gwin99 Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) Been looking at the Journey as a replacement for My Durango; read a few reviews on this and other forums and decided to do it. Of note, seen a bit of people complaining of the TCS wearing our rear pads in some of the earlier models - and notice a bit of pulsing in the pass-rear when engaged during braking (not constant). To another point, the brakes are extremely "grabby". I've been remembering to disengage it on every trip. But am now thinking I should leave it on and measure the pads every three-six months to see if this is an issue... On the tranny, it seems to have odd shifts occasionally - with a few times shifting perfectly and notice it fumbles with 1st, 2nd and 3rd in moderate to heavy traffic (congestion). This gives other drivers the appearance that I am sleeping behind the wheel, as I cant give a little gas to keep it at about 3-7mph - which then requires me to give a bit more, which ends with the journey racing into 3rd gear (more times than in 2nd) just in enough time for me to hit the brakes. So I now manual shift into 2nd (nice to be able to start out in 2nd gear) until traffic improves - which eliminates the "inattentive driver" in me :-) SO - Just wondering what other owners experiences have been... I just broke over 1K miles and hope some of this will "wear-out" once completely broken in... Edited November 28, 2014 by gwin99 Potlicquor and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Tranny should "learn" your driving style although some complain about shifting. Use the manual shifting, that's why dodge provides that option. Newer models have the bigger better brakes. My 2011 has the smaller ones, although I haven't had any problems yet. Mileage will improve too. Peace. Potlicquor and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Mine has a slight vibration when the transmission locks up, until it get warmed up. So, once a feel the vibration, I put it in 5 to unlock it. This morning, I came to a light, and forgot to move it back to D. It will start in 5! The engine really revs! TnT's Crossroad 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwin99 Posted November 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Thanks Guys; appreciate the comments. I'll just keep watch over these - hopefully by Spring, things will have worked out... Plus, I'll be picking up a 2011 Liberty this weekend with the sky slider - something I wanted since I saw one a couple years ago. So, between both vehicles, I'll have plenty to keep my attention until then... dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwin99 Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 UPDATE - 1800 Miles Just wanted to update on things; I no longer turn off the TCS; believing that issue relates to prior models... Breaks are now only "grabby" at first start in cold temps (i'm guessing on the cold thing - as it goes away once things have been running a bit)... The shifting issue seems to be working itself out too... I have to "auto-stick-it" far less now. So it seems as if I'll be able to lose these "twitches" soon. YAY! dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Thank you for the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B4ZINGA Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 It's learning your habits. My 2014 R/T Rallye has been trouble-free... so far. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JourneyMan71 Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have a 2015 Journey R/T AWD and the breaks are grabby in cold starts, but ease up after warming them up. My break peddle has a slight give to it from time to time. Sort of like when you are sitting at a light, or just stopped with your foot on the break and all of a sudden it feels like a spring gives just enough to feel it give. There is no loss of breaks or lights, just a feel of a spring give with the break pushed in. Not pushed to the floor, just pushed in enough to stop. It is hard to explain, but that is one thing I have noticed. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philmd Posted October 4, 2015 Report Share Posted October 4, 2015 I also just got a brand new 2015 Dodge Journey R/T AWD (V6) and the brake has also a "spring" feel to it. So far I'm very happy with the vehicle though. I'm sure minor things like the seat recliner getting stuck will either break in or get fixed during the first oil change. Interestingly enough I was driving a rental 2015 Dodge Journey SXT FWD (V6) prior to my purchase and that one didn't have any springy feeling brake. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwin99 Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Its been a while (almost 2yrs) so and update seems warranted.... Brakes are still grabby (but only in cold starts - like mentioned above); Tranny has NOT learned my driving style/habits (only driver of DJ); as shift-points are still "erratic" with having me in 3rd (sometimes 4th) gear while still under 20MPH... And AVG Fuel Economy is stuck at 17MPG... I've had to replace 2 tires so far, and ultimately bought a set of 4 from Tire-Rack (for the road hazard protection and the OEMs sucked-something-fierce anyways and are NOT worth the dealer price of 200 bucks each)... for those who have not had a flat yet, the rear-drive unit will most likely disengage on you (as it should to prevent damage). Just fair warning here - as the car's dash seemed to indicate "the end of the world" from all the flashing and notifications yelling "SERVICE NOW" that begin to be thrown at you :-) Tranny has more frequent hard-shifts, most notably again in cold starts... I had road tested a used