Any happy Journey owners out there???

[gatrus]

Ask yourself this - if you buy a product, any product, that performs as advertised and does what you need, are you going to go out of your way to tell the world about it? The answer is probably "no". Sure, you may praise it when asked, but you're probably not going to take the time out of your busy day to become an advocate for said product. However, if you purchase a product that has a problem, be it real or maybe just "user error", you're very likely to seek advice and help from an online community. If you have a REALLY bad experience with said product, you will likely become outspoken about your bad experiences and you very well may take time out of your busy day to denounce the product, just to get back at the company that has done you wrong.

My point is, these forums, by their very nature, will attract people with problems more so than people without any problems. This is true of virtually all products on the planet and is certainly true for all makes and models of cars. No vehicle being produced today is 100% defect free. All car makes have problems. Some more so than others but they are ALL "generally good" from a quality perspective. Keep this in mind when you read about problems and bad experiences on this or any other forum.

In my case, my '10 SXT purchased in November of 2009 has been 100% problem free through 8700 miles. Sure, it has some quirks that annoy me in a minor way and there are some details that I think could have been implemented better but, by and large, I am very happy with my purchase. My reasons for being involved in this forum are 1) to keep informed of problems that others may be experiencing so I can either prevent them from occurring to me or be better prepared to deal with them if they do happen, and 2) to see what kind of modifications and enhancements people are making to their Journey's because I eventually want to make some modifications/enhancements of my own.

[gatrus]

Very well said DP360, I completely agree with you. The only point I was trying to make was that there are many satisfied customers and I didn't want people to get scared and get cold feet after reading negative comments. It happened to a person I know who was interested in the journey and after reading really negative comments decided to go for a jeep patriot???

Anyways I know that this is THE best journey forum and all comments and opinions are welcomed.

Gatrus

[Swerv]

My journey is just at a year old with 15,000 miles and no problems yet. I am checking the breaks a lot to make sure there are no issues but so far so good.

Like whats been said before... Its a brand new model. The simple fact is that of course everyone wants it to perform at 100% without issue but that wont happen and its your job when purchasing a vehicle to understand that risk.

I have a warranty on mine that goes to 80,000 miles. I love my Journey and if it ever has any problems ill just take it in. Having it as vehicle is well worth the small quirks it has.

Again, plain and simple you have to do your homework and understand what you are getting into.

Its just the real world.

[its2easy]

I am just wondering if there is anyone out there who has had their journey for a while now ~ maybe a year or close to it ~ and has had NO problems with it. Please let me know. I have had many problems with mine. I have to say I have never owned a car like this one......and I have owned several cars in the past 10 years. I just don't understand how a new car can have so many problems.....really.

I couldnt be happier with my 2010. I have had No problems. Sorry to here the issues you are having to deal with.

[stever]

We have had our '09 SXT for almost a year with about 8500 miles. No real problems just the mirror door falling off the visor as others have. I rotated the tires at 6K expecting to see worn pads based on what I have read on here but they looked like new. So yes, we are very happy with our Journey.

[Swerv]

I am having the same problem with my center mirror falling. I made a small list of these minor defects and i am going to just have the dealer fix them all.

But again despite these small annoyances, not really a big deal and i love the vehicle.

[OddJob]

2010 RT-AWD Unit is great.

[greenmachineiijh]

I have had our 2009 Journey SXT 3.5L since April. We bought it used with 37,000 miles on it and it came with a factory extended warranty. We have had zero issues with it and we have put 4000+ miles on it already.

The family loves it and it is a very strong vehicle. I run only full synthetic oil in it and maintain it regularly. Not had an issue so far.

We also had a 2007 Magnum that we bought used with 12,000 miles on it in 2007 that had zero issues as well. We put 25,000 miles on that and in the end we traded it for the Journey because we had another kid. Never had a problem.

Before that, we had a Jeep Cherokee for years and never had it break down. I think we Put 90,000 miles on that before the wife wrecked it. We used that money to get the Magnum mentioned above.

I drive a 1997 Neon as my daily beater to and from work. I have had it for around 5 years and put 100,000 miles on it. It had 90K when I bought it. I have only had to do routine maintenance on it and figure out an electrical bug once due to some wires getting old and rotting. Still drives excellent with plenty of power and no engine issues. I run full synthetic oil in it also.

My father has had nothing but Dodge for ever and never had an issue except for a new Dakota he had in the 90's. got rid of that real quick.

