Considering a 2013 Journey

[KS2002]

Hello,

I apologize in advance for the lengthy post! Just doing my research before making a large purchase. :-)

We are considering a 2013 Dodge Journey with a V6 engine, leather interior, navigation, back-up camera...etc. In researching online, it seems this model is reliable and has good safety features. However, I always like to connect with current owners to get a true picture.

Often, online reviews are very negative because those that are pleased don't take to the Internet to praise a car. Those that are displeased are very displeased! So, I am hoping to get accurate reviews from actual owners.

My husband and I are looking at the 2013 because of the features and cost comparisons. We do travel and love the storage. We do not have children, but do have dogs. We are looking at the 2 row with more storage in back. The only exterior colors we can seem to find are pearl tricolor white, black, and silver in our area. Any hints in color for longevity?

We live in Kansas so there are temperature extremes from summer to winter. Heat indexes at 115 in August and wind chill of -30 is not uncommon in January. How does the Journey hold up in extreme climates?

I currently have an older Ford Escape, but the newer models are too small for my 6'4 husband to ride comfortably. The DJ is quite roomy and we are really leaning toward it. I would appreciate any advice. I have some reservations as we previously had a new 4WD Dodge Dakota in 2000 that was a lemon right off the lot. It was in the shop more than we were able to drive it. It is my only other experience with a Dodge product.

Thank you for your time

Edited June 21, 2015 by KS2002

[bramfrank]

The only real complaint for the model when it came out were the brakes, which were reworked in 2012 - so you have the larger disks and calipers - it also means that you can't use 16" rims with snow tires, There is a periodic complaint from some owners about power steering hoses blowing out in very cold weather because the PS fluid apparently gels up - there IS a fix for it that involves a different fluid - but I'm in Montreal and we get both hot and cold weather too - I have not experienced the problem.

I'm on my second DJ - the first had the 4 cylinder engine, the new one the 6 - both do the job.

Heating and cooling are more than adequate.

I would consider buying an extended OEM warranty if you do buy the vehicle, because the electronics in any of the new cars out there are expensive.

[KS2002]

Thanks Bramfrank! We will certainly add the extended warranty. You're correct about all the electronics on newer vehicles...more things to possibly go wrong, but very convenient when everything works properly. I appreciate your reply.

[rolly]

We own a 2013 Journey SXT and we bought it because we were planning an extended road trip through Canada and the U.S in the spring of 2013. We drove over 8400 miles and enjoyed every minute of it. I've included a link of the report I made of our trip to the forum and all I can say is that we are as happy today as we were then. It's a great vehicle and a pleasure to drive.

http://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/topic/4762-3654-kilometres-or-8484-miles-trip-report/

[KS2002]

Thanks Rolly!

[dhh3]

I have had mine for not quite a year. I had a Nitro, and could not step up into it anymore, because of my back. I was intending to get a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, but as soon as I saw the DJ in Copperhead Pearl, I had to have it. The power seat with power lumbar is awesome for my back, having had 3 major back surgeries. With the seat all the way up, I can get in and out with ease. I have been back to my Dealer for oil changes and to install a few Mopar accessories. That's it! 0 problems. I did purchase an extended warranty from Chrysler, 0 deductible, simply for all the electronics. Mine in FWD. This is the first non 4x4 that I have owned in over 20 years. I was a bit concerned about winter. So I swapped out the factory Khumos for a set of Bridgestone Duelers. I had no issues in the snow or ice. Traction control came on only a few times. I was amazed how it drove through unplowed streets. Nothing failed. We did have a few spells of below 0 temps last winter, but nowhere near the winter 2 years ago! I actually bought mine simply for the color. I only drove it around the lot! And, I saved at least $5,000 over the Jeep!

Since you are looking at a used one, I would run a car fax on it to see its' history. And, try and get your hand on the maintenance records if you can.

This is actually the first time that I ever purchased a car simply because of the color. Sort of a roll of the dice. But, all in all, I rolled sevens! I have never regretted my decision. If the history on what you are looking for comes up clean, go for it.

[KS2002]

Thank you dhh3. I have reviewed the vehicle history for the one we are considering. It is being sent over from another dealership. The only item that was a bit concerning was an accident in which "no damage" was claimed. It was a rear impact accident, but the car facts said no damage. So, I'm not sure what to think about that.