Journey before I bought this one new - which had SEVERE hard shifts. The guy told me this was normal and is a "characteristic" of the Journey's Transmission. I thought he was lying to me to sell me a piece of junk... If my tranny degrades as bad as that used model - I will be MORE THAN PISSED... That used vehicle had 60K on it... I'm just at 20K - bad news is there is seemingly plenty of time for that... Of note; I did have the Tranny-update done at dealership a couple months ago, when they swapped out my radio due to bad flash-storage device (NAV related)... So I am hoping something good comes out of that... My only complaints and biggest disappointment(s) so far is actually of the "third party services" Like the NAV maps and Sat Radio... It really should have had 3yr service (on both) vise the 12mo service. For NAV I'm referring to MAP Upgrades... Anyways, thanks for reading! Hope to give another update at 30K! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 1 hour ago, gwin99 said: Its been a while (almost 2yrs) so and update seems warranted.... Brakes are still grabby (but only in cold starts - like mentioned above); Tranny has NOT learned my driving style/habits (only driver of DJ); as shift-points are still "erratic" with having me in 3rd (sometimes 4th) gear while still under 20MPH... And AVG Fuel Economy is stuck at 17MPG... I've had to replace 2 tires so far, and ultimately bought a set of 4 from Tire-Rack (for the road hazard protection and the OEMs sucked-something-fierce anyways and are NOT worth the dealer price of 200 bucks each)... for those who have not had a flat yet, the rear-drive unit will most likely disengage on you (as it should to prevent damage). Just fair warning here - as the car's dash seemed to indicate "the end of the world" from all the flashing and notifications yelling "SERVICE NOW" that begin to be thrown at you :-) Tranny has more frequent hard-shifts, most notably again in cold starts... I had road tested a used Journey before I bought this one new - which had SEVERE hard shifts. The guy told me this was normal and is a "characteristic" of the Journey's Transmission. Of note; I did have the Tranny-update done at dealership a couple months ago, when they swapped out my radio due to bad flash-storage device (NAV related)... So I am hoping something good comes out of that... My only complaints and biggest disappointment(s) so far is actually of the "third party services" Like the NAV maps and Sat Radio... It really should have had 3yr service (on both) vise the 12mo service. For NAV I'm referring to MAP Upgrades... Anyways, thanks for reading! Hope to give another update at 30K! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted November 20, 2016 Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 (edited) I'm not sure why you needed to replace ANY tires at 20K miles short of a bad hole or some such - you suggested that this was the case. Your relatively low mileage (I get about ~21 MPG in a 50/50 city/highway environment), so depending on your environment, your mileage could be reasonable, or not - this is not a light vehicle we drive and yours is heavier (by virtue of the AWD and perhaps more if you carry things in it and keep your tank full, for example) coupled to hard/erratic shift sounds to me like you may not be as gentle on the pedal as you could be. Your 'Service Now' started when you replaced the pair of tires - AWD requires that all four be close to each other wear-wise - that's an issue with the style of AWD that many vehicles use today. You can't just change one tire, two or three unless they are all almost new, but you get hit for 4 at a time when you get a non-repairable flat or wear out some, but not all of them. However OEM tires don't come with road hazard warranties and even if they did, you'd get replacements only for the defective tires and not for the others. Your transmission? Mine doesn't shift hard or erratically - period. You mentioned having to 'auto-stick' the vehicle (actually you were 'slap-shifting' or 'stick shifting' because you were not letting it 'auto-shift') and realise that it learns nothing when you manually shift the transmission. And that the algorithms they shoot for are 'best mileage' which has them try to keep the engine RPMs in the 1-2K rpm range and the shifts quick. Again, could you have be being tough on the vehicle? Or perhaps your expectations are unreasonable? The radio: Bad news: The issue with your radio is likely to recur. You will probably get the 'can't unlock maps' issue again at some point since the radio they stuck in when you had it the first time was one that had the problem, was returned to FCA and simply reloaded with maps and firmware and shipped back out without addressing the underlying issue that caused the failure. Be happy they included a year of SiriusXM radio (you get FIVE years of traffic for the nav in the US, by the way). My brother's $60K Lincoln came with 90 days of service. Mapping? I am not aware of ANY of the auto manufacturers that include map updates for any amount of time for their in-dash navigators. Edited November 20, 2016 by bramfrank 2late4u, rolly, gwin99 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwin99 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) @bramfrank Thanks for your post! I do appreciate the humor in your opening line/question about "replacing tires"; its as if you had been reading and were trying to post at the same time! I had to give it "a Like" off that alone Other than that, being that this post is of my experience, please allow me to address and correct some of your misunderstandings from it. As stated, my "Service Now" doomsday