Should I Keep the Car?

[LKMS]

I recently bought a 2009 DJ SE (4cyl 2.4L)with 185K clicks on it from a private seller. One of my friends have it and he enjoys it. I l also like the style of it.

However, I had to jump start it a couple of times and I've diagnosed it was an old battery (they haven't replaced it in over 6 years...). I then found out the battery is in the left fender of the left wheel (how convenient..). I took it to the mechanic to put it up on a hoist and remove the wheel etc to take replace the battery. Now the metal piece that supposed to hold the battery snapped off and the terminal cables are rusted and very lose. That's no problem to fix but a headache.

The reason I'd want to sell it is because of these problems I'm seeing on the internet about the 2009 Dodge Journey. For example;

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Journey/2009/

This thing is full of complaints.

I'm also hearing sort of like metal crunching when braking before coming to a stop. So I might have to get that replaced. I hear that the body of the SUV and the weight have something to do with degrading the brakes?

Anyways - What do you guys think, owners of the 2009 Dodge Journey, say about the car? Should I still sell it and get back my money or is this not a nightmare car..

Edited October 24, 2015 by LKMS

[jkeaton]

I loved my 09 so much we bought another. If you don't like it, sell it. That is your decision. Your going to let some anonymous forum members dictate it for you?

[bramfrank]

You probably should have had it rustproofed.

I would have the vehicle inspected and make your decision when you know what you are dealing with.

Having it rustproofed, even now, can be of benefit as it will pretty much prevent further corrosion damage, by the way.

If the vehicle is ready for the scrapyard you aren't going to make much selling or trading it.

[LKMS]

You probably should have had it rustproofed.

I would have the vehicle inspected and make your decision when you know what you are dealing with.

Having it rustproofed, even now, can be of benefit as it will pretty much prevent further corrosion damage, by the way.

If the vehicle is ready for the scrapyard you aren't going to make much selling or trading it.

I can still sell it higher for than what I got. However, I inspected it and the rust is what it should be, even minimum for that year and especially in our cold climates. The body is in great shape. I'm afraid it might be the brakes if I'm not mistaken?

[Lobitz68]

If you replace the brake components with quality aftermarket parts they will be just fine. It has a lot of miles on it and things like brakes need to be replaced every so often. The rust doesn't really surprise me at that many miles either. Personally, I would do as bramfrank said...see what it will take to fix your issues and decide from there.

[BrianS]

You "recently" purchased this? How "recent"? A "recent" purchase should not be making noise when the brakes are applied, especially considering it would have had to pass an mechanical safety test in Ontario. The battery is a non-issue, normal maintenance. As you said, it's 6 years old... it's had a good life. The cables can be cleaned, or have new ends installed.. not a real big problem. The brakes are normal maintenance as well, altho, again, I question them going bad so quickly after the safety inspection.

As for the website about the complaints about the Journey, I wouldn't pay it too much mind. Pretty much the only people that you hear from are those few that have had problems. The majority, that have little or no issues, never say anything.

[dhh3]

Also, purchase a new battery tray as these tend to rust. If you are going to do brakes, replace the front ones with the dual piston calipers (bigger) on the newer models. If you like it, keep it. I got mine undercoated right after I bought it. I skipped the complete rustproofing as this may plug up the drain holes if the tech isn't watching what he is doing.

[Dusty256]

You have to look at this way , if it's a 2009 most likely all the problems have been worked out . Brakes are a non issue they wear out and if you replace them with quality after market ones the will last. Down here we don't have to deal with rust . My 2009 se is at 130,000 miles and rides like a new truck.

I see lots of journeys running around and I really like the looks of the 2009 model year.

I would not pay to much attention to the complaint web sites , look up any model year of car on those sites and you will see every year make and model of car has problems

When I picked mine up it had 124,000 miles and the dealer had supposly done a full service on it . I ended up replacing the battery , front pads and rotors and also new plugs . Need to take it in for the key fob recall but all others have been done.

I would check to see if the recalls have been done , get a complete brake job and drive the thing .