[2late4u]

i had a 2011 3 row seat journey with front and rear air and heat and loved it.traded in on a 2014 crossroad 2 row seat and love it, But i do find the 2 row seat only comes with the front air and heat as the 3 row has dual air and heat and it does a lot better with air conditioning during the hot summers,it does fine here in al but out there in Kansas and further west i would not get the 2 row with just the front air. i like my car cold.

[KS2002]

Thanks for the advice 2late4u. I will take that into account. It is already 100+ here, so I will make sure to crank up the air and see how long it takes to cool down once the car is at the lot. We keep going back and forth between the different options available. It's a tough choice!

[2late4u]

Thanks for the advice 2late4u. I will take that into account. It is already 100+ here, so I will make sure to crank up the air and see how long it takes to cool down once the car is at the lot. We keep going back and forth between the different options available. It's a tough choice!

with the dual air it will cool the car a lot quicker and with just 2 people you can aim the rear vents to hit towards the rear of your head or shoulders

[dj cowboy]

I have a 2013 and i really regret not getting the third row because of the heat and a/c. The rear windows stay pretty frosted up all winter here in Wisconsin. In summer, the back seat doesn't get cool. It was 80 today, and after a 45 minute drive it was finally livable. Other than that, I'm happy. I average mid 20's for fuel mileage if I stay out of the go pedal. The factory Kumho tires arent good in snow, and they get rock hard below 40 degrees. I got Blizzacks for winter so I don't worry about it now. My car has 38900 miles. Just replaced the right rear wheel bearing yesterday. Not too much else has really gone bad, just maintenance stuff.

[jkeaton]

Love our 2013. This is our second Journey (first was a 2009 SE). No complaints. Dealer service is adequate.

[KS2002]

Thank you jKeaton and DJcowboy as well as everyone else.

Just for clarification....do the 2 row models only have a/c vents in the front driver's area and not on the second row? We test drove a 3 row version, but it seemed a bit much for us. We don't anticipate using the 3rd row and I don't think our dogs will really use the DVD/Entertainment package, but you never know. :-) We had the dealership send over a 2 row 2013 crew instead for us to check out. I can't imagine not having a/c vents in the 2nd row for passengers...human or dog.

I appreciate all of the responses. This forum is quite helpful.

Edited June 22, 2015 by KS2002

[Lobitz68]

Thank you jKeaton and DJcowboy as well as everyone else.

Just for clarification....do the 2 row models only have a/c vents in the front driver's area and not on the second row? We test drove a 3 row version, but it seemed a bit much for us. We don't anticipate using the 3rd row and I don't think our dogs will really use the DVD/Entertainment package, but you never know. :-) We had the dealership send over a 2 row 2013 crew instead for us to check out. I can't imagine not having a/c vents in the 2nd row for passengers...human or dog.

I appreciate all of the responses. This forum is quite helpful.

This is correct... The A/C and heating is in the ceiling over the second row on 3 row models. Also, you get 3 zone climate control, so you can set the driver, passenger and rear to different temps. I have the 3 row model and have never had the 3rd row seats up. I keep them folded down and have a cargo mat covering the entire rear cabin.

[webslave]

2013 R/T AWD that we absolutely love. Every option in the book except the DVD player. Our youngest is 45 years old and we don't need a backseat entertainment center for the cats... We have the 3rd row option and while we don't use it very often, the few times we have used it, it came in very handy. The reason that tipped us to it, mainly, was the extra heat and A/C units in the back. We had them in our old Grand Caravan (1999 ) and it certainly cools down or heats the car much quicker than just the single units. We traded a Jeep Hemi Commander Limited in on it and I was a bit concerned with giving up our 4 wheel drive (we live out in the sticks), but, the AWD gets us through whatever weather I'd feel safe driving in and if I ever really need 4x4, I've got the RAM 2500. We live in the foothills of the Alleghenies in south central PA and we routinely get 23+ mpg on our twisty mountain roads. Much better than the Commander's 13-15 mpg

More than likely though, we'll probably get rid of the DJ next year. I'm currently towing the truck behind the motor home, but, the DJ, being AWD isn't able to be towed 4 wheels down or even on a dolly. The truck is OK being towed 4 wheels down and the motor home doesn't even know it is back there, but, it seems wrong to us to be towing a nearly 8,000 CTD to use sightseeing from the campgrounds. A shorter, lighter, more car-like Jeep Grand Cherokee makes much more sense and with the same Pentastar engine as the DJ, should get much better mileage than the truck.

