the Journey. Its a great car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 All I can say is that we love our Journey. It has been trouble free for over 35,000 kilometres and it's the best vehicle we've ever owned. I can't comment on the 3.5 but I can state that the 3.6 is a dream to drive. Powerful, smooth and responsive. I'll admit that some have been dissatisfied with their Journeys but they seem to be in a minority and could possibly be lack of proper maintenance or poor dealer service. Many of the forum members are repeat owners and some of us have family members who were so impressed that they also bought one. In Canada the Journey is #1 cross over in sales on a yearly basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted to Dodge Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 If you want the latest and greatest I would go for the 3.6. I own 2 Pentastar 3.6 equipped vehicles and I love them both. Chrysler really hit a home run with the 3.6, IMO. But I wouldn't hesitate to own a 3.5 either. Great little engines too, just a little older design. My friend owns a 2007 Dodge Ram with the 3.5 and he loves it. 120k miles with little to no problems. Its no slouch either in his little 2 door Ram. Welcome to the forum!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OPIEFAVORS Posted February 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Thanks for responding so quick. I appreciate both the negative and the positive view points. If I can find the right deal I will get a 2011+. I like the cosmetic features and it seems like the 3.6L is the better choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OPIEFAVORS Posted February 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Seems to be hard to find a 2011+ with the 3rd row. Does anyone know why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingit11 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Seems to be hard to find a 2011+ with the 3rd row. Does anyone know why? That is interesting. Seems like it is more difficult around my area to find one without 3rd row seating. When we were looking for our new 2013 Crew we looked all over for one without 3rd row and only ones we could find did not have the options we wanted. Good luck on your search. They are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'm not affiliated with them at all, but I highly recommend carmax. They have access to a bunch of stores and can find you one. Around here there are like a 15-20 of them within the standard 25 mile search radius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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