Usually people go on forums to find answers to their problems or to get performance or tune-up ideas. Not many people go on a forum just to take the time to post good things, so negatives always outweigh the positives on forums. This forum is actually pretty small, which should be a good overall indicator of all the happy, trouble free drivers out there with the Journey.

All in all we have had Chrysler/Dodge cars for years without any major issues.

[kmimay]

JUNK ALERT JUNK ALERT JUNK ALERT*********I bought my Dodge Journey in 2009 and it has been nothing but problem after problem starting 1 week after I bought it. The service engine light kept coming on literally days after purchasing it. A couple weeks after purchase, they had to replace the catalytic converter (defect). The brakes are JUNK! The brake dust covered my rims from the start (defect). I have 40000 miles on it now and when i go from park to reverse, it clunks into gear. Both front and back brakes have been replaces twice...come to find out it's because all four calipers are sticking. (defect) this car has been a nightmare for me and i feel stuck with it. It seriously is JUNK!!! NO NOT BUY A DODGE JOURNEY!!! JUNK JUNK JUNK*****

[kmimay]

If i were going to go out of my way to advocate for a vehicle it would be a Mazda 3! Journey's are JUNK! If you want to know how bad...go to your bank and look up the blue book price for a used one...they are worthless POS!!

[kmimay]

I have had my 2009 Journey for 1 year now and when I had to get it inspected I was told I needed front brakes. The car only has 13,000 miles on it. The brakes were squeaking, so I knew the pads were getting used up. But, come on change brakes at 13,000? Has anyone had this problem?

I have had this problem. I also have a 2009 Journey. I'm now at 40000 miles and I'm on my second set of brakes for both front and back. My mechanic said all 4 calipers where sticking. He referred me back to a Chrysler dealership and said I was not the first and probably not the last Journey owner to have this problem.

[kmimay]

have my 2009 journey since may of 08, nothing but trouble. i've been in the shop 6 times already 4 times in the last 2 months with the check engine light on. they said thay had to change the cellenoid purge but three times already? now waiting for them to order another part i assume the samr one. by the way whats the lemon law criteria? i might have to look int that.

Mine did that too, it was the catalytic converter. The engine light came on the first week I owned the vehicle.

[Jim8208]

I am just wondering if there is anyone out there who has had their journey for a while now ~ maybe a year or close to it ~ and has had NO problems with it. Please let me know. I have had many problems with mine. I have to say I have never owned a car like this one......and I have owned several cars in the past 10 years. I just don't understand how a new car can have so many problems.....really.

I own a 2010 that I bought new. I have 30,000 miles on it now with absolutely no problems whatsoever, I love this vehicle.

[Easy]

2011 R/T purchased end of April, currently 13,000 km on board, not one single issue with it. Engine runs like a dream, transmission is smooth, suspension is great... After all the problems I've heard about here, I pray that mine stays this way forever.

[tstone]

2011 Express. Bought it new, it was manufactured 3 months before I purchased it. Now I've had it 5 months & almost 5k miles. Actually it's my wife's car, a stay at home mom. We use it on road trips and I use it for the commute every once in awhile. No actual problems yet.

When it was brand new the torque converter and transmission acted funny, which made the car ride a little funny. At 2k I took it to the dealership for a PCM flash (under a TSB). That didn't fix the issue immediately, but after an additional 1500 miles the problem disappeared. Runs like a top now!

I'm keeping an eye on the brakes but this has been an American car issue for at least 10 years. I understand the proportioning system is different from the '09-10 models; maybe this will help extend brake life and maybe the older models can be upgraded?

I used the same philosophy I used with my other cars. Base model with all the upgrades, full synthetic motor oil, dealership trans fluid & coolant, and after it's broken in- don't be afraid to drive the hell out of it.

[redtomatoman]

Bought mine new in June 2011. About 8K miles so far. No problems whatsoever. Plenty of power, transmission is smooth, and mpg is 24-25 with nothing on the roof. Bike on the roof brings it down to 22mpg; surfboard to about 23mpg. Uconnect is a little funky at times, but overall it is great. Much faster than my friend's Ford system. Love the utility. Plenty of room for all my MTB and surf gear. In-floor bins work great for a wet wetsuit!

I would be nice if more aftermarket and/or mopar mods were available for the Journey. I suppose the target buyer is the family hauler, but all drivers have performance on their minds, I believe. Simple things like CAI and exhaust mods can increase performance and mpg.

Overall, I am happy with my Journey and would recommend the Journey to anyone.

Peace.