[bramfrank]

Note. There isn't more cooling capacity in the 3 zone system. Just an extra air box, blower and vents.

I have no issues with my 2 row - ultimately it comes down to personal choice/need, cost and availability.

[KS2002]

So it's the same amount of air, just more vents for it to circulate through. Got it. Thanks. That is something to consider. The 2 row should be here for me to test drive any day. I'm getting impatient. :-)

I think I will like the pearl white, but wish had a few more options than black or white. It seems to be the only available color in the Midwest unless I want to pay $750 to have a different one shipped in from another lot, which I do not.

[bramfrank]

So, are you still looking at a '13? They have new ones on the lot?

My first one was black, and my '14 Crossroad is silver but I'd swap it for the Pearl White in an instant - it is very good looking, especially with the blacked out wheels and lights..

[KS2002]

I am still waiting for the '13 to transfer from another lot. They had a new one with the same features that we took for a test drive, but it was a little over $7,000 more (U.S.). It did have the 3rd row and entertainment, which we don't need.

The '13 has low miles and it's quite a savings. I believe it will meet our needs and we will get the extended warranty. We've only had one brand new car off the lot and it was not a good experience. So, we always buy a year or two older so we can look at the reviews. :-)

We will be purchasing through CarMax. We've purchased 3 previous cars with them and have always had great luck.

[KS2002]

I am SO disappointed. First, I loved the exterior color and the interior was perfection. However, a few things were concerning...

1. obvious accident as the imprint of a license plate frame was visible on the back bumper (they said no problem to fix it)

2. One of the brackets on the front bumper was loose. I could see it. (They said no problem to fix it)

3. A few minor paint chips...very small. They said they could give us touch up paint.

4. The interior hinges (?) Inside the car back lift gate showed signs of rust?

5. One tire...only one...was completely worn. Almost bare. The rest were fine. Alignment problem? They were the factory tires. The other back was a little worn, the front ones were in good shape. Under 30,000 miles on this car!

So, we are taking pass, for now. We will keep looking. We really want a Journey, but this one wasn't well cared for.

I loved carmax, but this experience has been less than stellar. They brought a buyer out who states that the car wasn't ip to their expectations and would be fixed. But why would I pay the same price for a repaired car as one that hasn't been in an accident and doesn't need repairs?

Edited June 25, 2015 by KS2002

[bigtsr]

Congratulations for being a smart consumer!

With so many fraudulent car sales of storm/accident damaged vehicles

now days it's wise to pass it up.

[bfurth]

Never buy from CarMax. No price negotation? No sale. They ask top dollar blue book, even though the vehicle in question clearly isn't worth it. As for any kind of "thorough" inspection they may perform? Forget it - clearly quality control is not their thing. That vehicle they tried to sell you must have frame damage - no other reason for the tailgate area to have rust. Why they would even TRY to sell a car with obvious unrepaired collision damage is beyond me. It might even be considered a bad-faith negotiation.

There aren't really any major changes from '13 to '15 model year, other than some trim options. The powertrain hasn't changed since 2011 (other than tweaks to the Pentastar after the first production run). The 2.4L is not going to win any drag races, but it's an adequate engine (unless you're towing).

We didn't see many used Journeys when we went looking to replace my old car - I took that as a sign that the original owners are keeping them. The used models that were available were all SXT Plus - most likely fleet vehicles. I didn't want the V6 - not enough space under the hood for me to do the maintenance as easily as I can with the 2.4L - and I got a new '15 SE with more or less exactly what I wanted in it for less than a used '13 or '14 with things I don't need.

[KS2002]

We've purchased 3 cars from CarMax with no issues, but this experience was very different than 2 years ago. No real customer service and no assistance with issues we brought up. The rust was on the inside hydroloc part of the back glass window. I'm not using the right terms, but my 2008 Escape with 87,000 doesn't have that issue with the lift gate and the tread on the tires is about half. I figured something was wrong with the car since all of the tread was worn off one tire on the back. Very disappointing. We will look around at other dealerships in the area. Not a lot of Journeys in Kansas, though.

[KS2002]

We are passing on the white one because the beautiful color couldn't make up for all of the potential issues! However, we found a gray one that looks lovely and has fewer miles. So, the waiting begins anew. Let's hope this one is better taken care of. The VIN doesn't show any issues, but we will have it thoroughly checked out before purchase. I will post back if all goes well.

[bfurth]

Good luck!