[bfurth]

The 2009 brakes were undersized for the weight of the vehicle (same goes for Grand Caravan/Town & Country of the same vintage). If you have 17" rims, you can upgrade to the heavy duty brakes, it just takes a lot of new hardware. If you have 16" rims, you're stuck with the old style brakes (so long as you don't want to shell out the money for new rims and tires).

2009 was the first year ever for the Journey - as a first production year vehicle, it's going to have more problems than the same vehicle 3, 2, or even 1 year further down the line. You're 6 years out from manufacture with 120k miles on it, so you've probably got some work to do on it. I'd imagine suspension is in need of work. If you have the 3.5L engine, it's time to replace the timing belt and water pump (timing belt has to be removed to change the pump, so you might as well do both at the same time). If it's been well maintained up to this point, it's still got another 100,000 miles to go, at least (any car will last, so long as you take care of it).

It's going to get more expensive to keep it as time goes on, but that's true for any vehicle. The trade off in a new car versus keeping an old one is how much time and money you're willing to put into the old one. When the cost of keeping an old one exceeds the cost of getting a new one, THEN it's time to replace it (unless you have more money than you know what to do with, in which case by all means, go buy whatever you want whenever you want).

[Neto]

We have a 2009 Journey w/ the 2.4 4 banger in it. 16" wheels. We have never had any issues with it, other than replacing the battery last winter (yeah, a real pain). For all that everyone else complains about the brakes, they are perfectly adequate for this vehicle, in our area & for our driving habits. But our is also just now pushing 70 k miles. I wish I had an extra set of 16" steel wheels for winter tires, but with the added cost of the air pressure monitors, I doubt if I will do it anymore now. (I have checked at area wrecking yards, and none of them have any used wheels for this vehicle anyway.)

[bramfrank]

You can use 16" wheels from Town and Countries and Caravans on the older DJs . . . . . and you don't need pressure transducers - though I don't know whether the '09 would complain more than the second generation models (my first DJ was an '11) - the '11 and onward models give one single chime and illuminate a warning light the first time after changing over to non-transducer wheels and from then on they give no warnings except when looking at the TPS indicator screen where you get four sets of dashes instead of seeing the rather coarse pressure readout.

The older models might chime on every start. But I'm sure it isn't anything that will bother you too much.

[Neto]

You can use 16" wheels from Town and Countries and Caravans on the older DJs . . . . . and you don't need pressure transducers - though I don't know whether the '09 would complain more than the second generation models (my first DJ was an '11) - the '11 and onward models give one single chime and illuminate a warning light the first time after changing over to non-transducer wheels and from then on they give no warnings except when looking at the TPS indicator screen where you get four sets of dashes instead of seeing the rather coarse pressure readout.

The older models might chime on every start. But I'm sure it isn't anything that will bother you too much.

Our 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan has 17" wheels, but I do think it is the same bolt pattern. The 2nd & 3rd generation minivans have a smaller bolt pattern. (2nd gen was15", 3rd gen was 16". We had both of these models previously.)

So are you saying that the newer Journeys do not use the same bolt pattern as for the 2009? (I thought they were all the same. Or are you just referring to the wheel size?)

I wondered how much hassle a missing pressure monitor would cause. I don't like all of that extra electronic stuff myself - my first car was a '62 Chrysler Newport, and I'm used to being responsible for things like tire pressure, oil changes, rolling the windows up & down, etc. I guess they've been out for some years already, but I hadn't even heard that there was such a thing as tire pressure monitors before we got this 09 Journey in December of 2010.

Edited October 24, 2015 by Neto

[OhareFred]

You probably should have had it rustproofed.

I would have the vehicle inspected and make your decision when you know what you are dealing with.

Having it rustproofed, even now, can be of benefit as it will pretty much prevent further corrosion damage, by the way.

If the vehicle is ready for the scrapyard you aren't going to make much selling or trading it.

He just recently bought it. I have an 09, live in the rust belt, and haven't rustproofed a car since the 80's. Never had an issue. Lucky i guess...