[Windancer]

I bought my 2010 R/T AWD in August 2010 and I have 17,000 kilometers (11,000 miles) and I am very happy with it. It has lots of power, carries my 2 touring kayak or all my windsurfing gear.

terry

[briando]

I feel your pain more than you know. I had a full sized truck. Brand new. NOT EVEN A NEW MODEL like what you're dealin with. My dad used to say it was made on a monday after a two week layoff. This thing had one major problem after another it was costing me more to fix it than it was to put gas in it. And since at the time gas was 4.50 a gallon with a 28 gallon tank. that should give you a heads up. Are you having one problem after another, or the same reoccuring problem? Maybe you'll get lucky and lemon law it. good luck man. stay strong

[hueydctr]

I just bought our Journey a few days ago and it feels like a wonderful car to drive. As for the brake issues I see on this forum, my recent trade for this Journey was a 2007 town and country van. It had horrible brakes on it. Had to change them at 24,000. I was made aware that the brakes that dodge/chrysler was putting on new cars are equivilant to those cheap semi-metallic ones the auto parts sell. I upgraded to the ceramic type and the problem was solved. I am seriously convinced that most of the problems with the brakes comes from going with the lowest bidder.

As for my Journey, the only thing I can't figure out is why there is no dipstick for the XMSN. There is a plug where the dipstick should be and according to the owners manual - there isn't one.

BTW - my wife and I have had several models of dodge/chrysler products over 18 years. The worst was the 1991 dodge caravan with the 3.0L. The best we ever owned was the 1994 dodge intrepid. We have seen some good craftsmenship in the mechanical designs but can't quite say the same for the durability of the interior. Our 1994 intrepid was a great car but the air bag cover on the passenger side warped up like so many others. Just one of those things I guess.

Thanks to whoever started this forum site. I look forward to many visits.

[JoeC]

Despite having tons of rotor problems with my 2009 Dodge Journey SXT, I love it. I was looking at a Ford Escape due to the gas mileage and appearance. But the Journey was at the dealer, and I loved it. The features it has Ford wished they had in 2009. Sadly, I'm having a squealing noise when I apply my break under 20 MPH, and the dealer says they cannot find the problem.

Edited January 3, 2012 by JoeC

[Doug D]

As for my Journey, the only thing I can't figure out is why there is no dipstick for the XMSN. There is a plug where the dipstick should be and according to the owners manual - there isn't one.

Has to do with many shops/dealers/owner using the incorrect transmission fluid (Dexron/Mercon is death to Chrysler electronically controlled transmissions - use ATF+4 only). Chrysler wanted better control of the fluids put in the transmission - hence no dipstick. More or less it's basically a sealed transmission (except for the pan and selenoid pack).

FYI - Chrysler is not the only manufacture to do this. Other manufactures are doing this as well.

[b1pig]

squeal can be for several reasons. many times from heat glazing. the crown vics we drive at work do that ALOT. especially the '98-'02 crown vics. in many cases it can be attributed to the materials used in the pads, too. the other possibility is the wear tabs rubbing.

about the transmission plug. part of that answer is the fluid type... but the other common reason you will hear is that the auto transmissions are mostly considered "service free" with a 100,000 mile life. the theory is that you dont need to check anything that doesnt need checking. also be aware, that many CVT transmissions also dont have one.

..... and remaining on-topic.....

5,000 miles and still VERY happy with our 2011 Mainstreet.

Edited January 7, 2012 by b1pig

[FiremanFrach]

Still own my 2009 Journey SXT and I still love it. Last winter it handled the snow very well (it's a FWD). But every winter I wonder how it will handle in deeper snow. Just call me paranoid. I haven't had a FWD car in a long time. Always had 4WD. I'm thinking my next car will also be a Journey (maybe AWD), but no time soon.

Edited January 8, 2012 by FiremanFrach

[Krista T]

Bought my 09 DJ brand new and with in a month started have problems but of course it was all problems the warranty didn't cover. I've had problem after problem, Neverending can't wait to get something else. This makes me NOT want to ever have another dodge and of course dodge doesn't care cause they already got my money, I'm just disgusted with the company!!

Edited March 5, 2015 by Krista T

[jkeaton]

Bought my 09 DJ brand new and with in a month started have problems but of course it was all problems the warranty didn't cover. I've had problem after problem, Neverending can't wait to get something else. This makes me NOT want to ever have another dodge and of course dodge doesn't care cause they already got my money, I'm just disgusted with the company!!

The thread is for Happy Journey owners. If you feel the need to complain, please start your own thread. Don't rain on our parade.