flashing was from replacing a (singular) flat tire - not more than one nor a "pair of" which you stated. To further clarify to those whom have not had a flat tire, this is due to this vehicle being AWD (having a Rear-Drive Unit and all) coupled with the fact we have a doughnut for a spare tire (not a full sized spare). Most likely, an "OEM design-decision" - and hope you would agree a full size spare would have been appreciated over the doughnut for AWD, if it were actually possible. On MPG, I was hoping for something closer to 20mpg - or anything close to the middle... which I suppose 16/17 isn't super bad considering I left my 04 Durango getting about 10-12mpg... A Silver lining of sorts I guess... I'm still holding out for another MPG or 2 for Christmas or next I do like to keep at least 1/2 tank to Full; but making arguments about having "too much" gas in the gas tank FCA gave us, speaks more to their decision to do so than I in using it. My vehicle is used no different than most I imagine and my driving habits adjust with the road for obvious reasons. Perhaps the terrain of my daily commute is a bit different than yours, with longer hills on both sides and a bit more congestion? Much more valid points to make if you had wanted to make any... "Running wild" with thought and making me sound like a crazed-speed demon, by taking my comments about "hard/erratic shifts" out of the context I experienced/mentioned and introducing "lead-foot disease", says you must not of read my posts in their entirety - but yet, somehow, you have an "informed option" on the matter. But that's all for later. My tranny-issues are split into two; cold-weather-related hard shifts and the more annoying "aggressive" shift program needed to beat more efficiency out of this motor in this chassis. Nothing has changed from my first post on this one; It is in "stop-and-go" traffic where I just need to maintain anywhere from 5-18mphs for a short period of time, does the tranny want to take me to 3rd and sometimes 4th. Its only after more than a few episodes of this that I began to "auto-stick-it" - when needed. Ergo, I was and had been letting the tranny do its work or what you call "auto-shift". Its only after all those "negative" results in this particular traffic pattern do I go "manual". Anything you've assumed contrary is just not accurate. I do take issue with anyone who tries to tell someone else to "be happy you got what you got", as progress nor advancement never arose from those whom stood still, willing to accept the status quo. Remember, you are the customer. Feel free to ask for more and better each time around for your money... You and those around you may be rewarded for it someday :-) Take your brother - if Lincoln had "felt pressured" by its customer-base about wanting more than 90days - they would certainly have it by now (assuming enough time and conversation had passed). As you can't believe Lincoln could not afford the entire year (like FCA) on vehicles that are a lot more expensive than our Journey??? You are more than making my case here - you just may be in denial about it. Further, forum posts are a way to share experiences with others and hear theirs in return as well as have informed conversations - not to try and downplay/demonize someone's comments. I count (2) experiences you shared (quote - "Mine doesn't shift hard or erratically - period" & "I get about ~21 MPG in a 50/50 city/highway environment") and the rest was some "common sense messaging" with some "far-reaching ill-informed conclusions". All that attitude does is take away from forums like this. It seems every time someone posts something they had experienced - that is interpreted as some reader as negative, the "rebuttal patrol" comes out. That is what seemingly happened here - with all the "likes" your post got I was sure there was some good comments and experiences in it... Turns out, that too will confirm and make the case against being more active here... At 30K, I'll be more than happy to post another report here. A lot can change by then. Lets see if attitudes do as well. Edited November 28, 2016 by gwin99 bad count on my part OhareFred and 2016Redline 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 Welcome to the internet where everything is taken out of context and not fully understood. Try not to let it ruin your experience. OhareFred 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 My first ignore!!! jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted November 29, 2016 Report Share Posted November 29, 2016 I could get +20 mpg if I drove like an old lady everywhere I went. I love those people who are so worried about their mpg they hold up traffic, do exactly the speed limit (or under) in the left lane, and just putt along oblivious to everything around them. I really DONT CARE what my mpg is. I go from place to place, moving with traffic,not holding anyone else or myself up. I have a V6 for a reason. When I step on the gas i wanna MOVE, not putt along taking 3 city blocks to hit 30 mph. I dont lead foot it everywhere, my tires dont squeel and I get 16-18 mpg. I dont expect more nor do I care if I get less. I use my remote start both in summer (ac) and winter (heat). Sometimes I get 13 mpg! So what. It doesn't mean I drive like an ass. Haven't gotten pulled over or a Ticket in over 15 years so I would say I drive average. I understand where gwin99 is coming from and enjoyed his posts, but there is ALWAYS going to be somebody who knows better. GWIN99 continue to post your updates. Just my 2 cents..... rolly and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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