[OhareFred]

I have an 09 i bought new, 2 miles on it from the dealer. Now i have 67k miles on it. I have replaced the following:

Front brakes/rotors three times (twice in 20k miles and then about 2 weeks ago)

Rear brakes (once)

Tires

Rear shocks

Rear springs

Rear control arms

Battery

Radiator

Heater hose

And two or three recalls.

The brakes are a known issue. Used ceramic aftermarket pads and aftermarket rotors youll do much better then oem. Batteries last about five years (took delivery of my car in July of 08). The radiator and heater hose were somewhat surprising. You have to balance the cost of repairs verses a monthly payment for X number of years. Do what works for you .

Edited October 24, 2015 by OhareFred

[bramfrank]

Neto;

Wheels have the same bolt pattern, but the vehicle uses larger disks and calipers, so 16" wheels don't fit DJs manufactured after the middle of 2012.

I had tire pressure monitors in a 2002 Chrysler, so that isn't exactly newfangled technology.

I suggested rustproofing to put a stop to any corrosion that may have developed over the last 6 years - and because it helps preserve the electrical integrity of the vehicle for the same reason. Besides, it is inexpensive. Consider both age and the fact that you live in an area where they salt roads and you have no idea as to whether the vehicle has been kept outdoors in the cold during winter months (parking indoors in those environments is tough on vehicles).

It costs less than $100 and certainly isn't going to hurt.

Edited October 24, 2015 by bramfrank

[Neto]

Neto;

Wheels have the same bolt pattern, but the vehicle uses larger disks and calipers, so 16" wheels don't fit DJs manufactured after the middle of 2012.

I had tire pressure monitors in a 2002 Chrysler, so that isn't exactly newfangled technology.

Yes, I didn't say that it is anything exactly new-fangled, just "extra electronic stuff". What I meant is extras that are not necessary to the operation of the vehicle. I got my first car at 22, and it was 15 years old, the old family car that I had learned to drive on. (I was in college, lived in the dorm on campus, and didn't need a vehicle before that.) My next car was only about 6 years old when I got it, and the last car I bought until after I was married, and living in Brazil for some years (as a missionary). The mission had vehicles we could use when out near the city, and the rest of the time we were back in the jungle where there were no roads at all. That was a Brazilian VW Voyage, an 84 model, and it must have been around 13 to 15 years old when we got it. It was a standard transmission with manual everything. (And an alcohol burner.) We got our first minivan, a 1993 Chrysler T & C on our last state-side furlough in 2000, and drove it until 2010. It was stored for two years during our last short term overseas, and became a 2nd vehicle in 2007 when we got the 2000 T & C which is now on it's last legs due to rust out. That one was my work vehicle until a few weeks ago, having been replaced as the family car by the 2009 Journey in 2010. The 2000 had lots of what I'm calling "extras" - like heated seats and remote door locks (Neither of which I like, or ever used. The heated seats make me feel like I had an accident, and the remote key fob is just extra bulk in my pocket), and some other things that the 93 T & C already had. I also still have (although not yet road worthy) the 46 Plymouth I bought in 1980. So in a way, for me everything that came after the 60s or 70s is actually pretty much "new-fangled", to use your word. But the vehicle I just got for my work vehicle has even more of this extra stuff than the Journey, because our Journey is a base model, and doesn't even have cruise. (I got a high-mileage 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan from outside the "salt belt". It doesn't even have a key you can use in the ignition, so now I'm totally stuck with carrying that huge remote in my pocket.)

Edited October 24, 2015 by Neto

[LKMS]

I should have wrote I bought it from a private seller not dealer.

I fixed the battery issue. The brakes however were unseen as I just started hearing it after a month from the purchase from the private seller. I noticed after I was driving through a empty parking lot with my windows down, I heard like metal crunching. I did not feel anything when pressing the pedals, just the noise from outside.

I might keep it, beginning to like it. Thanks for the posts

[Dusty256]

I should have wrote I bought it from a private seller not dealer.

I fixed the battery issue. The brakes however were unseen as I just started hearing it after a month from the purchase from the private seller. I noticed after I was driving through a empty parking lot with my windows down, I heard like metal crunching. I did not feel anything when pressing the pedals, just the noise from outside.

I might keep it, beginning to like it. Thanks for the posts

Do the brakes and get a good set of pads and rotors ...

[Lobitz68]

Do the brakes and get a good set of pads and rotors ...

Agreed. Anything that isn't bottom of the line will be better than the factory brakes. Personally, I have had success with EBC brakes and rotors as well as most of your typical aftermarket brands. If you can do the work yourself (brakes are a great starter project because they are easy), then you can get new rotors and pads for a VERY reasonable price. Much less than what you would get charged to have them installed at a shop...

[bfurth]

The early 5th generation Chrysler minivans (2008-2013) share the same brake components with the early Dodge Journey (2009 through at least 2013). The rear calipers might be a little different in 2013. I think it was 2013, the vans starting getting newer brakes. 2014, the new heavy duty brakes (dual piston front caliper, bigger rear caliper, bigger rotors and pads all around) were made standard on the Journey (and I think the full van platform as well). The early vans had options for 17" rims, which will work with the big brake upgrade. The bigger brakes make a HUGE difference in the minivan platform (I have a 2010, but my wife got rear-ended a few months ago and had a 2014 T&C for a few days - WOW what a difference the Pentastar and HD brakes make!)

The Journey is only off by 200-300 pounds from the vans - those brakes do matter. The old brakes are enough to stop the vehicle - that's not the issue. They generate too much heat and the pads wear out relatively quickly. The rotors tend to wear out too quickly as well - I end up replacing pads with rotors every time as the front rotors develop a pulsation about 40k miles in. The pads only last about 45k-50k.

[B4ZINGA]

Journey received standard dual-piston front Calipers for the 2012 model year.

Regarding the original question (thread is TL;DR) on whether you should keep it... at that mileage you have to expect problems will arise. If I bought something that was over 5 years old and had over 100,000 miles (sorry, I don't know how clicks translates into miles or kilometers), and it asked for a new battery, terminals, and brakes, I wouldn't think anything of it and replaced all the parts with new ones of a caliber representing how long I intend to own the car... the longer I will keep it, the better (and pricier) the replacement parts.

[Neto]

Agreed. Anything that isn't bottom of the line will be better than the factory brakes. Personally, I have had success with EBC brakes and rotors as well as most of your typical aftermarket brands. If you can do the work yourself (brakes are a great starter project because they are easy), then you can get new rotors and pads for a VERY reasonable price. Much less than what you would get charged to have them installed at a shop...

One heads up on the rear brakes (one I didn't know about until I did mine last year, the first time I ever did rear disk brake repair):

You will need to rent, buy, borrow, or steal a special tool to rotate the piston as you force it back into the bore so that you can slip the reloaded calipers over the rotors with the new pads installed. Of course this would not apply if you are replacing the calipers as well.

[jkeaton]

Rear disk brakes have always needed to be turned to seat. You can buy a kit from Harbor Freight for about $30 that has adapters for all makes and models.

[bfurth]

That's not entirely accurate. My grandmother's 2005 Infiniti Q45 has a rear caliper that does not have an integrated parking brake (the rotor is also a drum for the mechanical parking brake which sits inside the rotor). No special tool required to compress that caliper. I will say that the Lisle 2-piston caliper tool (the one that you just squeeze a trigger to compress both pistons simultaneously) is the single best brake tool I've ever come across. It is worth the $35 for the tool and then some.

For the Journey, yes, you need the special tool. You can get the set on Amazon for under $30. Some sets include both left and right hand threaded tools, depending on how each caliper is set up. Some vehicles use both, some use one, some use the other. I assume the Journey uses the right-hand threaded tool, but I've never done the job nor even looked it up, so I can't say for sure.

[jkeaton]

I should have clarified, American cars....lol